Don’t be scared. Keep walking through the little alleyway of Rua Latino Coelho, past homes that look deserted (they’re not; people here just have the good sense to stretch their siestas into the early evening). Don’t mind the bright graffiti etched on the side of its walls, either.
Solar Dom Carlos is a lamb of a hotel, located more in the soul than in the heart of Cascais, a 5-minute walk to the beaches, trains, and lively downtown, but close enough to real life that the town church bell will undoubtedly take the place of your portable alarm clock.
You will have to walk up and through some intimidating, steep cobblestone roads to find it, unassumingly plopped down in the center of a ring of palm trees like it’s been here for a hundred years and couldn’t give a toss if it ever gets a write-up in Travel & Leisure.
The former royal cottage of King Dom Carlos, Solar Dom Carlos features spacious rooms, a glorious 400-year-old chapel where the king used to worship, a lovely garden where you can sit and relax with a drink, a breakfast room, and a reception room with TV (if you don’t like soccer, don’t bother with it and if you don’t like Portuguese soccer, don’t bother opening your mouth at all).
I am not sure what the hotel clerk had thought I meant by double-bed accommodations, but we were elated to find that we’d been booked in a HUGE room with one double bed and two twin beds, hardwood floors, terrace (true, it overlooked the tiny road in back, but it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?), fully furnished with sturdy cherry-wood drawers and cabinets and a small television. The room and bathroom were both very clean. Extra amenities, such as a hairdryer and laundry, are available upon request. You can even purchase a wonderful bottle of port wine, one of Portugal’s most important exports and a must-have souvenir, from the front desk. The clerk will gladly explain the difference between bottle-aged and wood-aged port if you aren’t quite the aficionado.
Breakfast is complimentary, served every morning from 8:30 – 10:30am. Breakfast consists of a fresh selection of local offerings: toasted, light-as-a-feather Portuguese rolls, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, and the most delicious coffee I’ve ever tasted, served to you in your own individual pot.
The best part of staying at Solar Dom Carlos is that you will not feel like you were scammed at the end of it all. We paid €215 for a 3-night /4-day stay. Rooms typically range from €30 to 75 per night and reservations are accepted by phone or fax with a credit card number and expiration date. After having spent a weekend in London, where we paid more than that to stay in a hotel that had all the charm of a court holding cell, we actually felt guilty for paying so little and getting back so much.