Renaissance Hotels grows footprint in Europe with the opening of Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel

Sits in the picturesque Lapa district, the sleek Hotel offers travelers a gateway to uncover the Invicta City of Porto like a local.

Renaissance Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, unveiled its new property in Portugal with the opening of Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel. Located in the historic charm of Lapa, one of the oldest and most vibrant neighbourhoods in Porto, the hotel presents a sleek, sophisticated urban hideaway moments away from the iconic Lapa Church, and a stone’s throw from city landmarks, such as Casa da Música and Clérigos Tower in Porto downtown.

"Porto has always been a spirited destination steeped in history and tradition,” said Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, Vice President, Premium & Select Brands, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International, “We are thrilled to bring Renaissance Hotels to this dynamic city. With the brand’s savvy Navigators and entertaining Evening Bar Rituals, Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel opens a gateway for curious travellers to Porto’s hilly cobblestone streets and grand architectural monuments through a local frame of mind.”

Deluxe King Room

Perched on the hills and set to be the future urban Lapa Park, which will be developed in the Lapa area, in the center of the city of Porto, with a green area of 17 thousand square meters, the hotel offers a panoramic view of the city skyline of Porto. Drawing inspiration from this beloved city, local architecture firm Visioarq Arquitectos and interior designers of Broadway Malyan are commissioned to create Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel as an Art House In The Park. Anchored by the brand’s theatrical design concept, the hotel is dressed harmoniously in pastel pink and champagne gold, with an unexpected touch of petrol blue which pays homage to the iconic Douro River running through Porto and Gaia. The hotel’s hallways are covered with vintage Portuguese tiles, which have been used across local buildings and pavements for centuries. Adorning the space are Portuguese and international artists’ original art pieces, including a tile mosaic installation by Pedrita Studio, a large painting by Isabel de Mello, and a unique piece made of Corrugated iron and neon lights by Berlin-based artist Clemens Behr.

The champagne metal colour scheme extends to the hotel’s 163 stylish guestrooms and suites, which are outfitted with simplistic furnishings in walnut wood, chic design pieces as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that allow plenty of natural light pouring through the space. Catering to both leisure and business travellers, all guestrooms feature 55″ LCD flat-screen TVs, high-quality sound systems, work desks with built-in USB outlets, and ultrafast Wi-Fi connectivity. The four suites, mostly set on high floors, offer a spacious living area, dedicated workspace, and private balcony where guests can unwind with stunning views of the city skyline and the Atlantic Ocean.

There is one restaurant and two bars on offer at Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel, all aiming to showcase a gastronomic experience of Portuguese cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. On the ground floor are the all-day dining restaurant and the Hotel Bar & Terrace Bar where the brand’s signature Bar Ritual takes place to usher the transition of daytime to nightfall. It transforms into an elevated venue where guests and locals can mix and mingle over punch bowl cocktails and live music every evening. Guests must not miss the rooftop Sky Bar which offers a sweeping view and locally inspired cocktails alongside Portuguese-style light bites.

The hotel boasts 544-square-metre of flexible event space equipped with the latest conference technologies, which includes a translator system ready for multilanguage speakers, six meeting rooms of which the largest can comfortably host close to 600 guests at conferences and corporate events. Ideal for active travellers, the hotel’s top floor is also home to a 17-metre outdoor heated infinity pool and the state-of-the-art Fitness Centre with top-notch Technogym® equipment. The hotel also offers a car park with capacity of 71 spaces.

Reception

The Renaissance Navigator, the brand’s on-property neighbourhood expert, is always on hand to help guests uncover the DNA of the surrounding area with handpicked discoveries. The new hotel is located in the centre of Porto, which means it is close to a wide range of tourist attractions, to the city's main avenues, and to all the essential services to any visitor, tourist or local. For history lovers, the hotel’s neighboring Lapa Church is a must-go as they stand today as a reference point of the city’s religion, art, and culture with a history of over 260 years.  After visiting the church, guests can set off on the Liberal Porto route to collect the city’s memories of The Siege of Porto in 1832 and the battles leading to the Liberal victory. Guests who look for a leisure stroll will be recommended to boutique cafes, wineries, antique shops, and local favourites, which are all on the Navigator’s very own black book.

Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel will participate in Marriott Bonvoy – the award-winning travel programme from Marriott International – allowing members to earn and redeem points for their stay at the new hotel, and at other hotels and resorts across Marriott Bonvoy’s extraordinary portfolio of brands. With the Marriott Bonvoy app, members enjoy a level of personalisation and a contactless experience that allows them to travel with peace of mind.

Jordi Vilanova, President of Mercan Properties states: “The Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel is, without a doubt, one of the investments that make us most proud, as it fully demonstrates Mercan's ability to generate positive and direct contributions to the cities where we invest. This project is the result of a foreign investment of 56 million euros and it provides to the historic city of Porto, and especially the Lapa area, a new atmosphere, through the creation of a  new and rehabilitated green space, which can be used by all citizens of the city of Porto, and which will be the place of new and happy memories for everyone who visits this hotel and this city. The Mercan group rehabilitated and expanded a total of 3000 m2 of the city's road infrastructure, namely Rua de Cervantes and Rua Alves Redol.  We believe that this hotel illustrates, in the best way, how Mercan's investments have the capacity to generate wealth, prestige, and satisfaction for the city of Porto and for Portugal, especially by promoting job creation, with 119 direct and 120 indirect jobs, as well as a whole range of actions that accelerate the green and sustainable development of the city, demonstrating its capacity to offer Portugal tourists, services of excellence, which place the country at the top of the world's tourist destinations."