A New Chapter in Estoril: Where a Seaside Villa Becomes a Hotel with a Heart
It began, as many good stories do, with an unexpected leak. One morning in 2019, Maria do Rosário Libano Monteiro stood beneath the crumbling ceiling of her family villa in Estoril, gazing out toward the Atlantic. The damage was considerable — but instead of seeing ruin, she saw possibility.
What followed was not merely a renovation, but the quiet transformation of a life. Together with her husband, a well-known banker with a soft spot for heritage homes, Maria reimagined their beloved seaside retreat into an intimate 15-room hotel. A place that still felt like home — only now, a home with keys at reception.
Much of the house remains as it was: antique furniture passed down through generations, timeworn ceramics, oil paintings that seem to murmur stories as you pass by. With the gentle guidance of Graça Viterbo — Portugal’s grande dame of interior design — the rooms were refreshed, not reinvented. The spirit stayed.
Step through the tiled blue-and-white entry hall and you’re greeted not by grandeur, but by warmth: carved wooden ceilings, marble floors cool underfoot, and a scent of sea air mixed with fig leaf. Maria’s touch is everywhere — from the vintage linen curtains to the almond blossom in glass vases, gathered from her Alentejo garden.
The restaurant, overlooking the endless blue of Cascais Bay, is a jewel in the house. Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, a master of Portuguese fine cuisine, helped design the seasonal menu — light, elegant dishes drawn from the local farmer’s market just a stroll away on Tuesdays and Saturdays. He trained the staff himself, ensuring that charm was served alongside every meal.
At breakfast, you’ll find Maria’s homemade marmalades — raspberry and bitter orange marmelade — simmered in the old kitchen next door, where she and her husband now live in what was once the coach house. Her famed pudim de ovos, lighter and less sweet than tradition demands, is reason enough to return. And for those curious to try their hand, cooking classes at the local food lab are just a short walk away — a favourite of Maria’s recommendations.
It’s the kind of place where time slows — where Lisbon is just 25 minutes by train, but feels a world away. You might explore the city by day, then return for a sunset swim or a glass of red wine beneath the pine trees. And when the winds roll in off the sea in October, there’s nothing lovelier than room #34 and a cup of hot tea.
Maria is often here, unless she’s on the family’s farm in Alentejo. She might sit with you on the terrace and share stories of her travels, her hopes for this hotel, and what it means to make something new — not out of ambition, but from memory.
