What it is

A194-room resort tucked within a 14th-century monastery, with two Michelin starred restaurants and a 27-hole golf course.

What it isn't

Far from nature. The hotel is the only property inside the leafy bounds of 545-acre Sintra-Cascais National Park.

What we think

The hermit monks that once lived on these hallowed grounds might not recognize them today—and that’s a good thing. Now, their onetime home is a wing of an eye-popping resort with everything they could never imagine, from a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course to 16,000 square foot spa (with a three meter waterfall, natch). Guest rooms are gynormous, starting at 538-square feet, and now tricked out with heavenly finishes: feather beds swaddled in Egyptian cotton, flat-screen plasma TVs, marble-lined bathrooms where Asprey toiletries awati to pamper. Those poor monks never knew what they were missing.

You're here because

The Ritz Kids program puts little ones a pedestal: they’ll take their teddy bears to afternoon tea and even join mocktail mixology workshops.

The Moment

Among the two Michelin-starred restaurants here, you’re inclined to pick Lab by Sergi Arola as your favorite. With only 22 seats, it feels like a private dining room—albeit one where the sleek glass walled wine cellar looks like a MoMa art installation. You belly up to the open kitchen and await your Osetra caviar with potato foam and foie gras, practically salivating.

Restaurants & Bars

Lab by Sergi Arola - Michelin-starred restaurant offers artfully plated dishes complemented by hundreds of wines from around the world

Midori - Michelin-starred Japanese cuisine with a Portuguese touch

Arola - Traditional Portuguese fare

Penha Longa Mercatto - Italian Cuisine

Aqua - Poolside restaurant featuring fresh seafood, meat and fruits as well as grilled specialties prepared at an open counter

Spices - Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Thai cuisines

Villa Tamariz Utopia - Beachside restaurant combines the best of Mediterranean gastronomy with alfresco dining and unforgettable ocean views

B Lounge - Gourmet burgers and gins with light dishes, cocktails, cigars and wines also offered

Location

Less than a 30-minute (and 40 euro) cab ride from the airport in Lisbon.