Ever wondered what you’d get when you spend £99 a night in August, for a luxury hotel in Portugal? Step forward Octant Lousa! This rural outpost of the Octant brand in central Portugal offers an affordable stay for families seeking style on a budget.
The rooms
We stayed in a double room with a pull out bed and were so surprised to see the room decked out with teepee, toys and a mini robe for our son as well as beach bags and panama hats for the grown ups! The room was well-appointed and had everything we need with a great view of the mountains but was not spacious. We stayed two nights, but any longer than that I think we would have felt frustrated by the lack of space. So on booking you might wish to go for a larger room size, such as, to accommodate your family.
The food
The breakfast buffet was resplendent with everything you could want eat day (and was included in the price of our room). The stand out thing across all aspects of this hotel is just how welcome our son was made to feel – every member of the team made such a huge fuss of him, including bringing him “off menu” drinks and snacks unprompted! The lunch and dinner menu was a fresh, delicious brasserie affair but with limited options (4-6 choices per course) after one meal you may want to branch further afield. The small town of Lousa itself is very limited for restaurant options, but the nearby university city of Coimbra is alive with foodie options. A 30 minute drive from the hotel, the city offers cuisine from Michelin recommended fare to Korean street food. We had a stand-out seafood rendezvous at Dux Taberna Urbana and a much needed gelato pit stop in 35 degree heat at Doppo.
Activities
The Octant Lousa is well placed for active families – famous for mountain biking trails, the sumptuous welcome of the hotel is an antidote to a day at altitude! The hotel itself has a large outdoor pool, plunge pool and gym and a small garden. Each day there are drop-off kids clubs activities – our son asked to go back to the face painting multiple times!! It is also worth spending a day exploring Coimbra for more than just food. The university buildings gave Oxford and Cambridge a run for their money in their grandeur and the narrow winding hill streets offered a perfect spot for a coffee and a rest in the midday sun of central Portugal.
Overall
This hotel represents amazing value for money for a sunshine holiday in a luxury hotel, even in peak season! However, there would be certain things like the location and limited main restaurant menu which wouldn’t make it suitable for all families. But if you are an adventure seeking family, looking for a holiday off the beaten track this would be an amazing option.
One thing I can say for sure is that I will definitely be looking to stay with Octant again for their attentive and child centric service that made our two days in Lousa fly by with ease.
Top Tip
Just x hours from Lisbon or Porto you could make this a dual-centre holiday to explore more of Portugal!
That Holiday Mum x
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