Culture, community, design, wellness, and nature—these are the driving forces behind the international Aethos brand of member’s clubs and hotels, which launched its first hotel in Portugal, Aethos Erceira, in September 2022. The new five-star project lives up to all of its promises.
The five-star hotel has a stunning location, atop a 40-meter-high (130 feet) cliff at the wild edge of the Atlantic Ocean a few kilometers away from the town center. And it has an equally stunning design, with big windows and generous spaces that are suffused with natural light.
The 50 guest rooms are comfortable and stylish, with a palette of natural colors and a plethora of natural materials. But the public spaces are also inviting, especially the restaurant and the lounge area that seems to double as a co-working space. Guests also have complementary access to bicycles and beach buggies that will let them explore the surroundings.
The restaurant, Onda (“wave” in Portuguese) emphasizes “conscious food for conscious people,” taking a sea-to-table approach that emphasis flavor, nutrition and responsible sourcing. If that sounds like too much dogma, forget it: The food is tasty.
Wellness also comes to the fore in some of Aethos’s other offerings, including the spa, which uses products from the organic Swedish line Under Your Skin, the schedule of yoga and meditation classes, and the inviting saltwater pool.
Speaking of saltwater, Aethos also has its own five-star take on surfing. There’s a dedicated surf concierge who knows all the best breaks, plenty of storage areas for boards and wetsuits, complementary surf lessons a few times a week, and the option of privates with champion Joana Andrade, the first Portuguese woman to break into big wave surfing and the founder of the first female-focused surf school in the country. You don’t have to be a woman yourself to benefit from her expertise, enthusiasm, and positive energy.
For more information, visit the Aethos Ericeira website.
Aethos Ericeira
Rua da Estalagem
Encarnação
Phone: +351 261 244 510
Email: ericeira@aethoshotels.com
Rooms from 200€ (opening rate)
