Once a convent, then the manorial abode of a business magnate grown rich in Brazil,  this 18th century neo-classical building is a Porto landmark. It lies at the foot of Avenida dos Aliados, Porto's equivalent of Time Square or Piccadilly Circus. Opened in 2011 as a hotel, it’s just as swellegant as you’d expect, its lobby lined with marble and crystal. There's an English-library-styled bar off to the right, a century-old silversmith among the row of stores off to the left, and a floral scent in the air produced by Porto's famed Castelbel fragrance maker. Rooms are big. Many feature floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto the avenue. Breakfast is served in a light-filled salon opening onto a courtyard at the back,  dinner can be taken in the street-level Astoria restaurant, one of the city's best.