Daring New Design Resort Opens in Portugal's Douro Valley

  • December 19, 2008
Daring New Design Resort Opens in Portugal's Douro Valley
Swiss chocolate facials and grape seed therapy. Wi-fi and a 24-hour Technogym. World-class architecture and interiors. All set – with great sensitivity – against a backdrop honored by UNESCO for its outstanding beauty and 2,000-year-old winemaking culture.

CEO Diogo Vaz Guedes dreamt up this philosophy while traveling the world. "Water, intelligence, luxury and excellent service: these traits are prized in Asia, but often overlooked as we rush around the west. Aquapura inspires people to rest – and to revitalize – in a place with soul."

Star architect Luís Rebelo de Andrade laced the landscape and its spirit into the resort. Burgundy plunge pools overlook the sinuous River Douro. Harmonious open-plan lounges echo the broad vineyard terraces. And award-winning designers Nini Andrade Silva’s and Giano Gonçalves polished surfaces and translucent geometrical interiors glow with soft, natural light, respectively in the hotel & Villas.

The spa experience is equally transcendent. Here water smoothes over calming shapes and natural materials. Asian fragrances float among the minimalist décor. Treatments mesh local seasonal ingredients such as grape seed, olives and cherries, with Ytsara rituals and Karin Herzog's scientific skincare systems including their world-renown oxygen treatments. Often a grace note appears: Aquapura’s signature essential oil, a detoxifying mix decanted from orange & cedar.

The sweetness continues in the AlmaLusa Restaurant, where Chef Emmanuel Soares presents a tasting menu celebrating the senses. His innovative style – reminiscent of Thierry Marx and Pierre Merme – marries the landscape’s bounty and traditional flavors with innovative molecular cuisine.

"A scent … a moment of serenity … sunshine gilding the river – so many elements here move the spirit," Diogo Vaz Guedes explains. "Immersed in harmony, luxury and beauty, our guests find space for an interior journey, not just an exterior one."

Discover Aquapura Douro, where trend and tradition invite transformation. www.aquapurahotels.com