Adrian Bridges and everybody who works at The Yeatman must be feeling very proud.
This stunning new hotel (it only opened in the summer of 2010) part of the Fladgate Partnership, which owns the Port houses of Taylors, Fonseca and Croft with Adrian Bridges as its Chief Executive Officer, is already winning awards. Its restaurant under the direction of Chef Ricardo Costa was awarded a coveted Michelin star and an award for the best wine list in Portugal, it has won an award for Best Hotel in Portugal and recently became a member of the prestigious Relais and Chateau collection of hotels.
In earlier centuries many British merchants and their families moved into the area and played a major role in the development and production of port wine. The Yeatmans, in 1838, was one of those families, their descendants still involved today and the hotel is named after the celebrated port producer, Dick Yeatman.
The Yeatman sits in some six and a half acres of ground high above the River Douro and the Port lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank of the river with stunning views across the water to the patchwork of spires and red tiled roofs that make up the historic city of Porto (Oporto), a 20 minute or so walk away.
From the moment you step through the doors of this five-star hotel into the reception area with its magnificent wrought iron work, statue and staircase you know that it will be impressive and luxurious. Adrian Bridge took some of the Foody Traveller team on a guided tour.
The hotel, he explained was designed to make the most of the stunning vista of Porto. From its decanter shaped infinity outdoor pool that seems to float lazily towards the city to the 82 terraced guest rooms with their louvered shutters that can be opened so that the city can also be seen from their bathroom to the stunning restaurant it does.
Most of the rooms and suites have been sponsored by a Porto wine partner and furnished with accessories relating to that particular winery, making for a fascinating insight into the overall history and production of port and Portuguese wines. Hotel corridors can be dull and characterless, but these have been made interesting with artefacts and exhibits. The world’s largest ‘cork’ stands in one corridor along with displays showing the history of cork-making.
We walked through Dick’s Bar, a favourite meeting point, where apart from a fantastic variety of ports and wine snacks and light dishes are also served and into the Library with its extensive selection of cigars and books . Young guests have not been forgotten either. There are the usual services and amenities for families and younger guests plus a special Kids Club with a daily programme of activities.
We peeped into the Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa where treatments include barrel bath immersions, shower massages with body and facial treatments based on natural ingredients, many of them using wine or grapes. Caudalie skin care products are also the chosen toiletries in the hotel’s bathrooms. There is also a Roman bath, a hammam and an indoor pool.
How we wondered did the hotel manage to keep the grounds looking so luxuriantly green – it is one of the few green areas in the city. Adrian explained that they were trying to manage the gardens as both a refuge for rare and endangered local plant species and for local and migratory birds. Obvious care has been taken to preserve several mature trees that were already established on the site. He added that the company was determined that the hotel should not be a strain on local resources so solar panels have been installed for water heating, photovoltaic cells generate electricity and there is a system for using rain water supplies for sanitary use and garden irrigation. And that a reverse osmosis system produces purified drinking water from the mains supply thereby reducing emissions caused by the transport of bottled water and the recycling of glass.
Our tour of the hotel had included a visit to the elegant restaurant and we were to be back at The Yeatman three nights later as one of us was having a significant birthday – we had decided, we had to celebrate in style.
The service was exemplary and the meal sublime – chef Costa and his team certainly deserve their Michelin star. A platter of tiny canapés was followed by an amuse bouche, a selection of five different breads appeared with dipping olive oil, the starter of sardines and artichokes was delicious as was the lamb and suckling pig that followed. A pre-dessert of a chocolate brownie and lemon sorbet was followed by fabulous desserts. The wine was pretty good too! The Yeatman’s 25,000-bottle wine cellar stocks the world’s largest range of Portuguese table wines and Ports. It was good to see that the menu lists a plentiful range of wines by the glass ranging from €5 to €29. The bill for the three of us, it has to be said, was expensive, but it was so worth it for a special treat. T.F.T.
We have since learnt that the Yeatman has introduced a regular and varied programme of wine tastings and events that include weekly wine dinners. Visit www.theyeatman.com