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 Funny
place the Algarve! Sometimes the most delightful
surprises are hidden away behind anonymous
doors, down unmarked, unmade-up tracks or,
as in this case, at the end of an almost
suburban culde-sac of very respectable-looking
houses, itself at the end of a track with
minimal signs.
Having arrived,
the scene changes instantly. A matching
pair of Dobermans bound across the courtyard.
A tall, well-built, grey-haired man emerges
from the front door of the mansion and,
with a word, calms them. No, not a scene
from the TV series Magnum: this is a typical
welcome at Villa Cloud Nine, a luxurious,
discreet "Residential" just outside
the village of Alcalar, in the Western Algarve.
The first things
one notices - apart from the dogs and Alex,
the equally hospitable host - are the stunning
views of the Monchique Mountains and the
total peace and quiet - only the waterfall
in the garden breaks the silence. Entering
Cloud Nine is like entering a large, luxurious
family home. The "Reception" is a chic,
modern triangular marble table with a lilac
sofa for those waiting for, well, anything.
No racks of keys or smartly uniformed, politely-disinterested
staff here, just Lena, Alex's lovely wife,
with their baby son Fabio, who is delightfully
disinterested in the whole affair.
Then into the lounge
- a stunning marble-clad room with patio
doors leading into the garden. Tones and
shades of peach and grey make it warm and
welcoming without being too fussy or feminine.
.
Here, guests enjoy breakfast, a veritable
banquet of a buffet, at designer glass-topped
tables, or sit and browse through magazines,
or perhaps just sit in the comfortable sofas
around the fireplace. There is no formal
bar - guests help themselves from the fridge
or the trolley and make a note on the pad.
By now it is obvious that this is no normal
hotel, and indeed, its official status is
not "Hotel" at all, but "Residential". To
call Cloud Nine a Residential, however,
is to call Stradivarius just another violin
maker - it's true, but it's a bit of an
understatement!
Villa Cloud Nine
has only eight bedrooms, including one suite.
They all have direct-dial telephone, TV,
radio - well, a mini-system, actually -
and a mini-bar, complete with a full-size
bottle of French champagne. The smallest
room is delightful, larger than many in
major 5-star hotels. Each is completely
different, with its own colour scheme and
character. Black is striking, with bold
red to add drama. Pink manages to be soft
and subtle without being frilly. Green is
grown up, restful. All the bathrooms are
different, too, and range from sporting
a conventional to a corner bath, to a shower
built for 2 or maybe 3. Villa Cloud Nine
has only eight bedrooms, including one suite.
They all have direct-dial telephone, TV,
radio - well, a mini-system, actually -
and a mini-bar, complete with a full-size
bottle of French champagne. The smallest
room is delightful, larger than many in
major 5-star hotels. Each is completely
different, with its own colour scheme and
character. Black is striking, with bold
red to add drama. Pink manages to be soft
and subtle without being frilly. Green is
grown up, restful. All the bathrooms are
different, too, and range from sporting
a conventional to a corner bath, to a shower
built for 2 or maybe 3.
The furniture and
fittings were chosen by Alex and Lena personally.
"It took months," they explained, "to find
things that we liked, with colours that
were just right, that fitted in with the
feel of Cloud Nine". Much comes from Italy,
and many finishing touches were added by
Alex himself, including the paintings which
adorn the rooms and public areas. They are
abstract, strong and interesting, bold maelstroms
of blue, gentle trickles of pastel peach
- they reflect perfectly the character of
the spaces in which they hang.
Villa Cloud Nine
has been operational for less than a year,
and yet already clients are coming back
for repeat visits. One German couple told
Alex they were looking for somewhere special
for Christmas - the world was their oyster.
Where did they decide? Cloud Nine. Another
couple have booked their holiday for 1997,
their third visit. It has hosted its first
honeymoon, and guests are quickly becoming
friends. "Is it usual for guests to send
faxes asking how the dogs are? " asks Alex,
with a twinkle in his eye. Such friendships
have been fostered among people brought
together by their appreciation of the comfort,
quality and personal service offered by
Alex and Lena. "It's amazing how everyone
helps to clear up at the end of the day,"
says Lena, with embarrassment, "we have
to remind them they are guests!".
In the evening,
the large lounge is lit with candles, lots
of them, and the soft glow from some of
Alex's own designer lamps. This, with the
lights around the garden, gives Cloud Nine
a special intimate atmosphere that guests
clearly like - almost like an English country
house weekend, but with more sunshine! The
garden is very pretty, and literally thousands
of flowers, shrubs and trees have been planted
over the last 18 months. There are lots
of places to get away from it all, including
a seat under a willow tree on the edge of
the pond, with only the frogs for company!
All the rooms have their own balconies,
and there are other terraces, sheltered
and open, to provide meeting areas or quiet
corners. Just about the only drawback to
Cloud Nine is that, being at the end of
a cul-de-sac, there are a few other houses
around, including one next door: but a few
months of healthy growth of the already-mature
trees will even block that out. The swimming
pool is a gentle figure 8, and the pond
makes a lovely water feature, complete with
waterfalls. And beyond the garden? Acres
of open land, natural countryside, heading
towards the magnificent Monchique Mountains.
Asked about the
future, Alex and Lena are adamant about
one point - they will not expand. "We like
it as it is, and our guests seem to like
it too", Lena explains. "We've been lucky
so far, "says Alex, "almost without exception,
our guests have been really nice people:
taxi drivers, company chairmen, everyone
- and all really nice". Villa Cloud Nine
is the tangible dream of a high-flying businessman
and his new wife. It was created with so
much dedication and love that it just has
to attract nice people!
Villa Cloud Nine
is located just outside the village of Alcalar
(pass straight through the village, turn
right at the sign for the Restaurant Amadeus).
The road to Alcalar is virtually opposite
Penina Hotel, close to the small petrol
station. Keep going - its well worth the
journey!
It is open all year. Contact Alex and Lena
by phone 282 - 410 180 oder by Fax 282 -
471 699.
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