Just a small plaque gives away the presence of this boutique hotel in a patio near the castle. The result of the drive and imagination of French ecological entrepreneur Frédéric Coustols, the Belmonte is a 15th-century palace (itself built into Roman and Moorish walls) that has been painstakingly renovated using modern methods and materials.
Fifty nine tile panels commissioned by the palace’s owners in the 18th century, comprising some 30,000 azulejos in total, were restored and remounted. The garden contains native plants and vegetables, as well as a stylish black granite pool, and the hotel’s library has 4,000 books, publications and papers in a variety of languages. Service is discreet and efficient.
The suites are individually designed and furnished with antiques and contemporary art. The smaller suites have the prices listed; of the larger ones, the Amadeo Souza Cardoso (named after the Portuguese modernist painter) has an azulejo-lined grand hall, a balcony and its own terrace, and costs €2,500 a night.
There’s no restaurant – just a café in the courtyard that’s open to the public – but room service is competent and efficient; breakfast is served in your room.