Restoring the West House
16 min · Updated April 2025 · How we restored the second house room-by-room over four years — what we kept, what we replaced, what we found behind the walls.
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Stories
Four essays a year.
Long-form pieces about the hotel, the people who make it, and the region around it. No marketing language; written by us, for guests + future guests.
Recent essays
The wine list, plainly
12 min · March 2025 · Why we keep our wine list to 80 references; how we choose what stays + what rotates seasonally.
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Maria + the walled garden
11 min · February 2025 · A profile of the gardener who’s been here longer than we have. What grows when. Why composting matters.
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Sustainability without theatre
14 min · December 2024 · The numbers behind our carbon-neutral claim. What we measure; what we don’t. Why we won’t certify against most schemes.
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Living above the hotel
9 min · October 2024 · The Castelos still live above the West House. What that means for how we run the place.
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Five walks within an hour’s drive
10 min · September 2024 · Tomás’s favourite walks — difficulty, distances, packed-lunch logistics. Maps included.
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Got a question?
Email stories@{{siteDomain}}. We add 1–2 reader-driven essays a year, always credited (anonymously by default).