Portugal is filled with charming, romantic, and regal palace hotels. One of our favorites has to be the Tivoli Palácio de Seteais. The opulent 18th-century architecture underwent a thorough renovation several years ago, maintaining the richness of the design, while modernizing the amenities, to create a lush historic luxury hotel for the 21st century. Featuring 30 beautifully-appointed rooms, Seteais fine dining restaurant, Seteais Colares DOC wine tasting room and soothing Anantara Spa, the Tivoli Palácio de Seteais is the ideal place to relax, unwind, and enjoy life as a noble.
Built in 1787, the Palácio de Seteais was transformed into a luxury hotel in 1955. The paintings, tapestries and frescos in the lounge rooms and libraries, were meticulously repaired and restored to their original splendour.
The spacious Superior and Deluxe guest rooms (pictured, respectively) are filled with antique and reproduction furnishings, and have views of the pool, manicured gardens or Sintra mountains. The Diplomatic Suite is decorated with Dona Maria-style furniture, and has double bed, living area, an open-space office, relaxation area and a balcony.
The all-day Seteais Restaurant offers Portuguese and international cuisine in a well-appointed dining room and a terrace overlooking lush gardens and the hotel’s outdoor pool. It’s a nice place to linger over pastries in the morning or seafood in the evening, a place of tranquility with views of the Sintra Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.
As it is in most of Portugal, wine is a priority here. The Seteais Colares DOC is an elegant tasting room, where guests can sip exclusive vintages from Sintra’s neighboring wine region Colares, where a unique ageing process reveals smooth complexity and vivid flavor. The wine tasting menus can be paired with petiscos (small Portuguese plates, like tapas) or a gourmet dinner.
The Anantara Spa is modeled on the Asian spas perfected by Tivoli’s sister hotel brand, the Thailand-based Anantara. There are classic Asian therapies like Thai massage on the menu, along with locally-inspired treatments that draw on vinotherapy.
Like other Tivoli and Anantara hotels, Tivoli Palácio de Seteais places a premium on experiences. Here these include excursions like sidecar tours of the town, and guided hikes and visits to the UNESCO Heritage Site palaces, romantic picnics, cooking classes and tastings of the local Sintra Travesseiro pastries.
Want to live a life of royalty? You can Own a Palace for a Day, through the hotel’s buyout program. Rates begin at €20,000 or €30,000 per day, depending on the event. Wedding bells, anyone?
For more information, visit the Tivoli Palacio de Seteais website.
Tivoli Palácio de Seteais
Rua Barbosa du Bocage 8
Seteais
Sintra
Phone: +351 219 233 200
Email: palacioseteais@tivolihotels.com