Anthea Gerrie Turns Her Back On The Sea To Face The Mountains In Dream Fitness Destination Hotel SIRO Porto Montenegro
It’s a brave hotelier who opens a hotel with no sea views in a marina resort where most visitors come to walk and dine beside the water and maybe take a boat trip to one of Montenegro’s charming coastal hamlets. But Kerzner International, which created the ultra-luxe One and Only and Atlantis resorts, is a name so steeped in hospitality, it’s not to be under-estimated.
There’s a reason why SIRO Porto Montenegro faces the magnificent mountains which drop all the way to the shore; this tiny Balkan country is also a draw for hikers and bikers, every kind of adventure tourist and, in the case of SIRO Porto Montenegro, athletes seeking a break to get back their fitness or train up for a new challenge.
The raison d’être of SIRO (pronounce it SIGH-ROW), which also exists in Dubai, with a Miami opening upcoming, is its huge, professionally-equipped gym and team of trainers and therapists, and the seriousness of the guests is borne out by the sight of a lobby vending machine dispensing not soft drinks or even coffee but a variety of gut-friendly fermented foods.
And while recovery and event training are fully catered for in-house, the other reason for coming to what the owners call “the epicentre of adventure” is to book land activities from trail hiking to biking to navigating the beautiful canyons close to the hotel. Of course Porto Montenegro, a newish resort which resembles St Tropez as reimagined in Beverly Hills, being on the ocean, every kind of watersport is available too.
Once I got used to mountain views from my window rather than the watery ones I had been expecting, I appreciated the exceptional facilities for the fitness-oriented. It’s always good to find an in-room yoga mat – yoga was one of the activities that attracted me to come – and a water-bottle, as well as the less-expected resistance bands vital for challenging muscles and stretching to the max.
Less visible upon entry to functional but comfortable rooms decorated in restful neutrals are the facilities designed to promote deep sleep, starting with a temperature-controlled cooling mattress. Soundproofing is highly efficient, and there are meditation playlists as well as the right sort of music to help guests nod off – important given that exercising late in the day, as most visitors surely will, can make sleep difficult.
Of course there are excellent robes in which to venture to and from gym, pool and the range of classes included in a packaged stay, which also includes that scary offer – a body composition analysis.
Yoga, which was promised by the pool, actually took place inside a well-equipped air-conditioned studio, after which the high-level pool beckoned for a welcome dip. As well as mindfulness sessions there are many high energy classes utilising state of the art equipment in the gym and its class-focussed Experience Box, and a Pilates studio too. Recovery for those who have over-trained is provided via specialised massage, lymphatic drainage and assisted stretching sessions as well as cutting-edge percussive and compression therapy.
Nutrition going hand in hand with fitness, it’s not surprising SIRO’s dining and breakfast menus are packed with fresh, seasonal ingredients, although it was less expected that the excellent beef produced in Montenegro would be prominently featured alongside a multitude of vegetables. Rooftop bites and drinks are an alternative to the cool, modern dining room, where I enjoyed a hearty plate of eggs Florentine awash in fresh spinach for breakfast on the terrace following a great steak dinner washed down with local red wine.
Porto Montenegro being walkable, the sea is just a short stroll away, and the main attraction is the plethora of huge superyachts to be observed close-up docked in the world’s only Platinum-awarded Marina. There are plenty of dining options on the promenade as well as inside the more traditional five-star Regent Hotel, whose lobby offers direct access to the top-class Thai-Japanese MayaBay fusion restaurant. Mind you, after a blowout here you’ll definitely benefit from a workout back at the gym in SIRO!
Tell Me More About Staying At SIRO Porto Montenegro
SIRO Porto Montenegro Jadranska Magistrala, Tivat Montenegro
T: +382 32 690 600 E: info.portomontenegro@sirohotels.com
Rooms from £195 b&b including yoga, Pilates and other group classes
British Airways and easyJet serve Tivat, 15 minutes from the resort, from London.
Click here for more information about Porto Montenegro
