Luxury Hotels - High End Accomodation in Portugal & Spain?

Just discovered the Luxury Hotel forum and am having heaps of fun lurking and living vicariously through others! Thought I would try posting as well.

We have an opportunity to visit Spain & Portugal in end June/early July. I would usually plan our itinerary around the accomodation with FS, MO or Park Hyatt as my usual picks. I am struggling this time with planning as the high end chains are not found in smaller towns or villages. I am hopeful that there are smaller properties which can offer us a luxurious experience and will happily drive an hour or 2 more to get to a particularly special property or location!

Grateful for advice & comments on our proposed route. For a 13 night trip, we are currently looking at:

Madrid - 2 nights
Lisbon/ Cascais - 3 nights (conference venue but we don't have to stay at the conference hotel)
Lisbon towards Algarve - 2 nights en-route. Which towns/ villages should I stop for an overnight?
Algarve - 1 night
Algarve towards Seville- Do we need 1 night en-route?
Seville- 2 nights.
Seville to Madrid- 1 night.
Madrid - 1 night.

Best

Just discovered the Luxury Hotel forum and am having heaps of fun lurking and living vicariously through others! Thought I would try posting as well.

We have an opportunity to visit Spain & Portugal in end June/early July. I would usually plan our itinerary around the accomodation with FS, MO or Park Hyatt as my usual picks. I am struggling this time with planning as the high end chains are not found in smaller towns or villages. I am hopeful that there are smaller properties which can offer us a luxurious experience and will happily drive an hour or 2 more to get to a particularly special property or location!

Grateful for advice & comments on our proposed route. For a 13 night trip, we are currently looking at:

Madrid - 2 nights
Lisbon/ Cascais - 3 nights (conference venue but we don't have to stay at the conference hotel)
Lisbon towards Algarve - 2 nights en-route. Which towns/ villages should I stop for an overnight?
Algarve - 1 night
Algarve towards Seville- Do we need 1 night en-route?
Seville- 2 nights.
Seville to Madrid- 1 night.
Madrid - 1 night.

Best

RG:
in Madrid my top choice would be probably Villa Magna (that used to be a Park Hyatt) located in the Barrio Salamanca closed to the best shopping in town. Other option I feel to propose are Ritz Hotel and in case you like more boutique even The Adler. Santo Mauro used to be among my favorite but do not visit since long time.

In Lisbon there is a FS hotel.
Close to Lisbon you might evaluate Penha Longa

In Algarve maybe Villa Joya or Villa Vita Parc

Dont' Know about Seville, but a bit more est, going towards Malaga, I would consider a few options especially "Finca Cortesin" that will allow you to visit Marbella and Puerto Banus.

Hope that helps, have a nice trip.

Stay outside Sevilla at the el bulli hotel Hazienda benazuza. Definitely stay There. You will find my trip report here if you do a search

.....

Penha Longa (outside Cascais) is fine, we stayed there 18 months ago. It is a Ritz-Carlton but not branded R-C as they cannot use the brand in Portugal due to the presence of a Ritz already. I put some comments in this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels/1252958-ritz-carlton-penha-longa.html?

The Palacio, in Estoril/Cascais is perhaps yout best option for the conference venue. There are outstanding grilled fresh sardines served by the water at various restaurants in the area.

Stay outside Sevilla at the el bulli hotel Hazienda benazuza. Definitely stay There. You will find my trip report here if you do a search

Sad to report that hotel shut down recently

[/QUOTE]

Sad to report that hotel shut down recently[/QUOTE]

What a pity! I am happy I got to stay there before they closed. So beautiful and exceptional food of course.

Madrid - I like the Ritz. Great location for visiting museums and central.
Lisbon - my favorite is the Lapa Palace. However, it is a bit put of town - about 10 min taxi ride. However taxis are reasonable and it has a beautiful pool, grounds, and some rooms have nice river views and balconies.
Have stayed at both several times and like.

Cannot highly recommend in Seville, however when there a couple of years ago
i stayed at the Grand Alfonso XIII. Not the best luxury hotel, but a grand old dame. Many rooms wre run down, but some had been renovated and there was a renovation program going on. The location is central, you can walk everywhere, but there may be something better by now. It is managed by Starwood and they upgraded us to a very large suite, but again, not what I would call luxury, just was one of the better choices when we were there a couple of years ago.

Sad to report that hotel shut down recently[/QUOTE]

What a pity! I am happy I got to stay there before they closed. So beautiful and exceptional food of course.[/QUOTE]

Too bad.... What a bummer...I got all excited before I scrolled down!

I also stayed at the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville (Starwood Luxury Collection) during a 2009 trip. Can't beat the location right in the middle of town.

There was a whole lot of nothing in between Seville and Madrid. We stopped for a night in Toledo. Just stayed at the Hilton there. There may be more upscale options, though it was a nice Hilton. And Toledo was a great stop.

I also stayed at the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville (Starwood Luxury Collection) during a 2009 trip. Can't beat the location right in the middle of town.

There was a whole lot of nothing in between Seville and Madrid. We stopped for a night in Toledo. Just stayed at the Hilton there. There may be more upscale options, though it was a nice Hilton. And Toledo was a great stop.

LOL. I will look up Toledo, thanks.

I'm beginning to despair about this trip. I'm mildly embarrassed to say so but I don't do so well with mediocre hotels. I find it frustrating to spend hundreds of dollars to spend a night at a place when I can have a better experience at home for free.

Perhaps I should just ask for best hotel/ B&B recommendations in Spain & Portugal and work my itinerary around the top picks instead!

The King Alfonso XIII in Seville (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=88) has been closed this past year for renovation. It is to reopen March 15 (3 days from now). Even shabby, it was the place to stay in Seville.

Perhaps I should just ask for best hotel/ B&B recommendations in Spain & Portugal and work my itinerary around the top picks instead!

If you go this route, look at the Paradores of Spain (http://www.parador.es/en/portal.do) and the Pousadas of Portugal (http://www.pousadas.pt/historic-hotels-portugal/en/pages/home.aspx). We have had extraordinary stay experiences in both countries. Both governments decided to stimulate tourism some decades ago by repurposing some of their historic buildings and converting them into hotels. They have also built new hotels in towns where there were few accommodations, but I am not as interested by them. For example, we stayed at the Pousada in Obidos (http://www.pousadas.pt/historic-hotels-portugal/en/pousadas/lisbon-hotels/pousada-de-obidos/castelo-de-obidos/pages/history.aspx), roughly 70 miles north of Lisbon. There were just 6 rooms the first time we stayed. These were built right into the wall that surrounds the town. They subsequently added three more rooms. Service is nonexistent, as these properties are run by the government, but the public areas are often extraordinary.

Seville is a great place to visit. Note, though, that the business centre, where a lot of hotels are, is a long way from the tourist centre. If the Alphonso has reopened I would try it as the location is great.

Seville is a great place to visit. Note, though, that the business centre, where a lot of hotels are, is a long way from the tourist centre. If the Alphonso has reopened I would try it as the location is great.

Apparently the Hotel Alfonso XIII reopens this week.

I would definitely stay there in Seville- great location and good service- by far the best option.

Agree also with the recommendation to stay in a Pousada- although service can be very hit and miss- the locations are usually unforgettable.

I have done similar trips to what the OP is planning and have had an absolutely amazing time.

Four Seasons in Lisbon (ex Intercontinental) is a good choice.

Four Seasons in Lisbon (ex Intercontinental) is a good choice.

Albeit the ugliest Four Seasons in the world from the outside!

The Barrio Alto has a good reputation amongst the independents.

Albeit the ugliest Four Seasons in the world from the outside!

Agreed- tied with Vancouver British Columbia for this dubious award.

The IC was built in a time when apparently concrete blocks were to be appreciated (I am thinking also about Bucaresti for example).

Anyway- don't get scared away from the outside- the service and the inside are quite nice for Lisboa.

Madrid -- The Ritz Madrid. The rooms are large and beautifully decorated (if you like antiques), with lovely views. Wonderful staff. Breakfast on the patio is lovely. Location is perfect -- walking distance to the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza. Definitely a time machine to the Belle Epoque.

The Ritz in Madrid is in a terrible need of a renovation. Hasn't been done in years.

Out of all your destinations there's loads to see around Lisbon/Cascais/Sintra so make sure you have plenty of free time. I'm not sure I'd bother diverting to the Algarve. One place does spring to mind is a converted convent by Starwood in Evora.

If you want to see more, Cordoba and Grenada are worth the stretch. I think there's another historic conversion in Cordoba I read about. And consider the train from Seville/Cordoba to Madrid which saves hours.

The Palacio, in Estoril/Cascais is perhaps yout best option for the conference venue. There are outstanding grilled fresh sardines served by the water at various restaurants in the area.
Yes!

In Seville, try to stay in Alfonso XIII but I think it's closed for renovations. it became Starwood LC some years ago. There's also a more modest but impressive parador of Moorish style about an hour away, on the edge of a small town.

The higher end paradors are lovely as are many of the pousadas in Portugal. However, they're at best four star, not genuine luxury as defined here. Still, many are interesting renovations of historic buildings.

Yes!

In Seville, try to stay in Alfonso XIII but I think it's closed for renovations. it became Starwood LC some years ago. There's also a more modest but impressive parador of Moorish style about an hour away, on the edge of a small town.

The higher end paradors are lovely as are many of the pousadas in Portugal. However, they're at best four star, not genuine luxury as defined here. Still, many are interesting renovations of historic buildings.

My understanding is that the Alfonso XIII reopens on Friday (2 days from now). It is a lovely hotel. I have also stayed outside of the "centro storico" of Seville- and while there are some nice hotels- it is very nice to be in the centre and be able to walk everywhere.

The Ritz in Madrid is in a terrible need of a renovation. Hasn't been done in years.

I read at another Orient Express property earlier this year that the Ritz Madrid was re-opening this year after renovations. Did that not occur???

Greetings from Lisboa! We are at the Four Seasons and while it is an ugly building from the outside it has fantastic old school bones. You can't build a hotel with such large elevator landings and wide hallways anymore! Inside is lovely with excellent service.

We are in a 2 BR Imperial suite (a 1 BR Imperial suite connecting to a Jr. Suite) with 4 balconies and fantastic views over the city and the River.

The RC Penha Longha is quite nice and offers great value. The other options in Esteril and Cascais already mentioned look appealing from the outside.

We had lunch at Porto Santa Maria in Guincho and was absolutely fantastic -- some of the best seafood we have had. Very good value -- 86EUR for 2 (not per person) for bread, amuses, appetizer, main (in our case whole salt crusted sea bream), sides, dessert, tea or coffee, mineral water and house wine.

I am used to staying at luxury hotels in Asia, which is my standard of comparison, and very much like the service there. Know that you won't anything like that in Spain (havent been to portugal in a long time).

Now in Spain what you are loosing on service, you can win on settings.

I am a fan of the historical hotels of the parador chain, where I have stayed in some of amazing settings, ie castle, convents, churches...
Furthermore the in-house restaurants are usually pretty good, and good value.

- Leon, Santiago de Compostella, Carmona (close to Sevilla, and having stayed both at the alfonso XIII and there, will choose Carmona every time that view from the pool...), Granada (a must imo to sleep once inside the alhambra castle complex), Arcos de la Frontera (rustic little place but that view...), and Siguenza (2 hours northeast of madrid) are among my favorite.

Consider the paradors to be a scaled down version (service wise) of the French Relais & Chateaux. I have never stayed at any in Spain, but know they have several, you might want to check them out also.

Other hotels and chains you might want to consider:

- top end hotels of the AC and NH hotel chains.
- LHW, and among them barcelo la bobadilla in andalucia about 1 1/2 hr from Seviall is fairly good place.
- Relais & Chateaux as mentionned before.

For your routing, imo madrid is not worth any time whatsoever,

but would try to split both ways going north first spending at least a night in Leon, 1 in Salamanca (dont stay at the parador even though the view on the city is fairly nice but either at the palacio san esteban (used to be an AC not sure it's still the case) or the nh palacio de las castellanos), and one in Santiago, before getting into Lisbon. Northbound Ciudad Rodrigo is also pretty nice.

Southbound: 1 night in Carmona, 1 or 2 at barcelo la bobadilla, 1 in Granada (once again an absolute must), and maybe one in Jaen or Oropesa.

hope this helps a little, and unfortunately there are no amans resorts in Spain.

I am used to staying at luxury hotels in Asia, which is my standard of comparison, and very much like the service there. Know that you won't anything like that in Spain (havent been to portugal in a long time).

Now in Spain what you are loosing on service, you can win on settings.

I am a fan of the historical hotels of the parador chain, where I have stayed in some of amazing settings, ie castle, convents, churches...
Furthermore the in-house restaurants are usually pretty good, and good value.

- Leon, Santiago de Compostella, Carmona (close to Sevilla, and having stayed both at the alfonso XIII and there, will choose Carmona every time that view from the pool...), Granada (a must imo to sleep once inside the alhambra castle complex), Arcos de la Frontera (rustic little place but that view...), and Siguenza (2 hours northeast of madrid) are among my favorite.

Consider the paradors to be a scaled down version (service wise) of the French Relais & Chateaux. I have never stayed at any in Spain, but know they have several, you might want to check them out also.

Other hotels and chains you might want to consider:

- top end hotels of the AC and NH hotel chains.
- LHW, and among them barcelo la bobadilla in andalucia about 1 1/2 hr from Seviall is fairly good place.
- Relais & Chateaux as mentionned before.

For your routing, imo madrid is not worth any time whatsoever,

but would try to split both ways going north first spending at least a night in Leon, 1 in Salamanca (dont stay at the parador even though the view on the city is fairly nice but either at the palacio san esteban (used to be an AC not sure it's still the case) or the nh palacio de las castellanos), and one in Santiago, before getting into Lisbon. Northbound Ciudad Rodrigo is also pretty nice.

Southbound: 1 night in Carmona, 1 or 2 at barcelo la bobadilla, 1 in Granada (once again an absolute must), and maybe one in Jaen or Oropesa.

hope this helps a little, and unfortunately there are no amans resorts in Spain.

With all due respect, I must disagree with the bolded. The Prado is in Madrid, and houses one of the greatest collections in the world. I would stop in Madrid to see Las Meninas alone, let alone the rest of this world-class collection, which includes some of the great masters of the Spanish school (Goya, El Greco, Velazquez, El Bosco, etc.). Within a few yards of the Prado is the Reina Sofia, where Spain's modern art is housed in an architecturally fascinating building: once again, spending one hour to see Picasso's powerful Guernica is worth the price of admission. Behind the Reina Sofia is the Thyssen-Bornemisza, a long-held private collection that is now a public museum. This collection, rich in Spanish and Italian masters, as well as French Baroque and German expressionists, is definitely worth spending a day (or two).

And that is just the three major (and well-known) museums in Madrid. There are other, lesser known museums, run by monasteries, that house 17th and 18th century royal costumes, the world-class zoo and aquarium, day trips from Madrid to Segovia, where you can see the Roman aqueduct, and, just outside of Segovia, La Granja, the summer pleasure palace of the kings of Spain beginning with the first Bourbon king, Philip V (and modeled after Versailles).

And that's just off the top of my head.