Casa Fortunato

When you arrive, there is an old blue door that’s original with holes in it. When some people knock, they might be wondering where they are going. Inside is a lobby and stairs leading to the first floor, where you’ll see some frescoes and paintings on the wall. Here is the Gambling Room — a small living area with a gambling table that once belonged to my grandmother.

Then there is the main sitting area, the dining room and through the courtyard is another sitting room with a fireplace. This leads to the patio where we have an area with tables where guests can dine alfresco, as well as a swimming pool and sun loungers. Many houses in Alentejo once had a water tank where clothing and linen would have been washed. The swimming pool was designed with that in mind.

There is also a kitchen that can be accessed either from the patio or the end of the corridor. We kept much of it original, maintaining the floor and the tiles on the wall. Guests are welcome to use the kitchen as though it is their own home or watch as traditional dishes are being prepared by the staff. We also have a bathroom on the first floor.

A set of stairs leads to the second floor, where you’ll find a corridor that accesses all of the rooms. Some face the main street and others the patio. None are the same size. We have a tiny black and white room with original tiles from the house and another with an exposed wooden ceiling. One of the rooms was originally the kitchen with a cooking fireplace.

Two staff members are at the house from 8 am to 8 pm. Initially, they didn’t speak English but they took classes and are really willing to please. They prepare breakfast for the guests and provide all of the housekeeping services. If guests would like lunch or dinner, they will prepare traditional dishes upon request. Alentejo has really good local ingredients, so our breakfast features regional products with some enrichment.

We provide Diptyque toiletries for guests — we are the only hotel in Portugal with these toiletries as Diptyque has to approve each hotel first.

Based on guests’ interests, we have lots of programs to suggest in the region and can organise transfers to anywhere they want. When the house is full, we stay at the back of the property and only interact with guests if we feel they would like to see us. If not, we stay in the background to help our workers.

In addition to two resident staff members to cater for all needs, the following highlights make Casa Fortunato your ideal venue:

• Full breakfast included in accommodation rate (or villa buyout)
• Private orchard garden and outside swimming pool with loungers
• Library and reading area
• Private dinning room
• Fully equipped kitchen with permanent staff from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm
• Private Chef at home for lunch or dinner with tailor made menus at supplement cost per person;
• Half day or full day private motor boat cruise from Setubal port with picnic offered on board at supplement cost;
• Concierge Service and tours around Casa Fortunato vecinities (Évora, Monsaraz, Escoural, Melides, Alqueva Lake)

AMENITIES

• Air conditioning
• Indoor fireplace
• Daily maid service
• Our selection of water, tea, coffee
• Diptyque toiletries
• Bathrobes
• Pool
• Garden
• Balcony
• Outdoor fire pit
• First Aid kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Home security
• Desk or workspace
• International electricity adapters
• Electronics charging
• Internet
• Board fames
• Game room
• On-site parking
• Washer
• Dryer
• Full kitchen
• Dishwasher
• Coffee maker
• Wine cellar

Alcácer do Sal is a traditional village, not a touristic one, with lots of good restaurants serving fresh fish. There is a castle showcasing the local history, as well as several antique churches and chapels that can be opened on request. Around five minutes’ drive from the property is an old hermitage with a vineyard and horses.

On the banks of the river are rice fields and salt production areas where guests can walk or cycle (we can arrange bicycles). It’s around 25 kilometres from Alcácer to Comporta. In summer, there is a boat that travels up the river, allowing you to get up close to the rice fields and the surrounding nature.

In 30 minutes, you can be on the coastline and the beaches of Comporta and Melides. We can arrange transfers if guests don’t want to drive.

It’s also possible to journey to the interior of Alentejo and visit Evora (a UNESCO-listed city) or Grândola, which is a big town to the south of Alcácer that has some beautiful buildings.

In Setubal, there is a large port where the river creates a huge bay fringed by beaches. You can see dolphins here and there’s a protected nature reserve.