“We should be an experience for guests to experiment with Portuguese products, Portuguese brands, and this means the coffee, the toilet paper, the wines, the amenities. This creates a kind of conversation and it's also storytelling for them to take home.”

We’re in great company with Sofia Brandão, Managing Director of AlmaLusa Hotels, a boutique collection of three soulful properties rooted in the heart of Portugal—from the grand historic squares of Lisbon's Baixa, to the ancient cobblestoned alleys of Alfama, to the sun-bleached tranquility of Comporta's coast.

Here, they have reimagined what it means to truly meet a place—not just stay in it—through heritage, Portuguese soul, and the warmth of genuine hospitality.

In this episode, Sofia reflects on ten years of building AlmaLusa with patience, purpose, and intention—reminding us that the most memorable stays are never about the room, but always about how a place makes you feel.

Top Takeaways

[1:55] Sofia didn't set out to run hotels—she set out to see the world, and somewhere along the way, the world checked her in.

[9:10] The Portuguese have always had history, food, and soul worth sharing with the world—and have spent centuries being far too humble to insist upon it.

[12:20] A decade in, AlmaLusa's quiet rule for growth has never changed—the right location, real heritage, and a neighborhood worth genuinely sharing with guests.

[15:40] After 25 years in Lisbon, Sofia is still getting lost in it—and she wouldn't have it any other way.

[18:15] Three properties, three entirely different heartbeats—from the vibrant historic square of Baixa Chiado to the poetic evening streets of Alfama to the unhurried, sun-stretched days of Comporta.

[21:15] At AlmaLusa, the history isn't hanging on the walls—in many cases, it is the walls.

[24:05] AlmaLusa has a simple vision—every product a guest touches should be Portuguese, and every one of those products should have something worth saying.

[26:20] In Portugal, the next meal is already being planned before the current one is over—and at AlmaLusa's restaurants, that spirit of gathering around the table is baked into every honest, ingredient-led dish.

[29:20] Alma means soul in Portuguese—and at AlmaLusa, that isn't a brand promise, it's the operating principle behind every greeting and every turndown note.

[34:10] Portugal will always be a small country—and Sofia believes that's exactly what makes it one of the most quietly extraordinary destinations in the world.

Notable Mentions

Six Sense Douro Valley

Pastel de Nata, Portuguese egg custard tart

Vinho Verde

Visit For Yourself

AlmaLusa Hotels Website | @almalusahotels | @almalusacomporta | @delfinarestaurants

% off with code FRIEND at checkout

“ I think that if travelers choose well where they go, they will always find rooted experiences and really personal experiences, because most of the wine world is like that. Wine is all about people, family, and stories. There's so much diversity with local producers. It's amazing because I promote many of my colleagues—I go to their places, they come to mine, I send my guests, I pick their wines for my wine list—and everyone has a story to tell.”

We’re in great company with Ana Lovaglio Balbo, Co-Founder of Susana Balbo Unique Stays, and the daughter of one of Argentina's most iconic winemaking legends—who has woven her family's four decades of passion for wine, art, and terroir into Susana Balbo Winemaker's House & Spa Suites—a hidden oasis in the vineyards of Mendoza, where luxury hospitality and winemaking heritage are inseparable.

From the vine to the suite, Ana has spent her career turning a winemaking legacy into a living, breathing hospitality experience—and she's only just getting started.

As Ana uncorks the story behind her family's remarkable journey, this conversation is a reminder that the most memorable hospitality is never about the accolades—it's about the people, the place, and the passion behind every pour.

Top Takeaways

[2:10] Growing up between the vineyard rows and the wine cellar, Ana's childhood was shaped not just by the land—but by the world that came to visit them.

[5:45] Hospitality came naturally to Ana—but it started, as so many good things do, with nourishing food and a table set for strangers.

[8:50] What does it look like when you lock down two visionary women with too much energy and not enough to do—and what happens to a city when they finally open the doors?

[14:45] Ana doesn't want you to feel at home — she wants you to feel like a welcomed guest in hers, guided through Mendoza by a local friend you didn't know you needed.

[17:30] A black door. A hidden garden. And the faint feeling that you've somehow slipped out of the world entirely—without ever leaving the city.

[20:45] Seven suites. Seven elements. One vine-rooted symbol—“el Árbol de la Vida”—where “vid”, the Spanish word for vine, breathes life into every corner of the experience, and quietly invites every guest to reflect on their own story while immersed in Ana’s.

[24:25] For Ana, two MICHELIN Keys, membership in Relais & Châteaux and the Virtuoso network, and a Silver Eco Label for sustainability were never the goal—they were simply what happens when you stop chasing accolades and start chasing excellence.

[27:50] At La Vida, expect to have your assumptions about Argentina gently, elegantly overturned — one white wine pairing at a time.

[31:30] From winemaking legends to the next generation of female talent, Ana's Winemaking Expeditions are a window into an Argentina most travelers never get to see.

[35:35] From concrete egg barrel bathtubs to grape seed scrubs, wellness at SB Winemaker's House & Spa Suites is less a spa menu and more a love letter to the vine.

[38:20] Waking up inside a high-altitude vineyard, face to face with the Andes—the Mountain Lodge in Valle de Uco is Ana's next chapter, and it's only just beginning.

Notable Mentions

Osadía de Crear & Espacio Crios

“Tila” herbal tea made from lime tree blossoms

Susana Balbo Limited Edition Blanco de Gualtallary

“ Medialunas” Argentinian croissant

Visit For Yourself

Susana Balbo Unique Stays Website | @susanabalbouniquestays

Susana Balbo Wines Website | @susanabalbowines

“Right now, I still use the same methods, the type of grapes, as my great-grandparents. The only thing that has changed is that now I am responsible for the Aceto Balsamico and my father has always trusted me to carry on in this tradition. Because for us, the balsamic vinegar is your family history in a bottle.”

We’re in great company with Mattia Montanari, the dedicated and determined founder and CEO of Opera|02, a certified organic winery, traditional vinegar cellar, and tastefully designed resort woven into the rolling hills of Modena’s vineyard landscape—where 3 generations of balsamic vinegar mastery meet contemporary hospitality, inviting guests to reconnect with the craft, culture, and terroir of Emilia-Romagna.

Mattia shares how growing up sneaking tastes of balsamic juice and getting his hands dirty in the family harvest shaped his vision to create an immersive experience where travelers could taste, sleep, and live inside his family's legacy.

In this episode, Mattia reveals that true innovation happens not by abandoning tradition, but by creating new ways for others to understand and appreciate it.

Top Takeaways

[2:00] Growing up in Modena, Mattia learned that craft creates connection—a lesson that would later inspire him to invite the world into his family's three-generation story.

[4:35] After traveling through the vineyards of Tuscany, Piedmont, and Napa Valley, Mattia envisioned bringing that same immersive wine-country hospitality back to Modena—but centered entirely around the time-honored craft and storytelling of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.

[5:45] At Opera|02, Mattia honors his family's wisdom by preserving the exact recipes and processes his great-grandmother began—proving that tradition and innovation aren't opposing forces, but rather two sides of the same story.

[8:00] Leaving the roar of Motor Valley's Ferraris and Maseratis behind, guests wind up into the vineyard-lined hills to discover Opera|02—where the noise fades into silence, and the only thing that changes with each season is the view from your terrace.

[9:50] From sunrise in the vineyards to sunset in the acetaia, a day at Opera|02 is an invitation to taste, touch, and witness the slow alchemy that turns grapes into legacy.

[11:05] Each of the eight suites is a love letter to the land—named Grappa, Nocino, Prugna, Aceto, Saba, Duroni, Vino, Miele—where the colors and textures of each room mirror the very products that made Mattia’s family name.

[13:40] In the acetaia, each family member has their own barrel aging in the darkness—a tangible thread connecting Mattia to his brother, his parents, his grandparents—a tradition that asks, what legacy are you building that will outlive you?

[14:55] At the Bistrot, every plate holds seasonal ingredients within zero kilometers and is touched by aged balsamic—telling you exactly who Mattia's family is and what this corner of Emilia tastes like.

[16:30] Opera|02 invites guests into vineyard picnics with baskets of local cheese and bread, intimate dinners among three hundred barrels of aging balsamic, wine tastings that change with the seasons, and Lambrusco served in a can—proving that tradition doesn't mean stuffy.

Visit For Yourself
Opera|02 Website | Shop Opera|02 | @opera02resort