Enter the pleasure Palace

Almost hidden among centenarian trees, the majesty of Portugal's Vidago Palace is revealed in many layers beyond its impressive terracotta-coloured Belle Époque façade.

This newly renovated five-star hotel is set to be a year-round destination in its own right with a fabulous spa extension, championship golf course and fine and casual dining options. Here the luxury doesn't scream out at you in a gold taps way. Rather it is the thick pile of the carpets, the towels carefully folded so the subtle motifs match up and the eager yet discreet service from a local team, some of whom have waited during the four years of the restoration to get back to work.

Vidago Palace is a refined jewel of elegance in northern Portugal's Trás-os-Montes region, just over an hour's drive from Oporto. The environs are famed for the healing properties of their spa waters — allegedly there are more natural springs here than anywhere else in Europe.

The palace was originally due to be inaugurated by the then young King of Portugal, Manuel II, on October 6, 1910. The country became a republic the day before in a coup and the royal crest is still missing from the top of the entrance.
The hotel wasn't officially open when I visited in September. However, service was impeccable — as I would expect from a hotel managed by Parisian-based Grace Leo of GLA Hotels, whose portfolio of chic properties stretches from Bali to the Caribbean.

The restaurants, supervised by Josu Sedano-Martin, serve updated traditional Portuguese dishes. Expect the staple of this part of the world, salt cod. The dried fish is rehydrated over 36 hours with three changes of water to reduce the salt content, then poached in olive oil. The fish, served with warm potatoes and a mushroom salad with lemon and thyme dressing, tastes like it could have been from that morning's catch.

Trout, quail, foie gras and smoked ham from nearby Chaves reflect the countryside location. Grilled scallops, roast octopus and a sublime white bean gazpacho with apple, crab and almond dressing reflect the cosmopolitan menu. This is modestly priced at 40 for three courses and just 5 more for four courses. The wine list is equally accessible, with many of the huge variety of Portuguese and world wines priced at around the 30 mark.

My fellow guests were here to enjoy the activities of the palace and its grounds. The nearest of the estate's four springs, each with a slightly different mineral composition, is housed in a statuesque edifice, glowing with stained-glass windows. Step inside for a glass of warm mineral-tasting water from the iron oxidised font; a smartly uniformed bevy of ladies is there to make sure you don't exceed your limit of one glass a day. Further along the tree-lined promenade are the other springs and, either side, the golf course.

The signature 17th hole, the Eagle's Nest, has impressive views towards the northern border with Spain some 80km away. For those who consider golf a walk spoiled, solace can be found with the casual dining in the crisp interiors of the clubhouse, the former spring bottling plant.

The new spa extension has been designed by prize-winning architect Siza Vieira in his typically minimalist style. It has enough facilities to keep you busy for days, with water treatments a key selling point. A scalp massage with Frankincense oil, renowned for its ability to help concentration, was bliss on its own, but when followed by a deep tissue massage from the empathetic Ricardo, who co-ordinated his massage with my breathing, my focus was right here.

My room, a junior suite, was well-proportioned. The décor is timelessly elegant with the quality of workmanship leaving you in no doubt as to how palatial your surroundings truly are. The muted palette of pale olive, beige and matt silver is just one of 10 colour schemes across 70 rooms, all with views to the impressive gardens.