Forrester Essence Douro Hotel

The Forrester Essence Douro is a three-star country hotel in Portugal’s famous port wine region.

Surrounded by historic wine estates, peaceful walking trails, and dramatic viewpoints overlooking the grand Douro River, the parish of Alijo is often overshadowed by the more popular riverfront towns of Pinhao and Peso da Regua. Less a tourist town, Alijó combines genuine hospitality with the proud traditions of the Tras-os-Montes region: wine, agriculture and hearty gastronomy, which are all authentically represented here.

Forrester Essence Douro is another piece in this regional puzzle: the building was constructed in 1944 by philanthropic José Rufino – a great benefactor to the town, Rufino built the Pousada Palacete de Alijo (as the hotel was once known), the Post Office, the Casa dos Magistrados and the Maternidade Hospital. The street outside still bears his name.

In more recent times, the pousada has found a new life as the Hotel Barao de Forrester. The renovation from palacete to hotel was careful and considered, preserving the regional character and unique architectural details of the original building. The hotel was renamed in honour of the English wine merchant Joseph James Forrester – one of the great names in the history of port wine history. Most-recently, the hotel has become a welcome addition to the Unlock range with an update to the name: the Forrester Essence Douro Hotel. There are twenty-one comfortable ensuite rooms, ranging from cosy Classic rooms to Charming Terrace rooms overlooking the garden terrace and outdoor pool. The hotel’s Restaurante O Barao is an excellent option for dinner – Unlock’s in-house restaurants always stand out for their imaginative use of seasonal, local produce and the Barao is no exception.

Due to the hotel’s rural location, we recommended including a hire car during your stay – although you won’t need a car if you’re Walking the Douro Valley with us.