Fladgate to open six new Douro hotels this year

The Fladgate Partnership will open six ‘insect hotels’ this spring, on properties where the company already has a substantial planting of vines.

The new bug hotels, largely centred around the Douro village of Pinhão, are due to open in time for spring and are expected to have “a high level of occupancy from the start”.

Designed by the company’s in-house architectural team, the five-story-high insect hotels have been built to incorporate high levels of natural materials such as wood and terracotta, and measures have been taken to ensure that each property should attract a variety of insects, which is critical to a healthy eco-system.

Head architect Victor Miranda said that the decision to use natural products will ensure that its winged visitors “enjoy a far more enjoyable and authentic stay than would have been achieved with any synthetic materials”.

Bees and other insects can expect “enhanced views from the upper floors” and a ready breakfast buffet from the surrounding plants and grasses.

Speaking tongue-in-cheek, Adrian Bridge, CEO of The Fladgate Partnership, noted “we have observed a high level of demand for this sort of accommodation starting in the spring and lasting right through to the summer. As the weather warms up and the multitude of plants start to blossom, the already majestic Douro Valley becomes an even more attractive”.

The new additions, based in Quinta de Vargellas, Quinta do Panascal, Quinta da Roeda, Vintage House Hotel and Taylor’s Visitor’s Centre in Porto, will serve to further bolster Fladgate’s sustainability credentials, which are already riding high, following its founding of the Porto Protocol.

The movement, which brings members together to reduce the impact of climate change, strives to be a catalyst for action across the wine industry in terms of sustainable viticulture.

Porto Protocol was awarded ‘Best Green Initative’ in the drinks business’ Green Awards 2020.