HOTEL REVIEW
Grace Leo of GLA International has worked with architect Álvaro Siza Vieira and interior designers Bastidor to complete a renovation of the historic Vidago Palace hotel for its new owner, Portuguese drinks firm Unicer.
Vidago Palace Trás-os-Montes
Words: Guy Dittrich Photography: Courtesy of Vidago Palace O
riginally built as a Royal Palace, Vidago Palace was due to be inaugurated by the young King Manuel II on 6 October 1910,
but just a day before, a coup d’état ushered in the Portuguese First Republic and exiled the King. The royal crest was never added to the stone shield above the impressive portal. Instead, the regally appointed house became a hotel, particularly popular with Portuguese high society. Now, 100 years later, the benevolence of the shareholders of Unicer, the
Portuguese bottling giant, has seen the Vidago Palace restored to its former glory, with the appointment of developer and operator Grace Leo of GLA Hotels. Unicer’s €50 million investment in the hotel over the last four years saw the hotel re-open on its centenary of 6 October 2010. Unicer acquired the estate of Vidago Palace in combination with a bottling plant at nearby Pedras in an area which has one of the highest concentrations of natural thermal springs in Europe. The public concession to extract Vidago’s waters came with the palace and the waters of Vidago are now pumped to Pedras for bottling. Recognising the difficulties in making a profit given the extent of the investment, Financial Officer of privately-owned Unicer, Rui Lopes says: “The over-investment is supported by the Portuguese shareholders many of whom were former guests of the hotel and who recognise that they are making history with the creation of this next generation asset.”
050 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2010
WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM
Unicer, as owners, appointed Grace Leo of GLA Hotels to oversee the redevelopment of the property and its subsequent operation. Just over an hour’s drive northeast along a new motorway from Portugal’s second largest city, Porto, Vidago Palace nestles in the rolling uplands of the Trás-os-Montes region or “beyond the mountains”. The majestic and imposing façade emerges suddenly in a dazzle of sienna-coloured Belle Époque detailing behind the centenary trees that shade the tranquil surrounding gardens and also encompass the estate’s four natural springs and championship golf course. Behind the glamour and ornamentation of the immaculately restored main building is an all- new extension housing a spa built into a gentle slope. This contrasting angular construct, clear of any superfluous detail, is typical of the style of Portuguese-born Pritzker prize-winning architect, Álvaro Siza Vieira. The spa is entered directly from the
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