A Portuguese Hideaway Raises a Glass to the Alentejo

Opening Shot is a column that peeks inside new hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops with dreamy interiors.

OCTANT ÉVORA
Designer: Broadway Maylan (Interiors), Teresa Barão/Topiaris (Perdiganito Reserve)
Location: Évora, Portugal

On offer: Just outside of a UNESCO World Heritage city, Octant Évora embodies Alentejo’s soulful balance of rustic charm and contemporary ease. With interiors designed by Broadway Maylan, the 27-acre retreat features 56 rooms and 16 villas, a working farm, five pools, and a spa complete with a Turkish bath. Five-meter observation towers encourage stargazing in one of Europe’s least light-polluted skies, while the À Terra restaurant sources ingredients directly from the hotel’s orchards and gardens. As part of the Octant Hotels collection, the Évora property exemplifies the brand’s philosophy of ‘Local Kind of Luxury’—each hotel across Portugal is distinctly shaped by its surrounding landscape and cultural traditions.

The hotel’s latest chapter unfolds with two ambitious projects: the Enoteca, the Alentejo’s only hotel-based wine room, and the Perdiganito Reserve, a six-hectare landscape designed to preserve ecological authenticity.

Standout features: At the heart of the wine experience, the Enoteca transforms a former meeting space into a refined yet convivial destination showcasing 140 local producers and 300-plus labels. Programming extends well beyond tastings—monthly master classes with winemakers, private cooking lessons where guests reinterpret Alentejo recipes, and Chef’s Table dinners by executive chef Natanael Silva offer a layered exploration of terroir and tradition.

Landscape architect Teresa Barão of Topiaris designed the Perdiganito Reserve to extend Octant’s ethos of “local luxury” into nature. Trails wind along the Monte Novo reservoir, past wooden swing cabanas and a 110-square-meter water deck that hosts activities ranging from yoga to starlit ceremonies. The on-site farm deepens the connection to place, inviting encounters with sheep, goats, a pony named Matilda, and even a family of guinea pigs. Whether a picnic on the dam deck, a horseback ride, or an evening under the stars, each element fosters a deeper relationship with one of Portugal’s most storied regions.