Opening Shot is a column that peeks inside new hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops with dreamy interiors.
Name: The Rebello
Location: Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto
Designers: Metro Urbe & Quiet Studios
On Offer: Bomporto’s third Portuguese project integrates a series of 19th-century buildings on the banks of the Douro River, just across from Porto, into a new five-star hotel. Just over 100 apartments range from studios to three-bedroom penthouses, each in palettes devised by interior designer Daniela Franceschini of walnut, steel, and concrete. A kid’s club, two meeting rooms, and a gym round out the amenities. Roman Baths inspired the Rebello Spa, while principles of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian traditions inspired its treatments—including the trademark “Ritual” two-hour full-body exfoliation, massage, and facial followed by a dip in a water lounge illuminated by fixtures paying tribute to the phases of the moon.
Standout Features: Chef André Coutinho puts a modern twist on traditional Portuguese fare, like a baked octopus at his Pot & Pan Restaurant, while the River Social Café & Store offers cheese and cold meat hampers for picnics. The Rooftop Bar makes a fine place to watch the river and think of small boats transporting barrels of port wine that not only comprise the materials of Studio THER’s nautical lobby installation (complimented by Fig Studio ceramic nets, undulating mirrors, and Tomaz Viana’s wood shelving) but also gave the hotel its name.
