Porto, Portugal

• 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.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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