Crowne Plaza Porto

With its tall, concrete tower and window-covered
entrance, the Crowne Plaza Porto’s exterior feels like an office building. This fact is appropriate, given the corporate-friendly ethos of the the upscale and luxury properties owned by Crowne Plaza around the world, and in the end everything is nice enough, but usually falls short of having any definable local charm or style. The Crowne Plaza Porto is no different.
Inside, the lobby is bright and spacious, but a bit dated, with marble-and-mirror columns and a seating area with velvety beige couches on a brown-and-rust
colored rug. There are a good number of places for guests to hang out, here, providing at least an opportunity to socialize in an area of town that's removed from much of the action. The large restaurant on-site is a cheery
space with flowery curtains and colorful seating, and the outdoor stone patio attached
to the bar is particularly charming with tables and umbrellas set in a lush
space with a mix of trees including pines, a palm, and a weeping willow. Near the patio is a smoking
room that feels like a Middle Eastern lounge with a draped ceiling and vases holding bamboo stalks. In addition to leisure travelers, the hotel hosts a lot of business travelers who make use of its 1,100 square feet of meeting space. 

Located
on the Avenida da Boavista, the hotel is in Porto’s business district. The busy
street is lined with other hotels and some restaurants, and it’s just a six-minute
walk to the Estadio do Bessa XXI soccer stadium. The Casa da Musica is the most notable sight in the area, and is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the hotel, but most of the city’s other main attractions are not within walking distance. It will take a
15-minute walk to reach nearest metro, Francos station (though there is one near the Casa da Musica as well). The cafes and cobbled streets of the UNESCO World
Heritage-protected Ribeira district can be reached within a 15-minute
cab drive, and Porto Cathedral is a bit closer (13 minutes by car). Alternatively, the journey by metro to the same area takes at least 40 minutes and includes fairly substantial walks on both ends. Francisco
Sa Carneiro Airport is around a 15-minute drive from the hotel, or a 45-minute ride on the metro.

The 232 rooms at Crowne
Plaza Porto have a pleasantly contemporary look, with soft shades of green or gray,
carpeted floors, and dark wooden furniture. Framed black-and-white photographs do their bit to give the rooms some personality, but ultimately the style is simple and business-like, and some accents -- like the floral-print satin bed runners or the velveteen furniture -- look a bit dated. There
are different room categories available in varying sizes, but all are quite
spacious. Standard Rooms are around 365 square feet in size (34 square meters), while the largest
suite is around 1,775 square feet (165 square meters). All rooms have desks, and suites have an
additional sitting area with velvety gray chairs. Rooms are quiet, with comfortable
beds that earn good reviews, and guests love the soft pillows and extras like aromatherapy sprays. Rooms also have
free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, minibars, and electric kettles for coffee or tea. Marble bathrooms have a mostly modern feel, with vessel sinks
and shower/tub combinations, while Deluxe Rooms have rainfall showerheads and glass
bath scales. Guests recommend requesting rooms on higher floors with sea and city views. Turndown service is available in some rooms.

As one of the larger hotels in the area, there are a good amount of features here, though some misses are surprising for a luxury hotel -- particularly the lack of a pool, which other upscale and luxury hotels in the area often have. Crowne Plaza Porto’s Poivron Rouge restaurant serves
regional and international cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The breakfast buffet earns good reviews for its variety including dishes
like smoked salmon, crepes, and scrambled eggs, but unfortunately it's not included in room rates. Snacks and drinks are
available at the bar -- though it's pricey -- and there’s an outdoor patio and a smoking lounge. Room service is available around the clock. For
entertainment, the hotel also has a nightclub that's open on weekends -- it didn't look all that chic when we visited.The hotel's spa offers massages and beauty
treatments like waxing and mani-pedis, and the small fitness center has only hand
weights and a few cardio machines including a rower, elliptical
machine, treadmills, and stationary bikes. There’s a business center with two computers and a
printer, and the hotel has 1,100 square feet of meeting space including nine
meeting rooms, the largest seating up to 600 guests. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. A souvenir shop is convenient for those on the go, and parking is available for a fee. Pets are allowed, also for a fee.