Beautiful swimming pools, sensational bedrooms and total tranquility: in the luxurious vineyard hotel in Portugal, where you will be left on cloud wine…

I had a feeling it might be the skylight.

And it was.

Every time we travel as a family, I always ask them – my partner and six-year-old daughter – what their favorite moments were.

After checking out of L’and Vineyards, a 32-suite, 3,000-square-foot Relais & Chateaux retreat southwest of Lisbon in the Alentejo region, my daughter handed over the controls for the remote-controlled cover for the skylight above our enormous double bed as the award-winning moment in time.

The idea behind the feature is to allow guests to look at the stars in bed.

Vine and dandy: L’and is a vineyard hotel, which makes its own very impressive wine and offers a range of wine-based activities

They were sadly absent during our rainy visit in October, but said she didn’t care once she realized she could press a button and make something move back and forth.

Meanwhile, we parents enjoyed the way the skylight flooded the room with light during the day. And a whole range of other facets of this attractive building.

There was the vastness of the bedroom, with its Scandinavian-chic decor and chic bathroom; the enchanting black slate indoor pool and the beautiful outdoor pool; the striking, whitewashed modernist architecture of Lisbon-based studio Promontório; the exemplary service and the excellent cuisine.

Ted and his family were put up in a luxury double room (upstairs), which had a skylight for stargazing at night and flooded the room with light during the day.

Operating the electronic skylight cover was a trip highlight for Ted’s daughter

This image shows the chic lobby with striking furnishings and a long fireplace

Sip, sip, hurray: Ted enjoyed ‘the pure tranquility of L’and, with its rows of vineyards, olive groves and small lake’

We also enjoyed the pure tranquility of L’and, with its rows of vineyards, olive groves and a small lake.

And then of course there was the wine. After all, L’and is a vineyard hotel, which makes its own very impressive wine and offers a range of wine-based activities.

We took part in a ‘make your own wine’ experience with L’and’s expert head sommelier, Goncalo Mendes. In the hotel’s sophisticated tasting room, I competed against my other half in a competition to blend L’and wines made from Alicante, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional grapes into a personalized version.

After a blind taste test, I was declared the (narrow) winner, with my winning blend professionally bottled and corked in the hotel winery – a lovely gesture.

L’and’s ‘enchanting black slate indoor pool’ (above) is one of many features that impressed Ted

Ted and his partner took part in a ‘make your own wine’ experience with L’and’s expert head sommelier, Goncalo

Wine-derful: L’and’s Scandinavian-chic rooms start at around £352 per night

The drive to the hotel was a thrill for Ted, as he had to cross the 17km Vasco da Gama Bridge (above).

A tour of the nearby historic town of Evora (above) is one of the activities L’and offers to its guests

Other attractive activities offered by the hotel include a visit to the hilltop citadel at Montemor-o-Novo – a national monument dating back to the 13th century; a hot air balloon ride; stargazing in the Alentejo Dark Sky Reserve; and tours of the nearby historic city of Evora. Classified as a cultural heritage site by UNESCO, the settlement is surrounded by a ring of medieval walls, houses a Roman temple and is crowned by an imposing cathedral.

Even if you don’t do any of these, you’ll get a kick out of driving (or being driven) to the property from Lisbon airport, as both routes take you over incredible bridges – aka the 17km Vasco da Gama Bridge or the Golden Gate-style Ponte 25 de Abril.

We messed around on the first one on the way out and the last one on the way back. Both were impressed: striking bookends for a property that, with or without stars, is a great option for a relaxing holiday.