7 Things To Know About Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort in Portugal’s Algarve Region

I didn’t know what to expect before my family’s 3-night stay at Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort in Portugal in June 2024. I’d been to family-friendly hotels and resorts before, but Martinhal Sagres was like nothing I’d ever seen.

The most important thing to know besides the things on this list is that this resort begins and ends with the well-being of children. For example, our first dinner at Os Gambozinos — I should have known just from the name, which means “the wild goose chase” — had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the playground that opened in either direction so that kids could run in and out between ordering and their food arriving. It was a level of chaos that I’d never experienced but was also somehow very satisfying for me as a mother.

For parents, the food was delicious, the wine menu was robust, and the on-property spa was the perfect retreat after dropping kids off at the kids club for the morning. Its location in the Algarve region of southern Portugal is tranquil after a 3.5-hour scenic drive from Lisbon and worth it for the reasons below.

Here are 7 things to know about Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort.

1. You Can Earn and Redeem World of Hyatt Points

Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort is a Mr & Mrs Smith property and is thus redeemable with World of Hyatt points. Award redemptions start as low as 13,750 Hyatt points or about €141 ($147) per night, which can go a long way when you consider the next point if you plan to visit with a family (which, why wouldn’t you?).

2. It’s Not All-Inclusive

One of the more important things to know about staying at Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort is that the resort is not all-inclusive. That means that your meals and activities are not included in your nightly room rate.

There are several dining places to eat, all of which include kids menus. The property has a market where you can shop for food to cook in your house or villa, if you have a kitchen. We prepped lunch in our house during our stay and appreciated the opportunity to save costs.

Activities such as kids academies, kids clubs, the spa, and bike rentals can be enjoyed at an additional cost.

Playgrounds throughout the resort and at the beach are complimentary, however, including the toy horses that my kids found right outside the lobby. My kids were also treated to a backpack that included a stuffed animal — a small fox named Rafi, the hotel’s mascot — and a coloring activity.

3. Kids Clubs Start at 6 Months Old

Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort has 5 kids clubs, starting with a nursery for babies between 6 and 12 months. Activities range from arts and crafts for toddlers to outdoor activities, including archery and badminton for preteens.

There are 2 sessions each day, in the morning and the afternoon, perfectly timed for an afternoon nap, lunch, or pool time. The morning session is from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., while the afternoon session runs from 2 to 5 p.m. and each session is €25 (about $26) per child.

There was a line to drop kids off at the morning session, and my kids couldn’t wait to go each day. The afternoon sessions had fewer children present, but usually the same staff member as the morning session was there looking after the kids.

4. Accommodations Range From Guest Rooms to Villas

Originally occupied by the owners of the Martinhal hotel brand and their 4 children, Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort has accommodations designed to cater to families of varying sizes.

Hotel rooms sleep up to 3 guests (2 adults and 1 child), apartments can accommodate 2 adults and 2 children, and villas and townhouses with up to 6 bedrooms can accommodate up to 12 guests.

We stayed in a 2-bedroom Bay House with a full kitchen and living room, a balcony overlooking the bay, and a washing machine. The first floor of the house had 2 bedrooms separated by 2 bathrooms, one of which had a bathtub. The second floor had a very spacious living room and dining area. The kitchen had a dishwasher, oven, stove, and medium-size refrigerator, among other comforts.

We were very comfortable in our Bay House, and it didn’t feel like we were at a resort, thanks to minimal noise.

5. A Market for Anything You Missed

Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort really did think of everything.

O Mercado is the resort’s market, deli, and bakery where you can buy just about anything you can think of. Forget diapers or baby formula? Need more snacks or in the mood to cook a gourmet meal in your room? Looking for fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, or even a bottle of wine? O Mercado had it all.

It was refreshing to be able to eat when we wanted to by cooking a hot meal in our room instead of being held hostage by restaurant opening times. And though my kids are out of diapers, I would have loved to have had a store like this at the resorts we stayed at when my kids were young so I could have saved space in my suitcase.

6. Elevated Dining With Kid-Friendly Food

I was not surprised to find kids menus at the restaurants at Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort. But I was grateful that said kids menus did not only include fried foods or fast foods like chicken tenders, french fries, or pizza. Yes, those things were on the menu, but so was fish of the day with steamed veggies, and the staff laid out a child-size buffet with fresh pasta.

There are 3 restaurants at Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort. As Dunas serves fresh seafood with a view of the Bay, O Terraço serves breakfast and features a kids corner equipped with toys like building blocks and other games, and Os Gambozinos, the one conveniently right next to a large play area, serves a Mediterranean-inspired menu.

MBar, Josper Grill (which is only open during the high season in June, July, and August), and Pool Hangout are additional eateries for casual dining throughout the resort. You can also go online to order room service or get takeaway.

7. Kids Academies

Most family-friendly resorts offer activities such as nonmotorized water sports, basketball courts, beach volleyball, etc. At Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort, kids as young as 4 can enroll in instructor-led soccer, tennis, and padel academies. Private tennis and swim lessons are also available.

Final Thoughts

Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort is a luxury beach resort that offers family amenities and accommodations like I’ve never experienced before. The resort is worth the time to get to from Lisbon because once you get there, everything has been thought of for you. Alternatively, you could fly to Faro International Airport (FAO) and drive to the resort in under 2 hours.

I was impressed with how well the resort considers all ages and members of the family, from the nursery to the kids academies to the restaurant food and wine menus.

I look forward to my next stay at the resort when I return to Portugal for a longer stay.