Vila Joya

The Algarve is one of those blessed places, a sun-kissed expanse so heavenly it gets to keep a “the” at the front of its name, like the Riviera or the Amalfi. As such it’s quite popular with basically anyone who likes sunshine, and its hotels run the gamut from the big and bland on down to places like the Vila Joya, which is among the Algarve’s smallest and poshest escapes.

Initially it was a private home, in a Moorish-villa style that’s still very much in evidence in the exquisitely detailed lobby and the hand-painted tilework; today just enough of that style remains to lend Vila Joya some personality without turning it into some kind of theme resort. These days it’s the perfect blend of home and hotel — 14 rooms and 8 suites, tucked away in a residential neighborhood on a stunning piece of coast, just steps away from the beach. The beach comes with you, actually, as almost all of them come with a furnished terrace from which to contemplate the sea and the dunes. A calming, earthy color scheme completes the picture, as do the woven and distressed-wood accents.

Add a Michelin star (or two, actually) for the restaurant, a lush garden, and a candle-lit spa and you’re in business. The Algarve is a golfer’s paradise, if that sort of thing is your bag — no less than 36 world-class courses await within an hour’s travel from the hotel. If not, never fear; with more than 12,000 wines in the cellar and multiple pools, you shouldn’t have any trouble savoring the seclusion.