Quinta da Marinha estate has been a long-standing fixture on the Portuguese golf coast and has begun a new chapter this July, reopening as the Kimpton Quinta da Marinha Cascais, following a top-to-bottom refurbishment along with bringing it into the Kimpton hotel portfolio. 194 rooms and suites, each with private balconies and beautiful boutique interiors by Goddard Littlefair, sit alongside a new-look ground floor, home to Portuguese grill Ao Ponto and bar FICA! Add to this its Natur Spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and an 18-hole golf course, and you have one of the most complete resort stays within easy access of Cascais town, Sintra and Lisbon. Ross from The Luxury Editor was one of the first to check in following the reopening, so read on to find out more.
Portugal, Cascais
Kimpton Quinta da Marinha
(5 stars)Background & Concept
In 1985, the family-owned Onyria Group purchased a plot of land at Quinta da Marinha, which today spans two hotels, villas, a golf course, and multiple resort restaurants. Formerly called the Onyria Quinta da Marinha Hotel, it entered its latest chapter when an agreement with IHG Hotels & Resorts brought it, along with its design-led sister property, now the Onyria Marinha Cascais, Vignette Collection, into IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio. The partnership with IHG is about maintaining the hotel’s identity while simultaneously increasing its luxury offering, so Kimpton’s “Come As You Are” philosophy, where luxury comes without stuffiness, was the natural choice. Interiors have been tastefully transformed by London design studio Goddard Littlefair, who are responsible for a raft of luxury hotel interiors around the world, including the Kimpton Charlotte Square in my home city of Edinburgh (read our review of the Kimpton Charlotte Square here).
You enter the property up a series of steps, with the lobby floating almost in mezzanine fashion above the bar and restaurant below. Tiered floors lead up to guest rooms in either direction, while Goddard Littlefair’s residential format design is everywhere you look; giant palms rise from the four corners of the atrium, lobby banquettes are finished in green animal print, and armchairs in bold red botanical textures, and above a cluster of chandeliers hang like giant lanterns from the ceiling rafters.
As I was checking in, I spotted some pet pictures dotted around, and true to Kimpton form, furry companions are also welcome at the hotel. See my review of the Kimpton Blythswood Square, where I take my cats along for inspiration on traveling with felines; it can be done….
Location
The property sits within the boundary of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park; this is one of the most exclusive addresses on the Cascais coast. Oitavos Dunes runs along one side; Guincho Beach is 4 km away, Sintra is around 20 minutes inland, and Lisbon sits 25km to the east, with Lisbon airport approx. 30/40 minutes drive depending on traffic. Cascais itself is a fascinating and beautiful town to explore, packed with museums, great dining options and its own beach; it’s an easy place to visit from the hotel, taking around 10 minutes by taxi and well worth incorporating into your stay when in the area.
Rooms & Suites
The choice of 194 guestrooms start with Essential Rooms at 24 sqm of floorspace, with king-sized beds, a small sofa area, and bathrooms with large walk-in shower configurations, some rooms include an additional bunk bed for families, Suites cover 45 sqm with a separate living area and a double sofa bed, and Signature Suites span 60 sqm with a separate bathtub and shower along with a living area and sofabed. Every room has a private balcony and attractive views of either the gardens, pool, or golf course thanks in part to the building’s horseshoe formation.
I stayed in room 240, an Essential Room with a pool view. The first thing I noticed was the ceiling. I have stayed in hundreds of hotel rooms, and the ceiling is often not even considered in the interiors; here they are papered edge to edge with a botanical illustration of monstera leaves, giving the room a real focal point. There’s a playful nod to 70s design: pistachio coloured walls and globe lights sit either side of the bed, one dropping from the ceiling on a black stem, its twin standing lamp-style on the other side. A glossy racing-green clover-shaped bedside table topped with a slimline 70s-style phone, and a deliberately mismatched burl-wood chest sits on the other side of the bed. In the corner, a daybed and table, and opposite, a flat-screen TV is mounted on a linen-panelled wall.
Each room includes a spacious balcony, and sliding patio doors let light flood into the room; it’s a real suntrap during the day. When I woke on the first morning, I spotted people paddle boarding and swimming in the lake, and later found out that water sports can be enjoyed each morning prior to people golfing on the fairway; it all looked quite energetic, so I went back to my bed with a coffee while I woke up.
Across from the bed, a console is home to a Nespresso, kettle, and a drawer of tea and coffee capsules; below it, a mini bar with chilled alcoholic and soft drinks, and above on the glass shelves, one of the most comprehensive displays of mineral water for purchase I have seen, ranging from local Portuguese water to the premium VOSS.
There is also a double-sided built-in wardrobe with a top-loading laptop safe and clothes steamer.
The bathroom isn’t excluded from the residential touch either; the vanity is topped with a sturdy layer of green marble, the walk-in shower sits behind a large pane of glass, and I was impressed with the towels finished with handsome green piping. Toiletries are by Claus Porto, the historic Portuguese soap house, but the one thing that immediately caught my attention, in fact, made me do a double take, was the toothbrush, engraved with my full name. As I later discovered, this is a little welcome gift left for every guest who stays at the hotel.
FICA! Bar
After checking in, it was around 5pm, so the optimal time to head down for a drink at FICA! The bar’s name comes from the Portuguese word for “stay”, and staying is exactly what happens as one drink leads to another. Sitting at the bottom of the lobby atrium, the inside bar features a long rose marble counter beneath dome lamps, slightly Art Deco in style, along with an outside bar for handy drinks ordered and served directly to your sun lounger. One thing I love about Kimpton is their Social Hour, which I make full use of at every Kimpton I stay at. It’s a complimentary drinks gathering every evening for guests. Being Scottish, I need to grab every moment in the sun, as you might not see it again for a while, so with a cocktail in hand, we headed into the pergola-shaded terrace beside the pool to listen to the DJ and watch the sunset.
Ao Ponto
New for the reopening, Ao Ponto is the hotel’s main restaurant, a contemporary Portuguese grill focusing on seasonal ingredients and the flavours of the coast and, in true Mediterranean fashion, dishes are served in a sharing format. We ate outside on the terrace, under its timber pergola. Dinner ran through a selection of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, from octopus carpaccio, to empanadas with green mayonnaise and olive tapanade. Some theatre arrived mid-starters, with charcoal-grilled chorizo brought to the table flaming in a traditional terracotta assador, the flames dancing around as it sat on the table. For mains we went for the charcoal-grilled cod and an aged entrecôte carved and served in its pan, both beautiful. Dessert could only really be one thing: pastéis de nata, served warm with a dusting of cinnamon, which were as good a version as I’ve had in Belem’s famous pastry shop, so good in fact we ordered another plate of them.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in Ao Ponto; it’s a grand spread of buffet items, with an additional selection of hot food which can be ordered to your table. There is a sparkling wine station so you can start your day off with a little fizz!
Pool & Wellness
I was packing functionally for my trip, so I neglected a pair of swimming trunks, which I immediately regretted when I saw the outdoor pool. Sitting squarely in the centre of the hotel, it looks out across the fairway. Several rings of sunloungers wrap around it, which I made use of while topping up my tan for an hour one afternoon. There is also an additional indoor spa, pool and fitness centre.
Golf
For golfers, there is an 18-hole, par 71 Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, along with access to the Oitavos Dunes Golf Course.
Final Thoughts
The Kimpton Quinta da Marinha Cascais is a fantastic new addition to Cascais’ luxury hotel offering, and the brand’s relaxed take on luxury translates perfectly to its resort setting. Whether you’re a golfer, visiting Lisbon, or just after some Portuguese sun, we highly recommend a stay here.
