FAQs

Growing up, we were fortunate to travel a fair bit around Portugal, and we've never stopped exploring. So, we know our beautiful country pretty well. When we started JO&SO, we first focused on the places we already knew and loved. We also talked to our friends and family to get as much inside info as possible. We mark the hotels where we've stayed as Visited, and we also feature the top places we want to visit – we call this our Watchlist .

The best hotels in Portugal pair a strong sense of place with thoughtful design and warm hospitality. Expect azulejos, stone and cork, restored palácios and quintas, interiors by local makers, and kitchens led by regional produce and wine. Many are owner-run and sustainability-minded—personal, beautifully made, and rooted rather than generic luxury.

We don't provide bespoke travel advice or personal recommendations. Everything we recommend is already available for free on our website to help you plan your trip.

We believe March to June and September to November are the best times to visit Portugal, offering milder weather and fewer crowds.  July–August sells out early, especially small boutique stays and coastal five-star hotels—book well ahead for those. Some hotels in Portugal close in low season (typically winter).

We strictly don't let a place pay its way to be featured on our website. Everything we feature on joandso.com has to be 100% because we like it. We also review our lists regularly. On JO&SO, we only feature what we consider to be the best boutique hotels, guesthouses and holiday rentals in Portugal. You can submit your place for us to review here.

For a first-timer, cities Lisbon and Porto are easy wins. Beach lovers should look at the Algarve; vineyard breaks are best in the Douro Valley; Alentejo for slow escapes; nature seekers should consider the islands of Madeira or the Azores. You can browse the best hotels in Portugal by region.

Sure, you can submit a hotel here. 🙂

Yes to both. You’ll find intimate small hotels perfect for couples and family-friendly hotels with space to roam.

Yes, here are some of the Best Hotels in Portugal that are Family-Friendly.

It depends on what you’re looking for. Our favourite months to visit Portugal are May, June, September and October because it’s quieter and the weather is still great. Note that July and August are busy and hot. However, there are plenty of sunny and warm days in the winter in the Algarve which can be lovely especially if you come from colder countries.

The weather in Portugal varies depending on the region and season. The southern coastal Algarve is known for its warm and sunny weather, while the northern areas, like Porto, can be cooler and rainier. Overall, Portugal has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers.

Some common Portuguese phrases that you may find helpful as a tourist include "Obrigado/a" (thank you), "Bom dia" (good morning), "Por favor" (please), "Fala inglês?" (Do you speak English?), "Sim" (Yes), “Não” (No) and "Onde fica?" (where is it?). Many Portuguese are comfortable speaking English and Spanish, while others can speak French.

We genuinely love all of them. Lisbon and Porto are the cities where we spend most of our time, and they're both fantastic in different ways. We love the Algarve's beaches and laid-back nature; it smells wonderful too! But then we are also very passionate about sleepy Alentejo (South of Portugal) and the stunning Douro (North of Portugal). The Azores islands are magical, and Madeira is so beautiful too. It's hard to pick 🙂

Yes, many times.

Sure! To begin with check our book The 500 Hidden Secrets of Porto by JO&SO. It might be the best travel guidebook about Porto but we might be a little bit biased. 😉

We own and recommend the following guides:

Portugal: The Monocle Handbook: Your guide to the best hotels, restaurants, beaches and design, by Tyler Brûlé, Andrew Tuck, Joe Pickard

Lisbon (The Monocle Travel Guide Series) by Tyler Brûlé

The 500 Hidden Secrets of Lisbon by Miguel Júdice
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We did a video with the lovely folks at Condé Nast Traveller, where we talk about the neighbourhood where we grew up:

Foz do Douro, Porto, by JO&SO: Off the beaten track

We don't charge any booking fees when you book a hotel through our website. However, we may include affiliate partner links that allow us to earn a small commission from sales, without any extra cost to you. Rest assured that everything we recommend on our website is because we love it. By booking through us, you are also supporting what we do and helping us to maintain an ad-free with no paid content.

We sometimes accept hotel invitations but will only visit it and feature it if we love it. Our rule of thumb follows these two questions, 'Would we come back?' and 'Would we recommend it to a friend?'

On joandso.com we feature all kinds of places to stay in Portugal. It could be a luxury five-star hotel, a boutique hotel, a boutique guesthouse, a rural & farmhouse stay or even a tent in the middle of nowhere. We look for beautiful design, thoughtful service and good energy.

We (Joana and Sofia) personally try and test all the places marked as Visited. We want to experience everything first-hand to ensure that we only recommend hotels in Portugal that we would suggest to our friends. We also want to showcase the soul of the places, which could never happen if we didn’t stay there. We also feature the hotels in Portugal that are at the top of our Watchlist and that we look forward to visiting next.

On joandso.com we mostly feature boutique hotels in Portugal, but sometimes we also include villas. We have written about what we consider the best holiday rentals in Portugal, you can check it out here: Where to Stay in Portugal: Handpicked Holiday Homes, Apartments and Villas.

Under each hotel review (the hotels marked as Visited), we sometimes recommend a couple of restaurants. Just scroll down or select 'Local Tips' from the sub-menu. Sometimes in our articles (in the Journal) we also mention our favourite places to eat. Also check out our Porto Travel Guide 'The 500 Hidden Secrets of Porto'.

We love travelling and between the two of us, we have visited over 30 countries. We always try to find special places to stay. Below are the hotels that hold a special place in our hearts:
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Papaya Playa Project – Tulum, Mexico

The Siam – Bangkok, Thailand

Zeavola – Phi Phi, Thailand

Bann Makok – Koh Kood, Thailand

Bambu Indah – Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Villa Jacaranda – Varkala, Kerala, India

HOSHINOYA Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan

Hudson Central Park – New York, USA

Soho Beach House – Miami, USA

Home Hotel – Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Soho Hotel – London, UK

Babington House – Somerset, UK

We think Portugal has an incredible amount of gorgeous boutique hotels and guesthouses, especially in proportion to the country's small size. We have yet to find other websites similar to JO&SO in other countries, but we like the selection of boutique hotels on Best Boutique Hotels Worldwide.

In our opinion, the best hotels in Portugal are about much more than just stars. When searching for the best hotels in Portugal, we always aim to find special places – a stunning five-star hotel, a gorgeous boutique hotel, a simple guesthouse, or even a secluded rural cabin. For us, the best hotels in Portugal stand out for their beautiful design, thoughtful service, and positive energy.

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