Christian Louboutin has masterfully crafted Vermelho Melides, an exquisite boutique hotel nestled in a small Alentejo village.
Design Pieces
Swimming Pool
Restaurant
Lovely View
Beach
Nature
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Vermelho is the brainchild of acclaimed designer Christian Louboutin who first fell in love with Melides over a decade ago. Returning year after year, he has transformed his fondness for the area into an extraordinary hotel.
Louboutin collaborated with architect Madalena Caiado and various esteemed artists and artisans to create his first hospitality project. Embracing Louboutin's signature colour, Vermelho, which means "red" in Portuguese, reflects the hotel's audacious spirit.
Entering through Vermelho's age-worn wooden doors feels like stepping into an art gallery adorned with the designers' eclectic collection of antiques, curious objects and art.
Each of the 13 rooms at Vermelho has been individually designed, providing a touch of Portuguese craftsmanship that makes it truly special. There are plenty of areas to unwind, such as the colourful gardens, a heated pool, the Indian Lounge, the excellent Restaurant XTian led by Chef David Abreu, and the adjacent hammered silver leaf Vermelho Bar.
Vermelho is one of those places that can only be fully appreciated through firsthand experience. We wholeheartedly recommend indulging in this hidden gem if it fits within your means.
Awesomeness
Vermelho is the first hospitality venture of Christian Louboutin.
Immerse yourself in a fusion of traditional craftsmanship, antique furniture, contemporary design and global artistry.
The attention to the smallest details is remarkable. Even the complimentary SPF lotions by the pool are thoughtfully coordinated with the colours of the towels.
The vibrant gardens with native flora, designed by Louis Benech.
Breakfast includes a basket of mouthwatering Portuguese and French pastries.
Bear in Mind
Due to tight building restrictions, the pool is smaller than envisioned. However, it's heated - a rarity in Portugal.
This is a place to switch off, but TVs are available on request.
All ages are welcome.
You might not want to leave.
Vermelho is the brainchild of acclaimed designer Christian Louboutin who first fell in love with Melides over a decade ago. Returning year after year, he has transformed his fondness for the area into an extraordinary hotel.
Louboutin collaborated with architect Madalena Caiado and various esteemed artists and artisans to create his first hospitality project. Embracing Louboutin's signature colour, Vermelho, which means "red" in Portuguese, reflects the hotel's audacious spirit.
Entering through Vermelho's age-worn wooden doors feels like stepping into an art gallery adorned with the designers' eclectic collection of antiques, curious objects and art.
Each of the 13 rooms at Vermelho has been individually designed, providing a touch of Portuguese craftsmanship that makes it truly special. There are plenty of areas to unwind, such as the colourful gardens, a heated pool, the Indian Lounge, the excellent Restaurant XTian led by Chef David Abreu, and the adjacent hammered silver leaf Vermelho Bar.
Vermelho is one of those places that can only be fully appreciated through firsthand experience. We wholeheartedly recommend indulging in this hidden gem if it fits within your means.
Renowned Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot was one of the artists given carte blanche by Christian Louboutin to adorn the façades of Vermelho Melides. Ducrot has created a Baroque-inspired décor with frescoes and mythological figures.
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Our stunning bathroom featured a massive bathtub adorned with hand-made azulejo tiles from the renowned centuries-old Fábrica de Azulejos de Azeitão.
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Vermelho's gardens, rich with local flora, offer the perfect setting for sun-soaked days by the heated pool—a haven crafted by French landscape architect Louis Benech, that blends into the Melides landscape.
We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast at Vermelho. Highlights included the array of Portuguese and French pastries that were brought to your table and the perfectly cooked a-la-carte eggs. Breakfast was delicious but also beautifully arranged, featuring tableware from Vida Dura.
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Enjoy delicious meals at Restaurant XTian while seated on Maison Gatti's handcrafted chairs. Under the ownership of Alexis Dyèvre, Maison Gatti collaborated with Christian Louboutin to design the Vermelho chair, drawing inspiration from a 19th-century archival design.
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Orfebrería Villarreal was commissioned to craft a hammered silver leaf bar for Vermelho Melides, showcasing the exceptional artistry of these Sevillian goldsmiths.
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Vermelho collaborated with Klove Studio, a renowned Indian design studio, to bring the artistry of Indian craftsmanship to its reception area. The grandeur of the hotel's entrance is accentuated by a magnificent green and gold glass-blown mural chandelier handcrafted by local artisans.
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PYMO's haute couture aesthetic shines in Vermelho Melides' Indian Lounge, furnished with Asymmetry armchairs and sofas in powdery hues.
Elisabeth Lincot's installation, Lagrima de Loros, graces an exterior hearth at Vermelho with glazed and colourful ceramic bird heads.
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Interview
A Conversation with Christian Louboutin about his hotel Vermelho Melides
“I truly think you can’t love a place without loving the people who live there, and I’m deeply in love with Portuguese people.”
– Christian Louboutin, French designer and owner of Vermelho Melides
First of all congratulations on creating Vermelho, we think it's incredible. How did the idea of opening your first hotel come about?
Thank you, thank you! I didn’t plan to open a hotel. In a way, I’m someone who likes to have a routine. When there is a place I like to go for dinner, for example, I don’t need to change, I’m not craving for novelty. I used to have this dinner place when I lived in Comporta - O Dinis – but when I moved to Melides I didn’t find any place where I could go every night by myself or with friends and set it as my HQ.
I thought, if I don’t find one, let’s build one. So I purchased this piece of land in the centre of the village, and a few weeks later the mayor came to me and said “What a big plot of land just for a restaurant, why don’t you create a hotel?”
And surprisingly, without thinking about it, I said “Yes, great idea”. And that’s how Vermelho is born.
Can you tell us a bit about your connection with Portugal?
I discovered Portugal as a teenager while touring the country with some friends. But my love for Alentejo started a few years later with Luis, a friend of mine who owned a family house in Comporta. We used to go there in the summer with Larissa, an older friend of ours living in NY. And I haven’t stopped visiting the country since then until I bought a place in Comporta almost 20 years ago.
I’m originally from Brittany, in the very far west of France and I found in Portugal something like the Breton people: this curiosity for what’s located over the seas. I truly think you can’t love a place without loving the people who live there, and I’m deeply in love with Portuguese people.
Was the process of creating a hotel in line with your initial expectations? What aspects did you find the most enjoyable or rewarding?
I didn’t really know what to expect when I started. I had already worked with the Portuguese architect Madalena Caiado on a previous house in Lisbon. The only brief I gave her was an Indian bangle of mine, totally sober from the outside, just a plain bangle of gold, but looking at the inside, it’s completely chiselled and ornated with semi-precious gems.
I wanted the same for Vermelho: very simple from the outside, perfectly integrated with its environment, respectful of the traditional Alentejo architecture, but when you pass through the entrance door, you dive into a completely different world, richly decorated, mixing influences and eras. Having the possibility to work and offer carte blanche to artists and artisans I truly admire was a bliss.
Vermelho Melides is the first hospitality project of French designer Christian Louboutin.
“Having the possibility to work and offer carte blanche to artists and artisans I truly admire was a bliss.”
– Christian Louboutin, French designer and owner of Vermelho Melides
When we visit hotels, even the ones we highly rate, we always find a thing or two we would change. Vermelho was an exception, the attention to detail is perfect. How do you bring this level of focus to every aspect of the experience and how much personal oversight do you have?
I would say it’s because we took the right time to make things the right way. Thanks to the confinement, I had the chance to spend a lot of time in Melides, to look at the way the light evolves over the hours and the days for example. But also we respected the time artists and artisans need to make beautiful works.
We visited their workshops and looked for the best ways to obtain the right colours and the right finishes. Most of the elements of the hotel have been made to measure for Vermelho, and I think that’s something you can feel when you spend time at the hotel.
What's your favourite piece or object in the hotel, and why does it hold such significance for you?
It’s like favour one of your children, I can’t choose. But I’ve got to say I’m particularly proud of the work done by Italian artist Giuseppe Ducrot on the façades and the frescos painted in the second-floor suites by my longtime friend Greek illustrator Konstantin Kakanias.
Merging Greek, Roman, and exuberant Baroque influences, Giuseppe Ducrot brings his flair for historical artistic techniques to the façade of Vermelho.
Greek artist Konstantin Kakanias has painted the Matinha and Bagas suites at Vermelho Melides, infusing them with his contemporary artistic flair. Having drawn inspiration from classical Portuguese design, he has blended influences from worldwide and throughout history.
We are intrigued by the many wonderful objects from other cultures at Vermelho. We would love to know more about the Bollywood posters. Can you share the story behind them?
I’ve had a passion for India since I was a child. I grew up in Paris, and next to my parents’ apartment there was a cinema named L'Athéna that screened only Egyptian and Indian movies. Since then, I’m mesmerised by the country, all the colours, the mix of different cultures, and the energy of the people.
I’ve been collecting Bollywood posters since my first trip to India when I was 16. So it was very natural for me to find them a place at Vermelho. It’s in a way a part of who I am.
Some of the wonderful Bollywood posters collected by Louboutin are on display at the Xtian Restaurant.
Vermelho Melides features the exquisite craftsmanship of Orfebrería Villarreal, a renowned goldsmith's workshop in Seville. Christian Louboutin has previously collaborated with them, and for Vermelho Melides, they have created a stunning bar adorned with hammered silver leaf.
What's your favourite hotel worldwide and why?
I would say the National Hotel in La Havane, for its old-fashioned atmosphere. And the people there are so sympathetic. I think it's not the standing of a place what’s the most important to me but really the love people put into the place, the quality of the service and the sympathy of the people making the place alive. That’s really something I tried to implement at Vermelho and look at all the people working here, they’re all smiling. It’s very rewarding to me!
Thank you very much for this interview Mr. Louboutin.
Where
Vermelho is a boutique hotel located in the serene village of Melides, in the enchanting Alentejo region of Portugal.
Melides is a quaint village located a 1.5-hour drive from Lisbon, in the municipality of Grândola. Here, you can experience the sleepiness of the Alentejo region, ideal for those seeking an authentic, off-the-beaten-track experience.
Firstly, we highly recommend checking out “Our Insider’s Guide to Comporta in Portugal”. And that isn't just because of the brief 20-minute drive that separates the two places. Melides is seen as the new Comporta, echoing what Comporta was like a decade or so ago.
Vermelho is situated in the heart of Melides village itself, offering a taste of authentic Portuguese life. Whitewashed houses line the narrow streets, elders play cards in local cafes, and farmers sell their produce at the weekly market.
A standout characteristic of Melides is its large lagoon (Lagoa de Melides) that cuts across the land and flows down to the beach and stretches of sand. The lagoon serves as an ideal spot for activities such as swimming, bird-watching, and picnics under the shade of umbrella pines. For a unique experience, consider exploring the lagoon via a stand-up paddleboard tour with Surf in Comporta.
Adjacent to the lagoon is the extensive Praia de Melides, a ten-minute drive south from Melides' centre. It's the most accessible beach in the area, with a spacious parking area, a restaurant and toilets.
When it comes to dining, there are a handful of local restaurants that serve traditional Alentejo cuisine, all perfectly paired with the region's excellent wines. Vermelho’s own restaurant, Xtian, under the guidance of Portuguese Chef David Abreu, provides an exceptional gastronomic experience featuring modern interpretations of traditional Portuguese cuisine. Moreover, Comporta has many great restaurants that shouldn't be missed.
Melides offers a tranquil, and off-the-beaten-path getaway. It's a place where you can truly unwind, immerse yourself in nature, and experience the relaxed pace of life typical of the Alentejo region. Just like Comporta, Melides is gaining popularity, so be sure to visit before it too becomes a well-known hotspot.
Watch the video above which we did with Condé Nast Traveller. In it we talk about Foz do Douro - the seaside neighbourhood in Porto where we grew up. check out the Full article on their website.
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Wander through the picturesque village of Melides and admire its quaint cobblestone streets, charming church, rustic cottages adorned with blue facades, and lively local market.
Founded by Rui Freitas, Carolina Irving, and Christian Louboutin, Vida Dura is a charming store in the heart of Melides that curates handmade works by local and international artisans.
Another cute shop worth visiting is Noemina, selling colourful curated clothes and homeware.
Memórias do Barro is a charming small pottery museum. This space, formerly an old pottery workshop belonging to the last potter of Melides, has been transformed into a museum to keep the region’s pottery tradition alive.
For traditional Portuguese food head to O Fadista or Melidense in the centre of the village.
Melides' large lagoon (Lagoa de Melides) is a must-visit. This water body flows through Melides' pine forests, rice fields, and meadows, nurturing a thriving environment for the diverse flora and fauna. Since 2010, it has been designated a "nationally important protected area".
Melides beach.
Discover the small village of Comporta (29km), with its cool little shops and restaurants such as the Deli Mercearia Gomes, Lavanda, and Loja do Museu do Arroz, while spotting the nesting storks. Check out Our Insider’s Guide to Comporta in Portugal.
Vermelho Melides R. Dr. Evaristo Sousa Gago 2 7570-635 Melides Portugal
Location
Vermelho Melides is a five-star boutique hotel nestled in the village of Melides, situated in Portugal's Alentejo region. The hotel is a 10-minute drive from Melides beach and a 20-minute journey to the village of Comporta.
By Air
The nearest airport is in Lisbon, a 90-minute drive from Melides. We highly recommend hiring a car to fully explore the region, with its breathtaking beaches and picturesque villages close by.
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