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Torel 1884 – a Luxury Boutique Hotel for your stay in Porto, Portugal

Torel 1884

Porto, Portugal

Torel 1884 – The perfect Luxury Boutique hotel for your stay in Porto. 

Nestled in the heart of Porto, Portugal, Torel 1884 is a haven of luxury and charm that promises an unforgettable stay. The hotel’s elegant architecture, adorned with intricate details, immediately transports you to another era.  It is an era where you still have a proper key to the door!

The historic building, a former palace dating back to 1884 (Hence the name), exudes a sense of grandeur that immediately transports you to a bygone era. Yet, despite its rich history, Torel 1884 effortlessly blends old-world charm with modern comforts.

  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Lobby
  • Hotel Catalonia Restaurant

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Torel 1884 Porto, Portugal

    Hotel Catalonia Reception

The Design

When I say that it’s a boutique hotel,  I really mean it… There are only 11 rooms and suites in the former palace and another 12 apartments in a nearby building.

Each room is individually designed and celebrates Portuguese explorations, such as materials and animals that Portuguese explorers found and brought back from their voyages to distant lands.

Each of the rooms, suites and apartments are named after one of them, such as porcelain, tea, and exotic birds. The idea was to reproduce its origin through colours, materials, and works of art. 

The Rooms

I reserved suite number 7 which celebrates  tobacco leaf, from North America and Central America..  It was an odd choice for me, given my hate of tobacco, but it was the gorgeous peacock-hued walls that seduced me.  

It’s classified as one of the superior double rooms. The room boasts soaring arched windows, peacock-hued walls, brass fixtures, subtle cane details throughout, and a rather large painting of Queen Victoria surrounded by cigars, as these were the only solution to her severe migraines. 

The beds were super comfortable and the rooms are so soundproof, which is great for those light sleepers out there (Hello Me Again)  

My bathroom was a marble affair with sumptuous robes and towls. 

The room has a Nespresso coffee machine, Mini bar, Television, Free WiFi and Air conditioning

  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Shower
  • Torel 1884 Suites & Apartments. Porto, Portugal

    Bedroom
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Bathroom
  • Hotel Catalonia Mini Bar

    Hotel Catalonia Mini Bar
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Yoiliteries
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Desk

The Food And Drink

I did not have a chance to sample the food that they served in the restaurant as this was my last day in porto and i really underestimated how much food i wanted to eat in the town.

I can say that I had a nose around the on-site  Bistro, and it looked gorgeous. Inspired by Bartolomeu Dias, the Portuguese navigator of the 15th century, the Bistro is a tribute to the great Portuguese explorers who roamed distant lands and seas. It is a chic and relaxed place to enjoy good wine, good food, and good conversation.

It’s a French bistro at heart, made with fresh Portuguese ingredients and, whenever possible, by local producers.

  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto

The Extras

Given the Torel 1884 is an ultra bijoux boutique hotel, there is no spa or pool. One suite does have a rooftop jacuzzi, though) The hotel does offer in-room therapies and treatments.  

On the top floor, there is a stunning library under a arched glass roof with a vast collection of vintage books on design, history and pop culture. There is even  Honesty Bar available for self-service consumption. 

The Damage

My Superior Double room was €320 per night, booked directly through their website. They do have slightly discounted rates that are non-refundable, but they allow one free change up to four days before arrival.

Considering this is a Luxury Boutique hotel in Porto, it was not really budget-friendly, but I could easily justify every penny for the night that I stayed. 

Torel 1884 Suites & Apartments
Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, N.º228Porto, 4050-417 Portugal

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Design Hotels, Hotels, porto, Portugal

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Hotel Catalonia Porto – The perfect spa hotel for your stay in Porto

Hotel Catalonia Porto

Porto, Portugal

Hotel Catalonia Porto is perfect spa hotel for your stay in Porto

  • Are you hunting for the perfect hotel for your weekend in Porto?
  • A hotel that has a pool, spa, sauna and gym?
  • A hotel that is super hospitable, like offering you a cocktail and nibbles upon arrival?
  • A hotel that’s super convenient to almost everything you would like to see in Porto without being in a cramped date hotel?
  • A hotel that’s spacious and well-equipped?

If you answered yes to any of those questions… I have found the perfect hotel in Porto that fits that bill. Say Hello to Hotel Catalonia Porto.  It is part of the Catalonia Hotel Collection of Hotels throughout Europe. They have loads of hotels across Spain… but this is their first foray into Portugal; I would assume that my experience will be similar at most of their locations.

  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Lobby
  • Hotel Catalonia Restaurant

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Reception

The Neighbourhood

The Catalonia Porto sits next to the cosmopolitan Batalha Square, one of the city’s major leisure and shopping areas. The hotel is within walking distance to all of the incredible azulejo tiles in Porto … São Bento Railway Station, Capela das Almas and Igreja de Santo Ildefonso are all within easy walking distance.

The hotel is just five minutes from the Ribeira district, which has been declared a World Heritage Site, and its wide choice of restaurants and bars on the banks of the Douro near Dom Luís I Bridge. 

The Design

The pink-fronted hotel itself comprises 86 rooms in a group of listed buildings that have an architectural style typical of the city in the 18th century

Seeing as the hotel opened in December 2019, the interior is bang up-to-date. It’s modern without feeling sparse, thanks to the touches of Portuguese-style tiles, glassware, textiles and ceramics used in the interior.

The Rooms

Think white walls, pale wood table tables, crisp white linens, and those Portuguese blue and white tiles.

The beds were super comfortable, so much so that I only intended to stay one night, but I extended my stay to two more nights. The pillows and duvet are feather-free, perfect for allergy sufferers (Hello Me). The rooms are so soundproof, which is great for those light sleepers out there (Hello Me Again)  

My bathroom had an incredible wood finish—I hear you saying wood and it had the feel of a chic sauna. It also in a bathroom—a had a powerful waterfall shower and lovely toiletries.

  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Bedroom
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Bathroom
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Shower
  • Hotel Catalonia Mini Bar

    Hotel Catalonia Mini Bar
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Desk
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Yoiliteries

The Food And Drink

I did not have a chance to sample the food that they served in the restaurant… because I was in Porto to eat, see all the azulejo tiles and see the Olafur Exhibition at the Serralves Museum. I can say that I had a nose around the breakfast buffet and it looked delicious 

The breakfast buffet includes a great variety of fresh fruit, cheese and cold meats, and some delicious looking fresh-baked goods. Seeing it’s part of a Spanish Chain there were potato tortilla and Catalan tomato bread.

they have an onsite bar that offers tapas that you can wash down with a glass of wine or a cocktail. The cocktail menu looked real.y comprehensive with classics and some interesting cocktails

The Extras

It feels kind of funny calling these the extras… I should call them the cherry on the cake. The hotel boasted an incredible landscape garden with a pool and a jacuzzi.

If the pool was not enough (the weather dictated that I would not partake), the spa is well equipped with a small indoor pool with various water jets to ease the stressed muscles from exploring the beautiful city of Porto. They have a beautiful sauna to steam away all the world’s worries. It looks like they have treatment rooms in the works; they were not open on my visit.

There is free Wi-Fi and loads of USB plugs so you can leave the adapters back in the UK.

  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto
  • Hotel Catalonia Porto

    Hotel Catalonia Porto

The Damage

The Damage
My Double room was €74 through Booking.com. However, if you book directly through the website (at the time of writing), you can get 7% off your booking.

It’s a brilliant value for money, and the staff could not have done anything more to accommodate my requests and make me feel at home. All said, I would go back for the pool and spa alone.

Hotel Catalonia Porto
Rua de Entreparedes, 92,
4000-198, Porto
+34 93 236 00 00

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Design Hotels, Hotels, Hotels with Pools, porto, Portugal

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Hotel Ottila – The perfect hotel for your stay in Copenhagen.

Are you hunting for the perfect hotel for your weekend in Copenhagen?
A hotel that has style, without being achingly hip?
A luxe hotel that won’t break the bank?
A hotel that’s super convenient to most everything you would like to see in the City, without being in a cramped date hotel?
A hotel that has a unique history and new lease on life?

If you answered yes to any of those questions… I have found the perfect hotel in Copenhagen that fits that bill. Say Hello to Hotel Otilla.  Hotel Otilla is part of the Brochner Hotels collection of Luxury hotels in Denmark.  They have several hotels in Copenhagen, I would assume that my experience will be similar at most of their locations.

copenhagen, Denmark, Design Hotels, Hotels, Luxury Hotel

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Sea Containers – Seafood by the Seaside errr Thames Side

Eating all the seafood at Sea Containers Restaurant seems like the right thing to do… no?

I’ve always loved the rooftop bar (The 12th Knot) at Sea Containers  , I don’t know why I’ve never ventured to the Thames level restaurant before. Maybe because I think that it’s attached to zhuzhy hotel, where I thought the food would be style over substance.

Design Hotels, Hotels, London, london hotel, seafood

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Mama Shelter – The perfect hotel for your weekend in East London.

Are you hunting for the perfect hotel for a weekend in London? 
A design-led does not feel like it’s a flat pack hotel? 
A hotel that won’t break the bank? 
A hotel that’s very close to the east end of London?
A hotel that has a brilliant food and beverage offering? 
A hotel that makes you feel like a pop-star in training?

If you answered yes to any of those questions… I have found the perfect hotel in London that fits that bill. Say hello to Mama Shelter London.  Mama Shelter is a collection of lively, unique and quirky places to rest your head, fill your bellies and wet your whistels around the globe (Think Los Angeles, Paris, Rio, Prague and Now London to name a few) 
The group  already boasts 1813 rooms, 13 restaurants and 1170 employees in 12 cities and 7 countries.

Design Hotels, Hotels, London, london hotel, Luxury Hotel

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