The Vibe: A pitch-perfect renovation of a cluster of 19th-century former agricultural buildings has imbued the interiors with the soul of the Alentejo, bringing a stillness to the main house, whose art-filled rooms are dappled by the fierce sunshine characteristic to this region.
The Area: In Portugal’s rural Alentejo region, best known for its wide plains punctuated with whitewashed medieval hilltop towns and olive groves. Estremoz, one of the region’s most attractive towns is a few kilometres away.
The DNA: Owners and hosts Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau met in Paris, where Borges worked as director of textiles and silk at Hermès, and Laigneau as a gallerist. The pair came across the site while searching for a holiday home in Borges’ native Portugal. Arriving as the fierce Alentejano sun set on the surrounding cork, fig and olive trees, they fell in love with the place. No matter that it was too big for a simple private retreat; the couple decided to up sticks, abandoning their Parisian existence in order to bring the buildings back to life. Borges and Laigneau designed the interiors themselves, complementing the dark granite floors with limewashed walls and hand-carved basins made of the local pale pink marble. Laigneau’s extensive collection of art and furniture, mostly drawn from the Scandinavian Jugendstil and Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophic movements, is dotted throughout the hotel.
Suite-Me-Up: There are two rooms in the main building, both of which open out into terraces framed by paper-thin, pink marble, allowing the light to shine through. The third room, The Brazier, a few steps from the house looks onto rocks and has a fire to gather round for cold nights. The four suites, all of which lie away from the main house, comprise two suites with their own private pools and spacious terraces with sun shades. The third has a hand-carved marble bathtub and a large patio and finally, The Loft, which is a vast open-plan studio, opens out onto the landscape.
Seen: departures, dezeen, The Spaces, Wallpaper*, WeHeart, yatzer
Accolades: shortlisted Wallpaper* Design Awards – Best Hotel 2020
✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 3 rooms, 4 suites (50-180m2) (538-1,938 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2018 • architecture: Procale • interior design: Vitor Borges & Franck Laigneau • bathroom amenities: Claus Porto ✅ free on-site parking • no pets allowed • adult only: 16+ • wheelchair accessible
