Portugal has long enticed adventurous travellers with it sun-soaked shores, rich history, fabulous outdoors, and delightful towns. It is one of the oldest European states and was a powerful maritime empire thanks to it’s strategic location on the Iberian peninsula. In late 2017, Portugal made several lists of travel trends for 2018. It’s on the top travel destinations list, the wellness travel trends list, and the food and wine list. Some of the hotels in Portugal even made architecture trend lists. So, obviously, I knew I needed to go. When Virtuoso announced a food and wine study tour hosted by one of our Spain and Portugal suppliers, I applied – and was accepted. Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram likely saw a few of the posts I shared while I was there – of my hotel rooms, of our meals, and of the astounding architecture and scenery I saw on a daily basis. In this post, I want to share more about the hotels in Portugal and which ones to book depending on where you are.
hotels in Portugal
There are 17 Virtuoso hotels in Portugal; we stayed at six of them and had meals and site inspections at two additional ones in our weeklong trip from Porto to Lisbon. Here is my take on the first four of these properties. Stay tuned for the second half – it was far too long to make one post!
The Yeatman, Porto
The Yeatman Hotel, a gorgeous five star property in Porto is actually across the Douro River, in Vila Nova de Gaia. It’s strategic location on the steep hillsides above the river affords it spectacular views of the old city and towering Luiz I bridge. All of the rooms at The Yeatman face Porto, so you don’t need to worry that you won’t have a view. Also, you enter on the top floor, so everything else is lower than the main floor.
I arrived early, but my room was ready and within minutes of arriving I was standing in the sun on my terrace, taking in the view. The terraced architecture here means that all rooms also have a private terrace and plenty of green space. My very large room had a king-size bed, a large desk, and floor to ceiling bookshelves with various books on Porto, wine, and history. The bathroom is designed with shutters over the large, deep-soaking tub. That’s necessary, as the bathroom is dim without the natural light.
touring The Yeatman
We toured both the Artist Suite and a Master Suite with Rui, our host. While very similar in design to my room, they are of course much larger. All suites come equipped with a Nespresso machine, but Rui did mention that they are available to any guests upon request.
The Yeatman is widely regarded as having the best wine cellar in Portugal. It also boasts a two-Michelin-star restaurant headed by Chef Richard Costa. (I will be writing more about Portuguese food and wine in a later post, so I am not going into detail here. But everything we tasted was divine.) There are both an indoor and outdoor pool, both with great views. The fitness centre is large and well-equipped. And, should you wish to indulge after a long flight, there is a spa.
Stay here if… you prefer a resort while still being close and accessible to the city
Intercontinental Palacio das Cardosas, Porto
On our second night, we moved across the river and stayed at the Hotel Intercontinental Porto. The property lies at the foot of the Liberdade Square, in the heart of the city. Attractions nearby include the Libreria Lello, the São Bento train station (not the main one), Rua das Flores, and plenty of great restaurants and shops.
rooms at the Hotel Intercontinental Porto
We arrived after a walking tour of the old city. Reception lies to the right of the entry and concierge. The check in process was very easy. My room, on the fourth floor, was small and compact. The bathroom, which is very well-lit, was to the left of the entry door. A small closet was behind the door. There was plenty of counter space in the bathroom, but not very much space in the room itself. I did have a large king-size bed and a corner chair next to the desk, but little room to move around.
My room was located at the rear of the hotel, so my French balcony looked out over the cathedral and bishop’s palace. Other rooms have views of the main square. There are plenty of connecting rooms, which is perfect for families.
details about the Intercontinental Palacio das Cardosas
We had a few hours of free time before our site tour with Ana and dinner, so after I settled into my room I went to the fitness centre. This is on the lower level of the building – within the spa – and is very small. It reminds me very much of a business hotel fitness centre, not a leisure hotel fitness centre. For travellers who want a serious workout, I suggest running along the river.
The 18th century palace was also once a bank, and some elements still exist. For example, the bar is located within the former vault, just to the right of reception, and the wrought iron gates remain in situ. There are just over 100 rooms and suites here. Ana showed us just two rooms, both very similar to mine. As the style here is modern (lots of pop art), the rooms are nearly identical. Of course, with any old European building there are quirks. For example, my room had a large column just inside the entry!
Stay here if… you have just one night in Porto and want to explore. It’s central location is ideal for casual meanderings through the old town
Vidago Palace, Vidago
Even in the rain, Vidago Palace is stunning. Its bubblegum pink exterior stands out against the dark green trees on the mountain behind it and the crystal clear blue fountain at the entry is reminiscent of Versailles. The elegantly dressed doormen procured umbrellas for all as we ran up the wide steps to the lobby. Check in, which takes place to the right of the ornate lobby between the lobby and the bar, was very quick and easy. The staff oriented us around the main floor before directing us to the elevators.
my room at Vidago Palace
This was by far the smallest room we stayed in. The bathroom was gorgeous and well-lit, but the room was dim and the window was a dormer – so very small and high. I had to practically stand on my tiptoes to see out the window, which disappointed me. The lower floors do have floor to ceiling windows with French balconies. There was little in the way of storage, so my luggage sat on the far side of the bed against a bookshelf.
The rain shower was divine as was the deep-soaking tub. Two shower curtains frame the tub, which I loved. There are Moulton Brown amenities in the bathrooms, and beautiful patterned china cups – so nice to be different from the usual glass.
After settling in, I headed for the fitness centre. It is a bit tricky to find, as you must take a separate elevator or walk through the various hallways of the property. It is behind the spa, in a small room with slanted windows. That was slightly disorientating as I was on the elliptical… I felt tilted! There are plenty of free weights and two of every machine as well as a large stretching space.
touring Vidago Palace
During our site tour, Mara was unable to show any rooms as the hotel was sold out. We saw the indoor and outdoor pools upon request, both of which are accessible through the spa. She also showed us the beautiful breakfast room (which reminded me of the Palm Court at Edinburgh’s The Balmoral hotel) and gallery above it. Almost every room we saw had bookshelves in it, which truly spoke to my inner book nerd.
Vidago isn’t the only hotel that reminded me of famous literature. Read my latest post about travelling to real life literary destinations!
The hotel has a golf course, a very large property, and a beautiful wine cellar. Despite it not being located within the Douro Valley, they do serve a great selection of Douro Valley wines. This region of Portugal also has natural sparkling spring water. There is an entire building just below the hotel devoted to the drinking of the natural water. We signed a release form, and a woman pulled a small cup of spring water for us to taste. In Victorian times, this was a fashionable thing to do. Afterwards, people would go and take in some sun on the adjacent porch.
Stay here if… you wish to relax among the forest and natural spring waters before heading into the Douro Valley
Six Senses Douro Valley
This property wowed me before we even got there. It’s visible – sort of – from the main road as we got off the highway and crossed the Douro River. Ten minutes later, as we climbed along the terraces it stood out as a beautiful red brick building with white accents against the verdant vineyards.
touring Six Senses
We arrived first to site tour with Sara, then left for lunch, and finally returned to check in. Sara began with several rooms: the Courtyard Suites, of which there are just two, and a Quinta Riverview room. There are only 57 rooms in total at Six Senses, however they are in the process of adding ten suites. There are villas below the hotel, which was once a private manor house. The original building houses many of the common spaces, while the 2010 additions were for the hotel. Six Senses, however, only took ownership in 2015. It is one of the more famous hotels in Portugal.
Like at The Yeatman, guests arrive to the top floor. Here, that’s the 8th – everything else is below reception. Public spaces like the wine library, bar, restaurant, and breakfast room are on the 3rd floor, while the divine Six Senses spa is on the 2nd. At over 22,000 square feet, believe me when I say that it is truly exceptional. You can read about my Six Senses Spa experience here (because, of course, I needed to test it).
In addition to the usual spa treatments like massages and facials, there is yoga, aerial yoga, meditation, healing waters, and chromotherapy. For those whose indulgences run toward the hedonistic, rest assured you’ll find it all in the wine library and chef’s table. Children and pets are also very welcome here and are treated like the little VIPs they are.
Six Senses focuses a lot of sustainability, and there is not a piece of plastic to be found on property. Anything that might be plastic is either wood, recycled cardboard, or glass. Be sure to visit the Earth Lab to see their creations.
my room at Six Senses Douro Valley
Upon our return from lunch, we checked in. Check in at Six Senses involves port, chai tea, hot towels, and the feeling that you are literally cleansing yourself from the travel day. When I stepped into my room, I felt peaceful. I had a lower level river view room with a beautiful flagstone terrace overlooking the forest and river. Despite the floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows, I never saw another soul. The room is long and narrow, but I never felt crowded. There was a chaise lounge as well as a side chair on the elevated living space near the door – it’s more than enough space for two people.
The bathrooms are large and open. My shower was all glass and coloured, so while I could see outside, no one would see me. The toilet and bidet are across the bathroom from the shower and there’s plenty of counter space.
For travellers keen to stretch after a long day in the car, there are yoga mats in each room – and plenty of space to do yoga in the room or on the terrace.
Stay here if… you want a great base for touring the Douro Valley. Perfect for couples, families, and groups of friends
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The second half of this series, with more hotels in Portugal (Sintra and Lisbon), will be live later this week. Stay tuned!
Want to book one of these amazing Virtuoso hotels in Portugal? Reach out to learn what added value and amenities I can provide for my clients. Not ready to escape to Portugal? Pin this >>> for future reference!
