Portuguese eco-spa Douro41 has partnered with Irish product house, Moss of the Isles, after a €500,000 (US$551907, £429372) refurbishment of its spa, located on the banks of the Douro river, Vista Alegre.

Douro41 is a 56-bedroom and five suite eco-hotel owned and operated by the Portuguese hotel group, Discovery Hotel Management, with a strong connection to nature and sustainability.

The hotel operates with eco-friendly measurements including a plastic ban, strict recycling system, minimal lighting and water conservation.

The 550sq m spa with five treatment rooms has chosen Moss of the Isles as product house because they align with the hotel’s focus on nature.

Using ingredients from Ireland and the British isles, the brand is concerned with environmental and sustainability concerns and manufactures ecological, organic, vegan and cruelty-free products.

Spa facilities include a heated indoor pool with panoramic river views, a sauna, Turkish bath and sensory shower supplied by Italian wellness provider, Starpool.

The spa menu offers massages, facials, scrubs and includes a moss river stone massage which incorporates the use of heated Douro river stones. Treatments have been developed to reinforce the attachment to nature.

“It’s important to operate sustainably as today’s traveller seeks sustainable travel experiences and most importantly, we are located at the front of a river which is a very fragile environment,” said Markus Laahanen, group director of operations at Discovery Hotel Management.