Vila Foz Hotel & Spa

At the western edge of Porto, in the smart seaside neighborhood of Foz, the Vila Foz is a welcome addition to the city’s collection of high-design hotels. It is centered on a 19th-century manor that has been given plenty of visual flourishes by acclaimed designer Nini Andrade Silva.

A handful of rooms are in the main house, which also has a stylish and inviting lounge, the fine-dining restaurant, and a more casual dining room for breakfast and informal dining. Everything is full of period details, gold cornices, and elaborate moldings.

Rooms in the manor house are each unique, combining impeccably restored original architecture with modern and creative design. There are four rooms, three suites (below) and a master suite.

Most of the 68 rooms occupy a new building with large windows, clean lines, and opulent accessories. It’s worth the splurge to udpgrade to one with an ocean view (pictured at top), as the crashing waves appear to be right outside. It’s mesmerizing.

The spa is a peaceful sanctuary, reached from the corridor that connects the two buildings, with a sunlight indoor pool, a Turkish bath and sauna, and therapy rooms where treatments are performed with luxe products from Maison Codage Paris and Elemental Herbology.

The fine-dining restaurant is a destination in its own right. Executive chef Arnaldo Azevedo has put together a la carte and degustation menus that place heavy emphasis on fish and seafood.