Vilalara Grand Hotel Algarve

Five pools and a cliff-edge perch above a private beach make the setting hard to argue with. This is a sprawling, old-school luxury resort in the Algarve, the kind that had gardens and a full spa complex long before either was fashionable. Suites and apartments run to neutral-toned, quietly plush interiors, and six restaurants cover the spectrum from Portuguese seafood with ocean views to seasonal, farm-to-table cooking at the grill.