Affable 10-key boutique hotel full of vintage design in Porto
Tipografia do Conto / Porto / Portugal
I love second cities! Maybe it is due to the fact that I grew up in one and I therefore have a major bias, but there is something so interesting about them. How they, when standing in the shadow of their more famous and often grander siblings had to find a different path when not being able to compete with all the pomp and splendor. The result are in most cases a more quirky, alternative, forward-thinking and interesting city. There are several examples of this; Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain, Melbourne in Australia and Porto in Portugal. In this exciting Portuguese second city there are several great hotels, and one of them is this one, Tipografia do Conto.
Tipografia do Conto is located in a residential part of town, right next to the buzzing Cedofeita district. The first thing that meets you when you approach the hotel is the beautiful Art Deco faced. This used to be a typography- and graphic arts workshop that has been transformed into a tasteful, welcoming design hotel by Alexandra Coutinho and Nuno Grande of Pedra Liquida Studio.
The hotel consist of two separate buildings with a courtyard connecting the two and in the back there is a lush walled garden with a 15 m saltwater pool, perfect if you are here during the hot Porto Summers.
This 10-key hotel opened its doors in 2019 and is great mix of brutal industrial concrete and warm, caramel colored wood. And in the ceiling there are words embedded in the concrete ceiling as an hommage to the previous life of this site.
Our room was on the top floor and was designed with the same elements as you’ll see on the ground floor. A great combo of concrete, wood and vintage furniture. It is softened up by colorful carpets and that magical Portuguese light.
Welcome to Tipografia do Conto in Porto!
Entering the hotel, looking up the the facade facing the courtyard.
The ground floor is a number of connected spaces filled with a mix of vintage furniture and antiques.
A classic chair, designed by world famous Swedish designer Bruno Mathson.
The wall on the ground floor is fully tiled which is a nice nod to the classic facades of Porto that are all about colorful tiles.
The ceiling is so beautiful with words embedded in the concrete as an hommage to the previous life of this site.
Our room was located on the top floor where the massive windows flooded it with sun light.
Vintage furniture, polished concrete floors and colorful carpet makes for a great design combo. I am a bag man, so couldn’t avoid having two of my bags in the photo.
This is my favorite photo from our stay at Tipografia do Conto. Something about the colors, the patterns, the materials, the light and how the reflection is visible on the desk.
Our little balcony where we had coffee in the morning.
M heading downstairs to explore the hotel before heading out on the town.
The restaurant/bar area
Love this massive tiled bar
The seating area in the bar/restaurant almost looks like an alpine lodge.
In the back there is a lush garden with a 15 m saltwater pool.
The street where the hotel is located is lined by typical tile-adorned Porto townhouses.
A more contemporary tiled wall.
One of the most famous landmarks of Porto, the Luiz I Bridge connecting Porto to Gaia on the other side of the river.
There is a local clothing brand, La Paz, that has a really great store in the old part of town. Well worth a visit.
We found this great place for brunch, Early Eatery where we stuffed our faces with Mediterranean goodies.
Lucky for us two coffee maniacs, there are plenty of great coffee bars in Porto. This is from one of our favorites, Combi Coffee, where they even had classic Swedish cinnamon buns.
When in Porto, it is kind of mandatory to have some port wine.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are coming to Porto and you like your urban hotel to be small, friendly and affable. If you want to stay in an area full of great restaurants and independent shops in a hotel with a unique design aesthetic, I can promise you that you will appreciate Tipografia do Conto.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is that there is so much space to hang. Many hotels, especially smaller ones like this one, have minimized the common areas but not here. There is plenty of space to hang out, have a drink, read something and just relax - both inside and outside. So nice coming back from the busy streets of Porto to enjoy the calmness that reigns at the hotel.
What not to miss when staying here…
…is to cross the Luiz I Bridge, on the upper level. It provides a great view of this fabulous little city. Another thing I can recommend to
If you like this hotel you might also like these boutique hotels in other second cities:
Morgan & Mees, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Julien, Antwerp, Belgium
Pigalle, Göteborg, Sweden
