A conversation with Susana,
General Manager of Casas da Quinta de Cima
1. Guests often remember how a place made them feel more than what they actually saw. In your opinion, what is the invisible detail that can transform a stay into a lasting memory?
I believe it is the feeling that everything simply flowed. Nothing required effort, and every detail seemed to happen naturally. And that comes from many small decisions made before the guest even notices them.
When people leave with the sense they could completely switch off, that is usually the result of all the invisible work behind the scenes.
2. What, in your opinion, distinguishes good hospitality from truly exceptional hospitality?
Guests rarely tell you exactly what they need. More often, they reveal it through small comments, habits or the way they move in the space.
Exceptional hospitality begins when you notice those details. It might be adjusting breakfast to fit a guest’s routine, suggesting the right experience at the right moment, or remembering a conversation from the previous day.
Those are the moments that make people feel genuinely understood.
3. Before a guest arrives at Casas da Quinta de Cima, there is already a great deal of work happening behind the scenes. What are some of the decisions and preparations that begin long before check-in?
I always wonder who is about to arrive and what they need from their time here.
Some guests are looking for complete peace, others want to explore, celebrate, or simply slow down. Understanding that before they arrive helps us make better decisions, from the room they stay in to the experiences we recommend.
If we do our job well, none of that preparation is visible. Guests simply feel that everything fell into place.
4. Is there a simple gesture or detail from the team that guests may not always notice, but that, for you, represents the true essence of Casas da Quinta de Cima?
It is the way the team pays attention. Someone remembers how a guest takes their coffee. Someone notices a guest is going to spend the day cycling and offers water before they even ask.
These are not procedures… they come from people who genuinely care.
5. The concept of luxury has evolved over time. Today, we often speak about “quiet luxury”. What does luxury mean to you in this place?
Luxury is having space.
Space to wake up without noise, to change your plans without thinking twice, or simply to spend an afternoon outdoors with nowhere else you need to be.
With just nine suites and two villas set across a 50-hectare estate, that feeling comes naturally.
6. Personalization is an important part of the boutique experience. How do you understand what each guest is looking for and create an experience that feels truly tailored to them?
It starts by asking questions and, more importantly, paying attention to the answers.
We never offer the same experience to everyone. Some guests want complete privacy, others enjoy conversation and recommendations. Some arrive with a full itinerary, others with no plans at all.
Once we understand what matters to each guest, the rest is simply making it happen.
7. Casas da Quinta de Cima has a very strong connection with the estate and the surrounding landscape. How does this authenticity translate into the experience we aim to create for our guests?
Guests quickly realise this is not simply a hotel in the countryside. It is a working farm, and daily life on the estate naturally becomes part of their stay.
More than 15,000 fruit trees surround the property, creating a landscape that changes with the seasons. From the moment guests arrive, they are immersed in that environment: the scent of orange blossom, endless orchards, and the Ria Formosa shimmering in the distance.
The architecture, the natural materials and the slower pace of life all become part of the experience.
8. Gastronomy has a direct connection to the estate and its local produce. What story would you like guests to discover through the flavours and dishes they experience here?
9. The property welcomes couples in the hotel and families or groups of friends in the private villas. How do you create different experiences while maintaining the same identity and philosophy?
Couples often come looking for tranquility and time together. Families and groups value shared moments and flexibility. Our role is to adapt the rhythm of the stay without changing the environment of the place.
Whether guests are travelling as one, two or ten, we want them to experience the same sense of calm and genuine care.
10. Is there a particular moment of the day at the property that, for you, best captures the essence of Casas da Quinta de Cima?
For me, the sunset. As the sun goes down, the sky slowly fills with shades of deep blue, violet, soft pink and golden yellow, creating a beautiful contrast with the green of the orange groves.
The bougainvillea path becomes especially enchanting, and our heated pool (once the estate’s original water tank) turns into the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine or a freshly squeezed orange juice.
It is one of those moments that asks nothing of you except to stop, look around, and enjoy exactly where you are.
11. Throughout your journey at Casas da Quinta de Cima, is there a particular moment or story with a guest that has remained especially meaningful to you?
The moments that stay with me are not necessarily the extraordinary ones.
They are the guests who tell us they slept better here than they had in months, who extend their stay because they are not ready to leave, or who come back and greet members of the team by name.
Those moments tell us we have created something that goes beyond accommodation.
12. For someone who has not yet discovered Casas da Quinta de Cima, what feeling would you like them to take away after reading this interview?
Some places cannot be understood through photographs or words alone. What makes them special is the way everything comes together: the landscape, the architecture, the people and the slower pace of life.
I hope this interview gives people just enough curiosity to come and discover the rest for themselves.
Location
Strategically located between Lisbon and Seville, with convenient access to nearby Faro Airport. Experience the true essence of the Algarve as you head to this exclusive boutique hotel, where rural tranquility and luxury meet.
EM1242, Vila Nova de Cacela – Portugal
BY CAR
Lisboa – 2h50
Sevilha – 1h50
BY AIRPORT
Aeroporto
de Faro – 40min
BY TRAIN
Tavira – 15min
Vila Nova de Cacela – 4min
