Hotel and Spa São Lourenço do Barrocal Opens in Monsaraz, Portugal

ENLARGE

COUNTRY LIVING | Austrian wellness expert Susanne Kaufmann; the resort; São Lourenço do Barrocal’s spa, overseen by Kaufmann; her new Advanced Anti-Aging day cream Photo: Courtesy of São Lourenço do Barrocal; Courtesy of Susanne Kaufmann (2); Courtesy of São Lourenço do Barrocal

AS THE PORTUGUESE countryside becomes a go-to destination for the style set, chic hotels are cropping up in bucolic spots, from the rugged coast to the rural interior. A prime example is the recently opened São Lourenço do Barrocal, in the eastern Monsaraz region. The 1,927-acre, 200-year-old property comprises the whitewashed, tile-roofed structures of a former agrarian village. “I was always interested in the conservation of the local architecture and repurposing it for contemporary use,” says owner José António Uva, whose family has lived on the site for eight generations. “Farm buildings now house hotel rooms, an olive mill became a bar—these spaces continue to be part of the daily life of the estate.” With rooms starting at around $215, the resort offers a kind of laid-back agritourism: tasting wine from the vineyards, horseback riding, lounging at the pool and picnicking in the vegetable gardens, which supply the hotel restaurant. In keeping with this holistic outlook is a partnership with renowned Austrian hotelier and spa owner Susanne Kaufmann, who brings her organic beauty line and signature treatments to the hotel’s spa. “The property is rich in natural resources of the highest quality,” Kaufmann says. “We have the same philosophy of understated luxury and attention to detail.” In addition to launching the spa, Kaufmann is releasing a new three-piece Advanced Anti-Aging line infused with pea extract, available in September. barrocal.pt; susannekaufmann.com

Related | What’s News: September 2016