The benefits of being a local
Portugal Resident
Spa membership at the Tivoli Carvoeiro offers a great deal more than a bit of pampering
Carvoeiro residents have no shortage of places to find a bit of pampering or, indeed, gyms and swimming pools, but the facilities offered at the Tivoli Carvoeiro hotel are without rival in the immediate area. And the good news is that the hotel has special membership packages created with full- and part-time residents in mind.
For myself and my wife, local residents who live very close to the hotel, it made a great deal of sense to join and, since we took up our memberships earlier this year, we feel that it has been excellent value for money.
There are three packages available offering monthly, three-monthly or annual membership. Benefits vary slightly depending upon the duration of the membership, but all options offer a monthly massage, full access to the hotel’s facilities (indoor and outdoor pools, steam and sauna, gym, group fitness classes, etc), 10% discounts at the hotel’s bars and restaurants and four monthly breakfast vouchers. In the case of the three-monthly and annual membership, there is also an allowance for classes with a personal trainer.
At first glance, the annual cost of €1,860 (or €155 paid monthly) may look expensive, but try adding up the cost of a monthly massage and regular breakfasts in a five-star hotel, along with gym membership and, even without the benefits of a heated pool for the winter months and spa facilities, it makes good financial sense.
The icing on the cake of the annual membership is a voucher for a one-night stay at the hotel (subject to availability).
So, let’s delve into what is on offer, starting with the massage treatments. On our annual membership, we get a 50-minute massage every month. The therapists here really know what they are doing, and the massage rooms are spacious and beautifully appointed. If there is one negative aspect to the spa, it would be the fact that the indoor pool, steam and sauna are not part of the same space; they are actually located elsewhere in the hotel. Not a major issue, but it does remove the seamless experience of wet area to treatment areas experienced at most full-service hotel spas.
I should add that the massage vouchers can be used as a credit towards other more costly experiences, based on their “spa menu” cost and also that the vouchers are not accumulative, meaning that if you miss your monthly massage, the voucher is no longer valid.
The gym is fairly small but adequately equipped with three treadmills, two exercise bikes, a rowing machine, two cross trainers and a good range of free weights. This is not the latest generation of equipment, but all is in good working order, and I am told that new equipment is planned for the near future. A tip for gym users would be: avoid early mornings as it does get busy with hotel guests working out before breakfast.
Breakfast offers an impressive buffet spread along with egg station and the quality of food and service is high. The same can be said for the hotel’s fine dining spot The One, one of the best restaurants in town, in my opinion. There is, of course, the Sky Bar on the roof of the hotel during warmer months, but, for a cocktail, my favourite spot is the terrace of the main bar which is protected from the wind and can be enjoyed all year round.
By PATRICK STUART
patrick.stuart@open-media.net
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