The Best of Luxury 2021: Life Can be Savored Trough Experiences that Fell Like Home

In 2020, travel feels more precious than ever before. So, between hotels and homes, these types of accommodations have become so deliberately blurred, that in the last months have given in simultaneously to the travelers the familiar comfort of home with the indulgence of a hotel, a trend that will continue until 2021.

Moreover and until recently, there are many new spots that borrow design details from domestic settings, in which you will feel that you are at “home-tel,” a new type of luxury lodging that combines the best of both worlds: approachable, residence- style design paired with the glamour and convenience of a classic hotel. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed: Wherever you stay, you shouldn’t want to leave.

Private Villas: Vila Vita Parc Collection, Algarve

The VILA VITA Collection (which is in the southern corner of Portugal inside of the incredible Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa) is composed of six stunning and very luxurious villas and beachfront residences, that are offsite properties. Moreover, all the Villas are decorated with great taste and all of them enjoy enviable settings where traditional Algarvean lifestyles are mixed with the unspoiled nature that this region offers. Each villa is handpicked and managed by VILA VITA Parc, ensuring the highest level of comfort, style, and service, including incredible views of the ocean.

Try to stay in these amazing private homes of the collection, that will give you a weekend filled with privacy, comfort, luxury, and incredible views. 

Five-Star Spa: Six Senses, Douro Valley

The Six Senses Douro Valley concept offers an enormous range of possibilities. But, the Spa, which is considered the crown jewel of the range of possibilities that this resort offers, has ten treatment rooms overlooking the garden where all the garden-sourced products are used on the face and body. There is also an indoor pool, a gym, and a yoga and pilates pavilion. There is a physiotherapist on-site and a range of Ayurvedic treatments. There is the smart technology to do skin analysis, wellness screening, and sleep programs. Throughout the year innovative programs run from Grow a New Body where a lot of practices are merged with Holistic Anti-Ageing which emphasizes the importance of a balanced mind. What are you waiting for? This is a great choice for lovers of wellness and sustainability. A luxurious experience in the heart of the Douro Valley.

Under-the-Radar Beach: Bela Vista Hotel, Algarve

This extremely luxurious hotel is set over the Praia da Rocha cliff with direct access to the beach. It was built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, along with the area’s historical chalets. Even before becoming an official hotel, it has welcomed as guests families from Andalusia, fleeing from the Spanish Civil War. Moreover, the hotel has received many honorable guests include personalities such as Sidónio Pais, King Humberto of Italy, Fulgêncio Baptista, the Counts of Barcelona, and the Brazilian President, Juscelino de Oliveira. One of the most remarkable eras of the Hotel Bela Vista was during World War II. Portugal was politically neutral during that period and served as an intelligence exchange site and the Bela Vista was a privileged site for meetings of spies and messengers. Amazing! Furthermore, the hotel has a unique decoration contemporary but at the same time with touches of luxury, a restaurant awarded with a Michelin star in 2018, 2019, and 2020, and of course let's not forget the beach in which the hotel is literally set in the middle of it,  in which will delight you in every sense.

One to Watch: Quinta do Ventozelo, Douro Valley

Quinta do Vallado, built-in 1716,  is located about 10 minutes away by car from the town of Régua. This wine hotel offers five rooms in an original 18th-century manor house and a further eight in the unique and very contemporary schist-clad hotel. The rooms in the manor house are furnished according to their 18th-century surroundings with lots of antiques, and on contrary, the eight rooms of the new hotel are very modern and minimalistic. Plus, beautiful gardens, great wines, amazing views, an outdoor pool, and a sun terrace surround the hotel, in order that the guests enjoy to the max the stay. The estates offer a range of main activities like wine tastings, picnics, but there are also in its range unique ones like the possibility of a jeep ride in the middle of the vineyards, and let's not forget the breathtaking views of the Valley that is possible to savor from the estate. Definitely, a fantastic option that you need to keep watching!

New Luxury Destination: Melides, Alentejo

The famed magazine Condé Nast Traveller has released their travel guide's list for 2021 with plenty of choices, ranging from Central America to Australia to Portugal. The only destination of Portugal on this list is Melides, on the Alentejo coast. The author writes that Melides is already nicknamed by those who know it as the "new Comporta", although with few boutique hotels and modern art galleries. Instead, there are deserted beaches and miles of vineyards, rice fields, and cork oaks that are slowly attracting artists. With pristine sands, " Melides is Portugal, but not what is known about the country. In the middle of the untouched Alentejo coast is this small coastal town". Although she points out that the destination "remains fortunately little known", being still possible to find local residents playing cards, the journalist remembers that among the famous with the home in this destination is Philippe Starck and that Christian Louboutin is currently building a boutique hotel near the village, which it's conclusion will be in 2021. "Think of Melides as Joshua Tree or Byron Bay before anyone else notices; a remote creative haven without obstacles for travelers." Besides Christian Louboutin that is building this luxurious Charm Hotel, Melides, will also welcome the Umay Melides (picture above), and over the top hotel whose shape resembles a shell, that will fit in the natural undulations of the land with more than 20 hectares where it will be installed. As you can see, Melides is definitely the next luxury destination, filled with unique and very luxurious options that will satisfy the travel elite, that is you. Furthermore, the location is perfect for those who enjoy privacy and know more than ever a social distance, in which Alentejo offers this and so much more.

By booking your 2020 or 2021 tour in Portugal with us you will have flexibility in the future, plus our Covid-19 Health and Safety Guidelines. Through these unique times, we are available to plan, reschedule, and move your trip around your needs, as always. If your new dates may no longer work with your initial travel plan, a dedicated consultant will be available to tailor and reschedule your tour in Portugal according to your needs and preferences, and to assure you that you will have the best and most memorable experiences.