Torrel 1884
PORTO / HOTEL / TRIED & TESTED
Torrel 1884 is an independent & artfully designed hotel at the heart of Porto’s art nouveau district. An elegant 19th-century former palace & bank, the space is now reimagined as a small, bespoke hotel that pays a maximalist homage to the famous painters, poets & explorers of Portugal. As photogenic wooden trams rattle past outside, inside a quirky interior is classically structured. Three floors of bedrooms are linked by a dramatic central staircase, illuminated by a lozenge-shaped skylight above. Local artists & a design studio have filled its vaulted rooms & corridors to a brief which embraces the country’s seafaring Age of Discovery; walk along the plant-potted halls & be surrounded by sculptures, ceramics, oil paintings & old maps hung all about the building.
Each of the 12 bedrooms at Torrel 1884 is individually designed, defined by textures like silk, raffia, cane, linen & cotton paired with parrot-bright colours, tobacco browns & wallpaper painstakingly made from banana leaf. The dining room is a green-tinted conservatory-style space with giant plants & leafy wallpaper prints & the bar is an inviting space to cosy up in before an evening out. Those behind it will tell you more about discovering local wines than cocktails & invite you into the main wine cellar housed in the former bank vault, with vintages undoubtedly worth planning a heist for.
Room Service
Location: This characterful hotel pins you right in the fabric of Porto just moments away from the São Bento railway station with its incredible blue-&-white ceramic murals, depicting historic scenes in the nation’s life.
Price: Suites start at 310€ per night.
Highlights: The top-floor library is a beatific, parquet-floored space flooded with natural light from the lozenge-shaped skylight—the sort of room you fantasize having yourself to shelve your own book collection. It’s a lovely place to hole up in, particularly if you find the honesty bar in a vintage trunk.
Our favourite room: The Tea Suite has a standalone bathtub beneath botanic prints, while the two ground-floor Africa rooms have outdoor terraces. All rooms are high ceilinged, so even the smallest feels spacious.
Services: Breakfast is served in the conservatory restaurant each day along with lunch and dinner. Daily turn down is also offered and the hotel offer a full concierge service to help you plan your stay in Porto.
Photography by Design Escapes Portgual.
The Neighbourhood: The Victorian Bolhão market is almost on your doorstep & all around are small, family-run restaurants, wine shops, & workshops worth peeking into.
Things to Know: The crowd is generally families & couples who keep tend to keep themselves to themselves apart from an occasional encounter in the library. A discreet demeanour is key.
Torrel 1884 is a member of the Design Escapes Club, tried & tested personally by us.
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