NEW YORK -- Turismo de Portugal, the country's official tourist office, reports that two upscale hotels--one a five-star luxury hotel, the other a distinctive boutique hotel--opened for business recently in Northern Portugal's Douro Valley, the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. Here's what the press releases have to say:

Aquapura Douro Valley

The new five-star luxury Aquapura Douro Valley is now open in Portugal's World Heritage wine region, the first property from this debuting hotel group.

Aquapura stands apart from other luxury hotels combining eco-friendly philosophies and a modern design aesthetic, while never compromising the integrity of surrounding culture and traditions. In fact, Aquapura integrates the local landscape into the building and uses regional, seasonal ingredients in the spa treatments such as grape seeds, olives and cherries.

The property is centered around a nineteenth-century manor house, with 50 rooms and suites, 21 villas, a 22,000-square-foot spa using Karin Herzog's skincare systems, chocolate facials, as well as oxygen treatments, three restaurants, a wine tasting room, two bars, a swimming pool, and all the modern amenities a seasoned traveler has come to expect.

The Aquapura Douro Valley's Web site is at:
www.aquapurahotels.com

Quinta da Romaneira

Why can't a hotel be as good as a glass of great wine? Well, the answer is now open in the historic Douro River Valley at the newly opened Quinta da Romaneira.

The new ultra-boutique hotel is housed in a pair of old wine estate buildings by the banks of the Douro. It's a breathtaking wine estate situated in the heart of a vineyard in the Portugal's Port wine country, a UNESCO World Heritage.

Romaneira offers 14 rooms and seven apartments with magnificent views over the Douro, and each building spread over the vineyard. Two of the seven apartments have 2 bedrooms. A group of private investors purchased the Quinta da Romaneira two years ago with the intention to renovate and start a luxury hotel. Romaneira is situated in Pedroso, 10 kilometers east of Pinhão. It is one of the largest, most imposing quintas in the region.

The Quinta da Romaneira's Web site is at www.maisonsdesreves.com/

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