Douro41 Hotel & Spa is set to be northern Portugal’s go-to minimalist retreat.

Framed and inspired by the Alto Douro region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Douro41 Hotel & Spa fully maximizes its surroundings, with every corner providing a vantage point from which to observe the breathtaking scenery.

Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, suspended glass walkways and wide terraces put the locale on full display, while the property’s very own architecture, conceived by award-winning Portuguese architect João Pedro Serôdio, mirrors the terraces that have come to shape this landscape for centuries. Inside, 52 rooms and 10 suites are home to a warm and contemporary aesthetic courtesy of Lisbon-based architect and interior designer Cristina Jorge de Carvalho. A palette of neutrals, slate and putty grey outfit all guestrooms and are punctuated by clean lines, minimalist furnishings, and the ultimate artwork: clear views to the stunning Douro River.

The same theme is continued in public spaces, where modern and comfortable interiors dress a series of conjoined areas, each with a distinct personality. The À Terra Bar & Canteen is a convivial wine bar that is ideal for gatherings, while the intimate and cozy Porto Club, with its double-sided fireplace and low-key library, is a place for quiet and reflection. The innovative lobby market is a reinvented grocery store offering local products and contemporary crafts in a ‘market’ setting and provides a fitting balance to the adjacent Eclectic Lounge, which also riffs on a familiar space — the living room — and is comprised of a series of multifunction areas to encourage repose. A panoramic restaurant serving regional cuisine with an outdoor area completes Douro41’s exceptional and varied collection of recreational spaces.

With one of the world’s oldest wine regions on the hotel’s doorstep, a multitude of opportunities for R&R presents themselves. Combined tours and wine tastings are available, while an on-site fluvial with capacity for 26 boats offers guests the chance to explore the valley by water. The jewel in the crown, however, is undoubtedly the multifaceted spa — a bona fide temple to relaxation. Equipped with a hydrotherapy circuit, two panoramic outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, a Turkish bath and tepidarium, and four massage rooms, the spa is an extraordinary sanctuary in a hotel where downtime is celebrated.

For bookings visit www.designhotels.com