If there is a 'Grand Lady' in the Algarve, that is the grand-house . The iconic hotel marked a before and after in the south of Portugal and continues to invite you to travel with your senses to the most fascinating belle époque . Welcome to the Roaring 20's!
Authenticity, simplicity and a lot of soul. To Marita Barth, director of this emblematic southern hotel that treasures almost 100 years of history , only three words are enough to describe and synthesize all its essence. And she couldn't have picked them better.
Authenticity, because there is no doubt that the Grand House Hotel, this enigmatic accommodation that oozes stately character in abundance, stands on the border Vila Real de Santo Antonio making its uniqueness clear, both inside and out. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, like it for miles around.
Entrance to the restaurant of the Grand House hotel.
Simplicity, because those who run it know that good taste is found in the simplest things in life. And that, despite the fact that no detail is spared inside. The attentive service fights for it on a daily basis with a very clear objective: make your guests happy.
Soul, the one embodied in the stories treasured within its walls since Mr. Ramírez, a Spaniard with a great business vision who settled in this little fishing village since the mid-19th century with the firm decision to engage in the canning business , he jumped into the pool and launched the hotel project.
The result? East oasis of majesty that invites you to travel back in time: today, it is as if everything remained the same. And it is that never, ever, since the first stone was laid, the Grande Hotel Guadiana —as it was originally called— went unnoticed.
The harbor and the facade of the Grand House hotel.
Even today, everyone who passes in front of its façade, which preserves the original name at the top, contemplates its ornate windows and pensive balconies. “What great moments have been lived inside it?”, they will ask. And the answer is very easy: all the moments in the world.
A SHELTER IN THE SOUTH
The history of the Grand House tells that it was of the first accommodation of these characteristics – of maximum luxury, that is to say – that opened its doors to the south of the Tagus.
Ramírez was very clear about it: the Ibero-American Exhibition of Seville , which would take place in 1929, and great personalities would pass through the area. If there was a high standing hotel on the border between Portugal and Spain, many would probably make the getaway, so he got down to work. In 26 it was ready.
Before you had to tear down the former fishing cooperative building Vila Real de Santo Antonio, built in the past by order of the very Marquis of Pombal —who, by the way, had the town built from scratch after the Lisbon earthquake— to make the Grande Hotel Guadiana a reality.
View of the port and the town of Vila Real de Santo Antonio.
In front of it, the mouth of the river that for centuries has marked the natural border between the two countries of the Iberian Peninsula.
It was a time of prosperity at sea, in which the tuna It was still fished in Portuguese waters, which is why it was also a place of great transfer for large canning businessmen who, following in the footsteps of Ramírez, settled in the town.
And here's an informative wink: his company, still active, is considered the oldest canned food business in the world . It is in the fifth generation.
The marine style of the Grand House hotel.
The hotel project was entrusted to the Swiss architect Ernst Korrodi , who came to design up to 400 buildings in Portugal throughout his life. The style was very marked: the eclectic mix of modernist and baroque elements was its main asset.
A mix sprinkled with all the glamor necessary to transform it into a authentic architecture icon . In all a reference, also, of an intangible but very present detail: the unparalleled hospitality emotional Portuguese.
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
From the window of one of the 28 suites From the Portuguese Grand Hotel you can contemplate the calm waters of the Guadiana. On the other side, the white facades of one of the urbanizations from Cinnamon Island : Spain a stone's throw away, but admired from afar. We stayed on Portuguese soil, it would be missing more.
And we do it because, since opened its doors again in 2019 After a long period of neglect and extensive restoration, the Grand House has once again shone like the Grande Dame it always was.
A suite at the Grand House hotel.
Under the embrace of Relais & Châteaux, here guests feel at home from the moment they walk through its colossal front door, an act that involves a journey through time and that envelops with its colonial charm.
One returns to reality as soon as the housekeeper, a nice water dog and pet of the hotel, she welcomes —here, of course, they are pet friendly—. What better hostess than her to receive us?
It was the merit of the White & Kaki design studio, whose members had curiously fantasized a thousand and one times about one day recovering the splendor of the Grande Hotel Guadiana, knowing how to give a second chance to many of the elements that it originally had.
A design that ranges from exquisite moldings to authentic and valuable antiques ; from chandeliers to glamorous sailor details . Baroque style is overwhelming and seductive at the same time: perfect for the place where we find ourselves.
The staircase of the Grand House hotel.
Among the authentic remnants, it was achieved keep entrance to the building , the stairs leading to the first floor or their railings. Also the floors of the reception or the bathroom doors In the rooms.
Other elements had to be replaced to adapt to the new regulations: to avoid closing the corridors as a fire prevention measure, it was decided to replace the doors of the rooms with heavier ones that would perform the same function.
Before its decline, back in the 70s, the hotel had undergone a restoration and many points had been decorated with colored tiles that had nothing to do with the essence of the place. Tiles that could not be removed - the building is considered Property of Municipal Interest and is protected—but hidden behind elegant wood paneling.
The Grand Salon prepared for breakfasts.
IT'S NOT JUST ANY SUNRISE
When the sun makes its appearance every morning, at the Grand House Hotel they are exceptional witnesses. The first rays of light filter through the thick curtains: it's time to get up.
The shower will be seasoned with first class amenities from the company 8 9 5 0, ecological and plastic-free brand based in the Algarve. The cosmetic products, made largely from rosemary, lemon balm or aloe vera grown in the neighboring Serra do Caldeirão under strict control in respect of the environment, pamper us body and soul.
Then it's time for the first feast of the day: the breakfast, served à la carte at the charming tables of the hotel restaurant, they give away one of the best moments of the day.
And here you have to take it easy — the rush, what for? — and enjoy your selection of portuguese pastries , its sourdough breads, its cheeses, sausages, jams and homemade butter, and even its hot dishes.
Entrance of the Grand House hotel.
Fancy some Benedictines? Overlooking the elegant Vila Real marina, you'll know better. That the body asks for something sweet? Their matcha pancakes with almond cream and blueberries, they are the right choice.
It will be necessary to walk through the rooms of the hotel to soak up —or rather, continue to do so— those colonial remnants of the early twentieth century that are so present. The game room promises the perfect corner to relax.
Also the library, where a couple of friendly canaries play the soundtrack from their majestic cages. Upstairs on the roof panorama from the rooftops of Vila Real de Santo Antonio pairs with good music and the best appetizers.
One of the tasting dishes at the Grand Hotel restaurant.
As evening falls, a signature cocktail at the bar , with the notes of the grand piano playing in the background, will make you fantasize about saying “Play it again, Sam”.
A delicious Negroni will be the perfect prelude to what is to come: every night, the Grand Hotel's restaurant is transformed into a fantasy in which the Chef Jan Stechemesser combines ingenuity and wisdom behind the stove to shape a different tasting menu based on the kilometer 0 product.
Algarve salad of peppers and coriander, some mojama with which to recall the canning era or an exquisite sea bass will brighten our lives. To water the experience, nothing better than local wines —The Barranco Longo winery is exceptional—.
Plants that provide a certain air of exoticism everywhere, a screen of Asian origin, dark furniture and windows. Let us stay and live, please.
TIME TO GET THE TOWEL
Yes, the Grand Hotel also has Beach Club, Or what did we think? A shuttle from the house will take care of transporting us at the desired time to Ponta da Areia , the tiny local beach located right at the point where the Guadiana meets the Atlantic. A true oasis of sand specially prepared for us.
Aerial view of the Grand Beach Club.
Practicing the turn and turn in one of its comfortable hammocks while we taste a cool cocktail, or give ourselves a well-deserved soak under the southern sun, will be plans to check without remorse.
Also to enjoy, once again, sitting at the table: in the club's restaurant, with an informal but sophisticated atmosphere, they are once again the fish and shellfish the great protagonists of a letter molded, again, by Stechemesser.
Oysters, clams, prawns or ceviches. Also grilled fish or gourmet hamburgers. Gastro lovers will see their needs satisfied.
And so, with the sun setting on the horizon, the time will come to end this exclusive experience as so many did almost a century ago: with class. With style. As only a Beautiful Lady knows how to do it. And that is: isn't life great? Of course it is.
Sand and hammocks of the Grand Beach Club.