Hospitality & Heritage Photography
Cascais, Portugal ·2025
Photographing the Pestana Cidadela Cascais meant diving into centuries of seaside history. This five-star hotel was born inside a 16th-century fortress, and I sought to honour that heritage right at the entrance, photographing the cobbled courtyard with its traditional Portuguese paving, the white walls of the citadel and the olive trees dotting the space beneath the clear Cascais sky. I devoted myself to capturing the contrast between the centuries-old ramparts and the contemporary elegance that now inhabits every corner of this singular pousada.
Inside, I moved through the vaulted rooms, the book-filled reading lounges and the art spaces that make this the first hotel in Europe to host an Art District. I photographed the two pools — the indoor one, heated and serene, and the outdoor one, overlooking the marina and the Atlantic — and I sought to translate the Mediterranean light that crosses the studios and galleries. I wanted to show how creativity and rest coexist within these historic walls.
Finally, I turned to the life that pulses through the hotel: the gastronomic moments at the table, the wine at dusk, the couples relaxing by the pool and the stunning views over the bay of Cascais. I sought to tell the story of a destination where heritage, art and hospitality meet, photographing the Pestana Cidadela Cascais as what it truly is: a fortress reinvented as a refuge by the sea.