Getting Married in Portugal: A Review of Octant Hotels

Despite the fact that there are so many dreamy wedding venues in the UK, for some, getting married abroad is a non-negotiable - and we get it! 

People make the decision to fly overseas to tie the knot for a multitude of reasons, and if yours are that you want authentic, delicious food, breath-taking views and a luxurious feel to your destination wedding, let us introduce you to Octant Hotels. 

We recently had the pleasure of visiting a couple of the Octant locations which are spread out across Porto, Lisbon, Azores and areas in-between, and saw first-hand what they have to offer destination wedding couples. 

But as well as offering wedding packages in Portugal, they also offer some of the best honeymoon hotels in Portugal, too.

Ready to dive in and find out about some of our favourite Octant properties? Just a pre-warning, this feature will make you want to drive to the airport immediately.

Hitched Deputy Editor Rima stayed at the Octant Hotels as a guest of Sauce Communications for two nights between 6th and 8th October 2023.

Octant Hotels: Douro, Porto

Best For: Wine lovers who want a bespoke, luxurious and exclusive wedding in Portugal. 

Octant Douro is, in our opinion, one of the best honeymoon hotels and wedding venues in Portugal for a number of reasons. 

It’s a luxurious hotel with five-star everything and has amenities so good, we’re yet to find better.

Rooms at Octant Douro

The Octant Douro hotel has a total of 62 rooms and suites, making it large enough to accommodate fairly large wedding parties, but small enough that it still feels intimate and exclusive. 

The rooms range in size and amenities, but each one comes with an incredible view either of the mountains or the River Douro. 

There are a total of 14 rooms with balconies and terraces, and some even have their very own private swimming pool!

We got the chance to experience the double river view rooms and were blown away by the view. The windows in the rooms open to give a balcony-like feel so even if you aren’t in a room with a terrace or balcony, you get to experience the indoors-outdoors feel. 

Food & Drink at Octant Douro

The food and drink offering at Octant Douro is by far one of its most impressive attributes. The hotel has a lounge bar and restaurant on its entrance floor which serves drinks and meals all day and night, as well as a panoramic restaurant a few floors up which serves breakfast and dinner each day.

The Raiva restaurant celebrates local produce that has come from the Lower Douro region, serving up a mixture of unique local delicacies and typically traditional meals. With so much choice, we recommend trying the tasting menu so you get to sample a bit of everything. 

In the upstairs Raiva restaurant, it’s not just the excellent food and serene views overlooking the River Douro that’ll impress you. The entrance to the restaurant houses the wine room where you will find the hotel’s on-site sommelier, Bernardo. Bernardo hand-picks each and every bottle of wine within the hotel, researching and ordering only the finest that the Porto region has to offer. He carefully selects ports and wines in line with the restaurant’s ethos, pairing his drinks with the delicious food.

The hotel also has its own range of wines which leave little to be desired. During your honeymoon stay or at your wedding, you can have wine tastings, pairings and private sessions with the sommelier to learn more about the local produce as many of the wines and ports selected are actually from right there in the Douro region.

Both the food and drink offerings at Douro can be personalised, with bespoke options available for wedding breakfasts, celebratory dinners and special occasions.

The team can arrange anything from a picnic by the water’s edge and breakfast on a private boat, to a 10-course tasting menu and personalised wine pairing - the choice is completely yours. 

Facilities & Activities at Octant Douro

When you enter the doors at Octant Douro, life instantly slows down. The serene natural surroundings give an immediate feeling of calmness, and this is heightened even further by the facilities.

Within the hotel grounds, you have access to two panoramic outdoor swimming pools with unspoilt views looking across the River Douro and mountains. 

Inside, there is a spa and wellbeing centre with a relaxation pool, sauna and hydrotherapy, Turkish bath and tepidarium for you to enjoy, as well as gym facilities and yoga classes, too. 

Whether you are planning a wedding here or visiting for a honeymoon, there is plenty to keep you busy either side of your main celebration days. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s private boat which can take you on picnics up and down the river and be hired out privately for a truly luxurious experience.

You can also go kayaking, paddleboarding, visit lover’s island and enjoy local culinary experiences - and the best bit? The events team here can organise everything for you.

Octant Hotels: Lousã, Coimbra

Best For: Perfectly marrying historical surroundings with modern interiors.

Octant Lousã is a unique place to host weddings in Portugal and offers a completely different ambiance to celebrations, weddings and honeymoons at Octant Douro. 

The hotel still feels luxurious (that’s a given with Octant properties!), but here, it is clear just how important the historical and cultural heritage is and the hotel has done a fantastic job in celebrating that. 

Rooms at Octant Lousã

The rooms at Octant Lousã are uniquely decorated. Each room differs slightly, but they are all speaking the same language. 

Many of the rooms have a number of period features which have been restored and beautifully maintained. Original features shape the vibe in the rooms, but they have a modern flair to them that brings them into the 21st century, but tastefully so. 

There are 42 rooms in total, and they are spread out across two parts of the hotel. In the original palace, there are 23 rooms, ranging from standard rooms, to superior rooms and one suite, too.

In the new wing of the hotel, there are 20 standard rooms and two suites for guests to enjoy. 

Food & Drink at Octant Lousã

Much like all of the Octant properties, the food and drinks at Octant Lousã celebrate local cuisine and ingredients. 

Food can be enjoyed at either the À TERRA Bar and Canteen or the Viscondessa Restaurant, and the staff are all for making things personal to you.

Whether it’s an indoor dinner party in one of the grand dining rooms, or live BBQ cooking up on the terrace, the team will make it happen. 

There are also a number of drawing rooms where you can enjoy cocktails and an evening tipple, making it an ideal spot for large groups to stay together and also have time to themselves during the event. 

Facilities & Activities at Octant Lousã

Inside the hotel, there is a spa, meeting centre with a choice of five rooms to use, a lobby market (with lots of local goodies and produce!), two restaurants and more. 

Outside on the hotel grounds, there is a large swimming pool, winter garden, playground for the little ones and plenty of outdoor wedding and event space. 

As gorgeous as the hotel is, the real fun begins when you venture to the attractions nearby. Octant Lousã is located near the Schist Villages of Portugal. Visiting the Schist villages during your stay at Octant Lousã is a no-brainer - in fact, we’d even go as far as to say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

The hotel can arrange travel and tour guides to take you and your guests up to the villages in the mountains that sit next to Lousã and you could even have a night-before-the-wedding cocktail reception up there. 

A Glance at The Octant Hotels

In total, there are currently eight Octant Hotels which are located across Portugal and the Azores. All of the hotels share the same ethos and offer the same level of high quality service and experience and are spread out across Portugal and the Azores.

Octant Douro is situated in Porto, Octant Lousã is just a couple of hours away in Coimbra and Octant Ponta Delgada and Octant Furnas are located in the Azores. The Algarve is home to Octant Praia Verde and Octant Vila Mont and both Octant Evora and Octant Santiago are located in Alentejo. 

Of all the hotels in the Octant collection, there are four which cater perfectly to weddings in Portugal. Octant Douro and Lousã above, and Vila Mont and Evora. 

Weddings at Octant Hotels

Couples considering getting married abroad and looking in this region may be on the hunt for Portugal wedding packages, but the Octant properties operate in a completely bespoke way. 

The weddings and events team across Octant Douro, Lousã, Vila Mont and Evora will build and create expertly tailored wedding packages to suit your needs, and much prefer to work in that way as opposed to a one-size-fits-all way. 

All of the hotels can be hired out on a completely exclusive basis with a minimum stay (usually a few nights) so you, your family and friends can celebrate the most special day of your life in complete privacy. 

For more information on getting married abroad, get in touch with the team to start planning the wedding of your dreams.