Beautiful as it sounds, SIX SENSENS DOURO VALLEY, located in a 19th-century mansion in the oldest wine region in the world known as Quinta Vale de Abraão, is a place where sensations grow: magnificent gardens, forests and stunning panoramas to the valley and Douro River.
SIX SENSENS DOURO VALLEY sits within the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage-listed Douro Valley.
Located 125 kilometres from Oporto International Airport, the scenic drive to the resort along winding roads which pass many examples of the region’s historic architecture, is one of Europe’s most captivating.
ART & DESIGN
Modern interiors of the hotel reflect both the rich heritage of the past and the design values of the present. Two massive wood and metal doors set in a glass façade banded with slatted metal stand wide open to welcome travelers to the resort entry.
The lobby features a textured art wall with a giant table and a horizontal alcove filled with flickering candles. Here, each guest is greeted with a welcome glass of Port wine or herbal tea.
A sweeping chandelier reminiscent of bundles of curling grape vines spatters light on the half-vaulted ceiling and a glass balcony cuts through the massive walls so guests can walk out with their welcome drink and enjoy the panoramic view.
A walk through the eight-hectare estate takes guests past interesting corners and pockets of beauty. Corridors are treated as joyful journeys, some accented with the long slate vine markers indicating the many varieties of local grapes, and others with shallow steel bowls filled with clear bubbling water reflecting the sky three stories above. A glass walled elevator offers a stunning view of the valley as it roams from floor to floor.
This Portuguese oasis artfully combines cutting edge technology with one of the most beautiful locations in the world.
ACCOMODATION
SIX SENSENS DOURO VALLEY offers 71 guest rooms, including bedrooms with panoramic river views, floor-to-ceiling suites with balconies in the main building, spacious suites in the new Vineyard Wing, and Valley Rooms and Suites in the beautifully restored wine house.
One of the most beautiful Vineyard Deluxe rooms, modern and cozy with a spacious private terrace and a stunning view of the hills, perfectly equipped for a very personal retreat.
Beautifully selected interior colors contribute to good sleep and relaxation. The room has a king-size bed, a sitting area with a sofa, a coffee station, a mini-bar, a spacious bathroom with all necessary accessories.
A pleasant welcome compliment in the room: Six Senses White Porto 10 years
DININGS EXPERIENCES
The multifaceted dining rooms, terraces, and lounges of magical SIX SENSENS DOURO VALLEY provide the backdrop for menus inspired by the organic gardens, using nothing but seasonal local produce that has undergone as little manipulation as possible.
The Kitchen team brings to the table not just delicious food, but SIX SENSES values of environmental sustainability, wellness, and local & global sensitivity.
Gut health is key to well-being, and fundamental in menu creation.
By giving priority to the nutritional richness of each ingredient and minimal processing, nutritional values are preserved.
The idea is to show that healthy whole food based cooking can and should be delicious fuel for your body.
The Kitchen team recognizes the importance of providing multiple dining options so that guests can enjoy a unique set of places to experience a diverse range of local cuisine.
VALE DE ABRAÂO RESTAURANT
This restaurant is a breakfast, lunch and dinner venue that combines three distinct areas, the Open Kitchen, the Terrace and the Dining Room.
The day starts with a hearty breakfast served both in the restaurant and on the outdoor terrace with orange trees.
Freshly squeezed juices, yoghurts, muesli and cereals, fruits, vegetables, local delicacies and pastries are on display at the large rustic table.
The menu offers a choice of hot meals and drinks.
Later, lunch and dinner are also served here.
Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director Marc Lorés Panadés, working in the best restaurants in Spain and having the highest culinary awards, he loves growing his own food and sourcing the best local ingredients to create vibrant nutritious dishes, using both modern technique and the best of local culinary traditions.
WINE LIBRARY
This place can be called the heart of the resort, where everyone comes for fun and joyful experiences.
Local artist Jesper Anderson assembled a collection of local iron tools and walled them up in plaster, creating two artistic walls that anchor the room.
Two monumental wine bottle ceiling lights further define the purpose of this space. While sitting at a large table in the center of the hall, tastings of Portuguese wines and Ports are held with local tapas. A self-serve Enomatic wine fridge allows guests to taste rare and expensive wines by the glass simply by tapping their wine card. Walls are lined with wine and port bottles from local vineyards.
QUINTA BAR & LOUNGE
The perfect place to offer a wide range of hand crafted cocktails made with ingredients from the farm and local spirits, like a popular among guests Porto Tonic.
A menu of delicious and colourful flatbreads and sandwiches, fried potatoes in their skins and more.
You can also enjoy afternoon tea with a free slice of the day’s cake.
CHEF’S TABLE
The Chef’s table is hosted for a maximum of 4 guests by the one of restaurant’s Chefs on the large table of the Open Kitchen.
Chef’s table includes a four-course menu, and drinks are served to the taste of the guest.
Guests will be able to learn and at the same time feel the adrenalin of a working kitchen.
On Tuesdays and Fridays from 18.00, guests are invited to enjoy Manager’s Cocktail —refreshing cocktails and small specialty snacks in the open air under the rays of the setting sun.
WELLNESS & ACTIVITIES
The SIX SENSES Spa can be accessed via ceremonial stairs flanked with incised bronze plaster and a wall covered in squared shelving where candles are lit throughout the day.
With a décor of ecologically friendly materials, the feeling is naturally welcoming and stylishly of our time. A confluence of Portuguese tradition, space, stone, wood and water, this welcoming wellness space invites guests to unwind and revive.
The reception area is a lively place to interact. Here guests can browse a selection of glamorous caftans, spa and yoga clothing, jewelry, swimsuits, robes and T-shirts, art and objects as well as a wide offering of beauty products and fragrances.
The Spa includes 10 treatment rooms, an indoor heated pool with water jets, a Vitality complex, and a gym with the latest exercise equipment.
Here you will be offered a selection of locally inspired specialty treatments, some of which are grape based, others using local herbs and fruits, together with an extensive menu of Six Senses signature therapies.
Expertly trained therapists create sensory journeys for guests with a range of holistic wellness and pampering treatments.
Behind the locker rooms, the Alchemy Bar prepares personalized potions of herbs, salt, grapes and a range of local and exotic ingredients for scrubs and masks.
There is something for everyone, from multi-day wellness programmes to rejuvenation therapies and a selection of activities such as yoga, aerial yoga, Pilates and forest circuit training.
One of the guests’ favorite places is the Outdoor pool, surrounded by a wooden platform with sun loungers and Gandia Blasco umbrellas. The entire space is surrounded by lush vegetation, a natural extension of the surrounding landscape, olive trees and an adjacent organic garden.
SUSTAINABILITY
SIX SENSENS DOURO VALLEY is committed to sustainability, demonstrated by its focus on minimizing our footprint on the environment in the Douro Valley while creating a positive impact on the community.
All drinking water served at the resort is filtered, purified and bottled on site. Half of the profits from water sales are donated to a local charity dedicated to youth education.
The northern Portugal donkey, a sweet and stubborn animal, is the resort’s mascot. In support of this social responsibility, we sell a miniature toy donkey made of pure wool and Portuguese clay, with half of the sales profits donated to a local association which rescues animals.
SIX SENSES DOURO VALLEY
Address: Quinta de Vale Abraão, Samodães5100-758 Lamego
Contacts: reservations-dourovalley@sixsenses.com; +351 254 660 600
Instagram: @sixsensesdourovalley
Text: Marina Timo
Photo courtesy: EATWEEKGUIDE
