Hotel Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia — Hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia

I’ve stayed in several hotels in Porto and I definitely feel that staying in Gaia is the “power move”. There are stunning views of the city, there is less noise and fewer people in general. Tivoli Kopke is one of several Gaia hotels that has these advantages. We stayed just one night as a city break in July. The property is large with rooms spread out in long corridors, utilizing the footprint of the traditional wine storage houses. To get from one’s room to, say, the pool, can be a journey of multiple elevators, ramps and staircases. I’m not a fan of “open concept” bathrooms, and this was a bit of a hybrid setup (see photo). There was a separate room that just housed a toilet, but the sink/shower area was open to the sleeping area with translucent clerestory glass between the shower and bed area. Space was ample and I appreciated the sink and surface areas on which to place personal items. Sleep quality here should be pretty good. You should never have issues with traffic noise here and the rooms seem to be pretty soundproof from one another. AC runs quite silently. The bed was decent, although not luxurious. Some room negatives: The TV system seemed to be having software issues and was always “loading”. There are too many light switches (10+) and when you first enter the room, everything turns on then you run around trying to guess what turns off what. Left and right bedside reading lights operate in tandem only. Other hotel negatives were a delayed and prolonged check-in process, (Every stay I have had at a Tivoli property has been awkward in the reception experience. Somehow that seems to be “baked in” to the brand culture.) and it appeared that the housekeeping staff were still working out their workflow. I suspect these things will improve after the hotel has been in...

One of the best hotels we’ve ever stayed at.

Regarding the location: we took cabs into town twice a day and while it took time (usually around 20 min) - I felt that it was worth it to have the peace and quiet and beautiful grounds that this hotel afforded by being across the river from the density of the city. We never waited more than 5-10 min for a car to arrive.

The views are spectacular and can be enjoyed from a number of places - your terrace, the pool, spa, breakfast hall, sky bar, etc. the service was impeccable. Staff is quick to respond and provide anything you might need. Breakfast was a really great spread with countless options of food, sweets, juices, teas. The shower was maybe our favorite part with super high pressure from the rain shower head.

I loved my hour at the sauna one day. You do need to reserve your spot ahead because they only allow 8 people max per hour so as not to overcrowd the place. The sauna was fantastic with views out to the city. The pool was really refreshing temp and no noticeable chlorine smell. Felt like fresh water. The steam room was not operational when I was there.

Only a couple things made it slightly less than perfect: the mattress was a spring mattress - not plush so if you’re a side sleeper you might not love it. we had dinner at boa restaurant the night we arrived. I took recommendation from the waiter to order the cod for my main. The fish was chewy and fishy tasting with a pile of mayonnaise on top and served with no sides or accompaniments. It was pretty disappointing at $30 or whatever it was. some parts of the hotel were heavily perfumed. Specifically when we took the elevator to our floor, the area leading to the rooms is really strong artificial smell. I would recommend toning...

This is a beautiful hotel but there are some improvement points. ||The great:||- The breakfast spread was fresh and extensive, staff attentive. |- The hotel decor is very trendy. Walking through the hallways and gardens is like an art gallery. So much effort has been put into the design of this hotel.|- The spa facilities are very good and the Indian head massage I had was lovely. (Indoor pool could be a little warmer) |-Amazing views |-Very comfortable bed, one of the best night sleeps I’ve had.|-Great location.|-There were some lovely little thoughtful touches (I won’t ruin the surprises) ||Improvements: ||- Our room was lovely but we would have liked more space (the shower is open which isn’t great for non-couples but we didn’t want to lose the outside space). When we called reception to view alternatives they were very accommodating. On the call we explicitly asked if there would be an additional charge, we were pleasantly surprised to be told there would not be (the hotel seamed quiet) - however after viewing the rooms there was a charge. The value of this hotel is very good and the cost was minimal but it’s the principal. Miss communication perhaps? |- The 3 Michelin star chef restaurant is nice (nice is the right word), and the servers were good but we feel the way this is marketed sets a ‘bar’ too high that it just doesn’t live up to - We went to better Michelin guides in Porto priced at the same and lower price points. ||Overall I wouldn’t hesitate to visit again hence the five stars. My partner is a creative and would LOVE this hotel. ||I’d probably eat elsewhere but it’s new and could just be...