.jpg)
The Furnas Boutique Hotel and Spa, the sister property of the Azor Hotel in nearby Ponta Delgada, is the perfect place to get away and reset yourself with the help of nature. A modern and immaculately designed hotel property, any lover of design and luxury will be comfortable here. One might find it surprising that this level of hotel could exist in such a tiny place, but it does. And, it takes your stay on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores to a whole new level.
Centered around an incredible spa, this boutique hotel caters to those who have wellness in mind. As a guest, or day visitor, you can explore the spa and take-in a massage, facial or steam. Soaking in the mineral waters of the pool and dining on freshly prepared, local and organic cuisine will leave you feeling balanced and, quite literally, at peace.
I was a guest at the hotel for the day, invited to see the property and also get a feel for the environment. The 45-minute drive from Ponta Delgada to Furnas is easy – and quite beautiful. You pass through quaint villages, over lush hillsides, past cow pastures and along country roads littered with wild hydrangea. In fact, there are so many hydrangea that it takes everything in you not to stop and cut them in an effort to ship them back home and sell them for profit. The blues and purples of the flowers are mesmerizing.
With only 54 rooms and suites, this property has decided to focus much of its energy on ensuring that each guest is catered to. The rooms are meditative coves of neutral color and comforts – one could easily spend days in the room and not be bothered. The hotel’s interior designer, Nini Andrade Silva filled the private and public spaces with huge photographs of nature – wildlife and landscape photographs of the island. There’s not one spot in the hotel where you don’t feel calm.
The delicious restaurant, A Terra, has been designed with communal and private tables, fostering the idea of community. Of course, private dining is available and my personal preference, but the option exists nonetheless. The food, much like that of the restaurant at the Azor Hotel, harkens back to nature, utilizing local, sustainable ingredients that nod to local recipes with international influences. I had lunch an dinner here – which were both divine.
Anyone looking to add on two or three days to your adventure in the Azores, you MUST see Furnas. And, you won’t find a better hotel option than the Furnas Boutique Hotel.
Photographs courtesy of the Furnas Boutique Hotel and Spa
