Housed in a renovated 19th-century mansion at the edge of the sea, the Farol Design Hotel in Cascais provides an escapist treat in Portugal.

Guests can stay in one of the 34 unique rooms that have been decorated by Portuguese fashion designers and enjoy views of the rocky coast and dramatic ocean waves.

Since it opened in 2003, people have come looking for an experience that provides a connection between the formality of the 19th century and the freedom of the 21st.

The hotel's Restaurant Rosa Maria serves Mediterranean fusion cuisine, while Coco Nuts club invites up to 600 people to enjoy its café, terrace and summer bar.

Located 30 km west of Lisbon, Cascais has for centuries lured the cosmopolitan for weekend getaways. Although the town's beaches are its biggest draw, tourists also enjoy the ruins of a castle, museums, parks and cobbled streets.