WITH ITS PHASED REFURBISHMENT IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR SIMON GEORGE FINDS THE CROWNE PLAZA PORTO IS EMBRACING THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE.

and the modern – winding cobblestone streets in the historic centre, the business district of Boavista, trendy areas like Ribeira, a lively UNESCO World heritage site, authentic restaurants with bacalhau( salted cod), Portugal’ s signature dish, on the menu and, of course, port from the wine cellars( Sandeman, Graham ' s, and Taylor’ s) down by the Douro river.

Portugal’ s second city is best explored, after conference hours, on foot. My first port of call was the 5-star Crowne Plaza Porto located in Boavista, close to the historic centre and a short drive from the airport. It is well placed to explore the tourist attractions of the Douro valley. Refurbished, revitalised, reset The Crowne Plaza Porto recently completed the final stage of its refurbishment, having earlier renovated its event space and restaurant( SoMos), March 2026. A year-long refurbishment of its 232 guest rooms and suites is complete and the result is much lighter and brighter rooms at a competitive price point.

The hotel has 11 event rooms named after Portuguese cities and towns, located on the first and second floors, which can cater for both large conferences, weddings( e. g. Guimarães I and II, combined, offers 370sqm of space and can accommodate 450 guests) and smaller spaces suitable

for boardroom-style meetings. They offer floor-to-ceiling windows and full multimedia and AV support. The hotel holds large international conferences and works closely with the local Porto market to generate repeat business.

Business events are a big portion of the hotel’ s business and Sofia Mega, assistant director of sales and marketing, said booking demand was strong albeit very last minute.“ September was almost fully booked for large events and October is looking good,” she said, but also noting geopolitical tensions and inflation were concerns.