Vermelho Hotel Melides

Its 13 rooms are each different, but all cut from the same stylish cloth; a small but lovely spa is the extent of the leisure offerings. And its most memorable attribute, after its photogenic good looks, might be its restaurant, Xtian, named for Louboutin but overseen by chef Emanuel Machado.

When famed shoemaker Christian Louboutin set his sights on designing his first hotel, he created a universe as joyful and obsessively crafted as his iconic heels.

Each of the 13 rooms and suites has a different look, but all come with enormous tiled tubs and colorful Frette robes. Outdoors, noted landscape designer Louis Benech has added peaceful gardens and a heated natural swimming pool.

The taste is impeccable–a mix of Spanish and Alentejo traditional design, with pops of color amidst a palette of white and blue that speaks to this part of coastal Portugal.