PORTUGAL – Intercontinental Porto, luxury in a 18th century palace

Porto is a beautiful city in the north of Portugal. A recent road trip in Portugal included three nights in Porto. The Intercontinental Porto, also called the Palacio das Cardosas, was my home during these nights. A luxury hotel in downtown Porto and a perfect choice. I will show you why in this review of the Intercontinental Porto but first a short video introduction.

The hotel

The Intercontinental Porto is located across the street of the train station facing the Liberation Square. All major tourist attractions are within walking distance from the hotel. The building dates back to the first half of the 19th century. It was during this time that it was given the name Palacio das Cardosas. Throughout the hotel you find details which date back to this period. You really feel like staying in a palace. The entrance leads to a hall and lobby decorated with marbles. In the back of the lobby there is a beautiful staircase which gives access to the lower and upper floor. The lobby gives access to the bar, breakfast sunroom and the corridor with shops and the restaurant. As said, everywhere you look, the decorations are as they should be in a palace. I love modern places but real authentic places I probably love even more. The Intercontinental Porto – Palacio das Cardosas is a place I felt at home.

The rooms at Intercontinental Porto

I travelled with my family so we had two rooms. One room got upgraded to a nice suite due to my loyalty program status (Royal Spire Ambassador member at the IHG Rewards Club program). It had a panoramic view over the Liberation Square. The suite had a large king-size bed which was really comfortable. I should get one at home. The other part of the room made up the lounge area. The suites come with a Nespresso machine to make some coffee which is good to wake up after such a good night sleep. With my loyalty status the mini bar comes included and the one at the Intercontinental Porto was well stocked. The bathroom has a large bath, separate rainforest shower and toilet. The amenities are from the Castelsel brand and not just the standard Intercontinental shampoo and shower gel. The –palace- decorations are also in the rooms which made me feel a king (or queen). Have a look at the pictures. As I said we had two rooms the other being a standard deluxe room which actually is the same just without the lounge area. I loved this room to sleep, do a bit of work and to just relax and enjoy my time in Porto.

Facilities at Intercontinental Porto

Want to get rid of your stress? Then the perfect place to do this is at the SPA of the Intercontinental Porto. The service is professional and there are various treatments on the menu. I’m not really a person that goes to the gym, I should though, but the hotel has a pleasant gym with various kinds of equipment.

Dining & Drinking at Intercontinental Porto

The breakfast room of the Intercontinental Porto is a sunroom adjacent to the lobby and attached to the original palace. All the glass fills the room with lots of natural light making it a great place to wake up. The breakfast has a wide choice of pastries, colt cuts, fish and of course a glass of champagne is included too. A few warm dishes are at the buffet but anything you require can be ordered on demand. I always love some fried eggs sunny side up. The Astoria Restaurant is the main restaurant of the Intercontinental Porto and serves fine quality dishes. I love fine dining and I loved the five course dinner I had at Astoria. The friendly staff knows which wines or ports to pair with the dishes. An interesting dish with foie gras was the highlight of my dinner. I enjoyed the various sophisticated ports and wines. The dishes were at a price level I was positively surprised about. Affordable! In the evening the bar is the place to go for a nice port. The dark wooden decorations combined with purple colors make the place very cozy which made me relax after a day walking up and down the streets in Porto. Altogether there are enough dining and drinking options. The high quality, perfect atmosphere and friendly staff make each place enjoyable.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a hotel in Porto I highly recommend the luxury Intercontinental Porto – Palacio das Cardosas. Its atmosphere is royal with very comfortable rooms. The bar and restaurants serve food of very high gastronomical standards together with the best Portuguese wines and ports. I enjoyed my stay and I’m sure you will too.

If you would like to know what you can do in and around Porto then see one of these options: Porto City Walk, A day trip to Guimaraes, and check my 7-10 day Portugal itinerary for more travel tips. I will add more destination information over time.

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For more hotel information and booking options please visit the website of Intercontinental Porto.

Website: http://www.ihg.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intercontinentalporto/

Gallery of Intercontinental Porto

** All opinions are based on a genuine stay, flight or experience. I’m not affiliated with the hotel, airline or tour operator but I might be (partially) sponsored – or paid. **