This design hotel in Portugal’s Vila Nova de Gaia sits opposite Porto’s iconic Dom Luís I Bridge, in what was once a pots and pans factory.
The Rebello Hotel is on the edge of the River Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia—directly across from Porto’s historic centre—in an area made famous by its port wine cellars. Named after the city’s traditional small wooden boats called Rabelos that transported barrels of wine to the rest of the world, the 103-room hotel shares its river frontage with Porto’s last remaining Rabelo boat yard.
Lisbon-based architecture studio Metro Urbe led the ambitious reinvention of The Rebello’s 19th-century stone buildings, which had stood unused for some time, and the new additions that bind them together. Fellow Lisbon interior design practice Quiet Studios took on the interiors, furniture, and art curation, as well as the hotel’s branding. Together, they’ve ensured that the area’s industrial and maritime history remains ever-present.
The industrial metal lattice reception desk features a bespoke artwork by THER in collaboration with a local artisan, made from reclaimed wood from Rabelo boats.
Exposed ceiling ductwork and polished concrete floors mean the lobby lounge and bar has an industrial feel like the former factory buildings.
Vintage and new furniture, as well as lighting, were used throughout, working with local brands such as Origin Made where possible.
The hotel comprises four buildings: two historical structures with their original stone façades facing the water, and two new buildings that form its core. Taking advantage of the space available, Metro Urbe designed eleven apartment-style room types, including studios, two-bedroom duplexes, and three-bedroom penthouses. The fourth-storey rooftop bar and restaurant Bello is the hotel’s crowning glory, with an outlook of Dom Luís I Bridge and Porto’s terracotta roofs that’s difficult to rival at sunset. The POT&PAN restaurant and lobby bar are more explicit in their ode to the past, just as the spa, with its heated pool, gym, sauna, and treatment rooms, inspired by Roman baths, calls on the Roman ruins also found on site.
Quiet Studios founder Daniela Franceschini drew inspiration from the industrial spaces where artists reside for the design of the lobby and shared areas. All materials and colours were also selected to reference the elements of ‘water, wine, wood and industry’. Vintage and new pieces, including those from Porto brand Origin Made, have been sourced in equal measure, congregating as a series of animated shapes and contrasting fabrics, such as velvet, patinated leather and corduroy.
Designing rugs, mirrors and furniture for the hotel, Quiet Studios also worked with local makers to create installations and bespoke artwork, such as the sculptural piece above the metal lattice reception desk, designed by THER, which utilised reclaimed materials from the rabelos. Other works on show are tapestries by Edurne Camacho, lamps designed by Casa Josephine Studio, plaster works by Tomek Sadurski, and ceramics by Joana Passos.
Quiet Studios was guided by ‘water, wine, wood and industry’ for the interiors in the apartment-style suites.
As the third hotel in Portugal from Bomporto Hotels, The Rebello makes its ties to the River Douro and the cultural significance that surrounds it an unforgettable part of the guest experience. This is consistent in both Metro Urbe’s consideration of the original architecture’s relationship to the new and Quiet Studios’ commitment to incorporating a local art and design perspective, wherever possible.
Quiet Studio designed the iroko daybeds and drapery by the heated pool, reminiscent of Roman baths. The spa also has a sauna, fitness centre and treatment rooms.
The hotel’s fourth-floor rooftop bar and restaurant, Bello.
The hotel is located in Vila Nova de Gaia on the River Douro, right next to Porto’s last remaining Rabelo boat yard.
