Vidago Palace Hotel

Surrounded by natural beauty, Vidago Palace is the most prestigious hotel in Portugal, the perfect venue for destination weddings and an outstanding venue for high calibre corporate events. Long-revered as a spa retreat among Europe's elite - who came to benefit from the famed mineral waters of Vidago - the palace is a legend reborn.

The magnificent Vidago Palace is a venue fit for a king. Among the most famous historic luxury hotels in Portugal, the palace is combines the grandeur of a royal residence with the warmth of a country home. Surrounded by mountains and 250 acres of mature woods and parkland, Vidago Palace Hotel event spaces are perfect for a destination event in the Mediterranean. With 'Belle Epoque' charm, a state-of-the-art spa and a championship golf course, the palace is an unbeatable location for events in Portugal.

Once inside, the grand staircase, high ceilings, large reception rooms and sweeping views combine to create a truly magical atmosphere. A showcase of traditional craftsmanship, the Palace is resplendent with hand-loomed rugs, elaborate tiling and hand-painted wall-coverings Ð all designed to respect and enhance the building's illustrious past. The bedrooms are luxurious and include a variety of suite categories with marble bathrooms, roll top baths, balconies and views across the park.

The perfect venue for a destination wedding, the palace offers a variety of unique and majestic spaces for wedding celebrations. The palace's ballroom (The Salao Nobre), is the ideal stage for the most sumptuous party, banquet or wedding reception. With its imposing dimensions, this is one of the most imposing rooms and ideal for celebrating in style. With various outdoor wedding venues located within the park including a raised terrace, a lake, the outdoor pool, and the stunning spa fonts, it is a Mediterranean wedding venue that will fulfill all desires.

Corporate events have a grand feel at Vidago Palace. The on-site conference centre can host a variety of functions including meetings, seminars, press conferences, product launches and international summits. With a growing reputation for hosting important conferences, the palace has recently been the location of choice for many global events of note. The conference centre has seven meeting rooms, a large reception room, lounge bar and an amphitheater with capacity for 264 guests. All have excellent acoustic quality and audio visual facilities.

The interior architects Jose Pedro Lopes Vieira and Diogo Rosa La, in collaboration with renowned architect Alvaro Siza Vieira and with the support of the Palace's owners, UNICER, have worked diligently to recapture the splendour of Vidago Palace.

Commissioned by King Carlos of Portugal in 1908, Vidago Palace was originally conceived as an opulent holiday residence for His Majesty and his entourage, who, since the late 1800s, had been regular visitors to the region in order to enjoy the therapeutic effects of Vidago's famed mineral waters. Assassinated later that year, King Carlos never saw his project completed. Nor, in an ironic twist of fate, did his son and successor, King Manuel II, who was deposed in the republican revolution that swept across Portugal on October 5th 1910 - the day before Vidago Palace was meant to open.

Although it would never host its intended royal residents, Vidago Palace became a favoured destination among Portuguese and European aristocracy and was considered to be the most luxurious hotel on the Iberian Peninsula. In 1936, Vidago Palace was further enhanced by the opening of a 9 hole golf course, designed by the great Scottish golf course architect, Philip Mackenzie Ross.

In combination with the Palace building's impressive architecture (the combined effort of Miguel Ventura Terra, completed by Ant—nio Rodrigues da Silva Jœnior) the lush scenery and the purportedly curative properties of its mineral water spa, Vidago Palace continued to attract visitors, even during the Second World War, when Portugal remained relatively stable and neutral.

The post war era saw Vidago Palace's popularity soar, as well-to-do families flocked to the resort in the 1950s and 60s, enjoying afternoon tea-dances and walks through the enchanting grounds. Although it remained well-known among Portuguese visitors, the majesty of Vidago Palace was sadly allowed to tire over time and its international standing among the great spa destinations of the world faded into memory. Now under new ownership and management, the legend of Vidago Palace has been reborn.