Best Portuguese Boutique Hotel in Alentejo – Herdade da Malhadinha Nova

It all started with vineyards and wines

The Soares family had been in the wine distribution business for over 30 years when they decided to start their own wine production. Owners of 15 wine shops in the sunny Algarve, they travelled the world visiting wine producers and wine tourism projects. Such experience was the caterpillar and inspiration for their future endeavours.

In 1998, they bought 200 hectares of land, where at the time there was only barley cultivation. Luis Duarte, a renowned winemaker with vast experience and knowledge of grape performances in the Alentejo terroir, joined the team in the early days and has been their wine consultant ever since. After thorough analysis and experiments, they decided to plant regional and national grapes, as well as foreign grapes to give more elegance to the wines. The first harvest was made in 2003. On a second phase, the Soares family bought an additional 250 hectares plot, wherein 7 hectares the boutique hotel was later built.

A project led by passion

This family business is a perfect example of unity and joint effort. The two Soares brothers and their lovely wives run the wine and hotel businesses and are an integral part of the brand’s image. All members are involved, including the (presently) 7 children, who contribute with their naïf art to the design of the labels. Many of the wines take the children’s names, as every time there is a newborn in the family, the best red wines of that year are bottled under their name.

The main ambassador of the project, however, is Rita Soares. She juggles her countless tasks at the hotel, responsibilities with the wine and wine distribution, phone calls, SMS, Whats’app, messages and being a mom of four children with perfect mastery. All this, always with a smile and good humour. It is quite an experience to spend an afternoon with Rita! Amazing how she handles it all with such harmony and a tranquil countenance.

Passion, dedication and attention to detail are the moving forces of this amazing wine and tourism project and they manifest in every detail from the quality and presentation of the wines to the ambience and services of the hotel and restaurant.

Now, let’s take a tour to Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, to give you a taste of what we are talking about …

Arriving at the Country House & SPA

Driving into the estate, on a very hot September day, we are struck by the beauty of the landscape, where fields, vineyards and olive trees decorate the horizon. As we proceed on the dusty dirt road, families of storks fly to and from their nests flapping their long wings in almost slow motion, adding to the picturesque portrait. We approach a group of buildings where we pass the family house on the right and the gourmet restaurant and wine cellar. We later find out that the barrel room and the wine shop are in the same building. Adjacent to the cellars are the stables, where robust and pompous Lusitano horses watch passers-by, in pure alentejano tranquillity. There is still a few minutes drive until we finally reach the secluded hotel.

When we open the jeep’s door a puff of hot air welcomes us, followed by the sound of chill-out music, playing in perfect volume. A cemented path leads us to the main entrance of the hotel. This external corridor is contained on both sides by tall walls made on the base by a layer of schist, followed by wood boards in an aesthetically harmonious use of local materials. On both sides, we stop lounge ambiences in Asian style, garden beds with fluttery curtains, a swimming pool and a water mirror that continue to set the Zen mood. The L-shaped building, set on ground level, depicts the simple lines of traditional Alentejo countryside architecture.

Stepping into a new dimension

As we open the main door, we are invaded by an incredibly pleasant and delicate scent coming from the scented sticks and candles spread throughout the various ambiences of the hotel. Bruno, one of the members of the Guest Experience Team, greets us. He will accompany us during our stay.

We walk into our room where the aromatherapy continues and an iPad sets the romantic mode with Sade’s Diamond Life. We inspect our welcoming setting highlighted by a very rich bed decorated with personalized pillows, cushions, a throw-on blanket, robes, a basket with towels for the swimming pool and a copy of Portugal Wine & Lifestyle, a book about high-quality wine tourism projects in Portugal, promoted by Rita Soares. On one side table there is a personalized welcome note and those wonderfully scented sticks and, on the opposite side, a modern water jug with two glasses.

Everywhere you turn there are clues of passion, dedication and attention to detail.

The experience

After freshening up we are ready to home-in and start our “experience”. A standard experience includes:

• Minimum of two nights. (It is not possible to stay only for one night as the hotel philosophy is to provide theme experiences of minimum two nights)
• A welcoming glass of wine and local appetizers, that could include cheeses, local charcuterie, or home-baked bread to be dipped in an exquisite olive oil – just the perfect touch to tune us into the space and its calm ambience;
• Free use of the spa and the infinity pool with stunning view overlooking the vineyards and fields of olive trees;
• Free use of BTT and fishing equipment;
• 1 Hour use of the tennis court;
• Guided tour to the property and wine cellar, including a tasting of the spectacular wines, produced in-house;
• An amazing breakfast, with home-made bread, croissants, homemade cake and jams, freshly squeezed fruit juices, season fruits, various types of cereals, yoghurts and an impressive variety of cheeses and charcuterie, not to mention eggs on demand and daily surprises;

All this with permanent assistance from the Guest Experience Team, who are always attentive, but never imposing their presence.

Additional options

The additional alternatives of entertainment are too many to be listed here, but we can say that they fit into the themes of Sports & Adventure, Culture, Wine, Equestrian activities, Fine Dining, Relaxation & Nature, Romantic, Children and Groups. The hotel has a total of 10 rooms, ranging from single rooms to Delux suites, from 200€ to 450€ per person per night, respectively. Additional beds for children are available upon request, for an extra fee. If you have the time and budget, we highly recommend a 4-day experience: Wine Masters, Master Chef, Master Wellness and All About Alentejo. Prices for these activities range from 1000€ to 1700€ per person.

Wine & Gourmet restaurant with Michelin stamp

Absolutely not to be missed is the sophisticated yet laid back restaurant Wine & Gourmet, under the consulting mastery of Michelin chef Joachim Koerper, partner and head chef of Eleven, one of the trendiest and most acclaimed restaurants in Lisbon. Here you will find a modern and innovative interpretation of local Alentejo food, as well as traditional dishes. All dishes were developed to pair the excellent range of wines produced in the Estate. It is almost virtually impossible to spend a couple of days in the purely chilled and relaxed atmosphere of Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, without stripping from the stresses of daily life. Better than therapy! We could go on and on about the charms of this magical place, but you should really try it first hand! Want to book an experience at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Next Time you go to Portugal? Let us know or book it here, relax and enjoy!