Clarins Spa at Vidago Palace
Exhausted. Washed-up. Worn out. To recharge your batteries, you hopefully await the first flush of spring…we missed that…So then we look forward to the July heat…well that didn’t come either! And threatening storms, downpours, stormy winds, dragging out the same old excuse ‘ it’s below the usual seasonal temperatures’, as we are walking the dog through the town (north of the Loire), you’ve almost come to the end of our summer holidays, continually sporting a raincoat, morale flagging, stony faced, and an immense feeling of frustration. You have had a lack of sun, of heat and just summer feeling in general.
What you need is total relaxation and to be spoiled. Is that being selfish? Not at all, just a little bit of refocusing on yourself, both for you and for others (of course!!) You can never say this enough: if you feel good in yourself, you have a more positive outlook. The objective is therefore to let your mind wander with a relaxing massage – let yourself be carried away and really let go.
Let’s be practical about this: you’ll be heading for the southern sun (that you can see yourself doing). But not just any southern destination – you’ll be avoiding the packed swimming pools and overcrowded beaches. In any case to start with we want a place we can relax for a few days even if later we move on to find the nightlife. Direction Portugal. Direction Porto. Direction Vidago Palace. (A short hour’s drive from Porto). There you’ll arrive in a bright and luscious countryside. You’ll enter a park full of long-standing trees which form the backdrop for this beautiful building. The place where the building is located is an ancient spa, which needed little transformation into a luxury palatial hotel where you will take it easy, and enjoy the space for a few days.
There is a wonderful light, pure air, calming wind through the trees and a timeless atmosphere. There is a captivating luxurious feel, warm and friendly greeting and the feeling of having time to yourself. We eat well, we sleep well. We play golf. We swim a bit in the pool.
The Clarins Spa is the place where we will feel rejuvenated. For this reason alone, we will probably stay there longer than expected. Alvaro Siza Vieira is the famous Portuguese architect, known for his rigorous lines, that designed the building! An ultra modern facility in which there is a 2,500 m2 Spa (that alone is something). Inside is an invitation to relaxation, especially at the hands’ of the Clarins trained therapists’ expert care. The brand has found its own range of very effective wellness care.
We tried, amongst others, the Equilibre massage. An hour of impeccable massage carried out with a perfect technique, from which we came out practically levitating. Seeing as we don’t know how to walk on water we will go stretch our legs in the long indoor or outdoor pools. We can also paddle in the jacuzzi and finish it all off with a visit to the relaxation room. Then, return to your bedroom dressed in your white bathrobe (a private lift will make sure you will not be seen), get dressed, go down to the Bar, have a drink and chat with other people about the various treatments that await you tomorrow – in between a round of golf and lunch at the Vidago Palace Club House.
3 days & 2 nights (at least) will revitalize you. Say goodbye to rainy days, stay far away from me. And we bet that you will smile without even know why. That’s what we call relaxation!
Vidago Palace - Parque de Vidago, Apartado 16 - 5425-307 Vidago – Portugal
reservations@vidagopalace.com - www.vidagopalace.com
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G.L.A Hotels, the luxury hotels specialist
