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Faro, Portugal |
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Society - World Level Perfection |
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| March - 2005 |
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6
Stars & 7 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| "Land of day dreams and pure sunshine" Situated
in the very south of Portugal is a mythical, magical place filled with love and
contentment, the Algarve. Easy to reach through Faro International Airport, we
relished the warm buffeting winds as they caressed our northern faces upon
exiting the plane. A limousine with a professional uniformed driver expected
us, taking us by way of the modern Lisbon Albufeira Castro Marim Highway IP1 to
our destination. Though this part of the country was the last to be
re-conquered by the Portuguese King long ago in 1292, traces of the Moorish
presence are still recognizable in the unique architecture of the white-washed
buildings with their bold flower laden patios. This intense, treasured region
is filled with the perfume of blossoming fig trees, orange groves and almond
trees. It is the surreal setting of a most luxuriant and plenteous area
superimposed on a southern coastline that consists of a long stretch of
remarkably fine, white sandy beaches, broken up by bizarre looking rugged
cliffs and fairytale grottoes. |
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"An idea is salvation by
imagination."
I got a sense what the great architect Frank Lloyd Wright
might have meant with his words. |
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| Overlooking the bluest of all Atlantic oceans resides
Villa Vita Parc, an incomparably luxurious 54 acre resort perched into the
exaggerated sandstone cliffs with a celestial view of the Algarve, a divinely
organized world. Surrounded by acres of breathtaking botanical gardens with
over two hundred different kinds of palm trees, radiant white structures akin
to the Moorish age dominate this perfect picture. An awesome place in which we
were trying to capture this moment, forever. Thirty full time gardeners are
keeping the pleasingly manicured well watered green lawns; the trees and shrubs
loaded with bold colored, healthy blooms, in perfect harmony. Natural looking
ponds with swans, brazen with magnificent fountains and waterfalls were
competing for our attention, luring us to stay. |
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| The transformation of
the Vila Vita Parc Resort into a silky smooth, perfectly orchestrated fine
tuned machine is due in large part to the hands-on, inspired efforts of GM
extraordinaire, Ruediger Hollweg. With a plesant smile Hollweg welcomes each
guest he encounters during his repeated daily personal inspections of the
Resort's every detail from the ground up. As a superbly successful GM of this
World-Class Resort, he knows what it takes to keep Vila Vita Parc in this
finely tuned condition. |
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Rüdiger Hollweg & Thorsten
Piosczyk |
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| Our accommodations: A discerning detail oriented,
luxurious Grand Suite of 700 square feet, embellished in the Mediterranean
style with a private, spacious balcony on the 5th floor and two private
entrances. The blue sea water view was dreamlike! Nothing a world traveler
might desire was to be desired. This incomparable resort presents splendid
accommodations from suites, private villas to a private seventy-two foot yacht.
I yearned for the yacht; Simone wanted the patio wicker
furniture… |
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| I feel that we have a have to mention the Bela Vita
breakfast 'orgy', since we couldn't help but to indulge. I have never, in all
my years of traveling around the globe seen or tasted a more elaborate,
international, taste-pleasing breakfast than that morning as the golden sun
competed with the color of Simone's hair. My compliments to the chef, the
in-house baker, the butcher and to the Maitre'd. The following evening we
should get to dine at Aladin Grill, a stone built grill in the very heart of
the restaurant explaining its name. There we should get to witness the
preparation and celebration of true Mediterranean cuisine. |
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A well-appointed,
world-class (Seven Stars potential) health and beauty spa offers a wide range
of European treatments. Villa Vita Spa believes in treating the entire person,
that is body and soul.
We shall return… |
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| "Anything too stupid to be said is sung." -
Voltaire |
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by Simone Buehrmann & Thorsten Piosczyk
Editor-in-Chief:
John Lomitola |
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