An Instagrammer’s dream, this hotel is almost too cool for its own good
The hotel
Torel Avantgarde, Porto, Portugal
Check-in
Despite being set in a 19th-century palace, there’s little indication from the drab outside that the Torel Avantgarde is going to be such a showy beauty inside. There’s no doubt once you’re in the lobby, though, and cheery staff are asking in soothing tones if you’d like a hotel tour. I’d normally run a mile from a thing like this, but in a hotel with work from several Portuguese artists placed throughout, it feels as much like walking through a gallery as it does accommodation.
The look
The hotel and the river below.
Doubtless an Instagrammer’s dream, the whole hotel is committed to an artistic feel. The lobby is especially photogenic – don’t be surprised to see people in big hats, staring wistfully out of windows while their partner takes photos. In most of the rest of the hotel, things are a bit more restrained, with tasteful decor filling every space. It’s undoubtedly hip in here, perhaps distractingly so, but it never feels like that’s come at the expense of it being a genuinely comfortable property, too.
The room
Hotel Torel Avantgarde and the art in one of its rooms.
There are just 39 rooms and 21 suites, all of which have been refurbished since it opened in 2016. Each has a different artistic theme. I stay in the Isadora Duncan executive royal suite, which has a balcony overlooking the Douro River, as well as an outdoor hot tub. The artwork inside is noticeable but restrained, with green latticework and hanging purple flowers being its main feature. The lighting and amenities are laid out logically, but the real highlight is the simple pleasure of being on the balcony with the city below.
Food + drink
A dish from the hotel restaurant Tenro by Digby.
Tenro by Digby is the only restaurant on site and as such is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The breakfasts here give a feeling of having been made with good, expensive ingredients, with the only danger coming in the form of bite-sized pastel de nata. If you can limit yourself to just one of those, you are a stronger person than me. The Avantgarde unsurprisingly has strong relationships with the sister Torel properties around the city and can easily make reservations for you. One night, I take a cab across town to experience their strange, sensory-deprivation offering Blind at the Torel Palace.
Out + about
The immediate neighbourhood around the Avantgarde is quite quiet, ensuring there’s no disturbance during your stay, but many of Porto’s most popular historic streets are just a 10-minute walk away. The Douro River is closer than that. If you’re looking to try the city’s legendarily delicious and unhealthy bifanas – a sort of extra juicy bacon roll – Conga is a 20-minute walk away, not enough to burn off the calories you’ll take in, but a pleasant stroll all the same. For something a little more formal, Adega Sao Nicolau near the river has outstanding local fare and, if you’re looking to have a cocktail beforehand, the staff in Curioso Cocktail Kitchen can make anything you can think of – and several things that have never crossed your mind.
The verdict
Almost too cool for its own good, the Torel Avantgarde stays on the right side of being the preserve of hipsters, while offering some of the best views in the city and way-better-than-average breakfasts.
The essentials
Torel Avantgard, 336 Rua da Restauracao, 4050-501 Porto, Portugal. Rates for double rooms B&B from €198 ($318) a night. The larger executive royal suites from €549 ($880). See torelavantgarde.com
Our rating out of five
★★★★
Highlight
The lobby, with its hanging plants and absurd good looks is impossible to ignore.
Lowlight
The secure entry to the separate wings of the hotel can be a bit of a faff.
The writer was a guest of the hotel.
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