Porto Rua das Flores Pousada

Having already celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2021, Rua das Flores is undoubtedly one of the country’s oldest streets. Always associated with elites, it was one of the first to be designed according to its own urban planning rules. “One side had the nobles’ palaces, which caught the morning sun, while the other belonged to the bourgeoisie”, says Nuno Godinho, manager of the pousada, which is located at number 94. On the bourgeois side.

Close by is the Misericórdia do Porto Museum, which organised an exhibition of the street’s history, highlighting that the pousada building was originally called Casa dos Brandões, an 18th-century construction that housed various commercial activities before opening as a pousada in October 2021. “During the refurbishment, we kept as many of the original elements as possible and emphasised everything that was stone”, says Godinho, drawing attention to the restaurant arches, the granite staircase leading to the breakfast buffet, and the doorframes of some of the 84 rooms.

The architectural project was awarded to Miguel Medeiros, while the interior design was created by Miguel Câncio Martins, as was much of the furniture, from the marble-top table to the modern lamps, not forgetting the black carpets that recreate the contours of the houses in the corridors leading to the rooms. In addition to granite, another important material is wood, which covers the walls of the lobby and lends a touch of modernity and comfort. It also extends the headboards to the ceiling, offering a 3D ripple effect.

The redevelopment project was undertaken by the architect Miguel Medeiros.

And the interior design is by Miguel Câncio Martins.

The equivalent of a four-star hotel, with a 24-hour gym and a gastro-bar with outside tables for meals served non-stop between noon and 11pm, the pousada reserves the -2 floor for a lovely surprise: the indoor pool. With natural light streaming in from the back patio, a micro-cement floor and petrol blue tiles, the place also has a sauna and waterfall – proving that this bourgeois side of Porto is pretty good stuff too.

Essentials

Flowers

The pousada pays tribute to the street where it stands by inserting flowers into the decor in an original way, such as the plaster camellias on the ceilings at the entrance, which were created by the artist Iva Viana. In the rooms, Japanese camellia (japoneiras – as they say in Porto) decorate the carpets, while flowery wallpaper spruces up the open wardrobes.

Façade

Painted yellow, the hotel’s main façade may be eye-catching, but the rear part proves its equal. Boasting six floors in total (double those facing Rua das Flores), it’s entirely covered with the schist scales typically found on Porto buildings, which were placed by hand, piece by piece. Odd fact: during the excavation, various archaeological remains were discovered, which comes as no surprise considering we’re in the heart of the historic centre, standing where the Roman city was built.

Exhibition

The pousada hosts a permanent exhibition of sculpture, painting and photography, which is organised in partnership with a local association, QuadraSoltas. The legend for each piece has a QR code with various information, including the price, if you want to take something home with you.