Welcome to the second installment of the Summer in Portugal blog post series. In this post we set out to discover Hotel Dom Henrique, a four star hotel in Porto.

You can find the first post of the series, about the São João street festival right here!

Porto

Porto, the largest city in the north of Portugal, is an incredible place. As its popularity grows across the world, the thing that strikes you most is that successful businesses are usually run by families.

Porto, the “unvanquished city”.

Hotel Dom Henrique is no exception to this rule: this four star hotel has been independently family run since 1973. It’s located right in the heart of downtown Porto, and its reputation  has been built on a tradition of great service.

Hotel Dom Henrique

As you get to the hotel, you are greeted by Pedro Gonçalves. He is the amazing concierge who will be on hand any time day or night to help your stay go as smooth as possible.

Pedro Gonçalves, the Concierge.

Walking into the hotel, you might realize that it was originally planned as an office building. Part of a unique project by two famous architects from Porto, Pádua Ramos and Carlos Loureiro, this building was to be one of the first concrete high-rise buildings in the city. It was only after it was complete that it was turned into a hotel, and was inaugurated in 1973.

Plenty of material to read and chill out to.

The hotel has 111 rooms with amazing views, and the layout is designed to make you feel very welcome. Just imagine waking up to this view of Porto…

Comfortable and welcoming, the secret to a relaxing stay.

But it’s when you get to the 17th floor that the real magic comes alive. There you will find “Bar 17º”, Hotel Dom Henrique’s panoramic restaurant and bar. Sitting 150 meters above sea level, the views are just spectacular across the city.

Very impressive views all around.

The huge selection of wines on offer reminds you of the obvious ties to the local wineries and Port wine cellars. You can be sure that will you find the best wines to accompany your dining experience, or perhaps just a glass of Port to celebrate an excellent business deal.

Huge selection of wines for all your needs.

The food

The food, lovingly prepared by Chef Alexandre Rosa, is just beautiful.

Mouth wateringly yum!

With dedicated performance nights, supporting local bands and artists, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that “Bar 17º” is frequented by locals and hotel guests alike.

The “Bar 17º”.

And of course, what could be better than enjoying your drink on a 17^th floor balcony watching the spectacular sunsets of Portugal?…

Beautiful sunset, great drinks and excellent company: life doesn’t get much better than this.

Useful links:

Hotel Dom Henrique

Bar 17º