Hotel review: Martinhal Lisbon Cascais Family Resort, Portugal

Check in to a property that offers a little luxury alongside its child-friendly credentials

Martinhal Cascais combines plush rooms with good food, relaxation – and children’s facilities

Our first family holiday was – to put it mildly – a disaster, where we new parents learnt that you can’t just attempt to do the same holidays you did previously, particularly if you have a penchant for touring large regions, bed-and-breakfast hopping, and walking pram-unfriendly cobbled streets.

We wanted to do it right this time and make it easy, a place where we could truly relax – one that caters for families, but not at the cost of parents’ comfort. The thought of child-friendly holidays does not conjure up relaxation; luxury and family hotels do not usually go hand in hand. We wanted somewhere we could confidently hand over our one-year-old baby for a few hours without having to go on holiday with parents. And that’s exactly what we found at the newly opened Martinhal Cascais in Portugal.

Martinhal was established with the aim of putting luxury into family holidays, combining plush accommodation, good food, relaxation – and children’s facilities. It’s now an expanding realm, building on the success of the group’s first hotel in Sagres, the Algarve, and the Martinhal Quinta that followed last year, continuing with Cascais, and a new branch opening in Lisbon’s city centre later this summer.

The lobby at Martinhal Cascais, the third hotel in the growing chain

There’s a reason why many families choose UK holidays, driving to their destinations rather than flying. Babies require gear, and a lot of it. At the Martinhal you can pre-book bottle sterilisers and warmers, cots, baby baths, safety gates, potties and door protectors at no extra cost. The baby’s cot was all set up with comfy bedding, and on arrival she was handed a cuddly toy and sun hat – a lovely touch. But what about the things that parents inevitably forget? We put them to the test. Room service used to be champagne on ice or a burger and chips. Now it’s a jug of warmed milk and a bottle steriliser, swiftly delivered.

Breakfast is a civilised affair. Even when our daughter was sending handfuls of oatmeal and fresh fruit on to the brand new floor, child-loving staff played peekaboo and smiled welcomingly. The choice is impressive: a hot and continental buffet is on offer including a never-ending supply of fresh, sliced tropical fruit, as well as waffles, pancakes and eggs to order. Delicious custard tarts are still warm from baking, their creamy custard filling moreish and a treat. Intolerances are well catered for – much to the delight of this family of lactose intolerants, where a latte normally means soya milk – with lactose-free dairy milk and yoghurts on offer.

O Terraco restaurant serves local seafood and has an area for children

The main restaurant, O Terraco, where breakfast is taken, serves local seafood dishes aplenty, and a la carte. Best of all is the kids’ corner, a toy-filled area where one of the resort’s charming babysitters entertains while parents enjoy their dinner. It’s by far the best place to eat at the resort; the other options being the Italian-style “trattoria” Os Gambozinos, and M-Bar, situated at the Kids Clubhouse and overlooking its large heated outdoor pool, which is better for drinks and coffee.

Childcare is first-rate. Other than the babysitting service offered, babies and children from six months to early teens can be booked into two-hour sessions at the Kids Clubhouse, with its massive 7,865 sq ft of play space, for €20. During that time parents would do well to make use of the Finisterra spa, and its plethora of treatment rooms including two for couples, its peaceful outdoor and heated indoor pools (one of the hotel’s three pool areas), the sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, and relaxation area for post-treatment herbal tea. Children and teens can be pampered too, with treatments tailored to youngsters. There’s also a spacious playground.

There are three pools on the site, one of which has a Finisterra spa

Location

Just half an hour’s drive from Lisbon, Martinhal Cascais has it all: mild weather, the coast a brisk 20-minute walk from the resort, well-kept paths for beautiful coastal walks through the Atlantic-swept dunes, the adjacent world-class 18-hole Quinta da Marinha golf course, and easy access not only to Lisbon, but also to Unesco World Heritage Site Sintra. It’s easy to see why Sintra is so widely visited; its winding streets, colourful buildings, Castle of the Moors, and fairytale Pena Palace perched atop the hill glinting as it catches the sun, are magical. After exploring, we enjoyed local cheesecake pastries “queijadas” at the famous Café a Piriquita.

We made much use of the hotel’s four-times-daily shuttle service which, for a €1.50 fee each way per seat, takes guests to the bustling picturesque seaside town of Cascais, made famous by the Portuguese royals who would take their holidays there and bathe at the three sandy beaches.

There’s an outdoor market, but we ate at locals’ favourite Restaurante Marisco Na Praca, a must for seafood lovers. Hiring a car is recommended to see the nearby historical sites, and to reach the coastal walks and large sandy Guincho beach, a surfers’ paradise, 10-minutes’ drive away.

Comfort

We stayed in a standard double room, with its calming Scandi-style wood and light decor. The super kingsize bed and soft white sheets were immensely comfortable, the room was spacious, airy and bright, and brilliantly designed for family-living; a glass partition to the bathroom enables parents to keep a watchful eye on their children.

Even with our daughter sharing, there was ample space. The rooms range from 440 to 660 sq ft for a suite, some with added bunk beds, but 880 sq ft family-friendly interconnecting rooms are available, too. All 84 rooms open out to balconies or a terrace, and ours had French-style windows leading to a small garden with outdoor armchairs.

A suite, with its Scandinavian-inspired wood panelling. All rooms open to balconies or terraces

For more space and self-catering, 12 designer villas are situated conveniently close to the Kids Clubhouse and its outdoor heated pool. There are five-star touches such as a different treat, from local port to chocolates, left in the room each day.

Essentials

Martinhal Lisbon Cascais Family Resort Hotel, R do Clube Casa 36, Quinta Da Marinha, Cascais, Portugal (00 351 218 507 788; martinhal.com/cascais)

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Wifi: free
Parking: free
Access: one room adapted for guests with disabilities 

Rooms: ****
Service: *****
Value: ****

Doubles start at €219 including breakfast.

Some bedrooms come with pool views