The Rebello
As cities grow, they naturally expand outwards, and as we approached the end of the last century in London, Paris and here in Porto, it was the inner city buildings lining the grand waterways of the Thames, the Seine and the Douro which were destined to be abandoned as old industries died.
There’s been a something of a renaissance over the past ten years or so – a rejuvenation and an appreciation of architectural merits of our industrial heritage right across Europe. Porto’s no exception and its city developers have started to look inwards once again, regenerating the riverfront districts of Cais da Ribeira, Cais das Pedras and Cais do Cavaco. It’s now Cais de Gaia’s turn with the opening of the five-star Rebello Hotel, which takes its moniker from the traditional, flat-bottomed cargo boats which once transported barrels of new wine to the port houses of Vila Nova da Gaia, where they would mature into the city’s most-famous export: port wine. Breathing new life into these old buildings, the Rebello doesn’t hide its 18th century origins under a bushel – in fact it celebrates them with its industrial aesthetic, and the building’s 21st century pipework, cable trays and ducting is very much on display.
It’s a large hotel on paper, but doesn’t feel so: there are just over a hundred rooms in total, spread across four floors:
– Studio suites – these ensuite, open-plan studios come with a queen-sized bed, a small kitchen with a coffee maker, a combination microwave/oven, fridge and mini-bar. Some studios have river view balconies, some have window seats.
– One-bedroom suites are larger with an open plan kitchen/living room, and beds can be twins, queen-sized or king-sized (subject to availability).
– One-bedroom duplex suites are larger still. Due to the industrial origins of the building, the duplex layout varies according to their location in the hotel, but most have an open-plan kitchen/diner/living room, with the bedroom on a mezzanine above.
– Two-bedroom suites are designed with families in mind. Again, their layout can vary: some have river view window seats, whilst some suites have small private terraces overlooking the courtyard garden.
– Two-bedroom duplex suites move the bedrooms into the eaves of the building, increasing the downstairs, open-plan shared spaces.
– Finally, the three-bedroom penthouses are on the top floor. Bedrooms can be set up as twins of king-size, and a private river view terrace runs the full length of the penthouse.
Although it’s only a short stroll to the best and the brightest restaurants of Gaia’s restaurants, you’re well-catered for at the Rebello: the Pot and Pan restaurant celebrates the region’s hearty rural cuisine, the River Social Deli puts an artisanal twist on the same great produce, and the view from the rooftop terrace bar across the iconic Ponte Luis I bridge is something truly special.
