Can you imagine a brand-new hotel that celebrates the beauty of craftsmanship and attention to detail with the vibe of an ancient touch and feel as if it has always been there?
Christian Louboutin’s first hotel, Vermelho, which means red, is a masterpiece of beauty that shows a different kind of luxury. In today’s luxury tourism.
The opposite of lounge music and areas, iPad controlled lighting in the room and large TV screens no one needs anyway are a welcoming asset this place has to offer.
The pure essence of the hotel is captured in the details, the friendly staff and everything that surrounds it in the heart of Melides, a historic village about an hour’s drive from Lisbon and 25 minutes from Comporta.
For his first hotel, Christian Louboutin collaborated with architect Madalena Caiado and his friend Carolina Irving.
The hotel, which is situated in a new building that resembles a centuries-old convent, is surrounded by a lush garden with fragrant plants and large trees, designed by landscape artist Louis Benech, and integrates into this laid-back village as if it had always been there. The façade blends in with the traditional village architecture, and the character of the hotel inside reflects this authenticity.
You will love spending time in your room, as the many personal touches and details make it feel like a home away from home, a box of handcrafted jewels that will make you feel like you are at home.
Artisanal details abound in every corner, from the water-blue wash of Vermelho’s façade, with its giant baroque ceramic appliqués by Giuseppe Ducrot, a fourth-generation Italian sculptor whose one-of-a-kind work Louboutin discovered at Le Sirenuse Hotel in Positano, Italy, or the walls of a junior suite with an ocean-coloured fresco by the Greek artist Konstantin Kakanias, who recently painted an Old Hollywood mural at Fanny’s, the restaurant at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, and who collaborates on many projects with the perfumer Frédéric Malle.
We suggest you book a weekend getaway now, before this charming gem is booked up. If you’re wondering what to do while you’re there, don’t worry, there are plenty of things to keep you occupied. Horse riding or swimming at the beach of Melides, 15 minutes away, is one option.
A stroll through the village, where you can discover a beautiful shop, which makes the bouquets for the hotel and has many ceramics and tableware that will be familiar from the hotel and can be purchased there. Go hiking or jogging in the lush nature that surrounds Melides and pamper yourself in the hotel’s spa, which uses Indian products from KAMA (link to interview on IW). Or just relax by the pool or in one of the many beautiful corners of this unique place, which really does feel like your own holiday home.
Find out more about Melides in our Travel Guide
