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Press Review Old Portuguese Hotel |
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Jan Bos hates hotels, which might
seem a contradiction for a man who owns the second oldest hotel in the
world, and who has spent 10 years restoring the property. But his motive
is pure: "The whole idea," he says, "is to be like a house."
At first glance, Bos's "house", Lawrence's Hotel in historic
Sintra, Portugal (on the outskirts of Lisbon), seems common enough. It
has 16 tasteful rooms, including five suites, all individually decorated
in a "bucolic, romantic" style by Bos's wife, Coreen. However,
unlike most hotels, guests are encouraged to roam the entire building
and relax in strategically placed sitting rooms, English library, outdoor
promenade, restaurant, or bar. Soon Bos intends to open a port wine cellar
where guests can help themselves, bound only by an honour system for payment.
"I hate being served in a hotel", Bos explains.Such subtlety abounds. Visitors, for example, may not even notice the first symbol of the hotel's understated raison d'être. Bos explains that the marquee announcing the property deliberately highlights the name "Lawrence's" with the world "hotel" merely tacked on in undersized letters. |
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Inside, Bos promises fivestar
service and an eloquent but homey atmosphere. Since opening last year,
he has hosted two queens, two heads of state (Portugal and England) and
several well-known entertainers. But at Lawrence's, everyone is equal,
says Bos. "You won't see any staff take a signature, otherwise they're
gone..." Lawrence's
most famous historical guest was Lord George Byron, the great British
poet, who, by staying in 1809, made the hotel a place to be seen. The
hotel was first mentioned in 1764 in a postcard from a British tourist,
but may, in fact, be older. Nevertheless, Bos says it is the second oldest
hotel establishment in the world and oldest on the Iberian Peninsula.Over the years, the hotel underwent several name changes before finally closing its doors for good in 1961. The Boses, from Holland, bought the derelict building in 1989 and, after enduring many bureaucratic delays and a total reconstruction - "not one wall is untouched," Bos says - reopened last year with the original name. |
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Bos's first move was to hire Alfred Santos
to head up breakfast services. Santos had worked at the hotel as a waiter
when it closed in '61. "As soon as he told me that, I said, "You're
hired!" says Bos, who has picked up some antique artefacts originally
from the hotel as well along the way. Some of the original stone walls
of the structure were also incorporated as décor. But while Bos respects the history of Lawrence's, he was eager to give it the requisite modern touches. All rooms, for example, include satellite television, air conditioning, trouser press, and data ports. He also points out that the building meets Lloyd's of London strict fire code and has amenities for business conferences, handicapped guests, and, for all guests, beds that measure a full two metres by two metres (enormous by Portuguese standards). "I am, after all, a foreigner," Bos smiles. However, Bos's true passions are food and wine. "I want [Lawrence's] to become a "restaurant with rooms," he says. As such, he employs two chefs with experience in Michelin-rated restaurants. In fact, their contract allows them a 30-day paid sabbatical each year to study at any two or three-rated Michelin restaurant in the world. "I want Portuguese cuisine, but with international flair" says Bos. "The aim is to be one of the best [restaurants] without being snobbish!" In keeping with the homestyle theme, the restaurant is intimately laid out and decorated, and all food is prepared fresh every day "We don't even have a deep freezer," boasts Bos. Also at hand area-collection of about 150 Portuguese wines and 15 types of bread. For breakfast, which in European fashion, is included in the price, the restaurant serves champagne with a cold buffet, while hot dishes are ordered a la carte and "whipped up" fresh by the chef. Bos, naturally, decries the common hotel practice of serving eggs and bacon in a steam tray, left simmering all morning. "I hate it," he says. If the concept behind Lawrence's is unique, so is its locale. Called a "glorious Eden," by Byron, Sintra has since been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its magnificent palaces, jumbled streets, and striking mountain perch above lush, green valleys. Rooms at the hotel deliver spectacular castle or valley views. Sintra can be easily reached by train from Lisbon's Rossio station (45 minutes, departures every 10 minutes), or by car in about 30 minutes. |
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