Penha Longa Hotel & Golf Resort

Penha Longa Resort has become the star of a major children’s adventure story after a best-selling author fell in love with the resort following her stay.

Set in 220 hectares of nature reserve, close to the UNESCO-protected town of Sintra and featuring an ancient monastery and a 19th century palace once enjoyed by the Portuguese Royal family, Penha Longa Resort provided irresistible material for Australian author Jacqueline Harvey when she wrote Alice-Miranda And The Secrets Of Sintra

“For a children’s author this place is extraordinary,” she says. “What child wouldn’t want to imagine all of the mystery and adventure to be had here?

“To say this is a magical place doesn’t do it credit. My husband and I had the most wonderful time during our stay – great weather, a beautiful hotel, stunning Sintra to visit and most of all the lovely staff.”

During the course of Harvey’s fictional story the intrepid adventurer Alice-Miranda and her family explore the resort’s famous chapel, nature trails, ancient ruins, golf course and historic gardens in a quest to track to track down a dastardly palace thief.

Also making guest appearances in the story – literally – are the resort’s Front Office Manager Inês and Restaurant Manager Izz.

“At Penha Longa we realised the difference between a good hotel and a great one is the staff. We were made to feel like it was a second home to us and by the end of our visit we felt we had made new friends,” says the author. “This is a place that has captured my heart and the heart of Alice-Miranda.”

General Manager David Martinez added: “From the time when the Royal Family would visit, Penha Longa has enjoyed a reputation as the perfect family base from which to explore the region.

“Today there are more children’s activities than ever for families at the resort such as our myths and legends programme, treasure hunts, night hikes and pyjama parties — but now thanks to the adventures of Alice-Miranda there is yet another exciting dimension for children to enjoy.”

Alice-Miranda And The Secrets Of Sintra is available online in the children’s anthology Stories For Nine Year Olds published by Random House. Alice-Miranda books are available from Amazon.com and work has begun on turning her adventures into a television series.

Can you imagine setting the stage of your next meeting in a 14th century monastery with lush gardens, ornamented fountains and amazing ceilings and atmosphere? At Penha Longa Resort this is what awaits you and your delegates.

Penha Longa Resort sits in a national nature reserve just minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sintra and 30 minutes from Lisbon and International Airport.

The origins of Penha Longa can be traced back to the 14th century when its historic monastery was built and the area has been a meeting place for centuries as well as a retreat for Portuguese royalty and foreign dignitaries.
Today these monastery buildings are used as the backdrop for many of the business meetings and events at the hotel, providing an historical and unique location for delegates. The buildings make an excellent use of the natural daylight and offer meeting planners the widest choice of indoor and outdoor venues in the area with 25 different unique locations where Portuguese traditions are encountered in every corner combined with elegant surroundings and high tech convenience.
Each place can all be adapted to the requirements of the planner, from intimate and exclusive board meetings to extensive product launches and events. Within the hotel there are 194 newly refurbished guest rooms, each with private balconies that combine the relaxing nature atmosphere with a new contemporary approach.
In the grounds of the hotel, organizers can also make use of the only Penha Longa Spa, with its nine treatment rooms and in the Spa gardens Yoga and Qi-Gong sessions can be arranged for delegates. A unique feature of the spa garden is the beautiful meditation Labyrinth where personalized guided sessions will be the perfect option for groups taken through a meditative or self-development program.

During the downtime or even for an incentive activity, golf enthusiasts can take advantage of the 27 world class holes spread around the 220ha of property. Ranked in the top 30 courses in Continental Europe, the Atlantic Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, is a challenging 18-hole, par 72, championship course with breath-taking views over the surrounding area and has hosted numerous events including the Portuguese Open.

For further relaxation the hotel also offers a fully equipped fitness centre, indoor and outdoor swimming pools as well as endless outdoor activities including tennis courts, padel tennis, squash, a jogging track, horse riding and surfing sessions at the nearby beaches.

Delegates and meeting planners can also choose from five exceptional restaurants catering to every taste, including authentic Italian food at Il Mercato, Japanese fare and exquisite decor at Midori Restaurant or fresh fish and seafood at the poolside AQUA restaurant. Close to the lobby the B Lounge serves as a pit stop for casual dining with gourmet burgers and numerous combinations of fillings. Whilst the Arola Restaurant is innovative, fashionable and defiantly cool, serving a creative and contemporary twist to Portuguese cuisine, mixing tradition and heritage dishes, with wines served from a transparent cellar in the restaurant entertained by a Live DJ and a Vodka Bar with more than 80 selections of vodka.

For event planners wanting to maintain the food quality away from the resort, the hotel offers their Penha Longa Catering in the surrounding outside venues offering the same high service and quality of food found in at the hotel, including three privately owned Palaces in Lisbon and Estoril on exclusive basis.

Penha Longa Resort - The estate of Penha Longa in Portugal, located within a 545-acre/220 hectare National Park on the southern Sintra Mountains has been a place of sanctuary for centuries. The Catholic fathers founded their monastery here, finding peace and tranquility in its setting whilst the Royal Family came in the summer months to find a cool refuge from the heat of nearby Lisbon. Today, the breathtakingly beautiful resort encompasses a luxurious hotel, a nineteenth century palace originally founded as a monastery in the fourteenth century, two spectacular golf courses, a superb Penha Longa Spa and a stunning tapas restaurant by Sergi Arola.