A sweet treasure trove of salvaged imperfections, artworks, designer icons, touchy textiles, heirloom antiques and a marriage of heritage to collectable postmodern furnishings embellish our latest design hotel outpost. Located in the cultural port town of Alcácer do Sal, Alentejo, Portugal, it’s an easy 30-minute drive from Comporta and beaches of the Tróia Peninsula, and about 45 minutes south from Lisbon.

Personally created by the owners, Filipa & António of Casa Fortunato, a Lisbon-based architecture and design studio, the duo bring heritage builds back to life with a new sense of purpose and rooted soul, a heartfelt passion evident in this new hotel sibling. Peeling back the chapters of time and neglect, they have restored the villa into a small luxury guesthouse of six uniquely styled bedrooms and suites, a snug dining room and a courtyard garden – the hidden oasis of citrusy verts complete with a strippy plunge pool to chill down the warm summery days.

More a feeling of a stylish residence than guesthouse, the restored floors, wooden panelling, glazed Portuguese tiles and salvaged architectural features pepper the illuminous, cheerful interiors – you can feel the patina of age that speaks and enthusiastically escorts you throughout the casa. Local crafts were engaged to recreate lost pieces of the restoration jigsaw, ensuring that the roots of the 100-year-old villa are ever present and that Casa Fortunato pays compliment to its history and town’s wealthy heritage.

The interior narratives are playful, set to a canvas of limewashed whites and the period tones of paint favourite Mizzle – a sort of milky, leaded green which skirts around the rooms, framing the scene of scarlet reds, pistachio, florals, velvets, tufted rugs, and conversation-worthy artworks, some by Filipa’s grandmother. Furnishings dance throughout the house like a bright harlequin with delights from a vintage Mario Bellini Sofa for B&B Italia in burnt orange, sunshine yellow Nimrod Chairs by Marc Newson, and a seductive lounger in cornflower blues by Patricia Urquiola. Collecting post-modernist furnishings is not the only passion of Antonio, his other eye sources lighting – a crucial element in his dialogue of curated design. Vintage Flos lamps sit nicely under a pendant light by Noguchi, or the colourful hanging Foscarini lanterns by Andrea Anastasio add an accent of the exotic.

Be warmly welcomed to Casa Fortunato in Alcácer do Sal. A little townhouse hotel to gather, meet kindreds souls, make happy memories and to converse with your hosts and above all, revel in the clasp of Antonio and Filipa’s curated home cast in Alentejo whites, quietly tucked away close to the market square.