Octant Douro is located in a Douro close to Oporto city (it is roughly 40 km) which makes the trip more accessible for those arriving by plane and also for those who want to visit the city considered to be the capital of the North of Portugal.
Our location and the architectural characteristics of our building enhance the connection to the surrounding landscape and the sense of an escape from reality: built in schist and glass on a terraced hillside stretching down almost to the water's edge, the Douro41 had, at the heart of its foundation, various environmental concerns and the desire that the hotel should be coherent with its surroundings. Here, human construction is unobtrusive, merging harmoniously with the river and the mountains surrounding it – an example of this are the two outdoor swimming pools, both infinite, where we almost feel part of the landscape.
The natural setting is a constant at Douro41: due to the various balconies, patios and huge glass walls, any area of the hotel is filled with mountain, river, or both.
The decor of the different spaces, both exterior and interior, signed by Cristina Jorge Carvalho, also accentuates the feeling that we are being flooded by nature. A choice where Mid Century Modern design elements prevail, opening each area of the hotel to the outside (in line with the characteristics of this style, as Le Corbusier's atelier conceived it in the 1920’s), reinterpreted for give the space a feeling of comfort and warmth.
The modernity of the space is one of the differentiating points of the Douro41 Hotel & Spa: we are not in a 19th century farm or on the most tourist routes, as is usual in the region. We are at a hotel that is a work of art in a continuous dialogue with the river and the valley. And it is in this dialogue that the concept of the hotel is developing; a sophisticated but minimalist space, which is totally at one with its setting but where no detail is overlooked and guests' needs are never left to chance.
Here it is easy to forget about real world, the passage of time and everything that lies beyond the curves of the river – only once in a while, when a cruise boat passes by, we remember that there is more world beyond this.
And it was being aware of this overwhelming effect that the surroundings have, that we sought to improve the entire Spa area (which includes several treatment rooms, sauna, Turkish bath, sensations shower and a heated indoor pool and which has panoramic views of the Douro). And from that need came the partnership with the renowned Irish brand Moss Of The Isles, whose product line aims to celebrate the connection with nature while revitalizing the body and soul.
