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INSIDE: DISTINCTIVE SANCTUARIES IN THE UNSPOILED PORTUGUESE COUNTRYSIDE + GRENADA BEACH RESORTS

JULY 2019 SINCE 1979

Traveling the world in search of truly enchanting places

Pool among the vineyards, Quinta da CÔrte, Douro Valley

PORTUGAL: SERENE RURAL RETREATS Historic landscapes, delicious farm-to-table food, distinguished wines

s Lisbon’s crop of hideaways and prominence of its wines, Portugal’s Douro acquired in 2013. Austruy partnered with A luxury lodgings grows ever more Valley has few luxury hotels. The Six of-the-moment interior designer Pierre sophisticated, a similar evolution is taking Senses Douro Valley, which opened in Yovanovitch to revamp the winery and place in the countryside. I recently visited 2015, is the area’s marquee property, and create an eight-room hotel. three small hotels offering experiences as with 57 rooms it offers an experience not The property hadn’t sent driving direc- diverse as the landscapes they inhabit, unlike the one you’d find in the Napa Valley. tions in advance, so Waze was my dubious from the Douro Valley wine region to the For something more intimate, there are guide. I wound my way on the N222 past rural countryside of the Alentejo and the a handful of smaller hotels attached to the steep banks and undulating hills of low-key beach retreat of Comporta. quintas (wine estates). Quinta da Côrte the river valley, terraced with vineyards Despite the allure of its sinuous, is one of these, a family-owned domaine and dotted with whitewashed quintas. A emerald-green landscape and the growing that French investor Philippe Austruy sudden right turn took me up a vertiginous,

Hideaway Report editors travel anonymously and pay full rate for all lodging, meals and related expenses. Since the launch of the Hideaway Report in 1979, featured hotels and restaurants have been selected on a completely independent basis. For comments and inquiries, please email [email protected]. Guest room, and dining area (right), Quinta da CÔrte, Douro Valley BEDROOM AND POOL: ASH JAMES

set up in the former kitchen, with an an orange egg yolk at its center, roasted enormous tiled hearth and a long azulejo- octopus with smashed potatoes, and a

topped table. Other sitting rooms offered brownie for dessert. I asked for a glass of BATH: NELSON GARRIDO bright and pleasant places to lounge. I felt local white, but disappointingly, the only immediately at home, ready to sprawl out wines being poured were the estate’s own mountain-hugging road paved with stones, on a sofa in front of the fireplace with a reds and Ports. sans guardrails. Eventually, I spied a large magazine and a slice of the almond cake Breakfast was even better, the spread white building with “QUINTA DA CORTE” that had been placed on a side table. including meats and cheeses, pastries and painted on its roof and pulled into what Before I could kick off my , breads with various housemade preserves, appeared to be a working farm. I called the though, the receptionist offered to give me a selection of cereals and yogurt, fresh hotel from my cell phone and was told to a tour of the winemaking facilities. The juice and sliced fruit. Eggs were available continue uphill to a house painted white Douro Valley — the world’s oldest demar- as well. Meals are served family-style, with yellow trim, where I was greeted cated wine region, established in 1756 — is either indoors at the long wooden table by two friendly German shepherds and best known for Port but also turns out or outside on a stone terrace surrounded a young man, who welcomed me inside. nonfortified table wines of some distinc- by lemon and olive trees. My initial confusion turned to enchant- tion. Both styles use the same grapes: The terrace proved to be my favorite ment as I was shown around. While not Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta perch, where I inhaled fresh, clean air especially large, my room had a homey Roriz (the same as Spain’s Tempranillo), and watched workers on the surrounding charm, with wood floors, honey-toned Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão, all of which slopes tending to the vines and olive trees.

walls and a woven rug. The queen-size grow at Quinta da Côrte. The receptionist There’s an infinity pool hidden among JEAN-FRANCOIS JAUSSAUD bed was covered in starched white linen showed me the winemaking facilities the rows but otherwise very little in sheets and a crocheted coverlet. A small — including a contemporary building the way of activities. Quinta da Côrte is bureau held a selection of vintage books. designed by Yovanovitch, with white remote — about 20 minutes to the south Two shuttered windows looked out over vaulted ceilings and a dramatic black steel of the riverside town of Pinhão — and the estate’s vineyards and olive trees and staircase — as he explained the different it’s a place to slow down, spend time with the verdant mountains beyond. A spacious processes of extracting the juice (done here family or friends, and enjoy the intimacy bath was covered in dark-green tiles and by old-fashioned stomping), fermenting of the house (there are no televisions, and included a clawfoot tub. Overall, the look and aging the wines, and labeling them the Wi-Fi is spotty). The staff hang back, was faithful to its farmhouse roots, with according to byzantine regulations issued perhaps suggesting a nearby restaurant a dollop of French country chic. by the authorities in Porto. to visit, but mostly stay out of the way. The same description fit the rest of That night, I had dinner at the quinta. Luxury can mean lavishness or the house, which had three other guest As befits a wine-country farm stay, the unstinting comfort. But there is another rooms (an annex contains four additional cooking was unfussy, with delicious kind of luxury in exclusivity, in being accommodations) and a series of common meals served as a table d’hôte. My dinner allowed to put one’s feet up in a place spaces. The centerpiece was a dining room included a cream of cauliflower soup with that’s dreamily located and tastefully

2 HIDEAWAY REPORT JULY 2019 decorated. Yovanovitch’s design at Quinta nationalized after the 1975 revolution and across the broad central plaza (called the da Côrte feels contemporary without being then reacquired, in a ruined state, by José monte) and the historic buildings flanking conspicuous or contrived, and it respects António Uva, a member of the family’s it. There are 24 rooms in all, as well as 16 the quinta’s history and locale. eighth generation. Uva had spent time on cottages with kitchens and living areas. The Alentejo is a vast swath of southern the property as a child and was determined The complex also contains a spa, stables, Portugal covered with undulating plains, to restore it, but not before studying its a retail shop, a kids’ facility, a winery and stands of cork trees, vineyards and stone history, local customs and farming tech- a restaurant. outcroppings. Dry and hot, it is sparsely niques. He hired the renowned Portuguese The farm-to-table food served there populated but steeped in history, with architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, noted proved a highlight of my stay, with many medieval hill towns like Évora and Elvas winemaker Susana Esteban and Austrian ingredients grown on-site and prepared in designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. wellness expert Susanne Kaufmann to a straightforward manner that amplified The region’s well-preserved traditions help revive the olive groves and vineyards their quality. For dinner my first night, include pottery, weaving and winemaking. and create a hotel and spa in their midst. I enjoyed sliced veal steak grilled simply Indeed, the rising profile of easy-drinking I learned much of this history from with sea salt and olive oil, and a dish of BEDROOM AND POOL: ASH JAMES Alentejan reds is drawing an increasing the amiable young man who showed garden vegetables, cooked gently to show- number of wine-loving visitors. That has me to my room, which was set in the case their just-picked freshness. Dessert led to the establishment of some fine coun- property’s whitewashed main building. was a soufflé-like lemon-and-olive-oil tryside hotels, including the contemporary Fronting a broad stone plaza, this long tart filled with caramel and served with L’AND Vineyards and São Lourenço do red-roofed structure once housed dozens a scoop of lemon-basil sorbet. The house Barrocal, which opened in 2016. of farmers and their families. Now, behind wines, particularly the reserve red made

BATH: NELSON GARRIDO Located about two hours’ drive east of a low blue door with shuttered windows, with estate-grown grapes, displayed a Lisbon, near the Spanish border, Barrocal I found an amply proportioned room (I similar refined rusticity. had been a farming village for centuries, a had booked the Farm Room category) The next morning, I grabbed the trail self-sustaining community producing olive with terra-cotta floors, high ceilings and map in my room and set off on a long oil, wine and cereal grains and raising understated modern furnishings made hike to explore the 1,900-acre property. livestock. Owned by a single family, it was of natural materials. Two sets of doors I ambled past large stands of olives and led out to a large shared terrace planted oaks, fields of chamomile, neolithic with vines; from there, I had a fine view dolmens and what will eventually be sites of the Alentejan hills. The room exuded for estate homes. In the distance, I could stillness and simplicity; homey touches, make out the walled medieval town of like a plate with paper-wrapped slices of Monsaraz and the huge Alqueva Lake. I cake and a wooden trunk holding woven didn’t encounter another soul for hours blankets, made it even cozier. — save the herd of cattle I startled. The I’d arrived late in the afternoon and ability to wander for so long and in such had only a few minutes to the solitude, never leaving the hotel grounds, setting sun as it cast dramatic shadows was incredibly gratifying.

JEAN-FRANCOIS JAUSSAUD Farm Room bed and bath (left), and pool, São Lourenço do Barrocal

JULY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 3 Clockwise from left: Owner’s Suite, and pool terrace at Sublime Comporta, and an unspoiled Comporta beach

I returned to the property and made (Anselm Kiefer, Philippe Starck, Christian completing my check-in, the receptionist myself a filling breakfast from the spread Louboutin), the houses here are mostly offered to escort me to my room. of bread, fruit, cheese and cold cuts, modest, the beaches undeveloped and the I had booked a Friends Room King including house-cured ham from the “scene” — such as it is — centered around Bed, described on the website as being in estate’s own acorn-fed pigs. Although low-key restaurants rather than trendy the main house. So I was a bit surprised the resort offers plenty of activities, bars and nightclubs. Visitors respect when he led me to a separate building from horseback riding to wine tasting to Comporta’s natural landscape and humble that contained the spa and overlooked the stargazing, there are few opportunities origins in fishing and rice cultivation. pool area. My ground-floor room, located to interact with other guests. The two “Where the rich pretend to be poor” was adjacent to the spa reception, was squarish times I had an aperitif at the bar — a one tongue-in-cheek moniker I heard and compact, with a bed at its center and lovely space in the former olive press during my visit. a cramped bath area separated only by a — I was by myself. The restaurant was One element that Comporta does share low gray divider. Two sliding glass doors never more than half-full, even at break- with the Hamptons: Accommodations opened onto large terraces; one had a fast. Granted, I was there early in the are mostly in private homes. Aman was nearly unobstructed view of the pool deck, season, before the beautiful pool area rumored to be opening a resort nearby, while the other overlooked a dusty road BEACH: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR could be put to good use. but those plans seem to be on ice. Devel- adorned with orange construction netting. No doubt Barrocal was livelier a opment is clearly on its way; I drove past The receptionist assured me the room century ago, when it was filled with dozens several tracts of estate-homes-to-be. But would remain undisturbed, but within of farmers and workers. But its present for now, the only notable hotel is Sublime minutes a yellow bulldozer trundled along, quietude — and that is not a flaw, by any Comporta. While not quite living up to the kicking up the red earth. means — didn’t subtract from its strong promise of its name, it proved a comfort- I returned to the lobby and asked to sense of history and place. What was able home base for exploring the region. see options that afforded more privacy. once a self-contained community is still The 42-acre complex includes the I was offered two: One was the Owner’s completely a world unto itself, with little 23-room resort as well as privately owned Suite, located one floor above my original reason to leave (although an afternoon villas, some of which can be rented in room but with a much larger floor plan and SUBLIME COMPORTA: NELSON GARRIDO visit to explore the medieval streets of whole or in part. All of the buildings two balconies that were better screened Monsaraz is recommended). share a silhouette — steep gabled roof, from public view. The other was a Guests A chic but low-profile beach getaway wood-and-glass façades — that mimics Suite, a bilevel space with a ground-floor on the Atlantic coast of the Alentejo, the distinctive geometry of Comporta’s sleeping area and the bath on a mezzanine. an hour and a half south of Lisbon, fisherman’s huts and rice warehouses. I The configuration felt awkward, so I chose Comporta is often called Portugal’s parked and entered the main building, the first option. I was taken aback when Hamptons. That comparison is not quite which houses the reception area, a bar- informed that an additional $68 per night apt: While it attracts a moneyed crowd, lounge and a restaurant, and was greeted would be added to the tariff. Nonetheless, including and creative luminaries by a porter offering a cool towel. After I chose to upgrade.

4 HIDEAWAY REPORT JULY 2019 Settled at last, I got familiar with my coriander. For dessert, there was a unique, riding, wine tasting, golf and boating. new room. While not exactly spacious deconstructed sericaia, an Alentejan egg Guests can borrow a bike to pedal around (the website’s measure of 538 square feet pudding made here with plums and bay leaf the forested property, whose buildings and presumably includes the terraces), it was ice cream. The sommelier picked Portu- private villas are spread enough apart to chic and understated, with gray polished- guese wines to accompany each course, maintain an air of quiet and exclusivity. concrete floors and a white slipcovered love including a lovely Herdade Grande 2017 That being said, the place has expanded seat facing a small fireplace. The large bath Alentejo white. rapidly since it first opened in 2014, and area included a soaking tub and a walk-in After the fuss about the room, the it continues to grow. Construction was shower stall. One terrace had a Jacuzzi. care and precision shown at the meal constant during my stay (management Like all too many design-led hotels, the was a welcome counterpoint. So was the says it will pause during the summer), and room had some annoying elements: no breakfast buffet served the next morning, the landscaping was incomplete. I imag- place to hang a wet towel, no proper mirror, an abundant array that included freshly ined that the pool, spa and restaurants, a complete lack of privacy in the toilet, a baked pastries and cakes, perfectly ripe originally built to service a boutique- tiny desk. Other than a cork headboard, sliced fruit and a range of hot dishes. size property, would soon feel the strain there was littleATLANTIC sense of Portugal — squint Thus energized, I got in the car to of additional guests. So would service and you’re in SouthOCEAN Beach. explore the area. The beaches are the standards: While the staff was mostly That evening, I ate at Sem Porta, highlight: wide and clean with pale sand welcoming, they seemed tentative and the resort’s main restaurant. The glass- and a dearth of commercial activity, save undertrained. (ForFRANCE example, half an walled dining room was inviting, with an the occasional seafood restaurant. The hour prior to my dinner reservation, immaculate kitchen visible through large village of Comporta is similarly unspoiled, housekeeping knocked on the door to plate-glass windows. The meal began its picturesque blue-and-white buildings, offer turndown service, revealing a lack auspiciously with warm house-baked many crowned with storks’ nests, still of back-of-house coordination.) breads served with cultured butter and housing fishermen’s families as well as an For a fashionably restrained beach the hotel’s own olive oil. Ensuing courses increasing number of expensive boutiques. destination set against a gorgeous natural showcased the chef’s skill with local ingre- A large nature preserve includes the Sado backdrop, Comporta itself approaches the BAY OF BISCAY dients. A beautifully arranged starter of estuary, home to migrating birds and a sublime. Sublime Comporta, the resort, fell vegetables from the organic garden was pod of bottlenose dolphins. a bit short. Eventually I was content with blanketed with an ethereal goat cheese In truth, there’s not much to do in my room, but Hideaway Report members SAN SEBASTIÁN sauce. Arroz de marisco, the traditionalASTUR IAComportaS that doesn’t involve a beach or should choose their accommodation CANTABRIA BASQUE and often dense dish of seafood and rice, a pair of binoculars. It’s COUNTRYup to the resort carefully; consider booking one of the NAVARRA ANDORRA was exceptionally light and scented with to provide entertainment. Sublime has a two-bedroom villas, which come with a PAMPLONA pretty pool with a sunken fire pit, a tennis private pool, an indoor-outdoor fireplace LA court and a spa that incorporatesRIOJA herbs and a full kitchen. And managementGIRONA must from the garden. The staff can also arrange hold onto the chef and his team. The superb BEACH: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR ATLANTIC CATALONIA OCEAN off-site activities, including horseback food was the resort’s saving grace. H NORTE VALLADOLID ARAGON VALENÇA A BARCELONA PORTO DO DOURO QUINTA DA CÔRTE 92 DOURO R. LIKE Charming refurbishment of 19th-century farmhouse with smart interiors; incredible setting on a working Douro quinta with views of the valley; home-cooked meals; sense of ease and repose. DISLIKE ServiceMADRID can be passive; limited wine selection. GOOD TO KNOW A winery tour and tasting is included in the rates; guests who visit during the September harvest may be invited to help stompBALEARIC the grapes. LOWESTSEA RATE: PORTUGAL CENTRO ROOM, $230; EDITOR’S CHOICE: DELUXE ROOM, $270. 5120-491 VALENÇA DO DOURO. TEL. (351) 964-536-200. MALLORCA 0100 MI A SÃO LOURENÇO DO BARROCAL 96 0 100 KM TOLEDO VALENCIA PALMA LIKE Tasty, truly farm-to-table cuisine; muted design with a strong sense of place; broad array of activities

SUBLIME COMPORTA: NELSON GARRIDO that reflect the Alentejo’s cultural and natural heritage;CO fabulousMUNIDA setting. D DISLIKE Austerity of spa; lack VALENCIANA MENORCA of shaded seating areas to escape the sun. GOOD TO KNOW The resort’s intimate setup is better suited LISBON IBIZA to couples, families and self-contained groups than those looking for an active social scene. LOWEST RATE: FORMENTERA ALENTEJO SPAIN COURTYARD ROOM, $500; EDITOR’S CHOICE: FARM ROOM, $520. 7200-177 MONSARAZ. TEL. (351) 266-247-140. COMPORTA BARROCAL A SUBLIME COMPORTA 90 CÓRDOBA LIKE Distinctive architecture that referencesMURCI local traditions;A grounds covered in mature pines and cork oaks; outstanding cuisine featuring organic produce grown on-site. DISLIKE Rooms where style takes precedence over functionality; maladroit if well-meaning service; construction as resort ALGARVE A NDALUSIA expands. GOOD TO KNOWGRANADA The closest beach is aboutMEDITERRANEAN 15 minutes’ drive from the resort; a SEA car is an absolute necessity. LOWEST RATE: FRIENDS ROOM, $310; EDITOR’S CHOICE: OWNER’S SUITE, $500 (MINIMUM STAY MAY APPLY). EN 261-1, 7570-337 MUDA, GRANDOLA. TEL. (351) 269-449-376. MÁLAGA JULY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 5 STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR

MOROCCO ALGERIA LISBON NOTEBOOK

party. This is not home cooking, much ritzier once indoors — think RESTAURANT Standouts however. Highlights included an paper tablecloths, fish tanks and a ortuguese cuisine is hearty, honest and delicious. Set aside any worries amuse-bouche of venison tartare boisterous soundtrack of clanging P about overdosing on bacalhau (salt cod). Lisbon’s restaurants offer piled on a crisp sunchoke chip; dishes and cracking crab shells. an impressively sophisticated variety of dishes, cooked with finesse. On butter-tossed “noodles” made of Once it arrives, the food will steal a recent trip I had a number of dining experiences worth sharing, both celeriac confit and sprinkled with your attention. Delicate amêijoas à firmly local and globally inspired, upscale and down-to-earth. toasted buckwheat and shavings bulhão pato (cockles) come swim- of house-cured bottarga; and lamb ming in a copper pot with garlic, A CEVICHERIA level art deco townhouse in Chiado roasted in a bed of hay. A dessert cilantro and an olive oil-enriched A much-buzzed-about Peruvian is similarly antic. But the chef, a of mushroom ice cream with cocoa broth. Crab, lobster, oysters, goose spot in Príncipe Real, A Cevicheria Balkans transplant named Ljubomir nibs, nasturtium leaves and quince barnacles and other sea creatures opened its doors in 2014. The space Stanisic, has serious talent. He won over my initial skepticism. jostle for space on the menu, but — a white-tiled cube with a blue runs the more formal Restaurant As the meal progressed and the ask your waiter if carabineiros are patterned floor — isn’t quite large 100 Maneiras and also serves as wine flowed — the optional pairing available. These enormous “scarlet enough to keep up with demand, consulting executive chef at the included some excellent finds, shrimp” are steamed whole; crack so there is often a wait. But the Six Senses Douro Valley resort. like a still-youthful Poço do Lobo them open to reveal the red and food, prepared by Portuguese The bistro’s menu swings from Arinto white from 1992 and a crisp, white meat, bright as a carnival tent chef Kiko Martins and a small Portuguese beef croquettes to minerally Dão white by the young and cooked to a divine, custard- army of young cooks, is confident ramen with cod to mushroom-and- winemaker Antonio Madeira — the like consistency. CLOSED MONDAYS. and flavorful. Meals start with shrimp risotto. My main-course mood turned more convivial. A AVENIDA ALMIRANTE REIS 1. TEL. (351) cornbread, crackers blackened special of pork goulash, served in memorable and unique experi- 218-851-024. with squid ink, and seaweed butter. a cast-iron pot with pickled onions, ence. CLOSED SUNDAYS, MONDAYS AND The Puro ceviche was a standout — favas and cracklings, reflected the TUESDAYS. CAMPO DE SANTA CLARA 128. EPUR meaty hunks of croaker fish bathed chef’s Slavic roots; it paired well TEL. (351) 910-715-587. As the name suggests, this fine- in a spicy leche de tigre marinade. with a glass of Vinha de Reis from dining establishment in Chiado, Hearty roasted octopus came with the Dão Valley. LARGO DA TRINDADE 9. CERVEJARIA RAMIRO which opened last year, promises barbecue sauce, puréed black TEL. (351) 910-307-575. Anthony Bourdain ate here on an pristine flavors and impeccable potatoes, burst cherry tomatoes episode of “No Reservations,” ingredients. The white-walled room, and pork crackling “popcorn.” The CEIA but don’t let that (or the resulting with its Scandinavian furniture PHOTOS: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: wine list is fairly limited — stick with Santa Clara 1728, the stylish crowds) deter you — this no-frills and azulejo skirting, is beautiful beer hall in Intendente serves the if solemn. That formality extends a pisco sour. RUA DOM PEDRO V 129. TEL. luxury guest house in Alfama, best shellfish in Lisbon. A wait is to the suited servers. I chose the (351) 218-038-815. has a ground-floor dining room that’s equally chic. Each evening, inevitable, but they’ve got a system shortest of the multicourse tasting BISTRO 100 MANEIRAS the talented young chef Pedro worked out: You take a ticket from options, but after 45 minutes, The name is a joke — “cem,” the Pena Bastos serves an elaborate the machine at the front door, pour having received only two amuse- Portuguese word for “hundred,” multicourse tasting menu to 14 yourself a Sagres beer from the bouches and one glass of wine, sounds like “sem,” meaning diners seated at a long communal automated tap (!) on the terrace I realized I was in for a very long “without,” so “without manners” table. The idea is to create the and wait for your number to be night nonetheless. French-born — and the atmosphere of this two- atmosphere of an exclusive dinner called. The ambiance doesn’t get chef Vincent Farges, who earned

From left: Tiger prawns at Cervejaria Ramiro, raw tuna belly at Peixaria da Esquina, and roasted octopus at A Cevicheria

6 HIDEAWAY REPORT JULY 2019 Ler Devagar bookstore at LX Factory

a Michelin star at the Fortaleza do Guincho hotel in Cascais, certainly can cook. A velouté of celeriac with bone marrow croutons was elegant and comforting; a moist hunk of sea bass was set in a bracing celery- and-sparkling-wine nage. But the flavors felt repetitive, and the execu- tion was inconsistent. Marinated mackerel with fennel confit and dill oil sounded bold but tasted bland.

Alentejo black pork was borderline Casa Pau-Brasil overcooked, and its mushroom Favorite SHOPS ravioli accompaniment came in a doughy wrapper. When you lean to he greatest pleasure of shopping in Lisbon is that the big international brands haven’t taken over the simplicity, you must get everything T retail scene, allowing independent local talent to shine. While the usual luxury suspects are clustered right — not just technique, but on Avenida da Liberdade, the shopping areas of Chiado and Príncipe Real are lined with small boutiques soul. My meal was lacking in both. that showcase unique design sensibilities as well as Portuguese excellence in textiles, ceramics and leather. CLOSED SUNDAYS AND MONDAYS. LARGO EMBAIXADA DA ACADEMIA NACIONAL DAS BELAS ARTES The rooms of this ornate 19th-century neo-Moorish palace in Príncipe Real are now occupied by small 14. TEL. (351) 213-460-519. boutiques featuring exclusively Portuguese-made products: fragrant Castelbel soaps, wool and from heritage brand Ecolã, baby clothes by Organii. The menswear offerings are especially strong, PEIXARIA DA ESQUINA with locally designed and at A Indústria, Armando Cabral leather shoes and , and Acclaimed chef Vítor Sobral opened organic cotton T-shirts and loungewear at Isto. The impressive central courtyard is enlivened by a gin this relaxed, seafood-focused spot bar. PRAÇA DO PRÍNCIPE REAL 26. in 2011 in the upscale Campo de Ourique neighborhood. Market- CASA PAU-BRASIL fresh fish and shellfish are fussed Enter the 18th-century Palacete Castilho and you might think you’re in Ipanema, not Príncipe Real. Jobim over by a team of chefs, who plays on the soundtrack, piles of coffee beans crowd the stairwell, a mobile of plush yellow parrots dangles PHOTOS: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: cure, marinate, grill and roast overhead. This is Casa Pau-Brasil, a concept store that brings together multiple brands from the former from behind a marble counter. colony. Taken collectively, the Osklen sportswear, Lenny Niemeyer bathing , Granado cosmetics and

Traditional Portuguese dishes are Sergio Rodrigues furniture create an air of tropical sensuality. RUA DA ESCOLA POLITÉCNICA 42. elevated by superb technique, like a feijoada-style stew of cod with LX FACTORY perfectly creamy, plump white A disused manufacturing complex in the Alcântara neighborhood, under the 25 de Abril Bridge, was beans. Others draw on global influ- converted in 2008 to this “creative quarter” with shopping and dining — not unlike the ROW DTLA in Los ences and modern approaches: Angeles or the Old Biscuit Mill in Town. Now the brick industrial buildings are covered in colorful Raw tuna belly is sprinkled with murals and occupied by dozens of boutiques and restaurants, many with alfresco tables. The merchandise sesame seeds and microgreens is more hip than high-end, but it makes for enjoyable browsing, especially during the Sunday flea market. and bathed in zesty olive oil. Be sure to pop into Ler Devagar, a multilevel bookstore housed in a former lithograph shop, and Landeau Sweet, ivory-colored morsels of Chocolate, which makes a standout chocolate cake. RUA RODRIGUES DE FARIA 103. raw scallop are tossed with enoki A VIDA PORTUGUESA mushrooms and toasted almond This charming shop in Chiado specializes in heritage Portuguese brands, its wood apothecary-style cabi- slices. The sommelier can guide nets displaying a well-edited selection of products. You’ll find beautifully packaged soaps and perfumes, you through the all-Portuguese naturally, but also wool blankets, notebooks, aluminum cookware, ceramic dishes, every imaginable food wine list; I particularly enjoyed product, even colorful spools of wrapping twine. The shop also sells andorinhas, the delicate ceramic the Ribeiro Santo Encruzado 2017, swallows first designed by Bordallo Pinheiro in 1896 and a beloved symbol of Portugal.RUA ANCHIETA 11. whose crisp lemon and green apple notes are balanced by the creami- On our recent trip to Lisbon, we stayed at new hideaway hotels, ness from a short stint in French two of which, Santiago de Alfama and Santa Clara 1728, we now recommend. oak. CLOSED MONDAYS. RUA CORREIA Read the reviews at HideawayReport.com TELES 56. TEL. (351) 213-874-644.

JULY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 7 Spice Island Beach Resort

BLISSFUL GRENADA RESORTS Contrasting colonial and contemporary styles on an exceptionally friendly Caribbean island

he word “Caribbean” evokes an ideal- to a natural harbor. Small manufacturers The latter’s up-to-the-minute character Tized travel poster, complete with make fine artisanal chocolate, rum and became evident before we even reached palm-shaded beaches and aquamarine nutmeg-based products, often on former the hotel. After a representative whisked seas dotted with gleaming-white yachts. plantations dating back a century or three. us through the airport’s immigration

Unfortunately, much of the Caribbean And perhaps most important, Grenada’s hall, she introduced us to our driver, who REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: is still recovering from the devastating inhabitants welcome visitors with warmth. opened the falcon-wing doors of a Tesla hurricanes of 2017: Irma and Maria. During my research, I discovered Model X SUV. As we disembarked our Many of our recommended resorts have three properties that looked appealing: futuristic transport, senior management since reopened. But others, such as the Silversands, Spice Island Beach Resort greeted us cheerfully. Beyond the wide Rosewood Little Dix Bay and Eden Rock and Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel. The doorway leading into the airy lobby, a on St. Barths, are still undergoing repairs. first two are set on Grenada’s largest and 330-foot infinity pool extended to the sea, And a few, like Peter Island Resort & Spa most popular beach, the Grand Anse, a the longest pool in the Caribbean, appar- in the British Virgin Islands, may sadly two-mile-long curve of soft sand between ently. Such a dramatic entrance, enhanced never be rebuilt. the airport and St. George’s along the by chilled towels and welcome drinks of Some places in the Caribbean escaped southwestern coast of the island. coconut water and Prosecco, made for the hurricanes unscathed, however. Although Silversands and Spice Island an extremely favorable first impression. Grenada, in the far south of the region, face the same beach, the sections they Rather than checking in at the front sees fewer catastrophic storms. Lately, occupy have their own personalities. desk, we were escorted straight to our the island nation has become a focus of People stroll past Silversands to access room. We had been upgraded from a resort development, and not just because the Grand Anse — the beach is public, like second-floor Ocean View King to a Pent- of its privileged location. all beaches on Grenada — but more people house Level King, located on the third, Grenada has the requisite palm- tend to install themselves in front of Spice and top, floor. This extra height makes fringed beaches, as well as a dramatic Island. The hotels also have contrasting a difference, because the resort’s two interior of emerald mountains laced with styles. Spice Island Beach Resort has tradi- buildings, comprising 43 guest rooms, hiking trails and waterfalls. Its colorful tional Caribbean/colonial décor, whereas stand behind one-story villas. (Avoid capital, St. George’s, has a picturesque Silversands is resolutely contemporary, Garden View King rooms, which lack location straddling a ridge, sloping down with something of an Asian sensibility. water views and privacy.) “I really want

8 HIDEAWAY REPORT JULY 2019 PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

you to download the app that controls the curtains. In spite of being in the direct line On our first night, we dined at curtains, the lighting and the mosquito of sight of nine waitstaff, it took about 20 Asiatique, the resort’s Thai-Japanese netting around the bed,” our escort told minutes for anyone to come over to see if restaurant. It had a soaring interior, but I us, “because you can also use it to unlock we might like a drink. Fortunately, this always felt drawn to the patio, which over- the room or to order room service.” But I was the only time service stumbled during looked the pool, tidy tropical gardens and found it simpler to use the control panels our stay. A frosty Writer’s Block cocktail a snippet of sea. I very much enjoyed my by the bed and the room key, a black ring of gin, guava and orange liqueur helped moist mahi-mahi grilled with lemongrass, attached to a bracelet. “The key is almost put me in a forgiving mood. I decided to do Thai basil, pickled onion and tomato, all indestructible,” our escort continued. “It a few laps, but considering the extraordi- wrapped in a banana leaf. And breakfast is impervious to water or radiation.” How nary length of the pool, one round-trip felt on Asiatique’s terrace was an unfailing reassuring! like plenty of exercise for the afternoon. delight. Service was very attentive: A The décor lacked the bright colors I The next day, I worked up an appetite waitperson insisted on carrying our plates associate with Caribbean style, but I didn’t by taking out a clear plastic kayak from from the buffet back to our table, and we miss them. A rectangle of faux blond-wood the water sports center on the beach. never had to pull our own chairs out in tile contained the bed, a wicker chair Otherwise, aside from a short excursion order to sit down. and a daybed, as well as a black-marble to some nearby gardens, we spent our Our meals at the informal Grenadian table. A sweep of glass doors led to the time in blissful indolence. When I tired of Grill were more mixed in quality. My lunch Caribbean-view terrace, furnished with reclining by the pool, I decamped to the of slow-roasted pork belly with a rum-and- another daybed. And the spacious bath stylish spa, centerpieced by a heated lap nutmeg demi-glace was delicious — rich afforded similarly splendid views from pool surrounded by daybeds. The ice room and sweet but not too fatty. But at dinner, its floor-to-ceiling window, against which felt delicious after a day spent outdoors, a salad of poached lobster, tabbouleh, was set an inviting soaking tub. as did the “experiential shower.” I couldn’t watercress, pea shoots and grapefruit We headed straight for the pool, muster any enthusiasm for the fitness was underseasoned, and my pan-seared eschewing the many loungers in favor of room, though a private trainer would have lionfish in a chocolate-Port wine sauce was one of the beds, hung with breezy white been happy to help me work out. a bit chewy. After dinner, a bartender took

Clockwise from top left: Guest rooms, the main pool, our suite, and the spa pool, Silversands PHOTOS: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS:

JULY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 9 time to show us the Puro lounge, with its containing four suites. Inside, we discov- options, two soup selections, a salad impressive selection of spirits, including ered a space of white, beige and chocolate course, six main-course choices (including a Hennessy cognac at $6,000 per glass! accented with splashes of turquoise and two vegetarian dishes) and five desserts. Considering the short time that Silver- sea-foam green. The bedroom came with Favorites included taro soup with garlic sands has been operational — the resort dark wood furnishings and a king bed with oil, pan-seared grouper with a passion opened in December — the staff works with a bamboo headboard. An arch divided it fruit sauce and chard, and a “trio of wild impressive organization and efficiency. from the living room, which had a small apple” dessert of wax apple sorbet, apple And everyone was eminently friendly armchair and a daybed upholstered in mousse and apple bread pudding with and helpful. If you like your resorts to synthetic fabric chosen for durability more caramel sauce. You can order wines by have a more contemporary, international than anything else. Glass doors led to a the bottle for an extra charge, but I kept to style, Silversands should be your choice lovely patio, with two umbrella-shaded the by-the-glass list, which offered inex- in Grenada. loungers and a hammock. pensive but perfectly acceptable wines. If, on the other hand, you prefer All the contents of our suite’s amply Service proved very attentive in the somewhere with a greater sense of place, stocked minibar were included in the rate, restaurant, and everywhere else in the consider instead Spice Island Beach as were all meals and house beverages at hotel, for that matter. Little touches made Resort. This 64-room hotel divides its the resort. Spice Island is “all-inclusive,” a difference. For example, a bartender accommodations among suites fronting a phrase that sounds fine on safari but took our welcome drinks to our suite the Grand Anse and, behind them, suites unsettling in the Caribbean. I worried we on a tray, since we had small bags with that compensate for their lack of views might be in store for inebriated guests and us. At the Sunday seafood barbecue, the with private pools. (The viewless and pool- unimpressive food. Fortunately, my fears waitstaff insisted on carrying our plates less Oleander suites should be ignored.) were unfounded. from the excellent buffet back to our We booked the former, a Seagrape Beach I was amazed to see an entirely table. The free-form main pool lacked a Suite, and had no regrets. dif­f erent five-course dinner menu served view, but bartenders ensured that guests After management had welcomed us each night in the colonial-style open-air lounging beside it were well-watered. And to the hotel, we were led to a building restaurant. Each included two appetizer one afternoon, we reclined in loungers at

Clockwise from top left: Free-form main pool, and patio, bedroom, and bath of our Seagrape Beach Suite, Spice Island Beach Resort PHOTOS: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS:

10 HIDEAWAY REPORT JULY 2019 Bar-lounge, and pool, Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel

the far end of the beach, with no expecta- pillowy gnocchi with lobster, turmeric soursop leaf infusion and an extravagant tion of service, but a waiter approached and Parmesan, while my delectable selection of baked goods. We sent some within minutes to offer us a drink, mahi-mahi main course came topped clothes to be laundered the first afternoon returning a little later with chilled towels. with flavorful shrimp-ginger butter. of our stay, but two days later, they still I left Spice Island Beach Resort with I also appreciated the interesting wines by had not been returned. In our private considerable regret. the glass, including a classy Chardonnay pool, the tile needed some maintenance. After time on the popular Grand Anse, from Gascony. We also had a fine small- And I was glad we reconfirmed the IAM I was interested to try a property on a plate lunch at the Beach Club adjacent Jet Centre expedited airport access, which different beach. The 30-roomCalabash to the lounger-lined sand, dining on we’d requested on our pre-arrival form, Luxury Boutique Hotel stands on a shrimp ravioli in rich shellfish bisque, because the staff had failed to arrange stretch of the Lance aux Epines, just and fritters of callaloo and feta. And the it. Most important, many of the staff south of the Grand Anse. Flanked by two full breakfast, served each morning on didn’t exhibit the consistent level of warm mansion-dotted peninsulas, the bay in our front patio, was invariably a pleasure. hospitality that we’d experienced at the front of the beach is calm and serves as I enjoyed most aspects of our stay at other two resorts. a yacht harbor. Because it is smaller and Calabash, but problematic details began If the Calabash hotel were the only harder to access, the beach is much quieter to add up. For example, the afternoon choice on Grenada, I would recommend than the Grand Anse. tea, while admittedly complimentary, it. It’s a beautiful property with an excel-

PHOTOS: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: REPORT EDITOR HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: Aside from a handful of hillside included just one choice of tea: Lipton. lent restaurant. But Silversands and Spice villas, accommodations occupy two- I couldn’t help but compare the Island Beach Resort currently provide the story buildings arrayed in a semicircle unimpressive experience to the tea at Spice best hospitality on one of the friendliest around a lawn. Most rooms offer at least Island Beach Resort, where I had a pot of islands in the Caribbean. H some sort of water view, but the sea is partially obscured by the Beach Club A 95 and trees. Nevertheless, our ground-floor SILVERSANDS LIKE The chic contemporary décor; the warm and welcoming staff; the extraordinary swimming pool; the Pool Suite proved very appealing in most tranquil spa; the location at the quieter end of Grand Anse. DISLIKE The occasional culinary disappointments; respects. We could glimpse the Caribbean the air-conditioning couldn’t get the room below 73 degrees. GOOD TO KNOW There is a $20 fee for room from our front patio, and our living room service in addition to a 10% gratuity. LOWEST RATE: GARDEN VIEW KING, $960; EDITOR’S CHOICE: PENTHOUSE LEVEL KING, $1,200. GRAND ANSE MAIN ROAD, ST. GEORGE’S. TEL. (833) 594-3230. had an attractive color scheme of white, A navy and gray. Framed black-and-white SPICE ISLAND BEACH RESORT 93 photos of sailboats added some sense of LIKE The Alexa device in our room; the unfailingly friendly and highly attentive staff; the surprisingly good and varied food selection; my excellent massage. DISLIKE The free-form swimming pool lacked a view; place. The bed came with an aqua-painted at busier times, our room felt a little overexposed to people on the beach. GOOD TO KNOW Saturday is wicker headboard, and an attractive bath a particularly busy day on the Grand Anse; transfers to and from the airport are not included in the rate, in provided dual vessel sinks and a spacious contrast to Silversands and the Calabash hotel. LOWEST RATE: OLEANDER GARDENVIEW SUITE, $1,150. EDITOR’S walk-in shower. However, I preferred to CHOICE: SEAGRAPE BEACH SUITE, $1,390 (ALL MEALS AND HOUSE BEVERAGES INCLUDED). GRAND ANSE BEACH, ST. GEORGE’S. TEL. (473) 444-4258. shower outside on our back patio, which also had a small private pool and a free- CALABASH LUXURY BOUTIQUE HOTEL 89 standing tub on a wooden platform. LIKE The infinity pool, set on a terrace overlooking the grounds; the sunny fitness center; the romantic restaurant and excellent cuisine; the quiet beach. DISLIKE Having to chase down our laundry; the old tile in Calabash’s Rhodes restaurant did not our suite’s pool; the occasionally perfunctory service. GOOD TO KNOW On Tuesdays, dinner at the Beach disappoint. When candlelit at night, it was Club is preceded by a cocktail party hosted by management. LOWEST RATE: JUNIOR SUITE, $680; EDITOR’S CHOICE, a sublime setting for dinner. I loved my $920. BEACH LANE, LANCE AUX EPINES. TEL. (473) 444-4334.

JULY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 11 NEW & NOTEWORTHY 40 BUT FOREVER YOUNG

This month we begin our 41st year! There have been a few changes along the way. And nowadays, our emphasis has shifted to the digital world of HideawayReport.com. But four decades on, we publish a print newsletter because a loyal core of members still finds it a concise and convenient format. Sixteen of the hotels that appeared in our first Annual Index are properties that we continue to recommend, including such perennial member favorites as Wheatleigh in Lenox, Massa- chusetts, and The Lodge at Pebble

An Earth Suite, The Lodge at Blue Sky, Utah Beach. What has also endured are our founding values. We still travel AUBERGE IN PARK CITY and even heli-weddings for Since 1975, the 12-bedroom incognito, pay our own way and go Set on a 3,500-acre ranch those who want a low-key property has been owned in search of hideaways that provide outside Park City, Utah, and and budget-conscious start and run by members of the distinctive character, exceptional surrounded by the alpine to married life. Quinion family. Now, 44 years comfort, personal service and a highlands of the Wasatch on, they have decided to retire, tranquil atmosphere. As the French and Uinta ranges, The FARLAM HALL UPDATE and the business has been sold say, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la Lodge at Blue Sky is a new Located just a few miles from to Joseph Walter and Kathy même chose.” 46-room retreat that is part Hadrian’s Wall, the famous Mares from Seattle. The new For more on our birthday, visit Roman fortification that American owners have been of the distinguished Auberge HideawayReport.com/go/40th Resorts Collection. The prop- follows much of the present staying at the hotel for the THE LODGE BLUE AT SKY: AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION erty, which opened at the border between England past 20 years, so continuity beginning of June, has an and Scotland, Farlam Hall may be expected. Apparently, HIDEAWAY REPORT on-site organic farm that is a quintessential country all the existing staff have been HOTEL RATINGS supplies the resort’s signa- house hotel, with a notable retained, and sous chef Matt A99-100 — A truly great hotel, among restaurant, which has long Jefferson has been promoted. ture restaurant, Yuta. There, the finest of its kind in the world James Beard Award-winning been a particular favorite of However, a new husband- A96-98 — An exceptional hotel of great chef Galen Zamarra offers Hideaway Report members. and-wife management team individuality and distinction “a modern interpretation of The creeper-covered Victo- has been installed, and the A93-95 — An outstanding hotel of refined Western cuisine,” with rian mansion, set on a 6-acre interior of the property is to genuine sophistication many dishes being prepared estate and surrounded by the be refreshed in a traditional A90-92 — A fine hotel with consider- FARLAM HALL: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR on a woodburning grill. The unspoiled Cumbrian hills, is a style appropriate to Farlam’s able charm about which we have minor resort’s 7,400-square-foot spa place of timeless tranquility. serene rural surroundings. reservations has five treatment rooms, plus 89 & Below — A hotel that did not meet the required standard an open-air relaxation pool. Traditional Western activities Find all of our recommended hotels at HideawayReport.com. such as fly-fishing, hiking and horseback riding are avail- Hideaway Report (ISSN 0884-7622) is published able. In addition, the lodge monthly by Andrew Harper, LLC at 4214 Medical Parkway, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78756. Periodicals has a partnership with a local Postage is paid at Austin, TX, and additional mail- ing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes helicopter company, which to: Hideaway Report, P.O. Box 684368, Austin, TX 78768. Tel. (866) 831-4314 or (512) 904-7342. Fax enables it to offer heli-skiing, (512) 904-7350. MEMBER: If the Post Office alerts heli-hiking, heli-fishing and us that your periodical publication is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a heli-mountain biking. Heli- corrected address within one year. Copyright 2019. Andrew Harper, LLC. CST #2110806-40; IST #1096; copters also permit moun- WST #603248672. All rights reserved. Quotation, Farlam Hall, England reproduction or transmission by any means is pro- taintop yoga and meditation, hibited without written permission from the publisher.

FULL-SERVICE TRAVEL PLANNING IS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS AT (800) 375-4685 OR [email protected].