Exclusive Offer - Free In-House/Room Toybox Loan with Bookings*
If Baby-Friendly Boltholes could design resort holidays, Martinhal is how they would look. This fabulously well-designed villa and hotel resort boasts both sophistication and family-friendly appeal in spades. Plus it is pretty reasonably priced too.
The new resort is a smattering of funky cubist villas, a modern take on a village square, a spa, and a hotel set on the edge of a nature reserve near the charming town of Sagres on Portugal's Algarve coast. Its contemporary but comfortable feel is, in places, somewhat reminiscent of a Heals catalogue set with high-quality retro-modern furnishings set in front of huge picture windows, often framing views of the unspoilt coastline.
From tots to teens, there's something for everyone in the wide ranges of facilities on offer, which are carefully blended into the landscape so it is easy to holiday in a chic villa by a beach and relax, but also seek out activity or sociability as and when you want it.
It's heaven for parents with a fabulously funky kids club and crèche, water sports school, a football academy, excellent tennis centre and a good selection of restaurants. The chic but family-friendly pizza and pasta place also offers takeaway, whilst the glamorous seafront cocktail bar and formal restaurant is perfect for 'date nights' with the help of on-site babysitters (book 48hrs in advance).
As well as the brilliantly designed and well-staffed crèche and kids club, there's an excellent gated play area and a trendy games room stuffed with bean bags, games consoles, table tennis, air hockey, etc. Two of the communal pool areas have separate toddler pools which are scattered with huge 'Fat Boy' bean bags that are perfect for snuggling up for a shady snooze, and chests stuffed with kids' toys. Plus there's a long list of baby gear available on request (see Fast Facts)
The village square comes alive with families in the evening when parents sip drinks and nibble on dinner whilst little ones make new friends and play in playhouses provided in the central area. Most evenings there's either live music or the kids club staff offer impromptu games and face painting, so the usual struggle to keep kids entertained and relax over dinner is totally absent. Plus, if you feel like a night in, there's a reasonably priced meal delivery service, takeaways from the pizzeria or deli, plus handy groceries in the village store.
The stylish but unfussy spa is the icing on the cake and the perfect way to top off a holiday that somehow manages to make parents feel like they can enjoy the kind of sophisticated and chic break they dreamed of before kids, but also take the little ones along and have fun with them too. Plus there's no need to take out a second mortgage to do it!
Accommodation Overview
The Ocean Houses at Martinhal come in 2 and 3 bedroom sizes both with 'upside down' designs to maximise the stunning views over the unspoilt coastline and long stretch of sandy beach. Two-bedroom options can be reserved on this page* (click the 'Prices' tab or 'Reserve Now' button). These boast two en suite bedrooms either of which can be converted into a twin or a king-sized double, one with walk-in shower and the other with bathtub and shower over. The master bedroom has large patio doors opening out onto a terrace furnished with loungers and enjoying gorgeous sea view - perfect for pre-bed drinks, early morning coffee or grabbing a quiet moment with a book. Also downstairs is a utility/storage area with washer-dryer, although a paid-for laundry service is available. Upstairs the houses have a large open-plan space with well-equipped contemporary kitchen (hob, oven, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, kettle, cafetiere etc.), large dining table and chairs and a comfortable L-shaped sofa with large flat-screen TV offering satellite channels. There are large patio doors opening onto a spacious balcony with sofa area and giant bean bag.
For a full overview on all accommodation types and facilities, plus a resort map, click here
*reservations are subject to confirmation from the resort within 24hrs. Prices are per villa and do not include flights or transfers. Toyboxes unavailable July & August