Immerse yourself in Porto’s history by bunking down in the city’s old post office. Once you know this small detail about the bright red building’s past, the stamp printed carpet, postcards in the corridors and rubber stamp wall features all make sense. Moreover, rewind back to the 18th century when the building lived the high life as a palace, and you’ll understand the NH’s rather stately appearance.
Inside, the hotel designers have gone for a grey and red colour scheme to create a somewhat corporate feel and the rooms have been refurbished with practicality in mind. Despite being in a historic building, the interior was gutted during the renovation process (bar the original stone arches in the foyer) and was fitted out with modern furnishings. This means soundproofed glass, blockout curtains and spacious bathrooms, plus the all-important coffee machine and soft cloud-like beds. For a spot of relaxation you can nip downstairs to the spa area to sweat your stress away in the (rather small) sauna and steam room.
When it comes to food, the NH has it made with a restaurant that can rival some of the best in the city. The Gastro Kitchen & Bar offers an à la carte menu for lunch and dinner and serves modern takes on traditional Portuguese recipes. Chef Álvaro Costa was obviously paying attention in cooking class as he knows how to prep dishes with both flavour and finesse. He no doubt picked up a few tricks at the Michelin star restaurants he’s worked at too.
If you want to get your grub and groove on you can join the hotel’s regular events, such as oyster and gin nights with a live DJ (sounds like a damn fine combo, yes?). Then come the next morning you can dig in to an impressive breakfast spread that doesn’t skimp on quantity and includes nice extras like juices, smoothies and enough sweet treats to fill a patisserie.