Sintra Marmoris Palace - Best Sintra Luxury Hotel Review (Portugal)

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. 
 
 
HISTORY OF SINTRA MARMORIS 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.
 
Historic hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace

Historic hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace
 
All the rooms, including their own bedroom, living room, guests rooms, library etc have been converted into various rooms of the hotel. Depending on the size of the rooms, they've been set up as classic rooms, double rooms, deluxe rooms, suite with a garden view or mountain view or family suite! This is a tiny little boutique hotel with just 9 rooms
Being a small hotel, every guest is treated with absolute utmost care. The check-in time, check-out time, breakfast time etc are totally flexible as there are only 9 guests to serve at a time and the staff do their best to suit the needs of each and every one!
  
Queijada de Sintra - Marmoris Palace

Historic hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace

Historic hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace
  
The rooms have a fruit platter and coffee machine with a variety of coffee & tea cups. There is also a special treat - the local delicacy called Queijada de Sintra as well as some whisky! Water is served in a glass bottle, which can be replenished as needed, to be more environment conscious. The bottle itself is available for purchase. 
Ofcourse all the other regular stuff like toiletries, hair dryer, locker etc are available. Rooms have one or more of jacuzzi shower, jacuzzi tub and bathtub depending on room size, style etc. 
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!
   
Boutique hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace

Boutique hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace

Boutique hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace

Boutique hotel in Sintra - Marmoris Palace
  
The eye to little details is exceptional. The key bunch of the rooms look like a palace key bunch with vintage style keys; the curtain holders have a royal emblem on them; the chandeliers, lamps and mirrors match the charming, vintage beauty of the place; the ceilings have paintings; the fire-place is the common-area has an absolute royal touch to it with engraved golden tigers and so so so many more such details.
 
Where to stay in Sintra

Where to stay in Sintra

Sintra Best Hotels - Marmoris Palace
  
The breakfast buffet needs a special, super-duper mention. In Europe, its very rare that you get to see something at all in it, that's vegetarian. I usually fill up on bread and sometimes the best is usually mashed potatoes and baked beans... Here there were not 1 or 2 but 4 varieties, 4 options in freshly prepared sauteed/boiled/fried vegetables!!! 
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!
  
Breakfast buffet Pastel de Nata - Marmoris Palace

Hotels with best breakfast buffet - Marmoris Palace

Honeymoon resorts in Sintra  - Marmoris Palace

Honeymoon resorts in Sintra  - Marmoris Palace
  
The pool is awesome! This too is open-air when the weather is suitable and temperature regulated with the weather is cold. Guess what, this was the family pool of the Alves family. There are pool noodles, wine glass floaters and other stuff available as well. There are bathrobes provided in the rooms. I suggest that they also provide with beach-bags to carry the bathrobes from the rooms to the pool.
 
Honeymoon resorts in Sintra  - Marmoris Palace

Where to stay in Sintra - Marmoris Palace

Where to stay in Sintra - Marmoris Palace
 
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!
 
5 star hotels in Sintra - Marmoris Palace

5 star hotels in Sintra - Marmoris Palace
   
Many a times, you can feel absolutely alone, like you're the only guest of the hotel!!! To help on this and improve interaction among guests, the hotel has the unique concept of an evening get-together! Every day something special is organized like a Fado performance (traditional folk music), magic or so. This is enhanced with a wine service with some bread & cheese platter!
  
Hotels with best views in Sintra

Hotels with best views in Sintra
 
The hotel's garden is humongous - 14000 sqm to be precise! We did go on a stroll around. The view of the Moorish Castle is fabulous. The common area in the first floor has a balcony and from here too, the view is exceptional. There is a huge traditional Portugal handpainted tile here in the balcony! There is a little fountain in the front-yard and a lot of seating arrangements. On a warm day, it would definitely be awesome to sit-back here and relax.

 

Historic Luxury hotel Sintra Marmoris Palace Best boutique hotel Sintra Marmoris Palace
 
From Sintra Railway Station: 600m (7 min walk)

Room rates begin at €144 (for classic double room)
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.

Bhushavali

An ardent traveler by passion. Being an ex - Art History Teacher, my area of interest especially lies in Nature and Heritage. Visited 85 UNESCO World Heritage sites as of June 2022. I've been listed among the Top 7 Women Travel Bloggers of India, Top 50 in UK. I have been interviewed in a couple of TV Shows, Radio Channels and Events as well. Read more about me and read the testimonials of different brands

14 comments:

  1. 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.

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  2. This 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.

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  3. When 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.

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  4. The 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.

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  5. We 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!

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  6. I'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.

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  7. Great 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.

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  8. Sintra 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!

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  9. Sintra 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.

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  10. The 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.

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  11. That 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!

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  12. It'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!

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  13. You 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.

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  14. Wow! 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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