Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas believe in the transformative impact of travel. Through experiences, well-being, and the world around us, long-term positive change is woven into the very fabric of every Six Senses property.
Six Senses Douro Valley sits within the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage-listed Douro Valley in northern Portugal. The 71-guest accommodation Quinta (wine estate) dates back to the late 19th century when it was known as Quinta Vale de Abraão.
At the heart of the resort, the Wine Library houses a 700 references wine list, centered on the wines of the Douro and Portugal.
Located 125 kilometers from Oporto International Airport (OPO), the scenic drive to the resort is one of Europe’s most captivating.
Welcome to Six Senses Douro Valley
The entry driveway winds down through working vineyards leading to a cypress-flanked entry courtyard with a jaw-dropping view of the Douro River.
At the heart of the resort, the Wine Library houses a 700 references wine list, centered on the wines of the Douro and Portugal. A tasting room with self-service wine dispensers allows guests to pair the region’s renowned or under-the-radar wines with freshly prepared local delicacies day into evening. Activities including wine and dine Douro River cruises, visits to the favorite nearby wineries, tree climbing, kayaking, cycling, hiking, and traditional Portuguese tile painting are also offered.
Douro Design – Rooms, Suites and Villas
Six Senses Douro Valley’s 71 guest accommodations include bedrooms with panoramic river views, spacious suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, and wooden bridges leading to secret gardens.
All are sensitively refurbished to blend traditional highlights with Six Senses’ natural style. Tucked away in the gardens is the best-kept secret for larger groups: a One- or Two-Bedroom Villa, each with a private swimming pool. Just next door, in a beautifully renovated wine lodge, there are nine new Valley Rooms and Suites, which may be reserved individually or together to offer up to nine bedrooms, shared lounge with cosy fireplace, gardens with shaded gazebos, and a shared swimming pool and vitality pool.
Amenities include organic handmade king or twin beds, air conditioning, non-allergenic pillows, personal safe, tea and coffee making facilities, 48-inch flat panel smart TV television with satellite channels, WIFI, and a wine fridge in the Vineyard and Valley Wing.
Guest services include airport arrival meet and greet, laundry service, multilingual hosts, and the Guest Experience Maker (butler) Service connects guests to a wide range of activities within the resort, plus excursions to local wineries for wine tastings, boat trips on the river and visits to historic monasteries, Baroque churches, and charming villages.
Quinta Rooms and Suites
A pattern of light and shadow is projected on each guest room floor entrance. Authentic materials gathered from the Douro Valley area, spacious bathrooms lined with dove grey Portuguese limestone, comfortable seating and wide luxurious beds add to the room’s appeal.
Sleep and rest-inducing colors have been chosen to ensure a secluded retreat. The beds and mattresses supplied by Naturalmat are handmade in Devon, England using natural materials including organic lamb’s wool from local sheep. A minibar is pre-stocked and includes some hard-to-resist local offerings.
Vineyard Rooms and Suites
In the secluded Vineyard wing, the three guest rooms and seven suites are beautifully appointed for a very personal retreat. These guestrooms are particularly spacious, between 40 and 106 square meters in size, with a modern yet cosy atmosphere.
In addition, for an even more personal experience, guests can stock their own mini-bar in advance of arrival, which includes some tempting local selections. Each room and suite has a wine fridge with a selection of Douro wines, with temperatures specially regulated to keep the wines at the ideal temperature.
The bathrooms are spacious, and bedrooms feature two king beds in four rooms and super kings in three suites. All of the guestrooms on the fourth floor and the three suites have generous outside areas with comfortable seating plus hot tubs. Two of these suites on level six have private wooden bridges leading to gardens with seating and hot tubs – perfect for moments of meditation.
Valley Rooms and Suites
Situated on the other side of the organic garden is the property’s original wine lodge. This has been restored and converted into nine separate ensuite Valley Rooms and Suites. When entering the building, there is a large and spacious lounge area with a magnificent fireplace as the central element. This welcoming lounge can host many convivial moments throughout the day, starting with a continental breakfast and coffee before the morning activities get underway. Guests are also welcome to enjoy a homemade farmhouse breakfast in the Open Kitchen. All through the day, the lounge is a natural gathering space for a glass of wine, and a bartender is on hand at sundown to prepare colorful cocktails.
In addition to the two Superior Room, and the Premier Room with its own private terrace and vitality pool, there are two Valley Suites on the first floor both with a little balcony and three Valley Garden Suites with a private terrace and one with a fully equipped kitchen.
The pick of the bunch, the Valley Master Suite, offers its own spacious dining/living area with fireplace, bathroom with infrared sauna and bathtub, and floor-to-ceiling windows, which lead the eye across the shared gardens and pool area. The gardens are spread across different levels and are cleverly integrated into the valley at the foot of the gently terraced vineyard to offer uninterrupted views to the horizon. There are several lounge areas with different aspects to provide shade and sun, stepping down to a lawn on the ground level and shared swimming pool (14 meters by 4 meters) equipped with a counter-current machine.
Pool Villas
The One Bedroom and Two Bedroom Pool Villas feature locally inspired architecture and furnishings, enhanced with an array of modern comforts and amenities. Each has a fully appointed kitchen, separate dining and living areas, fireplace, and wine fridge. Outside, there is a separate entrance, heated pool with counter-current swimming machine, small lawn area with fragrant shrubs and private sundeck with day beds and gazebo. Anytime is the perfect time for a private dinner prepared by chef to enjoy in the cosy dining area or outside in the garden.
Six Senses Spa Douro Valley
Six Senses Spa Douro Valley is approached via ceremonial stairs flanked with incised bronze plaster and a wall covered in squared shelving where candles are lit throughout the day. The reception area is a lively place to interact, where guests can browse a selection of glamorous caftans, spa and yoga clothing for men and women, jewelry, swimsuits, robes and T-shirts, art and objects as well as a wide offering of beauty products and fragrances from The Organic Pharmacy, Biologique Recherche and Vinoble brands.
At the Nail Bar, guests can enjoy manicures, and two secluded pedicure stations have ledges to hold refreshments. The 2,200 square meter spa (24,000 square feet) has 10 treatment rooms and all have windows looking out over secret gardens and water features or stunning views of the valley. Relaxation pods have huge collar cushions to support the back and neck and a lovely amenity pantry.
The enormous indoor pool and Vitality Suite area are unparalleled in both size and indulgence. Worldly troubles float away to the expansive view on imposing trees of the hotel park and over the river Douro. The indoor pool has stunning floor-to-ceiling garden views and offers relaxation with underwater sound therapy and massage jets. New treatments include color therapy and cryotherapy as well as a choice of on-demand classes and expert personal trainers.
Just on the side of the expansive indoor pool a massive wooden table is set in front of a beautiful iron and wooden cabinet where old pharmacy ceramic and glass pots store all the ingredients necessary for the Alchemy Bar workshop. In this workshop guests can learn, hands-on, how to make home and beauty products based on natural ingredients. The fitness area is concealed behind frosted glass walls, offering an amazing view and a generous area for stretching and yoga classes.
Wellness Programs
Six Senses Integrated Wellness is an innovative approach to wellness that allows in-house experts to measure and analyse key physiological biomarkers. That way they can provide guests with lifestyle and nutritional advice, and design a personalized program of spa treatments, fitness and wellness activities based on the preventative principles of the Eastern medicine approach and the result-oriented Western influences.
Humans are living longer but not necessarily better. Whether from crowded and polluted cities, or fast food and daily stress, lifestyle impacts in health and longevity. This program aims to show that outer beauty comes from a healthy body and a happy mind, just as much as proper skincare. With its holistic approach, this program is all-encompassing, helping to achieve a balanced body and mind state for ultimate well-being.
A series of Yogic Programs: Discover Yoga, Yogic Detox and Yogic Sleep, were introduced to allow guests to experience yoga in a deeper and more profound way. These programs bring together the expertise and skills of in-house yoga masters with the healing properties of the surrounding environment.
Seasonal and sustainable – Six Senses culinary experiences
Dishes reflect the seasonal availability of home-grown and locally-sourced produce. Building on Six Senses’ commitment to healthy cuisine and Eat with Six Senses concept, another pillar of the Six Senses Integrated Wellness philosophy and approach to food and drink, the menu is totally focused on local and earthy products that have undergone as minimal processing as possible and are based on sustainability.
It is based on the guiding principles of natural ingredients, local and sustainable, and less is more, helping guests to reconnect with food safe in the knowledge that it’s good for them, and good for the world around them.
Wine Library
Like a village square, the Wine Library is the heart of the resort – the place where everybody goes, that offers all-day fun and joyful indulgence. Local artist Jesper Anderson gathered a collection of local iron tools and embedded them in plaster creating two art walls that anchor the room. Two monumental ceiling fixtures made of wine bottles banded with a frame of oxidized metal further define the multi-use space. A large table with an integrated lightbox in the middle of the area hosts wine tastings and tapas platters.
The tones are soft and warm; recycled wine crates cover some of the walls; leather upholstered sofas and shelves filled with books about the region and its wines beckon guests to slow down and unwind.
The space also acts as a pre-dinner meeting place. A self-serve Enomatic wine fridge allows guests to taste a selection of wines by the glass simply by tapping their wine card. Walls are lined with wine and Port bottles from local vineyards and a separate room for private wine tastings is also available. The tall communal table is the ideal location to meet with the Wine Manager to plan the next day’s outing.
On the spacious outdoor terrace, the Six Senses signature Cinema Paradiso happens during balmy summer evenings. Vintage films from past eras are featured while guests relax on comfortable cushions. Two long wooden tables with ice buckets mounted in the center and set under a vine trellis are also the perfect spot for guests to share wines and stories about their day of adventure.
The Open Kitchen
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this venue features seasonal menus highlighting local and regional dishes. A bountiful farmhouse breakfast incorporating Portuguese favorites is the perfect way to begin a day of Douro Valley discovery. An open cooking station complete with a wood-fired oven for bread baking and the Josper grill proffer a bounty of delectable dishes. This is also a location for cooking classes, where guests may learn the secrets of traditional Portuguese cooking. (Capacity 40)
Quinta Bar and Lounge
On the gallery wall hangs a collection of contemporary and vintage art. On a long-upholstered bench tucked into a comfortable recess guests can browse through magazines and newspapers placed on an antique center table for guests each day. The gallery flows into the Quinta Lounge with an aged, hand-stenciled plaster ceiling finished which reflects the history of the building. A corrugated concrete fireplace burns logs on cool evenings and a special bar offers chocolate, desserts and liquors as well as afternoon tea. A huge working wooden table recovered from a nearby winery sets the tone of the whole room. This antique table was used decades ago for labeling wine bottles by hand.
On the wall, four wooden pieces recovered from an old scaffolding structure are covered in a beautiful patina. The scaffolding planks were used while building the Schist rock walls found throughout the Douro Valley and to this day sustain the earth in the vineyard terraces. The shelves are filled with old copper utensils that represent all the rewarding work that has happened in the vineyards over the years. Old copper plates hanging on the wall simulate a gentle water wave on the river Douro.
Open Kitchen
The day starts in earnest with a hearty breakfast at the Vale de Abraão’s restaurant. The restaurant spills out onto the orange tree-lined terrace, enhanced by the enticing aroma of baking bread. A big farmhouse table displays fresh juices, cold cereals, fruit and local preserves. The ceiling is covered in a geometrical weave of jute bands. A creative lighting structure that is reminiscent of fisherman’s baskets hangs from the ceiling and an impressive table with a massive marble counter and a typical Portuguese ceiling are the key visual elements of this room. Colorful sharing plates and tasty menus are prepared in the Josper grill or in a traditional antique wood-fired oven, recovered from a local Quinta. Wooden tabletops and chairs upholstered in local textiles create a comfortable and lively atmosphere.
This is also the place to browse the visual history of the property, Quinta Vale de Abraão. Family photos of the previous owners, the Serpa Pimentel family, are on display and date back to the early 1900s. Later in the day, lunch and dinner are served in the same room and on the terrace. The menu includes small plates, produce from the garden, all fresh, local and tasty. On request, the chef will lead guests through the garden, assist in selecting the freshest produce then demonstrate how to prepare a special dish.
The Dining Room
Massive wooden doors slide aside to reveal a huge fireplace flanked by walls of 18th-century blue and white tiles – the showpiece of The Dining Room. A chandelier made of a wood beam with wood and crystal hangs above a communal table on an axis with the fireplace. A stone floor and a ceiling covered in cork with a structure of authentic oak beams shows the relaxed formality of a genuine Quinta dining room. The walls are plastered in terra cotta red inspired by local potters. A long ledge topped by a mirror acts as a linear service station.
Outside, a narrow stone terrace with small tables looks out over the organic garden and under a nearby trellis a barbecue area is flanked by a traditional wooden fired barbecue set to the sound of running water trickling down a granite fountain.
The Vale de Abraão Restaurant
With its 18th-century blue and white tiles, oversized fireplace, wood beams and granite floors, The Dining Room feels both spacious and intimate at the same time. Individual tables, sharing tables and banquet seating create niches within this grand room. For lunch, there are two different menus – Tradition and Wood-Fired menus. For dinner, a la carte offering, displays local ingredients and flavors. (Capacity 40)
Summer Garden Restaurants (Open from May till September)
The Pool Bar
Open during the high season, the pool restaurant features a healthy menu of salads and grills, sandwiches and smoothies. Fun, informal, great tasting and affordable, this is the place to hang out on a warm summer day.
The Summer Garden Barbecue
Looking for the best-grilled fish and meat in town? Our Garden Barbecue is set in a quiet corner of the formal gardens, overlooking the organic garden. Relax at communal tables nestled under the vines. A feast for food lovers, these nights tend to sell out, so book in advance and arrive hungry!
Destination dining and picnics
Destination Dining is a key signature within Six Senses and the culinary and service team placed special emphasis on creating menus and experiences that can be enjoyed on a beautiful spot on the river, in a honeymoon Georgian grotto or in a beautiful spot in our verdant forest. Our aim is to ensure that the guests explore the hotel grounds during their stay with us and feel they have a unique array of dining destinations both formal and informal and take full advantage of the produce and cuisine specialties from the local community.
In Villa Dining
Our Chef will ensure that the guests who wish to dine in the comfort of their room or suite can enjoy many of the signature dishes featured across the resort. Our philosophy is that dining in the privacy and comfort of your room should be as enjoyable as spending time in our restaurants.
Experience: Six Senses
Six Senses Douro Valley presents a diverse array of activities, cultural immersions and wine adventures. Our team can arrange trips to the prehistoric rock art sites in Côa or excursions to picturesque villages, historic churches and castles plus cruises and water activities on the river.
For many, wine and port of the Douro Valley are central to their experience with us. Oenophile activities include wine and dine river cruises, visits to wineries guided by one sommelier, tours of some of the oldest wineries in the world and visits to nearby wineries to meet the winemakers.
Sommelier Wine Tour
Choose the day, chose the time, choose the winery and we will do the bookings. This is how things normally work… In this program you will profit from a very exclusive addition: your driver is a trained sommelier who has the knowledge about all the wines, all the wineries, all the grape varieties that exist in the Douro. He will make your transfers an exciting wine journey and you will leave this beautiful region filled with knowledge about wine!
Harvest Experience
Although it only comes once a year, September and October are all about going barefoot in Lagares (granite stone tanks), stomping grapes during these harvest days.
Walking Trails
Ideal for our fittest visitors, treks with a private guide around the Douro Valley many national trails get hearts pumping while the eyes take in our dramatic and little-known landscape.
Activities Hut
The Activities Hut is the place to book many of the bespoke, heart-pumping activities in and around the resort grounds and on the river, from tree climbing, to mountain biking, kayaking and a full range of water sports. A Paddle tennis court is located near the activities hut. An art program including tile painting, watercolor painting and sketching.
Six Senses Sustainability
At Six Senses Douro Valley, as with all Six Senses Resorts Hotels and Spas, sustainability underpins each decision, from how the land is used to grow food, to the management of energy and waste, the efforts to conserve water and source local and seasonal ingredients for the resort’s menus, or the promise the resort made to the local community to employ hosts from the valley, our commitment to sustainability guides all the actions.
Earth Lab
Earth Lab is a place where every Six Senses property showcases their sustainability efforts to reduce consumption, produce locally and support communities and ecosystems. Guests are invited to visit Earth Lab to reconnect with the natural world and learn some simple life hacks that will allow them to make a difference. Six Senses recognizes that resorts have a social and environmental responsibility to the unique destinations they call home. Resorts aspire to be an active and supportive member of the communities in which they operate. To that end, every Six Senses resort manages a Sustainability Fund, which supports sustainability projects that benefit the local community.
Summer Garden Restaurants (May to October)
Garden Barbeque
The Garden Barbecue is set on a terrace overlooking the organic garden. A lush trellis where quirky light bulbs are suspended also provides shadow on hot summer days for those who choose to taste delicious, barbecued meats and vegetables picked directly from the organic garden. The sound of running water adds another element of nature to the experience and acts as a relaxing sound to all visitors.
Pool Time at Six Senses
Pool Bar – This lovely little bar services pool guests during the pool opening hours. Delicious light meals and colorful drinks reflect the vibrant tiles of the back wall. Chairs lined with striped fabrics give this place a joyful accent.
Main Hotel – A 25-meter (82 foot) long by six-meter (20 feet) wide outdoor pool is surrounded by a wooden deck with sandy-toned Gandia Blasco pool chairs and umbrellas. The space is surrounded by lush planting, a natural extension of the surrounding landscape, the olive trees and the adjacent organic garden.
Valley Rooms and Suites – At the back of the Valley Rooms, surrounded by a manicured lawn, there is shared swimming pool 14 meter (45 feet) by four meters (13 feet) equipped with a counter-current machine that will be accessible to all nine Valley rooms and suites.
Pool Villas – The two Pool Villas each one has a private heated pool with counter-current swimming machine measuring 10 meter (32 feet) by two meters (6 feet).
Cooking Classes
At lunchtime enjoy the vast knowledge of our kitchen team, make a gastronomic tour that runs through the different cooking regions of the country and learn the essentials of Sustainable food preservation in our Food Alchemy Workshop. Take a step back in time and learn how to preserve food the old-fashioned way. Learn the essentials of pickling, salting, dehydrating and smoking amongst others.
Destination Dining
Destination Dining is a key signature concept of all Six Senses resorts and the culinary and service team place special emphasis on creating menus and experiences that can be enjoyed in unique locations. Personal picnics or gastronomic experiences can take place at a beautiful spot by the river, by a scenic waterfall, in a Georgian-era grotto or in the forest garden.
Forest Wine Tasting
When wine and nature is something appealing to guests, Six Senses Douro Valley has the perfect match. A green and cool forest, some reds, whites and Ports, some are organic, some are biodynamic, and others are just delicious. Guests can sit down and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding trees, the river passing by, and learn all about wines that will charm in so many ways.
Pickles, Yogurts and Sprouts
“Pickles, Yogurts and Sprouts” is a hands-on workshop where food and sustainability go hand in hand. You will learn how simple it is to pickle organic produce from our gardens, how yogurts can be produced without using electricity and how to grow your own sprouts. By discovering the properties of those ingredients and health benefits we try to explore and help our guests discover how easy it is to create sustainable healthy food habits.
Shrubs And Tonics
A shrub is a combination of fermented cider vinegar with fruit, all blended with honey. Its properties increase good cholesterol levels, help reduce allergies and satiates hunger. In this workshop guests learn how to prepare fermented beverages at home and their health benefits.
Breakfast workshop
Discover the secrets and the magic behind our most valuable and up to now ‘secret’ breakfast recipes. Seasonal detox juices and bowls, fresh sprouts and herbs picked daily from our organic garden are the “star ingredients”.
Six Senses Douro Valley
Quinta de Vale Abraão, Samodães 5100-758 Lamego
[email protected]
+351 254 660 600
www.sixsenses.com
