Martinhal hotel: a boutique where the children are the VIP guests

Seeking a family Christmas with children in mind — and an escape from grey skies? Karen Dacre finds a magical retreat
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Karen Dacre22 November 2019

For so many of us, the ideas of Christmas and going home are inextricably linked. Indeed, Chris Rea penned an anthem around the idea. Then there’s the year everything changes. For my family that was last year.

Following the loss of my father five months earlier, we wondered if a departure from the usual Christmas at home — spent shouting at him for drinking too much whisky before lunch and laughing while he played Bob Dylan’s festive album on loop — would be too much for us to bear. After a little deliberation (no arm-twisting was required), we booked seven Ryanair seats to Portugal and set about the hard task of establishing new traditions.

We headed to Cascais, a town on the coast just west of Lisbon, and the family-friendly Martinhal hotel. Like many other London parents of children under 10, I’d heard the Portuguese hotel chain Martinhal described as a sort of Mediterranean mini-utopia with its kids’ clubs, baby concierge and extensive pools and parks, so was intrigued to experience it for myself.

We arrived on Christmas Eve to find a boutique hotel — whitewashed walls, spa, glass as far as the eye can see — presented alongside the idea that the children who visit it are the VIP guests, with baby dining menus, a TV room showing non-stop Disney films, and a team of elves on hand to entertain the small ones while the grown-ups eat.

Fully booked throughout the summer — the 12 villas and 72 rooms are nabbed long in advance — the hotel is now intent on rustling up extra Christmas trade and, during our stay, went all out to ensure that its off-peak customers return for more. Along with a host of cleverly placed festive treats for guests — among them rides in a “Santamobile”, carolling sessions on Christmas Eve and a giant gingerbread house in the lobby — there’s family-friendly festive feasting with all the turkey and trimmings as well as a delicious breakfast buffet.

As a Christmas Day alternative, the hotel was perhaps a little lacking in festive spirit — particularly for those who associate the day in question with snow blizzards, a champagne glass that never runs dry (hotel bars are not cheap) and that warm sense of contentment you get from knowing you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be — but, as a destination to escape from the norm with your family in tow, it’s magical. The spacious rooms work brilliantly for families, with conjoining options available and plenty of surrounding outdoor space. There’s also a playground of epic proportions and, for those who fancy time out from their small people, a kids’ club that runs all year round.

The gingerbread house in the lobby
Martinhal Hotel

When it comes to eating, a cafe-style bistro offers a more relaxed alternative to the restaurant, as can room service — we ate pizza in our room on Boxing Day. The local town of Cascais is a short bike or taxi ride away. If you do find yourself there amid the festive season, seek out the Cascais Christmas Village — it’s a place where the dreams of tiny travellers come true.

Details: Martinhal Hotel

Quinta da Marinha, Rua do Clube, 2750-002 Cascais. Prices for Christmas start at €175 per night; martinhal.com; Ryanair flies to Lisbon with prices from £12.99

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