REVIEW OF THE BEST, HISTORIC, LUXURY HOTEL IN SINTRA, PORTUGAL
WHERE TO STAY - IN SINTRA OR IN LISBON???
When we planned our Lisbon & Sintra trip, one of my initial decisions was to stay in Sintra. Sintra is beautiful. Its extremely beautiful, its green, its lush, its so much more gorgeous than the city of Lisbon, which is afterall, a metropolitan city!!! After seeing pictures of Sintra, which many people go as a day-trip from Lisbon, I knew I wanted to stay here and see this place more than just a day-trip. When looking for places to stay in Sintra, this one place stood-out from the rest - Sintra Marmòris Palace.
This was a palatial private bunglow of the Alves family, built in early 1890s. When the Portugal revolution happened in 1974 it was abandoned. After the revolution they returned and expanded the house extensively to more suit their needs of the time, as they were aging. There were rooms for themselves, their helpers, they had a library, they had multiple guest rooms, they had 2 kitchens and more. They had a swimming pool. After the children grew up and left, and the house was occupied by only the elderly couple, they also set-up elevators from some of the upper floor rooms to ground floor! Ofcourse to help them, their assistants had their bedrooms just outside of the master bedroom! They lived here till 2015. Now the elderly lady, Mrs.Alves has relocated to a smaller house and since the last 2 years, since 2017, this humongous, palatial, charming property has been converted to a hotel.
The Alentejo family which has taken over the property and converted it into a hotel, has its primary business with Portuguese marbles. So any renovations and additions that has happened in the hotel have been done with the best quality of Portuguese marbles.
Instead of home-phones, guests are provided with mobile phones here. That was definitely unusual - not giving a mobile per se - but having the mobile customized for the hotel in the OS level!!! That's something I haven't encountered anywhere! The mobile is free to use, to take outside while exploring Sintra throughout your stay! It is even possible to make international calls upto 30 mins a day!
My complete Lisbon & Sintra Travelogue: Lisbon Belem Tower & Jeronimos Monastery, Sintra - Pena Palace, Castelo dos Mouros, Quinta da Regaleira, Monserrate Palace.
Apart from 'options' (!) in vegetables, there were options in milks incl. plant-based, baby food, cereal bars and more. Another thing that caught me by surprise was the fresh honey - I mean, literally there was a piece of raw honeycomb!!!!!! There is a deck outside for dining. This is open-air when the weather is suitable. Btw, everyone is definitely served with a Pastel de Nata, the famous Portugal pastry!
Some of the rooms in the first floor even have a private elevator, which was once used by the Alves family to their own mobility. The kitchen of the hotel also once served as the kitchen of Alves family! Even the traditional utensils used are still the same! While the hotel provides a limited a la carte options during reception hours, there are few restaurants in the historic city centre, and Ubereats operates here in Sintra!
On Google Maps: Hotel Sintra Palace Marmòris
From Sintra Railway Station: 600m (7 min walk)
To Book online: Hotel Sintra Palace Marmòris
Room rates begin at €144 (for classic double room)
Complimentary car parking & breakfast.
Hotel Ph no: +351 21 923 4504
Complimentary car parking & breakfast.
Hotel Ph no: +351 21 923 4504
P.S: I was hosted by the hotel to experience it for review purposes, however the opinions are my own and this post does not to advertise the product/service.
We were so sad we missed Sintra when we visited Lisbon. And I never really thought about staying in Sintra. A great idea to see Sintra for more than just a day tour. Hotel Sintra Palace Marmoris certainly looks like a good choice to stay. Very interesting that they provided you with cell phones to use while you were in Sintra. I like the idea of an evening get together. A great way to get tips for the next day explorations.
ReplyDeleteThis hotel is so pretty! In parts it reminded me parts of old Goa, the same old Baroque architecture! I hear when you say tiny hotels cater more personalized attention to each guest. Truth me told, I love it and I actually avoid huge resorts these days and choose boutique stays for a more intense local experience. It uplifts travel experience and provides a more immersive sense of travel! Hotel Sinara palace definitely fits in that criteria.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to Sintra I didn't stay in the small city, I did the day trip by train from Lisboa as would a lot of visitors. However I wished I spent at least two days there and got accommodation as I could have done some hiking in this area. The area is beautiful and I love exploring the palace and castle. The hotel Sintra Palace is a place I would love to stay at and is at an ideal location.
ReplyDeleteThe Sintra Palace Marmoris looks exquisite. Such a perfect blend of the rich Portugese heritage and modern comfort and luxury. Each corner of the hotel looks like an art museum. The ceiling fan and its unique and artistic design grabbed my attention and held it for a long time.
ReplyDeleteWe love Sintra! We only had time for a day visit, but would love to go back to stay the night! Hotel Sintra Palace Marmoris Looks like a wonderful place to stay in. The rooms and amenities are fantastic and I love the delicious looking breakfast. What a perfect place to get away from the busy city!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Lisbon twice, but never to Sintra. I'd really love to see it though. This hotel sounds really special. It's not exactly my style, but I can appreciate the attention to detail and authenticity.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!! I have been to Sintra a few years ago and I absolutely loved it and would surely want to visit again. The hotel sintra palace marmoris sounds really posh and really elegant, I am more of a low-budget person when it comes to stays whenever I travel but its okay to treat yourself once in a while. I would gladly love to book a stay here if I ever travel to Sintra in the future.
ReplyDeleteSintra is a gem and the Hotel Sintra Palace Marmoris looks really pretty. I like that they provide mobile phones during your stay, that's very thoughtful. Night events for guests sound like a great idea, too. Surely a great place to stay!
ReplyDeleteSintra sounds like my kind of place, and the Palace Marmoris looks like the perfect base from which to explore. Although I'm not sure how much exploring I'd do with all the facilities (and food!) in the hotel :D It's always so great to stay in locally owned and run accommodation and the small size is a definite drawcard, as is the interesting family history behind it.
ReplyDeleteThe hotel gives the luxury feeling. It has a kind of Palace presence. The wooden decorations make me feeling cosy. I haven't been to this place yet so this a good tip for me.
ReplyDeleteThat tub definitely caught my attention first. I love a good relaxing bath after a long day of exploring so that’s just perfect! It’s interesting how the owners are primarily businessmen dealing with marbles. Maybe that’s why the hotel interior is so beautiful. Looks and sounds like an amazing stay and experience!
ReplyDeleteIt's always so neat staying in a place and then learning the history! All of the architecture and decor is so uniquely ornate. I typically stick to boring hostels, simply for the price. But maybe I should branch out to get a true taste of culture!
ReplyDeleteYou always find the most interesting places to stay, Bhushavali! I, for one, am jealous that you got to spend an extended amount of time in Sintra, as I only had enough time to do a day trip when I went to Lisbon. It definitely wasn't enough to see as much as I would've liked. Clearly the Sintra Palace Marmòris offers a top-notch experience, and I'm surprised to hear that the offer cell phones to visitors! That's definitely something new.
ReplyDeleteWow! The Hotel Sintra Palace actually looks royal and i love the detailing they have done. The fireplace surely has a royal touch. I too have never heard any hotel giving mobile phones - that is something really new. I really loved their idea of evening get togethers too.
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