Cultivating the trust of our community from first-hand experiences, Design Escapes reveals the spaces, places & people in Portugal that share in our value for reflection.

Our Purpose

Making conscious efforts that are integral to the future of travel in Portugal, we strive to re-empower both the travellers who seek alternatives to traditional tourism & the people who host them.

Our Philosophy

Centered around recognition for the ‘post tourism’ era, our philosophy is that that slower forms of movement, both in Portugal & around the world, can contribute to a more founded vision of what the future of travel looks like.

Our Beleif

Rather than focusing on modern ideals & luxury amenities, we believe that today’s vision for travel should instead, work to protect the history, heritage, & human inhabitants of a place & open doors into a new perspective.

About The Founder

By Emma Campus

Emma founded Design Escapes in 2020 to explore an interest in the emotional & physical experience of travel, art, & design in Portugal & its place within contemporary culture.

Previously marking out a career directing communications for international brands in London (most recently at ROKSANDA), it has become her dream to create collaborative connections that merge the world of applied arts with travel & the current cultural zeitgeist.

Bringing ‘luxury’ outside the standard creative context, through Design Escapes, she wants to place particular importance on developing unique & sensory stories, embracing the intersection between inquisitive design & an innovative, more connective approach to travel through people.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for following the Design Escapes journey. I hope you feel inspired to share your own with me & look forward to meeting you and sharing stories along the way.”

Stylish
A Design Escape is not about flashy 5* fittings but instead is based on a more meaningful & unforgettable feeling. We place importance on finding immersive experiences & stylish spaces that stir your senses; interesting interiors & authentic architecture with a focus on sustainability & small, thoughtful details that matter.
How does this manifest itself?
Vernacular architecture.
Community collaborations
Local artisan partnerships.
Sourcing & reusing old rather than buying new.
Situational design.
Secret
Generally, our Design Escapes have no hotel group affiliations & each remains run by independent families or groups of friends, in order to remain soulful, discreet & personal. A Design Escape relies on word of mouth to spread its message rather than bold advertising or big media partnerships.
Slow
It goes without saying that slowness & sustainability have become huge factors in the ‘luxury’ tag for hotels & without question a key attribute for a Design Escapes is that it makes an effort to contribute to a more conscious & responsible society.
Here are some a wonderful resources for understanding sustainable tourism & how to avoid greenwashing.
Small
Opting for hotels with fewer rooms and on smaller scales helps us to have a more personal experience when we travel. Our Design Escapes, as a general rule, do not have more than 20 rooms & where there are more, we will always point this out to you in the listing description.