Avenida dos Aliados / Baixa

The One Monumental Palace

★★★★★

The Monumental Palace is the hotel for travellers who want Porto at its most glamorous. It occupies one of the landmark buildings of the Avenida dos Aliados, a monumental early twentieth-century block with a grand facade, halfway up the city's ceremonial boulevard. It opened as a hotel in 2019 under the French group Maison Albar, after a meticulous restoration that revived the Belle Époque and Art Deco detail of the interiors, and in late 2025 it was bought by the Spanish group H10 Hotels, which now operates it as The One Monumental Palace under its luxury brand. The heart of the building is the Café Monumental, a café that has been part of the avenue's life since 1930 and today serves as an elegant all-day café and bar, with gilded mirrors, chandeliers and marble that make breakfast feel like an occasion. The hotel's fine-dining restaurant has held a Michelin star, and there is a cocktail bar for evenings. Rooms and suites are decorated in a rich, classic style with dark woods, velvet and brass, and many have views over the avenue or the rooftops; the top suites are among the most lavish in the city. Below ground, the spa has an indoor pool, a sauna and a gym, a real asset in a city of steep hills and Atlantic weather. The location is excellent: São Bento station, the Clérigos Tower, Rua de Santa Catarina and the Bolhão market are all within a few minutes on foot. The caveats are price and style. Rates are among the highest in Porto, and the decor is deliberately opulent, which some find wonderful and others a little heavy. With the recent change of ownership, details of the restaurants may evolve. For couples celebrating and lovers of grand hotels, it is hard to beat.

The building and its story: the Aliados was laid out in the early twentieth century as Porto's showcase avenue, and this building was one of its grandest commercial palaces, with the Café Monumental on the ground floor drawing the city's business and social life. The hotel conversion kept the facade and many of the original features, while adding a modern spa and contemporary comforts. Walking through the café and lobby, you get a strong sense of the confident, prosperous Porto of the 1920s and 1930s.

Choosing a room: standard rooms are elegant but not large; the deluxe rooms and suites facing the avenue are the ones to book if you want the view and the full grand-hotel experience. Higher floors are quieter and have the best outlook over the rooftops. The pool and spa are included for guests and worth building into the day, especially after a morning on the Ribeira hills.

Base math: this is a top-tier splurge. It suits couples on special occasions, honeymooners, and travellers who love historic grand hotels and fine dining, and it is ideal for anyone in town for São João, which takes over the avenue outside. Budget-conscious travellers will find better value at the NH Collection Porto Batalha or the Pousada on Rua das Flores.