nicolas75

The InterContinental Porto Palacio Das Cardosas (Portugal) is now accepting reservations for stays from October 15, 2011 onwards.

dk_commuter

Actually, on the website you can make reservations from August 1, 2011.

Anyone with prior experiences? Is this a "soft opening"? Or will the reservations simply be cancelled?

IAN-UK

It's showing Ł200-ish a weekend night.

nicolas75

Isn't it a reasonable price for a new luxury hotel in a historical building, in the very centre of a touristic town, at flexible price ?

IAN-UK

Given that tax is included, and there are not so many reliable hotels in the centre, I might revise my jaundiced opinion after a stay

But we are talking provincial Portugal, not Paris, or even London, and I'm somewhat inured to the charms of Porto by family visits.

Before IC launch date, the Infante Sagres is historic, central, and comfortable enough - though the "historic" element can be just a little too evident... Another Palacio is the Pousada, which is on the Douro, up-river from the centre. Not in the nicest area, but built by the architect responsible for the Torre dos Clerigos, it has a certain Baroque cachet. I can't imagine either will cost much over 100 Euro.

Raffles

Best price comparison is presumably The Yeatman, the super-luxury boutique property just opened on the other side of the river.

IAN-UK

Indeed, though local gossip is that as a vanity project it might not last long in its present form. They are discounting quite heavily and selling to tour groups.

Raffles

We were booked to go there last October, but they rang us 48 hours before departure to tell us that, er, they still hadn't got round to finishing off the pool, spa or kids club - the only 3 bits of the hotel we really needed. They were so desperate not to lose the booking that they offered to order all the builders in the pool to stop work for an hour or so a day at a time to suit us, so we could use it! (It had water in, they were still finishing off the deco) Luckily the flights were on miles so I was able to rebook us to Lisbon and we went to the Ritz-Carlton resort near Estoril.

Opening reviews of The Yeatman were exceptionally good, it would be a shame if it started to fall away before they've even got through a Summer.

IAN-UK

And it's nice to get an IC in Portugal again. The council and tourism folk of Porto were cock-a-hoop their city stole the march on Lisbon.

More importantly, a smart new hotel will help rehabilitate the rather run-down area around the station.

Mr. LAU

So what about the area around the hotel? Is it not that nice? What about safety and going out at night?

Wanted to visit Porto for a few years now and with a new IC will probably do so in October / November.

Raffles

Note that redemption rooms here are currently just 30k (as is normal for pre-opening IC's) - this will presumably jump to 40k after opening

tinkybelle

I will be very interested in reports as I am hoping to be there mid sept.

nicolas75

will be there on 1st August

stimpy

I'm thinking of a mid-August stay. What's Porto like in August?

docklander

...like most of southern Europe tends to be- ie best avoided unless you absolutely have to go