CITYAM.COM22 MONDAY 3 JUNE 2019LIFE&STYLE

TRAVEL

WHERE TO STAYSet amidst lush, tropical gardens, PuenteRomano fuses newly renovated, luxuriousaccommodation with 11 world-classrestaurants, some multi-Michelin-starredlike Nobu with a great bar, all within a fewsteps to the beach. Visit puenteromano.com

WHERE TO GOVisit the historic city of Jerez andexperience some of the city’s best sherryat the family-run Tio Pepe. Sample thevarieties and types of sherry then wanderaround to admire the picturesque gardensand winding pathways. Visit bodegastiopepe.com

WHERE TO DRINKThe coco and chilli mojitos are simplydelightful at El Chiringuito Marbella,located right on the golden beachfront.Take a pew, as this spot is fantastic forpeople watching and a bit of glamorousdrama. Who needs Netflix when youhave this?

WHERE TO EATTake a drive to Zahara de los Atunes, avillage on the Costa de la Luz of Spain inthe province of Cádiz, and take a seat at Restaurant Antonio, offering off thehook tuna steaks like you’ve never tastedbefore, including the morrillo variety. Visit restauranteantoniozahara.com

ANDALUCIA,SPAIN

FUN FACTDepending onwhose lawyers

you’re speaking to,the ‘kiini’, a kind ofcrocheted bikini,was invented in

Trancoso.

HOURS IN...

The hidden art of Brazil’sbeachparadise

By working with localartisans, the UXUA CasaHotel in Trancoso has builta reputation for authenticitywhile promoting nativecraftsmanship. It’s a hotelwith real soul, discoversAngelina Villa-Clarke

working with him on UXUA CASA, it meansthat I can continue with my longstandingfamily trade. It means a lot.”

Dialogue between Trancoso’s craftsmen,says Das, is flowing and ongoing, allowingcreative input on both sides. “Many UXUACASA artisans now run their own craft com-panies locally,” he says. “And as a happy con-sequence, this creative micro-industry hasbecome an pillar of the local economy. It isgood news for the community; and for visi-tors to Trancoso which, as a result, steerclear of the typical t-shirt and snow globemerchandise found in other beach resorts.”

Since opening, the hotel has continued toevolve, with the latest project being a seriesof luxury houses, known as the UXUA AlmaCollection. These have been commissionedby private owners, such as CNN newsreaderAnderson Cooper and Chelsea-based art col-lector Ivor Brakor and are seriously high-end. Dotted around the square or foundfurther afield, such as in the nearby seasidetown of Praia do Espelho, Das works person-ally with owners to create a polished, albeitrustic, finish. While each property has itowns personality, they are all unified by a

While most hotel lobbies are fullof people checking in guestsor collecting baggage, at UXUACasa, the first member of staffI see is a man sitting at an an-

tique wooden loom carefully weaving ablanket.

UXUA Casa, in the remote Bahian town ofTrancoso, is no ordinary hotel. It’s made upof a collection of 12 rustic fisherman’shouses dotted around the town’s grassysquare, the Quadrado. Each one is brightlypainted – parrot green, cobalt blue or fuch-sia pink – and individually designed withrecycled-wood furniture, folk art and hand-crafted textiles.

Opened in 2006 by Dutch designerWilbert Das, it was originally intended asan homage to the artistic heritage of therural town, which boasts a sweeping UN-ESCO-protected coastline as its backdrop.Das began collaborating with many localcraftspeople, some of whom, like theweaver Evandro, now work directly fromthe hotel. As well as stamping their person-ality on the interiors of the property, the ar-tisans also work with Das to create theUXUA CASA collection. Think hand-wovenrugs, lampshades made of basketry and fur-niture crafted from antique ox-carts, forguests to replicate the rustic-luxe look athome. As a consequence, over the years, thehotel has been instrumental in encourag-ing a resurgence of artisan work in the area.

“UXUA is certainly an organic place,” saysDas. “We are intrinsic to the local commu-nity and work hand in hand with them, aswell as being greatly influenced by the richculture that is found here.”

The idea of UXUA came to Das back in2004, when he first arrived in the sleepytown. He was looking for a retreat awayfrom his demanding role as creative direc-tor at fashion label Diesel Jeans in Milan.With his business partner Bob Devlin intow, they wanted to find somewhere to hol-iday which would place them nicely off-the-radar.

“Straight away we fell in love with the au-thenticity of the place,” remembers Bob.“What started out as a search for a holidayhome became something that we wanted toshare with the rest of the world, and, twoyears later, UXUA Casa Hotel was born.”

Since then, UXUA, with its charming cot-tages and curated décor, has been creditedwith putting Trancoso on the map with ahip, glitzy set: Brazilian models such asAlessandra Ambrosio and Gisele Bündchenhave holidayed here, Beyoncé shot some ofher Blue video in the town, while her sister,Solange, spent her honeymoon here. Butit’s not always been quite so fashionable.

“When we first arrived, Trancoso was avery simple town,” recalls Das. “Its main in-fluence had been a commune of hippiesand artists who made it their own in the1970s and it was as if time had stood stillsince then.”

Affectionately labelled ‘biribandos’ by lo-cals, the hippies were an enterprisingbunch with a flair for arts and crafts. Backthen, the town still had a barter economyand was filled with close-knit families offishermen, farmers, and skilled craftsmen.The village's isolation spawned a spirit of in-genuity and creativity, especially in work-ing with wood and other organic materials,as well as in the simple art of recycling.

There are also deeper cultural influencesin Trancoso, which play their part in lend-

ing a distinct flavour to the remote spot.The native Pataxó Indians, who have livedin the area for centuries, the Portuguese,derived from the first explorers who firstdiscovered Brazil by landing in Bahia in1500, and an African influence, dating fromthe slave trade, which saw many ships arriv-ing in the region – all blend together to cre-ate particular chemistry.

“It really is an exceptional town,” says Das,looking out over the Quadrado, which isdominated by a stark white 16th centurychurch. “When I arrived I discovered a localatmosphere, history and culture unlike anyother, and I made a commitment to workwith the local community and share theirtalents with a wider audience. I don’t seemyself as a hotelier, but simply as part ofthe community.”

Evandro, who specialises in weaving bags,blankets and pillows, agrees: “I was origi-nally taught to weave by my mother, whocomes from a long line of craftspeople fromthe nearby state of Minas Gerais,” he says.“But the demand for the skill was dyingout. Ironically, I first came to Trancoso towork as a waiter, and then I met Wilbert. By

23MONDAY 3 JUNE 2019 LIFE&STYLECITYAM.COM

THE WEEKEND: Not only does it combine18th century palaces with the world’s bestnightlife, Berlin is the only place on theplanet you can enjoy the twin passions ofEuropean contemporary art and Germansports car design first-hand. What’s more,staying in a repurposed bank just minutesaway from Museum Island is the best wayto see every side of this thriving capital.

THE STAY: Nestled between the StateOpera and St Ludwig’s Cathedral, the Hotelde Rome was originally built as theheadquarters of Dresdner Bank in the1880s. The two-storey extension addedbefore Rocco Forte reopened the buildingin 2006 means a choice of light-filledmodern rooms on the higher floors or oneswith an architectural legacy in the originalsection of the building. I loved the HistoricBanker Suite, a former director’s officecomplete with hidden cubby holes in itswood-panelled walls. The basement spa ishome to just as much intrigue; not only isthe pool housed in the room that used tobe used for retrieving safety deposit boxes,but there’s a vault between two treatmentrooms which can never be openedbecause one of the keys is lost.

THE FOOD: Hotel restaurant La Banca’smenu is flush with thoughtful twists onhearty Italian classics (think plenty of vealand venison), and a confidentlyunderstated signature dish of sea bass insalt that didn’t disappoint when washeddown with a bottle from the brilliantselection of Riesling on the wine list. Skipthe flabby puddings in favour of after-dinner cocktails: the combination ofrosemary, vanilla and lime in a Rye ’n’Goslings works much better than the namedoes. And after years in which therestaurant landscape lagged behind thecoffee quality, Berlin is finally upping itsfoodie game, so it’s worth venturing further

Hannah Wilkinson check into arestored bank and goes for a joyride

afield. Try Oliv Eat on Potsdamer Strasseon for avocado and courgette toast andask the concierge to help you nab a tableacross the river at Dae Mon to feast onKorean-Japanese fusion.

ASK ABOUT: The hotel’s long-standingrelationship with art historian and curatorMiriam Bers of consultancy GoArt! Theformer gallery director is brimming withknowledge about Berlin’s established andemerging neighbourhoods and studios,and can arrange private access to fashion,art and architectural must-sees forenthusiasts or meetings with the city’s keygallerists for collectors. Send her picturesof your existing collection before your visitfor personalised recommendations ofunder-the-radar galleries and sales.

AND AFTER THAT? No visit to Berlin iscomplete without a trip to Sanssouci Park,a UNESCO World Heritage Site full ofBaroque treasures commissioned byFrederick the Great. Capitalise on Berlin’sposition as one of three Porsche Drivelocations in Germany where you cansample the country’s famed automotiveengineering for the day and complete the45-minute journey in a 911 Carrera 4 GTSCabriolet; it will be ample opportunity tosample the car’s 3.7 second 0-60mphacceleration on the autobahn beforewinding the roof down to enjoy views ofthe park’s architectural gems at a moreleisurely pace.

NEED TO KNOW: The Historic BankerSuite at the Hotel de Rome starts ataround £2,000 per night, includingbreakfast; visit roccofortehotels.com tobook. A day’s 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolethire from Porsche Zentrum Berlin costsapproximately £346 at drive.porsche.com.British Airways flies daily from LondonCity to Berlin Tegel.

TOP TIPResearch shows

alcohol improvesforeign languageskills, and only

German speakersget into Berghain,

so have a beerbefore trying it

HOTEL DE ROMEBERLIN (NOT ROME), GERMANY

THE LONGWEEKEND

strong Bahian sense of style, which includesinside-out living, lush, tropical gardens andreclaimed furniture. The result are a rangeof luxurious boltholes, which can also berented as vacation homes.

UXUA Casa’s guests, meanwhile, will alsofind themselves immediately integrated inthe local community. You can try your handat the Brazilian martial arts capoeira with alocal master, or go horse-riding with aBahian cowboy along the beach. There’s alsosurfing, sunrise yoga, or simply plenty of op-portunities to sample the sweetest ever pas-sion-fruit caipirinhas. Then there’s thesimple act of returning to your casa eachnight. It means crossing the Quadrado, pastan assortment of pretty boutiques, pousadasand hacienda-style restaurants. From thelocal children playing freely to a cool Cariocacrowd, this is a place where everyone mixestogether. Come night-time, a certain magicfills the air, with lanterns swinging in thetrees, and a bossa nova soundtrack carriedon the breeze.

The beating heart of the hotel is made upof an al fresco restaurant (the traditional fishmoqueca stew is a must), a glimmering

travertine-lined swimming pool, holistic spaand homewares store, filled, naturally, withhand-crafted pieces.

Here, you might meet Caio, a Pataxó In-dian, with tribal tattoos adorning his face,who is responsible for a range of mono-chrome, geometric textiles. You might alsocome across an assortment of art by Isakaand Neshani, who are part of the Huni Kuinindigenous tribe, from the Amazon. They areamong artists who are part of the hotel’sArtists in Residence programme – anotherrecent project – which sees Das seek out aline-up of international (and lesser-known)names to work in one of the casas (the dealis they have to leave their art behind to beshowcased in the house).

Meanwhile, a short stroll takes you to thebeach and what is perhaps the hippest hotelbeach bar you’ll ever come across. Carved outof an old fishing boat, it was made by Dati, alocal fisherman who learned his woodwork-ing skills from his grandfather.

It turns out that ‘UXUA’ – pronounced as‘Ooshwa’ – means ‘wonderful’ in Pataxó. “It’sa daily reminder of all that we need to liveup to,” says Das.

NEED TO KNOW Room rates at UXUA CasaHotel & Spaare from US$410(approx. £315) per night,based on double occupancyand includes breakfast, taxesand fees.uxua.com

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