Seemingly out of nowhere a homegrown Portuguese hotel brand has established strongholds all across the country. Torel 1884 is one of a pair of Torel properties in the picturesque riverside city of Porto, and it’s a gem: a 19th-century townhouse building in a central neighborhood, decorated with one eye on its architectural heritage and one on contemporary boutique style. It’s a long way from the minimalism that once ruled the design-hotel roost, and it’s hard to see how it could be any more pleasing to the eye.

The main building, the so-called Palace, contains just 12 rooms and suites, all of them different, and there’s a theme to the décor: each one’s motif is derived from the Portuguese history of exploration, collecting items and styles from all around the world. And for low-maintenance guests, a short walk away on the pedestrian shopping street Rua das Flores is a second building, this one containing 11 unserviced apartments in a similar style.

Back at the Palace you’ll have 24-hour room service, as well as a cozy multi-lingual library with an honesty bar, and a fine little restaurant: Bartolomeu Bistro & Wine combines Portuguese and French flavors in a space decorated to pay tribute to the jungles of Africa. This hotel is implementing enhanced safety and cleaning measures as required by the Tablet Recovery Pledge. Our Customer Service team is happy to provide full details of each step being taken.