8 July, 2011 - The InterContinental Porto-Palacio das Cardosas opens today. It's the first international luxury hotel in the historical city centre in Porto and the first InterContinental in Portugal.

InterContinental Porto-Palacio das Cardosas is in the heart of Porto and within the boundaries of the UNESCO world heritage site. It's just 15 minutes from the international airport and within the historical city centre, an area of the city brimming with cathedrals, markets, museums, bars and restaurants. It's also close to the Ribeira where you can take a cruise up to the Spanish border and stop in the wine producing caves for tasting. Port takes its name from Porto because it's produced and shipped from the area.

Set in the city's main square, the hotel is a renovated 200 year old palace. The historic building, which is owned by Solitarie Hotels and managed by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has 105 bedrooms and 16 suites. InterContinental Porto-Palacio das Cardosas is reintroducing the Café Astoria with an outdoor terrace where guests can start their day the Porto way with a blend of coffee and local pastry. The café used to be on the ground floor of the palace in the early 20th century. There is also a fine-dining restaurant serving Portuguese cuisine and a bar on the front façade which overlooks Liberdade Square.

Designed by Russian architect Alex Kravetz, the hotel is characterised by high ceilings and Portuguese décor. The hotel offers free wi-fi and has 193 square metres of meeting space which can accommodate up to 100 people. The hotel also has a gym and a wellness centre.

InterContinental hotels are dedicated to providing luxury experiences that meet the needs of guests, without unnecessary excess or opulence. This could include the best spa treatments, views, technology or just time to relax.

Pilar Monzon, general manager, InterContinental Porto-Palacio das Cardosas, said: "It's a privilege to open a hotel in a former palace. We're in the heart of Porto which has so much to offer for both national and international travellers. Our guests will get to explore this wonderful city through our concierge who has the local expertise and knowledge to help them experience Porto as locals do."

There are 171 InterContinental hotels around the world and 60 in the development pipeline, which will open in the next two to three years.

IHG is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms and IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, a portfolio of over 4,400 hotels and more than 652,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.

IHG has more than 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline and expects to recruit around 160,000 people worldwide over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

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