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Algarve Tourism: A touch of class

Date: 25/2/2010

Spending a night in Bangkok without leaving Portugal, enjoying privileges fit for a king, or having a butler at your disposal. Impossible? Hardly. These are just some of the luxuries available to guests at Tivoli Victoria Vilamoura, the first hotel in the Ti­voli chain to be built from the ground up and to incorporate the new 'Collection' philosophy that promises distinctive hotels with personalised service. Under the slogan 'Experience More'?, the Tivoli chain offers a range of bespoke experiences and services at the complete disposal of its guests, who also have the option of staying at the five star self-catering apartments adjoining the resort, The Residences.

 

Surrounded by the fairways of the Victoria golf course, which will host the Portugal Masters 2010, Tivoli Victoria stands out for one service in particular: the private butler. Richards and James, also known as Ricardo Marques and José Quintas, embody the iconic image of an English butler 'so much so that they sometimes even forget their real names. 'I once introduced myself as Richards in my personal life,' recalls Ricardo.

 

Charged with pampering to the needs of guests staying at the hotel's 17 suites (one presidential, two executive and 14 junior), the butlers' duties begin long before the client's arrival, and include everything from preparing the room and packing and unpacking bags to drawing aromatherapy baths.

 

For the butlers, attention to detail is vital. Richards and James gather as much information as possible about the guests, so for example, they know what the clients' favourite newspapers and magazines (delivered to the suites daily) are, and make small gestures such as placing a card with an inspiring good-night message in each suite.

 

'Nowadays, satisfying the client is normal, but what we try to do is create these emotions and we have a team focused on achieving that,' says Tivoli Victoria's experience manager Angela Martins. It was this same team that created the hotel's two signature experiences 'A night in Bangkok' and 'Be Presidential' the first centred around the hotel's spa facility, Elements Spa by Banyan Tree, and the second in the luxurious presidential suite.

 

Bangkok 'arrives' at Victoria in the form of a relaxing massage given by one of the spa's Thai therapists trained by the prestigious Banyan Tree Academy. Covering two floors and seven treatment rooms, Elements is graced with a magnificent view and a wonderful sense of tranquillity. The experience is made complete with an Eastern-inspired meal that will transport you to the charms of Thailand.

 

But for those seeking true presidential luxury, guests can enjoy a meal on the presidential suite's balcony, with their own private butler and access to a Jacuzzi. To complement the experience, guests can also choose from a number of extras, and if they opt to stay the night, the hotel can adorn the suite with candles, rose petals and satin sheets for a romantic night.

 

Mário Candeias, general manager of Tivoli Victoria, is the man behind the operation. His career began as a receptionist at Hotel Falésia in Albufeira. Within three years he had climbed to the position of assistant manager. He joined the Tivoli chain in 2004 to manage what is now the Tivoli Marina Portimão. An ambitious man, he made it known to the management of his desire to become part of Victoria. 'Patience is not my middle name,' he jokes.

 

'What we did at Victoria was to make it possible to choose experiences, which has set us apart from the rest,' he explains. To take this position even further, two more events are set to put Tivoli Victoria on the map 'the Collection Golf Challenge planned for June of this year, where international golf stars are invited to play with the hotel's guests, and the Gourmet Masters in November, which hopes to promote an exchange between chefs over three or four days in a fusion and healthy competition between cooking and pastry-making 'one of the highlights at Tivoli Victoria thanks to its pastry chef Joaquim Sousa.

 

With an impressive CV that includes experience in various Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and a stint at Lisbon's Pestana Palace Hotel as executive pastry chef, Joaquim Sousa believes 'that a good dessert can salvage an average meal.' He admits that chocolate is his favourite ingredient and believes in transforming traditional Portuguese desserts in fusion cuisine. 'Joaquim is the master,' declares Mário.

 

Working with Joaquim is sous chef Bruno Rocha, who spent eight years at Vila Vita Parc before joining the Tivoli and puts into practice 'a cuisine of regional interpretation but with a more urban plating composition.'? Fascinated by ethnic cooking, he likes to work his dishes to the point of exhaustion. Evidence of this is his zebra of cod with turnip and pear purée, tempura, with an olive oil and cuttlefish ink emulsion topped by an olive crisp. 'The aim is to exceed clients expectations when they read the menu and taste the dish. In that sense, it's good to work with Joaquim because we complement each other,' says Bruno.

 

And how will it feel to compete against one another in the Gourmet Masters later this year? 'Interesting,' he replies cautiously. Source: Essential Portugal

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