Martinhal Resort, Algarve
What's so special
This hotel was designed to be family-friendly, with self-catering villas in the grounds, a crche, a children's club and a 'blue room', which is a futuristic den for older children. For tweens' and teenagers there are classes and activities every day to keep them busy, from horse riding to watersports.
How they rate it
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Despite the focus on families, this hotel is not twee: "it rivals any of the design-led hotels that you might have stayed in", says Claire Dwyer Hogg in The Independent. It is set in a nature reserve and built with wood, glass and stone, which blend in with the surroundings. There are five pools (including two designed with toddlers in mind). For adults, there is the Dunas restaurant serving delicious fresh-caught seafood and the villas have private gardens so you can "make the most of the sun" when the children are napping.
The menu
The restaurants include Os Gambozinos, which serves modern European cuisine. There is also a juice bar, as well as shops serving takeaways, which you can enjoy in your villa.
The cost
Double rooms start from €152, while the garden houses cost from €162.50 per night. For more information visit www.martinhal.com, or call 00 35 1 282 240 200.
The Oitavos, near Lisbon
What's so special
This ultra-modern hotel opened last year in the Sintra-Cascais natural park. One of a new breed of hotels that are moving away from the traditional Portuguese tourist resorts, it is situated 20 minutes outside Lisbon on the Atlantic coast.
How they rate it
The design of this hotel "embraces the setting, with floor-to-ceiling windows in every room", says Francesca Syz in The Daily Telegraph, who describes it as a "sleek glass spaceship" that appears to have landed on the Portuguese coast. It caters for leisure and business travellers, offering all the amenities the latter could hope for, yet still manages to avoid an atmosphere that's "too corporate". There's a championship golf course that has hosted the Portuguese Open, a spa with a sauna, steam room and outdoor seawater pools, and four restaurants. There is also an equestrian centre and a racquet club. The hotel made it onto Cond Nast Traveller's 'hot list hotels' for 2011, which rounds up the world's best new hotels.
The menu
The restaurants serve up a variety of cuisines, including seafood, fresh fish, and tapas. There is a formal restaurant as well as an informal dining area and a poolside bar.
The cost
Double rooms cost from £123 per night. Find out more at www.theoitavos.com, or call 00 35 1 214 860 020.
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