RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 16 | Innovate

CULTURE | TRAVEL
CONVENTO RESTAURANTE DIVINUS
CONVENTO CLOISTER
Martinhal Beach
The Luxury and Magnificence
of Portugal’s Five-Star Trio
By Barney Lehrer and Jesse Nash
Luxurious five-star accommodations, prizewinning
architecture, world-class gourmet food
and the finest wines - where are we? St. Tropez?
Paris? Rome? Nope! It’s Portugal, the unsung
luxury destination at the southwestern tip of
Europe.
We recently stayed at the “Five-Star
Trio” of hotels in three magnificent regions of
Portugal. This is a cooperative marketing program
which is the brainchild of Chitra and Roman Stern,
developers and owners of Martinhal Beach Resort
& Hotel, the relatively new (2010) five-star resort,
as a way to introduce visitors to this varied and
enchanting country.
Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel,
Western Algarve
Known as “Europe’s most famous
secret,” the rolling hills, dramatic coastlines
and sandy beaches of the Algarve in southern
Portugal provide a wonderful getaway spot. And
every Portuguese schoolchild knows of Sagres,
referred to by early geographers as “the western
edge of the earth.” According to popular legend,
it was in his villa on the rugged Sagres Peninsula
that Prince Henry the Navigator established a
school of navigation and mapmakers in the early
1400s; and it was certainly from Sagres that he
sponsored pioneering voyages along the coast of
Africa.
The stunning Martinhal Beach Resort
& Hotel, just outside the sleepy little town of
Sagres, is the only five-star property in this lovely,
unspoiled corner of the western Algarve. And
what a resort! Surrounded by the Costa Vicentina
National Park, it’s the jewel of the region, with
its opulence, exceptional restaurants, extensive
sports and recreation venues, spa and stunning
setting. What’s more, it welcomes children and
is designed not only for couples in search of a
relaxing escape, but also with families in mind.
It even offers villa rentals and villas that can be
purchased outright or on “leaseback” terms. In
total, between the 38 boutique hotel rooms and
the over 150 spacious designer villas, the resort
has about 1000 beds.
It takes a pioneering spirit and a lot
of vision to create a magical place like this from
nothing, and sure enough, Chitra, a native of
Singapore, and her Swiss husband Roman
Stern are a very special couple. Chitra’s father
immigrated to Singapore from India, were he still
has many business interests. Roman’s father is a
well-known lawyer and property developer whose
interests include the Liss Ard Country Estate, a
resort in County Cork, Ireland. The couple hired
award-winning British architectural firm Conrad
and Partners to do the overall design and British
furniture and interior designer Michael Sodeau
for the interiors. The Sterns run the resort with
the efficiency and attention to detail renowned in
their native countries, while making sure that the
renowned Portuguese charm and warm hospitality
dominate the atmosphere. And, as parents of four
young children themselves, they made sure that
the resort is set up to accommodate the needs
of families, including play areas for different age
groups in all parts of the resort, as well as trained
babysitters who take over the kid care when a
couple would like to have some romantic moments
alone.
“We understand the needs of families
on holiday,” explains Chitra. “There must be
opportunities for children of all age groups, as well
as ways for parents to have time alone.”
Although the Martinhal Beach Resort
& Hotel has only been open since 2010, it has
already been recognized as one of the top resorts
in Europe. Indeed, it won the 2012 Europe’s
Leading Villa Resort Award from World Travel
Awards.
Our motto for this resort is, “Come for
the sea, stay for the good life!”
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Martinhal Beach Resort
Raine Magazine - Volume 15