About Contact
view all hotels
L'AND Vineyards Hotel & Spa | Wine Hotels in Montemor-o-Novo, Alentejo, Portugal | Designed by Márcio Kogan of Studio MK27

Alentejan Dialogues

L'AND Vineyards

contact return to top
enquire now enquire now
A cohesive blend of wine culture, raw nature, commitment to the environment and design are the quintessential hallmarks of L'AND, which give the retreat a sense of belonging and an original bond to oenology.

Intro

A sophisticated distillation of family history, design, architecture, the indigenous raw beauty of the Alentejo and viniculture form the founding pillars of L'AND Vineyards – a lakeside hotel and villas, a vinotherapy spa, a Michelin restaurant and a 66-hectare estate of vineyards, oak and olive orchards. Located on the fringe of Montemor-o-Novo, L'AND is just under an hour from urban pitstop Lisbon, an hour from the beaches of Comporta and is conveniently close to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Évora (a 20-minute drive). 

Created and owned by the Sousa Cunhal family, which has been rooted in this corner of Portugal since the 18th century, the family took its cues from the wild palettes and the region's iconic “montes” – rural estates where architecture is at one with the land – to emphasize the identity of Alentejo. L'AND hotel is a creative camouflage of its surroundings, a canvas of considerate thought, where sustainability is the norm, respect for the land is second nature, and a way of life that is preserved for future generations. 

At the helm of L’AND Vineyards is Marta Passarinho, who steers the estate with seasoned grit, a razor-sharp instinct for sustainable luxury, and a natural bonhomie that brings warmth to its cool sophistication. Alongside her, husband and estate founder José Cunhal anchors the vision with a deep-rooted philosophy centred on wine, regenerative agriculture, and a meaningful connection to the land. As CEO and pioneer behind L’AND, José champions the modern dialogues of eco-conscious living and community integration, while Marta reshapes the Alentejo retreat into a bold fusion of design, nature, and vinous allure.

Beginning the story just over ten years ago together with award-winning firm Promontório, the architectural blueprint was conceived as a series of clustered townhouses and villas – a nod to the region's typical vernacular of whitewashed patios - overlooking the local medieval Montemor castle skyline from their south-facing vantage point, the natural lake and the infinity of vines. The central architectural axis (housing the reception, winery, spa, restaurants and club lounge) was conceived as a hinged prism from which its four corners were cut off, creating a dramatic silhouette; topographically, the build was carefully positioned to meet the ground's contours with the slightest alteration.

Brazilian architect, Márcio Kogan of Studio MK27 (who designed the Fasano Hotel in São Paulo and is the winner of more than 250 awards, including the prestigious Wallpaper Design Award and Prix Versailles), translated the concept through his approach to art, architecture and interior design. Lisbon-based PROAP Landscape Architecture reinterpreted the traditional Mediterranean landscape by weaving the vineyards, olive and orange orchards, and oak and pine trees together. Surrounding are the vineyards growing red grape varieties Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Alicante Bouschet and Syrah, and the white grape variety of Verdelho. 

A cohesive blend of wine culture, raw nature, commitment to the environment and design are the quintessential hallmarks of family-run L'AND, which gives the retreat a sense of belonging and an original bond to oenology. 

Tom, João, Michael & George

L'AND Vineyards Hotel & Spa | Wine Hotels in Montemor-o-Novo, Alentejo, Portugal | Designed by Promontório and Márcio Kogan of Studio MK27

The L'AND's interiors are deliberately simple, borrowing from the doorstep outdoors, nothing too complicated nor over fancy; it is structural yet soft, muted yet rich in texture and firmly married to nature. Márcio Kogan's genius use of light, wood, and contemporary elements are fused with modern interpretations of traditional crafts and a rural accent that mutes the bold architecture and converses with the landscape. Hand-tufted carpets handmade (recognised by the New York Times as one of only three original secular wool handicrafts to still exist in Europe) are by Fabricaal in Reguengos de Monsaraz, heavy-cut black slate floors, typical of Alentejo, oak wood fluted wainscots and eucalyptus wood frame statement design pieces like the Void lights by Tom Dixon and chairs by João Serodio and João Santa Rita and furnishings by Vladimir Kagan and Jorge Zalzuspin. Bespoke wooden pieces designed by George Nakashima and meticulously placed ethereal artworks by Michael Biberstein are throughout the hotel and photographers, including Blaufuks, Fernando Marante and Marcio Villela, complete the curatorial ambience. 

There are 45 spacious, private, and elegant suites and luxury villas in total; the über comfy suites and houses speak of Kogan's smooth design. The 'Sky Suites' sport private patios with outdoor fireplaces, plunge pools, and, as the name suggests, a retractable roof, affording a fantastic vista of the stars and sky from the bed "under the starry sky of Alentejo."

Grape Seed Wellness by the Ancients

Outdoor Pool Architecture | L'AND Vineyards Hotel & Spa | Wine Hotels in Montemor-o-Novo, Alentejo, Portugal | Designed by Promontório and Márcio Kogan of Studio MK27

Wellness at L'AND is a crucial element of the hotel; fittingly, the 800m² Vinotherapy Spa is by Vinoble Cosmetics, founded by Austrian natural skin guru Luise Köfer. Vinoble shares the cornerstones of an all-natural and sustainable approach to life, and Köfer is a guardian of well-sourced products. The company still grows its own herbs and works alongside vineyards. A perfect partnership. The ancients have long lauded the skin benefits of using grapes, seeds, pulp and stems. Márcio Kogan designed the space holistically, conscious of using only natural materials and textiles from the land. Wood dominates the serenity and connection to the outside. The spa is complemented by an indoor heated pool (adults-only), sauna, hammam and treatment rooms. Within the grounds, an outdoor pool sinks into the terrain, and there is a bathing platoon lakeside.

Voyages and the Flavours of Humble

Portugal's rich food culture, fed by its maritime voyages of past times and its bountiful lands and seas, finds its present-day champion in Chef Miguel Laffan, who returns to the helm of MAPA bearing the restaurant's recently awarded Michelin star. His reunion with L'AND, where he previously cooked between 2011 and 2019, is less a homecoming than the resumption of a long conversation with the territory, the team, and a gastronomic identity he helped to shape.

Sourcing from the hotel's own organic estate, local biodynamic farmers, and the seaport of nearby Setúbal sets the origins of dining at Michelin-starred MAPA and the more easygoing Café da Viagem.

For Laffan, culinary excellence is the reward of relentless research, sharpened by determination and rigour. The freshness of ingredients, he insists, must be matched by the mental freshness of those who transform them, and it is in this balance that his cooking finds its compass. He reinterprets the roots of Portuguese gastronomic culture in a contemporary register, folding in flavours and influences gathered on his travels, with the occasional secret or exotic ingredient slipped quietly among the more familiar.

MAPA's new chapter is written in close collaboration with Sub-Chef Carlos Galhardas, alongside Pedro Pinho and David Pincante. Galhardas first joined Laffan's brigade in 2011, and his quiet creed of technique, rigour, precision, and respect for the product remains the structural beam of the kitchen.

Given the restaurant's connection to the winery estate and exceptional Portuguese wines, Pedro Durand, the Head Sommelier, escorts the culinary journey with an illuminated passion.

Café da Viagem is where you sit back, relax and let the world go by before you. The café with an informal atmosphere comprises a wine bar and boasts an outdoor area under a pergola for al-fresco dining during spring and summer.

Under Chef Laffan, MAPA continues its course as a space for the contemporary interpretation of Portuguese cuisine, celebrating a national identity reimagined through the lens of the maritime journeys that shaped it.

The Scents of Slow

The sights, sounds and scents of Alentejan wilderness and its undulating landscapes with a transcendental, soulful beauty make it a precious corner of Portugal. One of the best-preserved regions in Europe, L'AND Vineyards is a natural basecamp to savour Portuguese life in the slow lane of consummate design.

editors PICK

Vocabolo Moscatelli | Design Hotel in Calzolaro, Umbria, Italy | The Aficionados Vocabolo Moscatelli | Design Hotel in Calzolaro, Umbria, Italy | The Aficionados
HOTEL - Umbria, Italy

Vocabolo Moscatelli

Restored within a former monastery, this fabulous design hotel and foodie hotspot brings together the stone mason, blacksmith and wood worker with the artisan makers.

read more
Aldourie Castle Loch Ness | Historic Private-Hire Luxury Estate in Scotland Aldourie Castle Loch Ness | Historic Private-Hire Luxury Estate in Scotland
Private Rental - Loch Ness, Scotland

Aldourie Castle

Historic private-hire castle on the shoreline of Loch Ness restored by British architect Ptolemy Dean, landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith and interiors by Charlotte Freemantle and Will Fisher of antique emporium Jamb.

read more
JOURNAL

Cinematic Modernism: Marcio Kogan & the Narrative of Space

Architecture as cinema – Marcio Kogan crafts spaces like an auteur, where light, material, and silence take the lead. Enter a world of design-led hotels, private escapes & immersive modernism.

read more
AHÃMA – Eco Luxury Design Hotel on Turkey’s Aegean Riviera AHÃMA – Eco Luxury Design Hotel on Turkey’s Aegean Riviera
Hotel - Fethiye, Türkiye

AHÃMA

A barefoot sanctuary where forest, design and ritual converge; AHÃMA is a soulful collision of architecture, Aegean light and hushed luxury shaped by nature and intention.

read more

RELATED

Pátio do Tijolo Lisbon | Beautiful Design Hotels in Barrio Alto, Portugal Pátio do Tijolo Lisbon | Beautiful Design Hotels in Barrio Alto, Portugal
Hotel - Lisbon, Portugal

Pátio do Tijolo

Built on the blueprint of a former woodwork and abandoned timber yard, Pátio do Tijolo has more than a cue of industrial chic infused with design, art and contemporary accents.

read more
Design Hotel in Tavira – Hospedaria, A Barefoot Algarve Retreat Design Hotel in Tavira – Hospedaria, A Barefoot Algarve Retreat
Hotel - Tavira, Portugal

Hospedaria

Barefoot brutalism meets citrus calm. Hospedaria is the crash pad for design lovers, where vintage finds, art, and concrete cool rewrite the rules of rural Algarve stays.

read more
Rural Design Hotel in Tavira – Pensão Agrícola, Algarve Hideaway Rural Design Hotel in Tavira – Pensão Agrícola, Algarve Hideaway
Hotel - Tavira, Portugal

Pensão Agrícola

A whitewashed farmhouse reborn with rustic cool – Pensão Agrícola is Tavira’s slower, softer side: all heirloom nostalgia, citrus groves and vintage edge, with a donkey named Ernesto in tow.

read more
Two hands clinking white wine glasses at golden hour on a B28 Apartments balcony, looking out over Porto's old town to the silhouetted Sé Cathedral | The Aficionados Two hands clinking white wine glasses at golden hour on a B28 Apartments balcony, looking out over Porto's old town to the silhouetted Sé Cathedral | The Aficionados
APARTMENTs - Porto, Portugal

B28 Apartments

A restored sixteenth-century townhouse in Porto's old Jewish quarter, fabulously styled where heritage stucco and exposed timber meet contemporary minimalism: five centuries of historic beauty.

read more
Casa Fortunato Alcácer do Sal | Design Hotels of Alentejo, Portugal Casa Fortunato Alcácer do Sal | Design Hotels of Alentejo, Portugal
Private Rental - Alcácer do Sal, Portugal

Casa Fortunato

Casa Fortunato is where design, history, and soul collide making it a rare private-hire house in Alentejo. Inside, postmodernist pieces beautifully marry with Portuguese heritage, vintage glamour and artistic rebellion.

read more
Infinity Views from Eros Keros Villas, on the slow-pace Cyclades island of Koufonisia Infinity Views from Eros Keros Villas, on the slow-pace Cyclades island of Koufonisia
VILLAS - Koufonisia, Greece

Éros Kéros

Éros Kéros Villas, on the slow-pace Cyclades island of Koufonisia, come drenched in Aegean blue vistas – a sun-kissed boutique retreat of four cubic Cyclades-style merchant houses that lazily gaze onto the island of Keros.

read more
JOURNAL

Faro - Not just the Gateway to the Algarve

Faro is the gateway to Portugal's Algarve but don't be tempted not to visit this wonderful medieval port and culture stuffed city dating back to the 8th Century.

read more
JOURNAL

Lisbon Amoreiras Quarter

Amoreiras is Lisbon in quiet rebellion: aqueduct arches, postmodern towers and silk-factory modernism collide with street art, gardens and azulejos. A district of layered design and shadows that speak in contrasts.

read more
Cool hip Miramonte Hotel & Aveda Spa with Bertoia chairs, White Line Hotels Cool hip Miramonte Hotel & Aveda Spa with Bertoia chairs, White Line Hotels
HOTEL - Bad Gastein, Austria

Miramonte

A peak-side, sophisticated bolthole oozing fifties Vogue glamour. A firm favourite of the design fraternity, it is a trove of timeless, postmodern pieces that feel perfectly at home in this alpine masterpiece of creative chillax.

read more
Cycladic archtitecture on Santorini, black on white, typical roof tops at Aenaon Villas Caldera Cycladic archtitecture on Santorini, black on white, typical roof tops at Aenaon Villas Caldera
VILLAS - Santorini, Greece

Aenaon Villas

Perched on the edge of the Caldera, individually crafted houses cling to rock formations, blending whitewashed minimalism, handcrafted detail and a refined boutique aesthetic beyond the typical villa.

read more
Hirschen Bregenzerwald | Modern Heritage Hotel, Restaurant & Spa in Austria Hirschen Bregenzerwald | Modern Heritage Hotel, Restaurant & Spa in Austria
Fine Hotel, Restaurant & Spa - Bregenzerwald, Austria

Hirschen

The Hirschen, 'Young since 1755,' blends heritage, wellness, art, and culture into a stylish retreat. A cosy haven for modern nomads craving roots, history, and unforgettable vibes.

read more
Altstadt Vienna | Boutique Art Hotel Wien Austria | The Aficionados Altstadt Vienna | Boutique Art Hotel Wien Austria | The Aficionados
HOTEL - Vienna, Austria

Altstadt Vienna

Definitely off-radar, ‘an insider’s boho art den’ best describes this series of lavish apartments, suites and rooms dressed in a plush melange of period styles, furnishings and artistic installations. This discreet little number is famed by writers, artists, actors and thinkers alike.

read more
view more