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NEWS
Portuguese brewer acquires two thermal spas, carries out contrasting renovations
POSTED 01 Apr 2014 . BY Helen Andrews
The Vidago Palace hotel has 20 treatment rooms, a Turkish bath and a meditation area Credit: Vidago Palace
Portuguese company Unicer, best-known for its beer brewing operations, has announced the addition of two northern Portugal spas to its property portfolio.

The company is best-known for its flagship beer Super Bock, but also has assets through its Pedras Salgadas mineral water brand, as well as recently expanding into tourism ventures. The tie-up continues the trend of convergence between the spa and mineral water markets.

Linked by the natural thermal springs on which they stand (and where Unicer sources its mineral water), Pedras Salgadas Spa and Nature Park plus the Vidago Palace spa have both been redeveloped by Unicer and designed by the modernist architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.

“The team has worked tirelessly to perfect the hotel’s spa offering; providing a cutting-edge menu that makes the most of the therapeutic effects of Vidago’s famous mineral waters and uses the latest beauty and wellbeing innovations. We are thrilled to receive this international recognition,” explains Spa Manager Vera Gonçalves.

Set within 20 hectares of parkland, the Pedras spa – set to open at Easter – offers 12 eco-houses, two treehouses and one main house, which all blend into the surrounding vegetation.

The estate’s naturally forming springs, rich in minerals, provide the water for the thermal spa. The spa includes a humid area for treatments incorporating the water, and a dry area for beauty and wellness treatments.

A heated indoor pool, sauna, hammam, whirlpool, Vichy shower and two relaxation rooms can be found alongside 14 treatment rooms – including five for hydrotherapy and two double rooms.

The second spa is at the Vidago Palace, a 70-bedroom hotel that originally opened in 2010.

The 2,500sq m (26,909sq ft) spa houses both indoor and outdoor pools, a vitality pool, Turkish bath, sauna, various relaxation rooms and a meditation area.

Amid 250-acres of pine and cedar woodland in northern Portugal, the Palace’s 20 treatment rooms now provide guests with products by Vichy and Aromatherapy Associates plus jet blitz and hydromassage treatments.

Unicer will own and manage both facilities, appointing their own operating staff in both spas.
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Uniting the world of spa & wellness
Get Spa Business and Spa Business insider digital magazines FREE
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News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
Portuguese brewer acquires two thermal spas, carries out contrasting renovations
POSTED 01 Apr 2014 . BY Helen Andrews
The Vidago Palace hotel has 20 treatment rooms, a Turkish bath and a meditation area Credit: Vidago Palace
Portuguese company Unicer, best-known for its beer brewing operations, has announced the addition of two northern Portugal spas to its property portfolio.

The company is best-known for its flagship beer Super Bock, but also has assets through its Pedras Salgadas mineral water brand, as well as recently expanding into tourism ventures. The tie-up continues the trend of convergence between the spa and mineral water markets.

Linked by the natural thermal springs on which they stand (and where Unicer sources its mineral water), Pedras Salgadas Spa and Nature Park plus the Vidago Palace spa have both been redeveloped by Unicer and designed by the modernist architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.

“The team has worked tirelessly to perfect the hotel’s spa offering; providing a cutting-edge menu that makes the most of the therapeutic effects of Vidago’s famous mineral waters and uses the latest beauty and wellbeing innovations. We are thrilled to receive this international recognition,” explains Spa Manager Vera Gonçalves.

Set within 20 hectares of parkland, the Pedras spa – set to open at Easter – offers 12 eco-houses, two treehouses and one main house, which all blend into the surrounding vegetation.

The estate’s naturally forming springs, rich in minerals, provide the water for the thermal spa. The spa includes a humid area for treatments incorporating the water, and a dry area for beauty and wellness treatments.

A heated indoor pool, sauna, hammam, whirlpool, Vichy shower and two relaxation rooms can be found alongside 14 treatment rooms – including five for hydrotherapy and two double rooms.

The second spa is at the Vidago Palace, a 70-bedroom hotel that originally opened in 2010.

The 2,500sq m (26,909sq ft) spa houses both indoor and outdoor pools, a vitality pool, Turkish bath, sauna, various relaxation rooms and a meditation area.

Amid 250-acres of pine and cedar woodland in northern Portugal, the Palace’s 20 treatment rooms now provide guests with products by Vichy and Aromatherapy Associates plus jet blitz and hydromassage treatments.

Unicer will own and manage both facilities, appointing their own operating staff in both spas.
RELATED STORIES
First continental European Neal's Yard Remedies spa opens in Portugal


The first continental European Neal’s Yard Remedies Spa has opened in what used to be the private home of a 17th Century noble family, now known as the Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda in the Western Algarve, Portugal.
MORE NEWS
HCM News: Taking GLP-1s is linked to a decline in physical activity
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Mubadala makes €1 billion bid for Pierre and Vacances
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed €1 billion offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the continental European Center Parcs business.
Synergy The Retreat Show launches resource for retreat business leaders to showcase specialisms
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The SATCC announces first five-day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat
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26-27 Jun 2026

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ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

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Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
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