Torel 1884

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.