Porto’s first five-star hotel has anchored the prettiest part of this historic city since 1951. Yet for years, as Porto grew in popularity with tourists, its ageing facade was largely overlooked. Now, Hospes Infante Sagres has come out of an extensive renovation as a grander dame than it ever was. The facade has had a deep clean, the atrium’s historic panelling and tilework are refreshed and the building’s old-world character has lightened up with fun contemporary accents.

The remodel was crafted by Nano Design, a Porto-based architecture firm that understood the significance of the property’s throwback aesthetic. The designers reimagined the three drawing rooms and libraries with subtle narratives in homage to Portugal’s great Age of Exploration. Art and furnishings pay tribute to the titular Infante Sagres Prince Henry the Navigator, and to The Lusiads, an epic poem by one of Portugal’s most important writers, Luís Vaz de Camões.

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Courtesy Hospes Infante Sagres

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Upstairs, 85 rooms now have distinct decoration against gem-toned walls, tapestry-style wallpapers and bright parquet floors. They benefit from sunlight from the hotel’s north- and south-facing aspect and have access to a new plunge pool and sundeck with views over the rooftops of the Baixa neighbourhood. The house restaurant Scarlett Wine & Food, named for its deep red banquettes, is nonetheless bright and relaxed, leading out to a private tiled terrace for breakfast, or oysters and champagne at Happy Hour.

The Duoro River, with its landmarks and views, is only 15 minutes by foot, past some of the best shopping, eating and port-drinking in the city.

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