Albatroz (Cascais), in a garden overlooking the Atlantic, was originally built as the summer residence of the duke of Loule.

Avenida Palace is a five star hotel providing discreetly comfortable charm and sober, elegant intimacy. This five-star hotel was built in 1892 to assist passengers traveling by rail to international destinations. On the fourth floor, the original doorway connecting to the Rail Road Station, no longer operational, remains an historical presence used by illustrious guests like the late Emperor Hirohito of Japan that stayed in the hotel in 1937. The hotel was completely refurbished in 1999, with an impressive main lobby marked by a beautiful worked glass ceiling.

Four Seasons Hotel (Lisbon) is host to a roster that reads like a who's who of international glamour, the Ritz is one of Portugal's legendary hotels. You'll get the impression that a swanky reception is about to begin at any moment somewhere in this expansive hotel.

Herdade da Matinha, a 19^th Century gourmet 'Bread and Breakfast', is very convenient to the beautiful beaches in the Porto Covo and V.N. Milfontes area. Milfontes is another quaint town where visitors can watch fishermen folding their nets beside their bobbing boats while having a refreshing lunch. The Portuguese have “discovered” Milfontes, and new villas are springing up daily.

Hotel de Lagos, a 20th century castle on 3 acres of hilltop is above one of the large towns in the Algarve. Reminiscent of the elegant haciendas of Latin America, everyone calls it luxurious.

Hotel Palacio de Seteais (Sintra), one of the most elegant hotels in Portugal, earns its name from a treaty ending the Napoleon campaign in Portugal which was signed here. The terms of the treaty were so humiliating to the Portuguese that they labeled the building the "Palace of the Seven Sighs". The sighs heard today are those of the ladies whose romantically inclined spouses were thoughtful enough to bring them here.

Infante de Sagres (Porto), built by a textile magnate in 1951 in the style of a Portuguese manor house, is the most nostalgic, elegant, and ornate hotel in Porto. The managers began their careers here as teenage bellboys. Staff members have obvious pride in their fine facility.

Le Meridien Dona Filipa (Vale de Lobo), a comfortable, sophisticated hotel's, shows off its most stunning feature -- the 450 acres surrounding it, part of which is devoted to a superb golf course. The inside is richly appointed with Chinese and Portuguese accessories, many of them antique.

Lisboa Plaza has extremely impressive accommodations and one of the finest breakfast menus of many hotels in the area. This hotel is family owned and operated since its construction in 1953. The exquisite interior has been done by one of Portugal’s most famous interior designers.

Palace Hotel do Bucaco, a lovely palace which saw tragedy early. A year after its completion in 1907, Portugal's king and his oldest son were assassinated, leaving Queen Amelia to grieve within its azulejo-laden walls. In 1910, the palace's enterprising Swiss chef persuaded the government to allow him to transform the place into an upscale hotel.

Palacio Hotel (Estoril) had its heyday during the 1950s and 1960s when every deposed monarch of Europe seemed to disappear, entourage in tow, into the art deco hotel's sumptuous suites. The Palacio maintains a staff whose old-timers are among the best in Europe at offering royal treatment to guests.

Reid's Palace (Funchal, Madeira Island) for more than a century has fulfilled the colonial fantasies of every British imperialist abroad. Reid's serves tea promptly at 4 p.m., contains English antiques that the Portuguese staff waxes weekly, and plays chimes to announce the beginning of the dinner service. Founded in 1891 and set upon a rocky promontory, its terraced gardens spill down to the sea. It's very correct clientele has included Winston Churchill.

York House, a former 17th-century convent and private home, is the place to stay in Lisbon. It abounds with climbing vines, antiques, four-posted beds, and Oriental carpeting. Fittings and furnishings fully maintain the building's historic character.