Hotel & Spa do Vinho in Brazil Makes Debut

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(SÃO PAULO, Brazil) - Autograph Collection Hotels announced today the debut of their new 128-room Hotel & Spa do Vinho in Bento Gonçalves in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil along with a franchise agreement with Harvest Administração de Bens Ltda. 

The legendary Spa do Vinho Caudalie recently received the prestigious "Best Spa in Brazil" award by Brazilian travel magazine Viagem e Turismo, for its wine-inspired spa treatments and incomparable setting.  Located in Bento Conçalves with 35 working wineries, the area is known as the "wine capital of Brazil."

Located in the heart of the Vale do Vinhedos (Vineyard Valley), the Hotel & Spa do Vinho opened in 2007 in a Tuscan-style building on 18 hectares (44.5 acres) in an exclusive setting of spectacular scenery, history and culture.  The Vinothérapie Spa, under license with French beauty and spa company Caudalie, specializes in unique therapies with patented wine- and vine-related products.  The hotel has two restaurants, Leopoldina Restaurante and Trattoria Damigiana, the Sabrage Bar, and a splendid wine cellar with more than 660 international and national labels for true wine lovers.  All outlets serve wine grown on the estate, which specializes in the exclusive Merlot VE wine.  The resort also offers five meeting rooms totaling 502 square meters/5,400 square feet.  In addition to the Spa, recreation facilities include wine tours, a swimming pool, fitness center, sauna, tennis court, hiking trail and library.

The area's mountainous landscape, cool highland climate and traditional Italian-style wineries, drawing from the heritage of Italian immigrants who settled the region in the late 1800s, contribute to the area's appeal as a tourism destination.  The hotel's hilly terrain provides excellent views of the vineyards surrounding the property and of the mountainous landscape beyond.

"We are pleased to be part of the Marriott International portfolio through Autograph Collection to showcase our beautiful retreat to a wider audience," says the couple Aldemir and Deborah Dadalt, directors and owners of Prisma Engenharia SA, a regional real estate development and construction company based in South America which will continue to manage the retreat operations. 

"The Spa do Vinho has an excellent local reputation as a luxury hotel with unique identity and experience, making it a perfect fit for the Autograph Collection." said Guilherme Cesari, vice president of hotel development for Marriott International in Brazil. "This hotel is renowned by the Brazilian bon vivants and connoisseurs, and we are excited about the opportunity to reveal this one-of-a-kind experience, for the rest of the world to also enjoy." 

"The Spa do Vinho is a spectacular addition to Autograph Collection, located in a premier vine producing region and a favorite vacation spot for the domestic market," said Kip Vreeland, vice president for Autograph Collection. "As our first retreat in South America in the exclusive Retreat category, we are confident that our Autograph Collection guests will embrace this unique retreat as the newest member of our portfolio."

The area surrounding Bento Gonçalves is being targeted by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism for tourism development and promotion.  Although it remains relatively unknown outside of Brazil and neighboring Argentina, the region also offers a number of eco- and adventure-tourism attractions, such as rafting on the Rio das Antas, rock climbing, abseiling (rappelling), paragliding and hiking.  According to the Bento Gonçalves Municipality Tourism Office, the city receives an average of 800,000 visitors per year and has some 10 hotels, including small bed-and-breakfast properties.  The closest airports to the Spa do Vinho are the smaller, limited service Hugo Cantergiani Regional Airport in Caxias do Sul, 35 km/20 miles away, and the larger, well serviced Salgado Filho International Airport in Porto Alegre, some 100 km/60 miles or a two-hour drive away.

Marriott International currently has four hotels representing four distinct brands in operation Brazil, the Renaissance São Paolo, the São Paolo Airport Marriott, the Marriott Executive Apartments São Paulo, and the JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro. Spa da Vinho will be the 28th property to join this growing collection of independent hotels that unites exceptional properties selected accordingly for their style and ability to provide exclusive experiences for guests. Members of Autograph Collection have the ability to access Marriott International's global sales and marketing channels, including the company's industry leading Marriott Rewards program, while maintaining their individual hotel brand identity.