Castelo de Santa Catarina

Originally built as a private chapel and castle in 1887, the property
housing Castelo De Santa Catarina retains much of its original charm. Beyond
its green metal gate, the hotel has a beautiful garden with manicured paths and
palm trees as well as a patio with white wrought iron furniture where guests
can relax. Inside the colorful tile-covered walls of the castle, the building
has an antique feel with an ornate, wooden front desk and a parlor-like lobby featuring
period pieces like a large chandelier, heavy wallpaper, oil paintings, and
chairs covered in red and gold jacquard fabric. The breakfast room is similarly
decorated with carved wooden doorways and columns, patterned flooring, and decorative
recessed ceilings, while white table linens and candelabras give the dining
space an elegant feel. A majority of the guests are couples, so most breakfast
tables have only two table seating. There is also a separate, sleek building housing
the Garden Rooms, with a streamlined exterior that was
obviously built much later than the castle and is a stark contrast to the rest
of the property. Without a proper restaurant or bar, the atmosphere here is predictably quiet, and the attractive grounds and period details make this a romantic choice for those who don't mind being outside of Port's historic core.

Castelo de Santa Catarina is located in a mixed commercial-residential area outside of the historic core of Porto. The neighborhood has a distinctly local vibe, with corner stores and local businesses lining the main streets, and there are shops, bars, and restaurants in the tightly-packed
buildings lining the busy Rua da Santa Catarina. The main Via Catarina shopping area, though, will take 15 minutes to reach on foot. Most travelers will need some form of transportation to reach the city's historic core. It’s a four-minute walk to the
Marques Metro station. Porto Cathedral
is around a 20-minute trip on the metro, and the cafes and cobbled streets of
the UNESCO World Heritage-protected Ribeira district are around a
30-minute ride away on the metro (or about the same time on foot, downhill). Attractions like Clerigos Tower, Infante D. Henrique Square, Bolsa Palace, and
Monument Church of St. Francis can all be reached in around a 30-minute ride on
the metro as well. It’s less than a 30-minute trip on the metro to Dragao Stadium, the second-largest soccer stadium in Portugal. Expect a 15-minute drive or 45-minute ride on the metro
to Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport. 

The 25 rooms at Castelo
de Santa Catarina vary drastically. Some Castle Rooms have an antique feel, with
charming period furnishings like decorative wallpaper, chandeliers, darling
wooden headboards, colorful bedding, and vintage black-and-white illustrations
in gold frames. Other Castle Rooms have more of a modern look with wooden
floors, light blue walls, and a mix of contemporary and antique furnishings. Still others will strike some travelers as dated, and the room that we visited even looked a bit austere. A Grand Suite is available on the fourth floor in a turret with impressive city views. While the room is outfitted with antique furnishings, the bathroom in the Grand Suite is modern, with walls in muted shades, a basin sink, and a shower with body jets that guests rave about. Otherwise, bathrooms in Castle Rooms have shower/tub
combinations or stand-up showers, and the one we saw had stunning traditional tilework that made it something truly special.Modern Garden Rooms are
available in a separate annex building, and these rooms are a sharp contrast to the castle rooms. Decor includes white walls, light wood laminate floors, and huge windows, some offering views of the castle and garden. Brown
velvety headboards and simple wooden furnishings with clean lines add to the contemporary feel. Bathrooms
in the Garden Rooms are streamlined and smallish, with walk-in rainfall showers and not much space around the sinks. The colorful tiling is a nice touch, offering a welcome pop of color amid all of the natural earth tones.All rooms have wall-mounted
flat-screen TVs, electric kettles for coffee and tea, and free Wi-Fi, but no safes. Rooms in the modern annex have air-conditioning, but those in the castle do not. Additionally, it's worth nothing that some guests find the
castle rooms to be a bit on the small side, and the room we visited was definitely compact.

There aren’t a lot of amenities at Castelo de Santa
Catarina, but the hotel serves a breakfast buffet that’s included in room rates.
The dining room has an elegant, antique feel, and offerings include hot dishes,
cold cuts, cheeses, fresh fruits, cereals, cakes, and coffee. There’s no bar
on-site, but drinks are available for purchase in the reception area. The
parlor-like lobby and outdoor patio offer seats where guests can enjoy their
drinks, and they are quite spectacular venues for kicking back with a book. The hotel's historic chapel in the garden is open to visitors and a feature not found at many three-pearl hotels. The hotel's front desk can arrange tours and activities in Porto and the surrounding region. Free parking is available, and Wi-Fi is free throughout, though it can be spotty in some guest rooms.