Casa de São Lourenço
Minimalist mountain lodge
Portugal’s peak district
A humble bed and breakfast turned sleek mountain lodge, Casa de São Lourenço — member of Relais & Châteaux — is a minimalist design haven nestled in the peaks of Portugal’s remote Serra da Estrela range. Up here, you’re one with the breathtaking landscape, thanks to a floor-to-ceiling glass façade which frames the peaks and valleys, luring you to outdoor adventure and mountainside meanderings – walk amongst wildflowers in spring, admire the changing leaves in autumn and snowshoe the slopes in winter. When the sun sets, head for lazy laps in the heated outdoor pool, steamy sauna sessions and tension-banishing spa treatments infused with foraged herbs.
Facilities
Rooms
21, including four suites.
Checkout
4pm; check-in is from noon. Both can be flexible, subject to availability.
More Details
Rates generally include breakfast – there’s a salubrious spread of fresh produce: homemade bread, fresh fruit, smoked salmon and local cheese as well as à la carte items like eggs cooked to order.
Also
All common areas are suitable for wheelchair users and there’s one accessible bedroom.
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Spa
At the Hotel
250km of marked mountain trails; heated indoor/outdoor swimming pool; spa, sauna and hammam; bicycles, sleds and snowshoes are free to rent; free parking on site; free WiFi. All bookings include a two-hour guided walking ‘orientation’ as well a guided tour of the owners’ burel factory in the village of Manteigas. In rooms: air-conditioning, black-out curtains, pillow menu and plug adaptors.
Our Favourite Rooms
We’re particularly partial to the Premium Panorama Room which lives up to its billing thanks to cinematic valley views from the furnished private terrace. The Instagrammable interiors are set off by soothing burel panels in slate grey.
Poolside
The heated swimming pool is fed by a natural spring and surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over meadows and mountains in summer or swathes of snow in winter. You can swim between the indoor and outdoor areas to feel the crisp mountain air or lie supine on a sunlounger with a good book. The pool is open from 8am to 8pm daily. Children are welcome in the pool until 6pm – it’s adults-only after that.
Spa
The Scandi-inspired Mountain Spa makes the most of its setting by bringing the outdoors in, thanks to panoramic vistas and all-natural products packed with sturdy shrubs and health-giving herbs. Sweat it out in the picture-windowed sauna or hammam and then choose from tantalising treatments like anti-aging facials, birch-stick massages with rosemary and juniper oils or a hydrating body wrap.
Packing Tips
In these high-altitude climes, fog and rain can roll in quickly, so it’s prudent to pack extra layers. Leave extra room in your suitcase in case you’re tempted by a burel bedspread in a rich forest hue.
Also
If you miss out on the burel factory tour, you can still stock up on whimsical wool delights – there are Burel Mountain Originals shops in both Lisbon and Porto.
Children
All ages are very welcome, but the hotel is best suited to older children and teenagers. There are baby-changing facilities, a children’s menu in the restaurant and colouring books available on request.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
You’ll want to snag a table by the windows to best enjoy the contrast of snug warmth to stark summits.
Dress Code
Wear peacock colours to ensure you stand out from the hotel’s soothing neutral palette.
Hotel Restaurant
Meals are served in the hotel’s glass-fronted restaurant with jaw-dropping views, where head chef Manuel Figueira reimagines rustic Portugese dishes. Above the tables is a constellation of burel stars in autumnal hues – the art installation pays homage to the history of the wool industry in this shepherding region. The trad-with-a-twist dishes include fish soup with a puff-pie pastry topper, goat grilled over hot coals and perfectly executed flans for dessert.
Hungry hikers returning home can graze on the free snacks and goodies served 5–7pm everyday.
Hotel Bar
Just off the restaurant, the lounge has comfy armchairs positioned around a roaring central fireplace. This is the spot for curling up with a book or chatting to fellow guests in the evenings. The bar serves an inventive menu of cocktails made with herbal and mineral mountain ingredients. There are excellent bar snacks, too – choose from gamey sausages with apple purée, ham and goat’s cheese sandwiches or fresh salads.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served 8.30–11am; lunch 1-3pm; snacks 5–7pm and dinner 8–10pm. The lounge also closes at 10pm.
Room Service
There’s no room service, but all the meals are built with ravenous outdoor adventurers in mind, so we guarantee you won’t miss it.
Planes
Porto’s airport is the closest, a two-hour drive away. You can also fly into Lisbon, a three-hour drive away. The hotel can organise transfers upon request.
Trains
The closest train station is Covilhã, an hour’s drive away. The hotel can arrange transfers upon request.
Automobiles
You’ll have cinematic views if you choose to take the corkscrew-shaped mountain roads up to the hotel. Brace yourself – the passes get nail-bitingly narrow as you ascend, so it’s best to drop your speed and just enjoy the spectacular scenes. Once you reach the hotel, there’s free parking on-site.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
First, start with what’s on offer at the casa (we recommend sleeping with the curtains open, so you’ll awake to those awe-inspiring views) – begin the day with a daring dip in the heated outdoor pool to work up an appetite and then head to the restaurant for the hale and hearty breakfast spread, designed to give walkers maximum energy. Slather your homemade loaf with the famous Queijo da Serra, a sublimely gooey sheep’s cheese that’s local to this part of Portugal. While you’re eating, look up at the stars – the yellow, orange and black woollen stars that form a dramatic art installation above your head. The use of woollen accents, like the brightly-coloured bedspreads and chair covers, will make sense when you realise the hotel’s owners are Joao Tomás and Isabel Costa, who single-handedly revitalised burel production in the region. The industry, born from the mountains’ shepherding traditions, was in dire straits until these Lisbon-based entrepreneurs began commissioning blankets, throws and carpets for use in their hotels. During a visit to the burel factory in Manteigas, a mountain village in the valley, you’ll learn about artisanal wool production and shop for Burel Original products like pure woollen blankets, scarves, pillows and home decor.
Then, don your newly-purchased hoodie-backpack and lace up your hiking boots because it’s time to trek. There are 250 km of marked routes nearby that take in the stark beauty of the Zȇzere river valley: waterfalls, glacial lagoons (stash a swimsuit if you’re game for wild swimming), Dali-esque granite boulders, historic churches and tiny slate villages. If you prefer to tackle the terrain on two wheels, the hotel has a pair of mountain bikes to rent. In winter, the Serra da Estrela is the only region in Portugal to regularly see snow – rent the casa’s snowshoes and go walking in a winter wonderland.
Back at the homestead, pour yourself a generous glass of port and gaze heavenwards for some superlative stargazing – these aren’t called the star mountains for nothing.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
