A paradise, of its name Casa da Calçada, lost in the middle of nowhere, between valleys and idyllic landscapes, stands to amaze us with its majestic finesse from another era.
Built during the XVI century to be one of the main palaces of the famous Conde de Redondo, it has become a 5 star hotel since 2011, becoming a member of the renowned group of Relais & Châteaux.
This paradise is located in Amarante, a small and beautiful town, 45 minutes away from Porto and 1 hour and a half from the Douro Valley.
First Impression:
The first contact was an authentic delight for my eyes, as soon as I entered the small gate that opened to show the splendorous Casa da Calçada. On the interior, the Baroque style with neoclassical elements invaded my senses and made me travel in time at an astonishing velocity.
The check-in was done quickly but without that classic service of a 5 stars, the monitoring to the room and the presentation of the hotel was clearly missed.
I also missed that relaxation moment and the welcome drink, so common, for example in our trip through Thailand, but I have to get used to the idea that the Asians have an art of welcoming a little different from the European!
Bedrooms:
The Casa da Calçada has 30 rooms, divided in 5 different types, executive room, luxury room, superior luxury, executive suite and presidential suite. We had the chance to stay in a luxury bedroom (and what a bedroom!), romantic style decoration, with a beautiful marble bathroom, a super comfortable bed and an amazing view to the historical area of Amarante and the Tâmega River.
I am suspicious, I know, because I love this architectural style and all that makes me travel in time, but what can I do, I would actually live in a room like this!
Restaurants/bars:
The hotel has one of the most renowned restaurants in Portugal, where we had an astonishing gastronomical experience, the Largo do Paço, awarded with a Michelin Star.
This restaurant privileges the Portuguese regional cuisine and the Mediterranean flavors with all the creativity of the Chef Vítor Matos, becoming one of the highlights of the Portuguese gastronomy and deserving of your visit, at least once in a lifetime, but João will tell you all about this experience in another article.
Besides the restaurant, the hotel has also two bars, one right next to the restaurant that allows us to relax in a classical environment, much to the style of Kings and Queens having their wine or tea; And another bar next to the pool that wasn’t open at the time, once we stayed there in the beginning of May and the heat wasn’t enough.
Services:
Casa da Calçada although not having one of those huge spas like many hotels, has that they call a Spa Room, created to provide a unique relaxation, a travel that takes our mind to balance, allied to the quality of the products Alqvimia (of which I am also a user!).
Walking through the hotel we discover an interesting game room, an elegant space, worthy of an antique palace where the court would reunite and have some fun , a place that makes us imagine a quite fun evening with family and friends, at least.
One of the highlights of the hotel is the pool, on one side with a view from the top to the city, and on the other to the vineyards of the hotel, yes, Casa da Calçada has its own vineyards and produces wine, quite pleasant by the way (we had the chance to taste them in the restaurant). A calm environment, peaceful, with a surrealistic landscape that brings mindfulness to the most stressed mortal on Earth (ME)!
The Hotel has also rooms prepared to several events, congresses, conferences, or even for parties like weddings.
Besides these internal activities, Casa da Calçada allows us access to different moments of outdoor leisure in the local region, like the Golf Camp for the golf lovers at 15 minutes from the hotel; the bicycle path the city offers, with more than 9 km for the bike lovers, located over former rails.
Furthermore, to the most adventurous (not my case), you have the river Tâmega right in front of the door, with appropriate conditions for canoeing and rafting.
The hotel also provides a series of programs to its clients, organizing trips to nearby regions, like the city of Porto or the different areas of the Douro Valley.
São Gonçalo Church from Casa da Calçada
Service:
The service is polite, caring, and watchful, there is some attention to detail like for example the typical sweets of the region on our arrival to the room; however, and with the small “defects” I felt in the reception, I must confess I missed that exaggerated caring of a five star hotel (what can I say, I like to be treated like a princess!).
Nonetheless, our stay was unforgettable and we felt like in a small palace with a memorable past!
Casa da Calçada is for sure one of the highlights among the hotels in the country, hidden in a lovely small town, with the classic charm of a city crossed by a river, it assures us a unique moment of time travel, between the baroque decoration of romantic style that allows us to feel like princes and princesses living in a fairy tale, and maybe because of that the Portuguese government declared it a building of relevant Architectural, Historical and Cultural interest.
A building that attracts tourists from all around the world and assures them a real definition of hotel beauty and of haute cuisine! See you soon!
Casa Da Calçada
Rooms from 130€
Largo do Paço, 6, Amarante
(+351) 255 410 830
reservas@casadacalcada.com
Note
We stayed at Casa da Calçada by invitation, whereas this not alter our work, being the opinion and the text of the exclusive responsibility of the author.
Text: Cíntia Oliveira | Photos: Flavors & Senses
