As a family travel blogger, we have visited many countries and stayed in many kid-friendly hotels, but none impressed me more than the best family hotels in Portugal. These family resorts in Portugal take “kid-friendly” beyond activities or kid’s menus, they truly consider families in every aspect of the hotel design and operation.
I have been especially impressed with the Martinhal properties. Martinhal operates four hotels in Portugal; two in the Algarve and two in Lisbon. I visited the Martinhal Chiado in Lisbon as part of a press trip, and on my recent return trip to Portugal, I stayed at and visited 15 other family-friendly hotels in Portugal and these are my favorites. If you are looking for where to stay in Portugal with kids, read on.
If you are planning a trip to Portugal, I highly recommend you check out my partner, EPIC Travel, a boutique agency that creates custom itineraries with bespoke activities in Portugal and Morocco. If you end up booking a trip with them, be sure to mention that you heard about them on We3Travel and you will receive a free VIP welcome gift!
Best Family Hotels in Portugal
Note: My accommodations were complimentary for purposes of editorial review. All opinions are my own.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. All opinions are my own.
Martinhal Chiado, Lisbon
Just like Martinhal Cascais, the Martinhal Lisbon Chiado in downtown Lisbon is just as family-friendly, but with a totally different vibe. Instead of a spread-out resort made for relaxation, the Martinhal Chiado is the world’s first city-center luxury family hotel, which captures the history and charm of Lisbon.
Located in the Chiado neighborhood of downtown Lisbon, the Martinhal hotel is within easy walking distance to shops, restaurants, bars, public transportation, and many famous sights. While located on the street, it is a relatively quiet neighborhood and suites on the higher floors may even offer views down to the river.
Accommodations
The Martinhal Lisbon Chiado is an all-suite hotel, offering 37 family-friendly suites of various configurations. There are studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom options available and they will work with you to help place your family into the best fit. Each has flip-down bunk beds, just like at Martinhal Cascais, and can sleep from two to six people.
There is also a full kitchen equipped with a small fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher, and even a clothes washer/dryer! The kitchen is fully equipped if you wanted to pop down to the market and cook instead of going out (or bring something in to eat in comfort!) I was pleasantly surprised to find a highchair and child utensils, as well as basics like salt, pepper, and olive oil.
You again see where all the family-friendly touches come into play. Instead of a coffee table, there is a round, cork ottoman. Instead of sharp corners on the dining table, the table and chairs have rounded edges.
Even the bathroom offers up tubs, step stools, and potty seats. In addition to the strollers to borrow downstairs, there is room to park the stroller in the apartment. And, if you forget something or don’t want to pack it, the baby concierge is also there to help.
Dining at M-Bar
The ground floor cafe offers guests a quick breakfast in the morning or light bites throughout the day. In the evening, room service is available. Plus, they will also deliver breakfast baskets to your room so the family can relax around their private dining table instead of in a busy restaurant. This is also a perfect spot for an afternoon ice cream, tea, or wine and cheese plate. As I found at the Cascais property, the food is fresh, healthy, and delicious.
Kid’s Club
The Martinhal Lisbon Chiado also offers a kid’s club for children from six months to early teens. There is also a playroom where parents can come and enjoy some playtime together, offering siblings a chance to nap or mom/dad the ability to sleep in while the rest of the family plays.
In addition to the daytime program, Martinhal Chiado offers a pajama club in the evenings, so mom and day can go out and enjoy dinner and the nightlife. This program is also complimentary (except for meals.) Private babysitting can also be arranged.
Check rates and reviews for the Martinhal Lisbon Chiado Family Suites!
Octant Evora Hotel, Evora (Alentejo)
Opened in 2021, the Octant Evora Hotel in Alentejo has created an experience that is as equally welcoming to families as couples. The atmosphere was family-friendly, which still felt sophisticated and chic. From the minute you arrive and see the small tables and chairs arranged for children in the lobby, you know that families are welcome.
The hotel is located on the Herdade do Perdiganito, an 11-hectare estate featuring footpaths and meadows that stretch all the way to the stream at the Monte Novo Dam, within the estate’s boundaries. The contemporary architecture is quite a surprise given the name of the hotel, featuring wood and the typical Alentejo blue and white decor using organic and artisanal materials.
Accommodation
The Evora Farm Hotel offers 56 rooms and five villas, all of which have open-air balconies or terraces. Some rooms are even outfitted with family-friendly bunkbeds in addition to the double bed. For larger families, Evora Farm Hotel offers private villas, which have a balcony and private pool.
The villas offer three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, as well as a large lounge that is divided into a comfortable living space, dining area, and kitchen. The villas even offer a washer and dryer, making them perfect for a longer stay.
Dining
The hotel has a beautiful indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar, À Terra Restaurant. The menu features a modern take on traditional Alentejo cuisine, using local suppliers and regional products, and the hotel’s own organic garden where they grow vegetables, fruit, and herbs. The hotel also produces its own olive oil. The restaurant offers seasonal menus based on a healthy and sustainable diet, along with a kid’s menu and a Gin Experience menu (for the grown ups!).
Activities
The Evora Farm Hotel has two outdoor pools in the summer, and in winter, the heated pool in the spa keeps you warm and cozy. As an educational farm, the Evora also offers families an opportunity to meet the farm animals and participate in programs like planting and harvesting vegetables. There is even kids animal yoga!
On property, families can enjoy a range of optional activities such as pottery workshops, cooking classes, picnics, family walks, star gazing, or even splurge on a hot air balloon ride. There are any number of outdoor spaces and indoor play areas to have fun together and a kid’s club is available.
Check rates and reviews for the Octant Evora Hotel
DOURO41 HOTEL & SPA, Castelo de Paiva
Located on the Douro River in Castelo de Paiva, Octant Hotels Duoro is about 40 kilometers from Porto and a little over an hour from the central Douro River Valley. This riverfront hotel offers the opportunity to relax after a visit to Porto, with plenty of nature activities on-site and nearby.
I think one of the reasons I loved this hotel was all the various guest experiences that they can arrange. While there are many on-site activities for younger children, I think Octant Duoro is especially well-suited for families with active teenagers.
Accommodations
Octant Douro is built into the terraced hillside, stretching down almost to the water’s edge. Built in schist and glass, the building has the feel of an eco-hotel, and while the stone can at first appear cold, the welcoming staff and comfortable rooms make you quickly feel at home.
When you walk into one of the rooms or suites, you are immediately drawn to the panoramic view from the floor-to-ceiling windows, which make you feel like you are truly on the river. The hotel offers suites with private balconies or terraces and can combine some rooms types to accommodate families. With neutral tones and minimalist, yet sophisticated furniture, you can’t help but want to lie in bed and soak up the view.
Dining
You are in for a treat when dining at the Octant Duoro. Downstairs, you will find the À TERRA Bar & Canteen, offering pizza from its wood-burning oven and a simple menu with modern, comfortable, and comforting food featuring local ingredients. This is perfect for families with younger children or those seeking a more casual dining experience.
Upstairs, the RAIVA restaurant is more refined, with choices between the best regional delicacies or Chef Dárcio’s signature courses. This is also where you will find the sumptuous breakfast buffet in the mornings, a great way to start your day!
Activities
The amenities and activities offered at the hotel really set this property apart from the others. On-site, there are two outdoor pools, including one reserved just for adults. The main pool features a pool bar and restaurant (in season) and incredible river views. The spa offers an indoor pool, fronted with glass windows that overlook the serenity of the river below, giving the impression of an infinity pool. The indoor pool can be used by families during specific hours.
The spa also features five treatment rooms, a shower sensations circuit, and sauna, and a Turkish bath. To complete the newly opened Spa, the hotel also offers a 24-hour fitness center. In addition to the spa, the hotel has many cozy and comfortable corners to explore and play including a games room with a snooker table and games for young children, the movie corner with comfy seating and evening viewings, and the library.
The concierge can also arrange an abundance of on- and off-site activities including guided walks, off-roading tours, a visit to the Arouca suspension bridge, Douro River boat tours on the hotel’s private boat, canyoning, wine tasting, private picnics, water skiing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and other water sports.
Check rates and reviews at the Octant Douro Hotel & Spa!
São Lourenço do Barrocal, Monsaraz (Alentejo)
São Lourenço do Barrocal has earned the Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Award for one of Top Hotels in World in 2022 and it is easy to see why. This Leading Hotels of the World and Virtuoso property offers comfortable luxury in an authentic setting. Located near the town of Monsaraz, this property has a rich history of being in the same family for over 200 years. And despite the luxury hotel moniker, it is more afforable than similar properties in other countries and it is family-friendly. (See my tips for how much a trip to Portugal costs.)
Accommodations
The hotel has a wide selection of spacious and luxuriously-appointed rooms and cottages, decorated in a contemporary and minimalist style that utilizes local textiles and materials. The two-bedroom yard cottages are perfect for families, offering spacious living and dining areas, as well as a full kitchen. Some even offer outdoor spaces with outdoor dining or relaxation space.
Larger families can choose the three-bedroom barn cottages, which were once large barns, horse stables and cowsheds. Single or two-story, these cottages have large areas to gather and relax together.
Dining
The primary restaurant at São Lourenço do Barrocal offers farm-to-table dining that features fresh organic produce and local delicacies which is deeply rooted in Alentejo’s tradition. A sumptuous breakfast is served in the restaurant each morning, with afternoon tea each afternoon in the hotel bar.
Guests can also enjoy seasonal dining outside under the stars at the Hortelão grill restaurant for a more casual option. This restaurant features fresh vegetables on the grill, alongside organic veal, acorn-fed pork of the Alentejo, and fish from the Alqueva lake.
Activities
In only a five-minute walk, you can visit some of the ancient megaliths nearby. Visitors also enjoy biking and hiking through the Alentejo countryside. On property, guests can enjoy estate tours, wine tasting, horseback riding, birding, archeological visits, garden visits, and family-friendly treasure hunts.
In addition to relaxing at the spa or one of the two outdoor pools (one of which is shallow to be kid-friendly), the hotel can also arrange hot air balloon rides, star gazing experiences with an astronomer, sky diving, boat tours, and more. For parents, wine tastings and visits to the winery are held every day and you can also take a short walk or bike ride through the estate’s vineyards, framed by the castle of Monsaraz.
Check rates and reviews for São Lourenço do Barrocal
Six Senses Douro Valley
A stay at the Six Senses Douro Valley might stretch the budget, but it may be worth it. This 19th-century manor home has been refurbished and expanded into a luxury property worthy of the Six Senses brand. But while it is posh, it is also warm and welcoming, with plenty of activities on-site, including many geared toward the younger bunch, making it ideal for families. Kids will especially enjoy a warm welcome from Acqua, the hotel dog that likes to oversee the lobby.
Located in Samodães, and not far off the main highway, the Six Senses is in a good location for exploring the famous, UNESCO Hertige-protected Douro Valley, famous for its production of Port and table wine.
Accommodations
The Six Senses Douro Valley is a perfect size, with just 60 guest accommodations including bedrooms with panoramic Douro valley views, spacious suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, and wooden bridges leading to secret gardens.
The bedrooms are large, with suites offering panoramic vineyard views. Inside, you will find high-end amenities and fixtures, with everything from your choice of pillow options to a wine fridge to chill your local purchases. If you have older children, you will need to get two adjoining rooms, but the Six Senses does offer baby cots and rollaway beds.
Dining
The menus at the Six Senses Douro Valley focuses on the fresh ingredients grown in its organic garden and gathered from the surrounding local countryside. At the Vale de Abraão restaurant, guests can enjoy either the Open Kitchen or the Dining Room, with options to suit foodies or small critics, and everyone in between.
Guests can also gather at the Quinta Bar and Lounge for a quiet drink and some tapas, or afternoon tea and some local cheeses. In the warmer months, visitors can enjoy a Garden Barbeque in the Summer Garden, but when it is cooler, the perfect place for pre-dinner drinks is at the Wine Library and Terrace. The hotel can also arrange culinary experiences including a wine tasting, alchemy bar workshop, cooking class, or Chef’s Table dinner.
Activities
What makes the Six Senses a good choice for families is the range of on-site amenities as well as the on and off-site activities they can arrange. A stay should include a visit to the spacious Six Senses Spa, which occupies 23,700 square feet with 10 treatment rooms, a heated indoor pool with water jets, and a refreshment bar. The Alchemy Bar in the Spa, where potions of herbs, salt, grapes, and a range of exotic ingredients are individually blended for scrubs and masks, is also used to host complimentary workshops for guests.
For wine enthusiasts, there are many wine-related activities including wine and dine river cruises, interactive oenology courses, visits to nearby wineries, and even, during harvest, the chance to stomp grapes! Other cultural activities include tile painting and workshops such as pickling at the Earth Lab.
If you choose to be more active, you can enjoy e-bike tours, tree climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, or riverboat tours. Beyond wine tasting, you can also discover the nearby medieval town of Lamego, with its centuries-old palaces and Cistercian monasteries, which is just a 30-minute drive from the resort.
Check rates and reviews at the Six Senses Douro Valley!
Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort & Hotel (Algarve)
The Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort & Hotel is positioned within a protected natural park near the historic fishing port of Sagres, on Portugal’s unspoiled western Algarve coast. Of course, this hotel offers all the family-friendliness that the other Martinhal properties mentioned above provide.
Accommodations
The Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort is a perfect solution for families that are looking for the self-catered, independent living of a beach house, paired with the services and amenities of a full-service resort. The hotel offers a range of beach houses including townhouses, luxury villas, ocean and garden homes, and apartments. Some offered shared swimming pools, while others offer private pools.
Standard hotel rooms are also available, with 37 rooms, including two duplex Beach Suites, all of which have private balconies or terraces that afford impressive ocean views. Children and babies are completely welcome at Hotel Martinhal and guests have full access to all the resort facilities. There are 9 Terrace Rooms in the main hotel building, 26 Beach Rooms in the cuboid clusters right next to the main hotel building, 2 duplex Beach Suites and interconnected rooms for larger families, all of which enjoy spectacular sea view.
Dining
At the Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort, all restaurants are family friendly, featuring a dedicated children’s play area and a special children’s menu that includes a variety of fresh purees for babies. Os Gambozinos is the perfect restaurant for the whole family, while O Terraco is the perfect place to start your day. As Dunas commands an enviable location overlooking the beach at Martinhal Sagres and there are also numerous take-away options throughout the resort.
Activities
There are five kids’ clubs around the resort designed for different ages. Even if children don’t want to join the kid’s club, there is plenty to do including tennis and soccer academies, the Blue Room with console games, PlayStation, or more traditional games such as table football, snooker, table tennis and Air Hockey.
This is also the space for the family cinema sessions with a different movie every day. Other activities include a kayak tour, outdoor laser tag, pump bike track, beach games, surfing, jeep tours, horseback riding, and more.
Check rates and reviews for the Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort!
Sublime Comporta Country Retreat & Spa, Comporta (Coastal Alentejo)
If you are looking to pair a busy city break in Lisbon with some beach relaxation nearby, the wide beaches of Comporta in Coastal Alentejo is a perfect match. The Sublime Comporta Country Retreat and Spa is an eco-hotel nestled on a beautiful 17-acre estate, characterized by mature pines and cork trees, vineyards, rice fields and nearby white sandy beaches.
Accommodations
The accommodations are spread throughout several buildings throughout the property. It is easy to walk around, but golf cart transportation is available, as well as nearby parking. You probably will want a car if you are visiting as the hotel isn’t located on the beach, but shuttle services are provided if needed.
The hotel offers 23 rooms and suites, as well as 22 cabana-style villas with two to five bedrooms each. The individual standard rooms are fairly small, but the villas are perfect for families. Each villa has a private pool, a fireplace, kitchen, living space, and several terraces and outdoor living spaces.
Dining
Sem Porta, the hotel’s primary restaurant, features traditional Portuguese dishes in a spacious, comfortable environment. There is plenty of outdoor dining spaces available, which would be perfect for families with young children that have trouble sitting still. This is also where you will find the hotel’s extensive breakfast buffet.
Tasca da Comporta is a seasonal outdoor restaurant offering small bites in a casual setting. For something more unique, you can book a dining experience in the middle of the hotel’s organic garden called The Food Circle. Up to 12 people can enjoy an unforgettable experience in direct contact with the chefs and the earth, dining under the stars and surrounded by the aromas of the garden.
Activities
In addition to the hotel pool and spa, guests can enjoy dolphin and bird watching, horseback riding, sailing, surfing and wine tasting nearby. Some families will only want to spend days exploring the 60 km of gorgeous beaches nearby. The beaches are wide, with soft, rolling dunes and plenty of space to spread out and get away from crowds. You will especially want to stick around to enjoy one of Portugal’s stunning sunsets.
Check rates and review for Sublime Comporta!
TIVOLI AVENIDA LIBERDADE, Lisbon
If you are looking for a luxury hotel stay on a tree-lined avenue in Lisbon, try the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade. From the doorman that greeted us warmly, to the front desk representative who didn’t just check me out but walked me outside to help me find my airport transfer, the service at the Tivoli was top notch.
Suite guests have access to the Executive Lounge on the ninth floor, with a private concierge. I was so amazed when the concierge in the lounge knew both my name and room number. He was eager to help us find the tours and restaurant experiences that we were looking for and took time to research, call on our behalf (helping us avoid both language barriers and expensive phone calls), and book reservations for us.
The downstairs concierge also pre-arranged our airport transfers, tuk-tuk tour, and a private driver for a day trip to Sintra, making our stay stress-free. He was so happy to help and eager to hear about our experience, and even helped rearrange our spa appointments to accommodate schedule changes on the fly.
Accommodations
The Tivoli Avenida Liberdade offers luxury options for families including connecting rooms, suites, and deluxe family rooms. The family rooms are very spacious (around 45 square meters), with a large entry and dressing area and a spacious combined sitting and sleeping area.
The bed can be arranged as a king, or two twins side-by-side. The sofa opens up to a bed that can accommodate two small children. Unfortunately, with a room capacity of four, larger families or those traveling with teens will need to look at connecting rooms (guaranteed upon booking.) In addition, a suite plus adjacent room (non-connecting) is perfect for a family that wants extra space.
The bathroom in the deluxe family room is also quite large, with a large vanity and shelf storage underneath offering plenty of space. There is a full-size tub, as well as a walk-in shower. The half wall blocking the toilet offers some privacy if multiple people are getting ready at once, but the open shower probably means you will still be showering one at a time.
I found the beds quite comfortable, but even courtyard-facing rooms can be loud at night for light sleepers with the noise from the Sky Bar above (open until 1am and even later in the summer.) So you may want to bring earplugs or a sound machine if you have trouble getting to sleep. The Avenue view facing rooms overlook the tree-lined Avenida Liberdade for city views. These offer another option with double-paned windows.
Dining
Just off the lobby, the Cervejaria Liberdade serves the best fish and seafood sourced from the over 800 kms of Portuguese coastline. In a reinvention of traditional cervejarias, enjoy the best seafood served au naturel, by the kilo, or in two types of seafood dishes.
Sky Bar is the Tivoli’s rooftop bar, adjacent to Seen Lisboa on the ninth floor, with sweeping views of Lisbon. There is a mix of high top tables and lounge furniture to create a comfortable hang out. Expect the music to be jamming so go early for a more laid back experience. The bar is open year-round and they do have some blankets to snuggle up on cooler nights, but expect it to be the busiest in spring and summer.
Activities
The green swath of trees separating the two sides of Avenida Liberdade already provide a peaceful setting for the Tivoli. The quiet calm of the lobby brings the feeling inside, except perhaps when a large Viking river cruise group is arriving or departing. Yet even within the hotel, there are opportunities to relax.
The Tivoli Spa offers massages, facials, scrubs and water massages that sound heavenly. There isn’t a locker room, so it may be best to use the spa elevator to go directly from your room to the spa in your robe. However, there is a sauna to enjoy before or after treatments.
Outside, you will find the Tivoli pool. The swimming pool is located behind the hotel, with trees offering shade and privacy. While the pool wasn’t open in April, it is available for guests of the Tivoli and its sister property, the Avani, next door. There is a pool bar, a limited number of chaise lounges, and there appear to be a couple of cabanas as well.
I truly enjoyed our time at the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade and recommend it to anyone looking for luxury hotels in Lisbon. They hit all the marks for a five-star hotel in Lisbon. For families looking for an four-star experience, the contemporary Avani next door offers upscale options at a lower price point.
Check rates and reviews for the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade
Planning a Trip to Portugal?
If you are planning a family vacation in Portugal and want some help creating an amazing itinerary, be sure to reach out to Epic Travel and don’t forget to tell them that you read about them on We3Travel for your free VIP welcome gift when you arrive. In the meantime, check out these other articles:
- Everything you need to know about planning a trip to Portugal
- How much does a trip to Portugal cost?
- 3 Days in Lisbon itinerary
- Self-guided walking tour of Porto
- Tips for visiting the Azores
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Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Publisher of We3Travel. A former marketing executive and travel advisor, Tamara is an award-winning travel writer and recognized expert in family travel. Tamara is a member of SATW and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and serves on the Board of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Vacation Mavens travel podcast.
