Could this be the most fashionable hotel in the world? It will certainly be a first choice for the well-heeled.
Vermelho, the very first hotel created by legendary shoe designer Christian Louboutin, has opened in Portugal.
Newly built, the 13-room ‘Secret Getaway’ is nestled in the heart of Melides, a small coastal village in the Alentejo region.
The name “Vermelho” comes from the iconic shade of red that covers the sole of the designer’s shoes.
Christian Louboutin, who founded his eponymous label in Paris in 1992, says: “I realized that many people had the fantasy of designing or owning a hotel. I like to make my dreams come true. This is why Vermelho was born.
Vermelho, the very first hotel designed by legendary shoe designer Christian Louboutin, has opened in Portugal
Newly built, the 13-room ‘Secret Getaway’ is nestled in the heart of Melides, a small coastal village in the Alentejo region of Portugal.
Christian Louboutin, who founded his eponymous brand in Paris in 1992, says: “Many people have the fantasy of designing or owning a hotel.” The name “Vermelho” comes from the iconic shade of red that covers the sole of the designer’s shoes
The French fashion maven continues: “This project allows me to empty my storage full of antiques and objects that I have bought for many years!” Moreover, it is an opportunity to show the excellence of many artists and artisans that I admire.
The designer first passed through Melides a dozen years ago and was quickly “hypnotized” by the “dreamy atmosphere” of the village pine forest and “the unique beauty of sunlight on [its] lagoon’.
Seduced, he restored a small fisherman’s hut in the village and has returned there every June since to design his collection of winter shoes.
Designed to attract fashion lovers from around the world to Melides, Louboutin’s new hotel – which welcomed its first guests in April – is said to offer a “home-like experience” in a setting that offers an “eclectic and maximalist aesthetic”.
The retreat is filled with antiques and items the fashion maven has purchased “for many years”
The hotel is said to offer a ‘home-like experience’ amid decor that offers an ‘eclectic and maximalist aesthetic’
Louboutin says the launch of the hotel has given him the opportunity to “show off the excellence” of many artists and artisans he admires
The designer first passed through Melides a dozen years ago and was quickly “hypnotized” by the “dreamy atmosphere” of the village pine forest and “the unique beauty of sunlight on [its] lagoon’
To build Vermelho, he called on architect Madalena Caiado, with whom he collaborated on the design of his Lisbon home, located just over an hour north of Melides.
Walk through the lobby and you’ll spot a gigantic green and gold blown glass chandelier that was made by Indian artisans.
Greek painter Konstantin Kakanias embellished the walls of a suite on the second floor of the hotel, with the artist noting: “The suite I painted for Vermelho is basically inspired by the famous Villa Kerylos [an Ancient-Greek-Revival-style villa built in the early 1900s] in the south of France, but also pays homage to the Italian villas decorated with 17th and 18th century frescoes and to the imaginary places that I would have liked to visit.
“Like Christian himself, it’s a mosaic of memories, feelings and desires.”
On a stay at the boutique retreat, guests can indulge in spa treatments and massages
Guests can sip cocktails at Bar Vermelho (left), which features a decadent bar counter covered in silver leaf. The hotel is said to embody “the epitome of the bold spirit that so defines Christian Louboutin”
Notable decorative features of the property include the colorful tiles, which were made in the Portuguese region of Azeitao
The hotel’s restaurant, Xtian, is run by chef David Abreu
There are more ‘exuberant’ works by sculptor Elisabeth Lincot – her ‘Lagrima de Loros’ installation in the hotel is made up of around 100 glazed ceramic bird heads.
Other notable decorative features of the property include the colorful tiles, which were made in the Portuguese region of Azeitao.
During a stay, guests can indulge in spa treatments and massages, or sip cocktails at Bar Vermelho, which features a decadent bar counter covered in silver leaf.
The hotel restaurant, Xtian, is said to serve the ‘culinary treasures of Portugal’. It’s run by chef David Abreu, whose signature dishes include wild boar stew followed by ‘drunken pears’ – pears cooked in a wine-based syrup – for dessert.
Summarizing the retreat’s philosophy, a statement reads: “Embodying the quintessence of the bold spirit that so defines Christian Louboutin, Vermelho Melides is an exclusive, yet friendly hotel, open to the world while celebrating craftsmanship and traditions. of the Iberian Peninsula. ‘
Rooms are priced at £452. Visit vermelhohotel.com.
