BANGKOK - Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, a leading operator and developer of luxury hotels, resorts and spas in Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa and the Middle East, prepares to launch the first Anantara in Europe, with Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort scheduled to welcome its first guests on 1 April 2017.
Located along southern Portugal’s picturesque Algarve coast, Europe’s first Anantara will offer a tranquil retreat overlooking the Arnold Palmer designed Oceanico golf course, just 15 minutes from Faro International Airport, close to the ocean and stunning beaches, and a five-minute drive from the glamour of Vilamoura. The property is currently operating as Tivoli Victoria, with a number of key renovations being undertaken prior to relaunching as Anantara Vilamoura.
280 spacious guest rooms and suites with shady verandas face golf fairways and cerulean swimming pools. For holidays with families and friends, most guest rooms are interconnecting and a new luxury Family Suite category will accommodate up to four guests. Offering a pinnacle of rooftop luxury, the Two-Bedroom Anantara Suite will boast a huge terrace with a private dining area, Jacuzzi and sundeck.
The refurbishment includes the main lobby, the Anantara Spa and the gym. In addition the brand new Anantara Explorer’s children’s and teens’ club, which has been designed by World Wide Kids Company, will ensure world-class family-friendly experiences. Four swimming pools include Cascades, an adults-only pool with golf fairway views, and a children’s pool for family enjoyment with deckchairs by the kids’ club. Guests will be able to stay active at the floodlit tennis court and state-of-the-art fitness centre with a dedicated Personal Trainer. The rebranded Anantara Spa will offer signature Ayurveda based treatments and centuries-old Mediterranean therapies with a serene vista of golf greens. Yoga and tai chi sessions complement the wellness offering.
Six restaurants and bars will exemplify Anantara’s passion for indigenous flair. Dining is emotive and glamorous at the award-winning fine-dining restaurant and terrace EMO. Here, Executive Chef Bruno Viegas greets and immerses guests in a personal journey. Reinterpreting the Algarve’s native terroir cuisine with contemporary finishings, his signature dishes evoke childhood memories of the best traditional Portuguese cooking. At EMO, the huge variety of award-winning Portuguese wines are showcased and perfectly paired to each dish. Providing the ultimate seafood experience, Ria serves the best local catches, sourced from the secluded Ria Formosa natural eco-system, as well as a Raw Bar with ceviche and carpaccios. At the Victoria restaurant, dinner buffets rotate nightly with a different chef crafting dishes from their home region or country. The Anantara Breakfast in Victoria offers a buffet with live cooking stations, with a Baker serving Portuguese breads and pastries. For suite guests, a la carte dishes and continental breakfast buffet stations will be served at EMO. At The Palms Pool Bar, Sunshine Butlers with Algarvian wicker baskets surprise guests with refreshing treats including juices squeezed from fresh Algarvian produce. For adults-only pool tranquillity, Cascades` exclusive offering includes local Ria Formosa oysters and Champagne or sushi and chilled wine. At the Anantara Lounge and Bar, afternoon tea flows into Portuguese aperitivo hours and post dinner digestives.
Anantara’s signature culinary concepts will offer unique and engaging experiences. Presenting one of the most diverse Portuguese wine collections in the Algarve, the resident Wine Guru Antonio Lopes, who was voted Best Sommelier of Portugal in 2014, will host tasting sessions which can include a private visit to a local vineyard. For bespoke private occasions, Dining by Design offers a range of gourmet menus, a personal chef and butler, and a choice of intimate settings, including stunning golf course and pool view terraces, the luxurious Presidential Suite or lush garden seclusion. The renowned Anantara Spice Spoons Cooking Class will combine a tour of the Loule food market with an interactive cooking class in an open theatre kitchen with a Portuguese Chef. For Tea enthusiasts, Executive Chef Bruno Viegas is working on blending local flavours with specialty tea infusions to highlight regional heritage produce such as the Algarve’s orange blossom and almonds. Inspired by the seasons, the talented mixologists will concoct exciting signature cocktails and mocktails from local produce.
Anantara is bringing signature brand concepts to Vilamoura, such as the renowned Sundown ceremony in the Anantara Lounge and Bar, where the evening is ushered in to the seductive strains of Portuguese guitar.
Befitting its location overlooking the championship Oceanico golf course, Anantara Vilamoura will boast a Golf Guru, ensuring golfing holidays are not only seamless, but perfectly tailored to each golfer/s needs, from booking tea times, to organising individual or group golf tuition.
The resort will offer spectacular settings and venues for all types of events – from VIP dinners and weddings, to product launches and large scale conferences. The stand-alone Conference Centre has capacity for up to 800 people in its eight versatile rooms, most with natural light, and offers direct access for both delegates and set up vehicles, as well as to the hotel car park.
Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort’s unique signature appeals are matched by classic discovery of the Algarve. Famed as one of Europe’s most sought-after holiday destinations, this southernmost region of Portugal boasts a coastline of pristine beaches, sandy coves and breathtaking cliffs, whitewashed fishing villages and castle towns, olive groves, wineries and golf courses. A bastion of Algarve prestige, Vilamoura is a highly desirable enclave, blending a rich cultural history with the cosmopolitan allures of a yacht marina, designer boutiques and glittering nightlife.
