Jim’s Casa

CASA AMOR WILL OPEN IN THE AUTUMN, A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW. JACK AND WALTER DESCRIBE WHAT LIFE WILL BE LIKE WHEN THEIR VISION IS FINALLY REALISED FOR WHAT PROMISES TO BE THE MOST WONDERFUL BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Words: ELAINE JOYCE

RIGHT NOW, Casa Amor is something of a UFO! It’s not a hotel; it’s not a restaurant; it’s not an art gallery; it’s not a coffee shop; it’s not a French pastry shop; it’s not a delicatessen. But then what is it?

“It’s a combination of all of those things,” says Jack. “A glorious mix of so many elements – a place of rest, of quiet beauty, of change, of discovery, of life itself. It’s also a place of calm that will respect the privacy of guests staying at the boutique hotel, while it is also open to the outside.”

A somewhat complicated exercise, without question, but that is precisely what Jack and Walter wanted. “Too often places start off with a vision, but then turn in on themselves,” Walter explains. “We wanted our neighbours, locals and Olhão visitors alike to be able to join us for a coffee with a croissant, and for lunch.” And everyone, unsurprisingly, is requesting a date for the return of Walter’s veggie quiche and Jack’s chicken and fig club sandwich.

The partners have invested the same degree of thought into the decoration of the place. The coffee shop is incredibly bright, with a polished concrete floor, a counter dressed with green tiles showing the remarkable craftsmanship of the young Portuguese company Azulcer, the wonderful old crystal chandeliers of the Pensão Helena, the Portuguese white chairs, called cod tail, a reproduction of the tables of one of the oldest cafés in Portugal, with beautiful yellow marble. And there’ll always be good music adding to the atmosphere.

The tiny Casa Amor gallery will host exhibitions of local artists – Olhão is known for the creativity that reigns there – and also international artists that Jack and Walter love. Cleverly, this space will be transformed into a meeting place or work base when Casa Amor hosts business seminars.

The restaurant, which is scheduled to open in 2024, will also welcome non-guests. “It is a small space, seating around 20 guests,” says Walter. “The atmosphere will be intimate, reservations will be essential. We want to fight against the excessive food waste, common in so many restaurants. Our focus will be on developing exclusive dishes using local seasonal products, and incorporating luxury ingredients, too, and on a cellar of French and Portuguese organic wines from sustainable productions – we confess to a weakness for the wines of Burgundy and those of Bairrada.” It is also here in the charming restaurant that breakfasts will be served, a serene and quiet place open to the patio and yes, Walter’s pastries will be served.

The Casa Amor guests will have a choice of rooms –standard, superior, premium and deluxe. Some have a large balcony overlooking the patio or even a private terrace of 71m². “We will not welcome our guests from behind a counter,” Jack tells us, “but in the patio or the winter lounge –two areas that are reserved for them. Here they can enjoy the tranquility and the wisdom of the century-old olive tree, or the freshness of the lounge in summer and its pretty fireplace in winter.”

There is a large bookcase designed by Tatiana Bento and made by Silvio Lopes, beautiful books, vinyl records, a chess board, playing cards; a large white sofa, the old Cordoba leather bridges of the old pension, armchairs signed by Burel Factory, a huge painting by Marie-Anne Briskmann from Poitiers in France – we call it “the yellow pot” – that will set the tone of the winter living room, which will necessarily be sunny,” says Jack.

Guests can also enjoy the huge roof terrace. There is the shaded pergola, the white and denim blue sunbeds, the large benches painted with white lime, covered with blue and ochre cushions; there is space… a luxury in the historic district. They will be able to enjoy the view of the old white town and the Ria Formosa, and to dive into the pool, facing the church. But when do reservations open? Soon. The landing page is open, and the site is a few weeks away. casaamor-olhao.com is the place to go to plan your visit.

So life at Casa Amor goes on, between impatience and serenity, between artists and craftsmen, between arches of the 19th century and landing page of the 21st…