Cascais Miragem Hotel
My wife and I stayed at the Miragem Hotel in Cascais for 7 nights in September 2018. It was the best hotel we have stayed in over the years, and it provided the foundation for an amazing holiday.
Location:
The hotel was situated on the sea front, some five minutes walking distance from the centre of Cascais on the western coast of Portugal, and 30 minutes travel by train from Lisbon.
Staff:
Without exception, the staff were friendly, efficient and professional throughout our stay and provided an exceptional service. As soon as we stepped out of our taxi from the airport, we were greeted at the covered forecourt with assistance with our luggage, Check-in was smooth and uncomplicated. In all areas of Reception, Breakfast, Rooms and Bar / Restaurant, the staff were always approachable and pleased to help.
Special mention must be made to Jose and his breakfast and restaurant staff. He was extremely helpful, and his attention to detail and memory of all our individual preferences was exceptional, given that there must have been dozens of guests to cater for.
I would also like to commend Carlos of the reception staff, who provided invaluable assistance to us when our return transfer to the airport failed to arrive.
Room:
We deliberately booked a room with a sea view and a balcony, and we were not disappointed. Our room (757) was ideally situated for easy lift access to the Breakfast area and outdoor pool four levels below. Due to the clever design of the hotel, with the pool on level three and the rooms set back from this on levels four to ten, we were well away from the sight and sound of the main road and rail lines situated between the hotel and the sea front. It was generally quiet throughout our stay.
The room was large, with an equally large ensuite bathroom, shower and toilet area. It had a twin bed with bedside cabinets, a dressing table, small table and two chairs. The mirror above the dressing table strangely doubled as a TV which provided a very good selection of multi lingual channels. There was plenty of wardrobe and drawer space. We were provided with coffee and tea making facilities and the provisions were replenished every day. The balcony had an outstanding view overlooking the hotel pool and sea front and contained a small table and two wicker recliners. It provided adequate privacy from the adjoining rooms by the use of full-length frosted glass partitions. The bed linen and towels were of good quality, and were perfectly adequate for our needs. Most important of all, the room was well air conditioned, which was extremely comforting in the evenings.
Breakfast:
The breakfast area had indoor and outdoor seating for around 200 people, with table sizes ranging from 2 to 6 seats. A Buffet Breakfast offered a wide range of cereals, bread, fruit, cooked items, omelettes made to order, and even sparkling wine. The staff provided tea and coffee almost as soon as you were seated and they continually returned with refills and to clear away used dishes.
Facilities:
The hotel had a sizeable outdoor (fresh water) swimming pool, ranging from 1.1m at the shallow end to 2m at the deep end. Generally, there were enough sunbeds to accommodate everyone, and there was no indication of guests trying to reserve the best places, as is the norm in other resorts we have visited.
There was an indoor pool area on the sixth floor, consisting of an adults only heated pool with various water spouts and jacuzzis, a smaller family pool, a relaxation area, Turkish bath, salt water pool and two unique showers with relaxing properties. On first use of these facilities, a number of obvious health and safety conditions had to be signed up to, including the wearing of swimming caps (which could be purchased on site) and flip flops.
Lastly, the hotel offered free Wi-Fi, which allowed you to use your devices to access the internet without fear of those pricey roaming charges.
Random Observation:
We were very pleasantly surprised to receive gifts of a small bottle of Port and some snacks on our first and last days at the hotel.
During our stay, the hotel hosted a three-day conference. At this time, the breakfast areas became very busy, with the delegates occupying all of the best tables, chattering loudly, spreading documents across the tables and staying there for the majority of the morning. Whilst I realise that such conferences are a good source of revenue for the hotel, these should diminish the experience for the guests who are not using company expense accounts to pay for their stay. The hotel management should consider setting aside a separate area for such delegates so that the rest of us can enjoy our breakfast in peace.
Conclusion:
In summary, we loved the hotel, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a base for their stay in Portugal. During our time at the hotel, there appeared to be not too many children, so I cannot comment on the suitability of the hotel for the younger age group. Although you would expect such standards from a 5-star hotel, it is affordable to those with lesser budgets, and it is great value for money. We can’t wait to return.

The hotel is very good. The rooms are big and very clean. Friendly personnel. Good food. Five minutes walking from the center of Cascais. The only thing - to get to the beach you have to cross the street.