The Grande Real Villa is housed in the former resi- dence of exiled King Umberto II of Italy and a neigh- bouring mansion, near the Boca do Inferno. It’s the most upmarket link in the chain that runs Lisbon’s Real Palácio, with a name that signals what much of the €25 million budget was spent on: a spa that claims to be the only one of its kind in Cascais, with a thalassotherapy treatment pool, Turkish bath, sauna, massage, hydromassage, ice fountain and jet, and Vichy showers.
Interior decoration is by Graça Viterbo in a ‘classical revisited’ style with lots of marble and Venetian mosaics, and tradi- tional and modern Portuguese tiling. Most rooms are in blue and grey, giving a nautical feel, but suites and penthouses are in warmer colours. All have views of the sea or garden and free Wi-Fi. Two of the pent- houses have a jacuzzi, the third an outdoor pool.