Shaken Not Stirred at the Palácio Hotel

In the heart of Estoril (pronounced Shtril), just off its park leading up to the casino, and nestled among the palm trees the Palácio Hotel sits proudly and prominently watching over the shoreline and center of town its existence helped create. Built in 1930 by Fausto Figueiredo a step inside takes you back to that bygone time. The beautiful lobby opens up to the garden and pool beyond. Staff rush to assist you with your bags and show you around. Families and the famous alike might be strolling the hallways for you’ve just arrived at one of the most interesting hotels in Portugal.

Figueiredo was responsible not only for building this beautiful property, but also instrumental in electrifying the rail line from Lisbon, making Estoril the resort community it is even to today.

During World War II, neutral Portugal served as home to royal families in exile from across Europe and to Ally and Axis spies. The local casino and hotel bar once served as locations for the exchange of information and disinformation between British, American, German and Russian spies. Yugoslavian double agent Duško Popov was just one of these spies, as was Ian Fleming who “used his skill as a linguist and journalist to gather and share information”. Fleming based the casino in Casino Royale on the one which once stood in Estoril (the casino has unfortunately been modernized since then). But it was Popov who formed the inspiration for 007 himself. Serbian-born Popov worked for the Yugoslavs, the Abwehr (Germany’s intelligence service) and Britain’s MI6 but was a German double agent passing disinformation to them, including information involved in the plot to leak, incorrectly, that the D-Day invasion would land at Calais France, not Normandy. Popov’s nickname was the Tricycle which Wikipedia claims was due to his triple agent status, but this site (and others) attest that it was for his more interesting hobby and love for the company of multiple ladies at one time.

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” featuring George Lazenby, Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas was filmed, in part, at the pool, in the lobby on the grounds and outside of the Palacio giving it yet another reason for a visit for you Bond lovers.

In the hallways of the main floor of the hotel, take a few minutes to browse the photos of royalty (such as Princess Anne), dignitaries (such as Tony Blair) and memorabilia of the spy-gone days of World War II (Popov and Fleming’s hotel bills, for example). Enjoy a nice dinner in one of the restaurants, attend an event, as we did at Christmas-time to catch a candlelight concert, catch a round of golf at the affiliated Estoril Golf Club up the hill or just lounge at the pool on a nice summer day. And at the end of it all, stroll into the bar and quaff a martini, shaken not stirred, of course.

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