Cascais has it all: beaches, restaurants, nightlife, a casino, and an upscale marina. At the same time, you’ll find museums, historic landmarks, and charming little cobblestone streets. A favorite summer escape of the Portuguese aristocracy in the late 19th century, Cascais remains a leisure and vacation hub for Lisbon’s rich and famous. Estoril, the town directly to the east, is essentially a continuation of Cascais and home to the famous casino. Both Cascais and Estoril are just half an hour from Lisbon by train or car, which is why they’ve also become one of the capital’s top day-trip destinations. But if you really want to experience Cascais, come for a night or two—or even longer in summer—especially on weekends. That’s when you can fully enjoy the glamorous yet relaxed atmosphere of Lisbon’s most upscale western suburb.
List of Hotels in Central Cascais
Central Cascais is the lively heart of town, full of restaurants, gelato shops, and people strolling above the coves that earned Cascais its nickname, the ‘Lisbon Riviera.' From here, everything is within walking distance, and if you feel like venturing a little farther, you can rent a bike and quickly and comfortably reach Boca do Inferno or Estoril via one of the city’s wonderful bike paths.
Click here for the complete guide to Cascais and Estoril…
1. Hotel Baia Cascais
This hotel has one of the most central locations you can get in Cascais. A 4-star property in the very heart of town, it sits on the town hall square, known for its wavy stone paving patterns. The rooms are spacious and bright. Half of them face the sea and the iconic view of Cascais, with dozens of colorful fishing boats anchored opposite tiny Praia da Ribeira. It’s especially well suited to travelers arriving by public transportation, as most visitors do, who want to settle into a hotel that’s within easy walking distance of everything. The hotel also has suites that work well for families on a short stay, and honestly, the location is hard to beat.
Click here to check room availability and rates at Hotel Baia Cascais…
2. Legacy Hotel Cascais, Curio Collection By Hilton
A large, new, and wonderful hotel set slightly above Cascais town center, about a 7- to 8-minute walk away. Managed by Hilton, this 4-star hotel was built recently in response to Cascais’s growing popularity. Unlike most hotels in Cascais, which are housed in preserved historic buildings, this one is completely new and modern. It offers large, spacious rooms in a sleek, functional contemporary design, most with balconies, and the higher-floor rooms also enjoy sea views.
The public spaces are generous and designed in an interesting, stylish contemporary way. There’s also an outdoor pool in the summer season. Above all, it works as a highly functional and pleasant base during a stay in this wonderful town. Its proximity to the center makes it easy to reach dozens of restaurants and most major sights on foot. The hotel has parking, making it ideal for families exploring Cascais by car. Couples will appreciate it too, especially for how comfortable, roomy, and well located it is, even if it’s not in the old town or directly on the beach.
Click here to check room availability and rates at Legacy Hotel Cascais, By Hilton…
3. The Albatroz Hotel
An excellent luxury hotel set in a historic summer palace right on the beach. Perched on the cliff above Praia da Ribeira, the hotel looks out over the ocean and the marina, so the views are among the most classic in Cascais. It was created in a palace that belonged to one of the noble families who once flocked to Cascais, turning it into a center of glamour and luxury from the late 19th century to the present day. At The Albatroz Hotel, the aim is to give guests a taste of the experience enjoyed by Europe’s aristocracy more than a century ago—along with all the modern comforts, of course.
The rooms are classically styled, and no two are exactly alike. They’re full of light, and most have sea views. There’s also an outdoor pool overlooking the ocean. Even the dining room is known for its lovely panoramic scenery. This hotel is best suited to mature couples who want to experience the essence of Cascais with a touch of old-world classical Europe.
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4. Pestana Cidadela Cascais – Pousada & Art District
This pousada, a hotel set in a historic building, inside the Cascais citadel is one of the city’s most distinctive places to stay. The location is excellent, in the fortress that separates the town center from the marina and the museum district. Staying here means being in a central location while still enjoying relative quiet, thanks to the elevated setting above the town. Access to the hotel is through the citadel square, a very pleasant spot to pass through on any walk around Cascais, even if you’re not staying here. The hotel itself has been fully renovated, while parts of the original fortress spaces were left intact as decorative features. The rooms are very spacious, designed in a modern style, and many look out over the sea and marina.
There are several room types, since this is a historic structure that was never built with uniformity in mind. Breakfast is excellent, made even better by the stunning view from the dining room. The citadel hotel is especially well suited to mature couples, and the experience brings together everything Cascais has to offer: sea views, art, glamour, and a calm, pleasant atmosphere.
5. Artsy Cascais
An unconventional luxury hotel between the marina and the museum area, and of course close to the town center, just a 5-minute walk away. Adjacent to the citadel, the hotel occupies a fully renovated historic building with a clean, bright vintage-inspired design. On the top floor, there’s a terrace with a small pool overlooking the park and museum district. On the other side, the hotel faces the fishing boats off famous Praia da Ribeira.
This is a 5-star boutique hotel with several room categories, excellent service, and a style that’s especially appealing for couples. The experience aims to echo Cascais’s origins as a summer and weekend retreat for Lisbon’s aristocracy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. If you love vintage flair and luxury, this place is easy to fall for.
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6. Cascais City & Beach Hotel
A hotel in central Cascais with an excellent location. It’s officially a 3-star property, but the standard is high. Rates are lower than at most hotels in Cascais, and overall it’s beautifully maintained and very clean. The big advantage here is the central location, which is also very close to Cascais train station. That means you can easily walk here from the train even if you have luggage. This hotel is especially well suited to younger couples coming to explore Cascais and enjoy its lively nightlife, especially on weekends and especially in summer, while also taking a dip at the town’s distinctive beaches.
Click here to check room availability and rates at Cascais City & Beach Hotel…
7. Hotel Cascais Miragem Health & Spa
One of the best hotels in town. It has a resort feel while still being very close to the center. It’s also close to Estoril, since it sits east of central Cascais right on the waterfront. This 5-star hotel overlooks the marina and the mooring area for Cascais’s colorful fishing boats. The building is laid out in terraces, so most rooms enjoy water views. Rooms are large and classically designed. The hotel is exceptionally clean and best known for its large, varied spa. The spa includes several indoor pools as well as a seasonal outdoor pool. It’s a great fit for both couples and families, especially those coming to relax and unwind, not just sightsee.
Click here to check room availability and rates at Hotel Cascais Miragem Health & Spa…
Click here for the complete guide to Cascais and Estoril…
Hotels in the Boca do Inferno Area – Cliffs Above the Sea
This area feels different from the town center. It’s essentially a stretch of hotels running alongside one of Cascais’s upscale villa neighborhoods, where many members of Lisbon’s upper class keep summer homes. Staying here is especially well suited to travelers exploring the Lisbon area and Central Portugal by car, with Cascais as one of the stops along the way. It also works very well for anyone planning a slightly longer stay in town and wanting a quieter base with spectacular views. Still, this western area is only about a 5-minute drive from the old center of Cascais, the main entertainment hub, and about 10 minutes from Estoril, the neighboring town with its famous casino and gardens. In that sense, it can suit just about anyone.
8. Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa
A large and excellent hotel in a winning location, letting you walk both to the marina and town and to Boca do Inferno, where the waves crash dramatically against the rocks. The hotel stands where several members of the Italian nobility once had their residence, back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, facing the ocean above the cliffs of western Cascais. It’s relatively large by Cascais standards. The rooms are very spacious, and the overall style is classic with modern amenities.
The hotel works well for all kinds of stays in Cascais, though it’s best enjoyed on a longer visit when you have time to make the most of the outdoor pool overlooking the ocean and the large spa center. There’s also an excellent upscale Italian restaurant, opened as a tribute to the home’s past. What we loved most, beyond the generous size and comfort, is that you can step directly down to the promenade and bike path that runs east to west along all the beaches of Cascais and Estoril.
Click here to check room availability and rates at Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel…
9. Eurostars Cascais
A large, gorgeous hotel facing the sea, with a modern, spacious, and comfortable feel throughout. Rooms are big and airy, and the cleanliness is noticeable everywhere. It’s a perfect place to stay for a weekend in Cascais, giving you the chance to enjoy the lively town while also relaxing by the pool and the water
. As mentioned, the hotel is a little outside central Cascais, but you can reach town quickly by taxi or bike. One direction can even be done on foot along Avenida da República and through the museum district on the way into the center. Service here is excellent, and the hotel has an outdoor pool and a dining room that also serves dinner. There are several cafés, restaurants, and a supermarket nearby, so everything is within easy reach. We’re very fond of this hotel. Its only drawback, which for some may actually be an advantage, is that it’s slightly removed from Cascais’s main points of interest if you’re walking. By car, though, it’s less than 5 minutes away.
Click here to check room availability and rates at Eurostars Cascais…
Hotels in Estoril – the Town Next to Cascais with the Casino
Estoril is the town directly east of Cascais. If you arrived by train, you probably noticed that Estoril is the second-to-last stop before Cascais. That means Estoril is only about 5 minutes from Cascais by car or train, and today the two towns, similar in character, are effectively connected. Estoril also draws the stylish and glamorous crowd, though the railway line running right along its shoreline prevented it from developing as many swimming beaches as its western neighbor, Cascais. You can walk between the towns, especially along the promenade, and of course you can bike as many people do on the wonderful coastal path laid out between them and continuing west all the way toward the edge of the continent.
Estoril’s main attraction is the casino, set above the town’s famous gardens. Several hotels and a large convention center were built around it. For that reason, Estoril is an excellent hotel base, and many travelers choose to stay here during a visit to Cascais. In most cases, the hotels are larger and more spacious, while still being just a 5-minute taxi ride from central Cascais.
10. InterContinental Cascais-Estoril
InterContinental Cascais-Estoril, from the much-loved brand, sits on the waterfront right on the border with Cascais. It’s tucked between the road and the railway tracks along the water, giving it the feel of a luxurious little island a few minutes’ walk from the Estoril gardens. From the hotel, you can head straight down to the promenade and from there reach nearby Praia da Rata within a few minutes on foot. Guests can also borrow bicycles free of charge and ride along the wonderful Cascais-Estoril promenade that stretches above the ocean between these two glamorous western suburbs of Lisbon.
This is an excellent hotel for anyone wanting the best of both worlds: rest and swimming by the ocean, along with an urban experience of nightlife, dining, and maybe even the casino. The rooms are large, luxurious, and modern, and most have ocean views. There’s also a spa, and the meals are excellent. Beyond the scenery and spacious interiors, the hotel is especially known for exceptionally warm and attentive service. It suits couples and families alike, and it also works very well for a longer stay.
Click here to check room availability and rates at InterContinental Cascais-Estoril…
11. Palácio Estoril Hotel, Golf & Wellness
This is one of the best hotels in town, with the added bonus of a location facing the gardens and the casino. True to its name, it really is a palace. The hotel is designed in a light classical style with large, high-ceilinged spaces. At the front, facing the Estoril gardens, there’s a large pool and a garden that make it feel like a full-fledged resort. The spa is also among the best in town, and it’s well worth booking a treatment or at least spending some time in the sauna or hammam.
The Estoril casino is known for having served as a meeting place for spies from both sides during World War II. This hotel was where many of those spies stayed. Today, staying here completes the glamorous experience of time spent in Cascais-Estoril. It’s best suited to mature couples and to anyone planning an evening at the casino who wants to be able to walk back to the hotel.
Click here to check room availability and rates at Palácio Estoril Hotel, Golf & Wellness…
Our Tips for Choosing a Hotel in Cascais
Hotel category – In Cascais, the difference between hotels by star rating mainly comes down to the level of luxury and facilities, not the quality of service or sleep. This very tourist-friendly town knows how to deliver excellent service across all accommodation categories, with ratings determined mostly by the standard of amenities.
Hotel location and getting there – If you’re coming to Cascais by public transportation from Lisbon, as most travelers do, it’s best to stay in the town center.
If you’re traveling by car around the Lisbon area or Central Portugal and stopping overnight in Cascais, it’s worth staying in the western part of town, around the museum district, the marina, and the streets behind them. There’s more parking there, and it’s easier to drive in and out of town. Once you’ve parked, you can take a short, reasonably priced taxi ride anywhere in Cascais or Estoril, since the towns aren’t large.
Supply and demand – Summer has been Cascais’s high season since the 19th century and still is today. Cascais was, and still is, a summer escape for Lisbon residents. But with the capital’s rapid growth, nearby Cascais has become a year-round destination, and you can visit at any time of year. Outside summer, though, you’ll probably be less tempted to swim. Prices in town are also significantly lower beyond the summer season.
Weekends – Cascais is a destination for entertainment and relaxation very close to the big capital, Lisbon. That’s why the town is especially lively on weekends, when prices also rise. This is particularly true in summer, but throughout the year, a stay in Cascais will be more expensive on weekends. The town is also much more interesting in terms of nightlife and entertainment at that time. Still, if your main goal is sightseeing, a midweek visit usually saves money.
Cascais as a stop on a Central Portugal road trip – You could easily call it a must-stop, whether for a few hours or a few vacation days. Cascais is not a town you’ll want to miss on a trip around the Lisbon area. Most people visit Cascais on one of the popular day trips from Lisbon, but it also makes a wonderful stop on a road trip that begins or ends in Lisbon. In that case, Cascais can be the first or last destination on a route from Lisbon to Porto, or the other way around. It can also be one of the stops on a circular trip starting and ending in Lisbon and passing through Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais.
