Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

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Alex Bridgeman
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Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Saturday 1st February 2025 saw the opening day of Gaia’s latest luxury hotel. Aimed at being a direct competitor to the Yeatman, the Kopke Tivoli is a conversion of part of Kopke’s cellars that lie just a block up the hill from the river, on the opposite side of the road from the Hilton and the Niepoort lodge.

Location of the hotel
Location of the hotel
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Taxis drop off in Rua do Barão de Forrester. You can tell when you arrive because the wall suddenly turns a terracotta red. The entrance to the hotel is clear and leads to a wide patio and a flight of steps down to reception — but if you arrive with bags then use the lift in the black glass cubicle on your right.

The subtly signed entrance
The subtly signed entrance
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The first impression as you walk into the reception area is the astonishing view. The full size picture window facing reception looks directly across the waterfront of Vila Nova de Gaia, framing the Mosteiro and the Dom Luís bridge - stunning by day and breathtaking at night.

The reception seating area
The reception seating area
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Our arrival in reception was a real delight. The staff were incredibly welcoming and were so warm. Being the opening day there were a few minor hiccups but the attitude of the staff just smoothed these away with their delight and excitement of being open.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The hotel has 120 rooms ranging from "Skylight" rooms where the natural light is provided by a lightwell through the roof of the old warehouse - which also provides a little outside space in the summer - to some large penthouse suites. The majority of rooms are facing Porto with views of the hotel garden, the river and the city on the north bank and many have a terrace or balcony. The rooms are arranged in three wings, named White, Tawny and Ruby.

The White Wing showing the private gardens of each room
The White Wing showing the private gardens of each room
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There are two restaurants, one of which is a fine dining destination restaurant, a wine bar specialising in the wines and Ports of Kopke, meeting rooms, a car park for guests and visitors, a spa, a small indoor pool and gym. In summer season there are also a rooftop bar, an outdoor pool and a pool bar in the gardens.

The long Ruby Wing
The long Ruby Wing
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Our arrival was not on the best of days and the background to our exploration of the hotel was of high, grey cloud. But it didn't take a lot of imagination to see how the outdoor pool in the gardens will be a magical place on a hot and sunny day. Surrounded by a manicured lawn, with sunbeds scattered around, the seasonal pool bar and a few outdoor tables for a quick bite to eat. The views might not be the same as you get from an infinity pool higher up the hill, but the pool nestles in its own little suntrap and invites swimmers and sunbathers to admire the view of the Dom Luís bridge, the Mosteiro and the multi-coloured houses of Porto.

The outdoor pool and view
The outdoor pool and view
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And if the weather is a little too grey and gloomy for the outdoor pool, there is always the indoor pool as an alternative. With a view just as impressive as if you were outside, the indoor pool comes with the added bonus of a sauna and steam room. There are a dozen sunbeds for relaxing on, but that's a small number for a hotel with 120 rooms so the space might get busy - it was full when we visited.

The indoor pool with a similar view
The indoor pool with a similar view
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The indoor pool links visually with the landscaping
The indoor pool links visually with the landscaping
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Kept at a pleasant temperature
Kept at a pleasant temperature
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The indoor pool is small but well appointed with two waterfalls, two jacuzzi seats and three bubble jets for guests to swim through. All this in a room with a reflective glass ceiling that when combined with the picture windows makes the space feel much larger than it really is. But the beauty of the space is that when the weather outside is a chilly 4C with a strong wind and a driving drizzle, you don’t care while you’re lying on your sun lounger enjoying the warmth of the pool.

Better in blue
Better in blue
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Of course, the view is always better when the sky is blue and the sun is bright…
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The hotel makes the most of its outside space with the majority of rooms having some form of private outdoor space, but the communal areas spread across 5 floors.

Outside the family restaurant
Outside the family restaurant
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In the summer the hotel will really come into its own. There is the rooftop bar, a terrace outside the wine bar, outdoor tables for the destination restaurant, outdoor tables for the family (and breakfast) restaurant, space on the terrace by the conference rooms, tables by the pool bar and loungers by the pool itself. And that doesn’t reflect the potential for deck chairs on the lawns or the sheer pleasure from walking around and admiring the magnolia trees in the spring or the gardens as the planting settles in and matures.

The large terrace by the meeting rooms
The large terrace by the meeting rooms
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The interiors of the hotel are true to its origin, as a warehouse being used to store and mature Port. Some of the internal walls show the massive stone blocks used to construct the original walls and where the rooms beams used to sit.

Third floor, Ruby wing
Third floor, Ruby wing
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Other areas of newer construction are more modern, with rendered walls and polished concrete floors. Scattered about the hotel are reproductions of some famous pictures by artists such as Miro and Dali which break up the otherwise plain walls. Chain-link screens are used throughout the hotel to create flexible semi-private areas.

Polished concrete lobby floor
Polished concrete lobby floor
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The wine bar
The wine bar
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The hub of the hotel, and to one side of the reception area, is the wine bar and destination restaurant. Both have stunning views over the gardens, the river and of Porto opposite.

Views over the river
Views over the river
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One side of the wine bar is made up of a wall of glass fronted wine storage cabinets. Kopke Ports take up half of the space, with cabinets dedicated to vintage (back to 1999), LBV, tawny (10-50YO), colheita (back to 1934) and white (10-50YO, colheitas back to 1935). The wine list is international although about half is produced by Kopke. Prices start at EUR 16 per bottle and top out at EUR 1150 for Dom Perignon P2. The offer of wine by the glass is a little lacking at the moment, but I'm sure it will grow once the wine bar is operating at full capacity. On opening day the "by the glass" options were 10 and 20YO Kopke White, 10 and 20YO Kopke Tawny, 11 sparkling wines, 3 white wines, 2 rosé wines and 3 red wines.

LBVs and aged tawnies
LBVs and aged tawnies
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There is also a rooftop bar above the wine bar. This is a seasonal space, but an early preview of it shows it is going to be a stunning place to watch the São João fireworks. But it will also be a wonderful spot to relax with friends and a drink while admiring the view and watching the sun move round the sky.

The roof bar view
The roof bar view
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The destination restaurant
The destination restaurant
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To one side of the wine bar is the destination restaurant. The hotel has partnered with Nacho Manzano, the three Michelin starred Asturian chef responsible for the success of his family's restaurant Casa Marcial. The menu for the hotel will be based on the legacy of the rich culinary history of northern Spain - and a couple of the dishes I tried were absolutely superb. I highly recommend the anchovy starter and the arroz de galo main.

The fabulous anchovy starter
The fabulous anchovy starter
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Room with a window seat view
Room with a window seat view
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The rooms are all of a similar size. There's no getting away from the fact that they are smaller than the rooms at the Yeatman, but they are very well appointed. All have walk-in showers, some of the suites also have baths. All the rooms come supplied with steamers, perfect for getting creases out of clothes without having to use an iron. Each room also has a bluetooth music system. I didn't get the chance to try it out, but I will on my next visit! The bed is large and comfortable, the pillow menu has something for everyone. The blackout blinds work too well!
The small garden visible through the door
The small garden visible through the door
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The bathroom
The bathroom
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The patio and garden
The patio and garden
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Andy Velebil
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Andy Velebil »

Will be nice to have an alternative to the Yeatman. And without that long uphill walk in the warmer months as well. Thanks for review.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The Boa Vista restaurant
The Boa Vista restaurant
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Breakfast is served in the Boa Vista restaurant on the middle floor of the hotel. In the summer breakfast will be available on the terrace but in February we were very happy to take the option to eat inside! (The restaurant is also the family restaurant. We had Sunday lunch with friends and started with a most delicious White Port & Tonic made with Kopke Fine White. The food was also entirely delicious!)

Breakfast was up to the standards expected from a hotel with high aspirations. Western in focus, the buffet offers hot food, cold meats fish and cheeses, pickles, vegetables, fruit, a variety of breads, spreads, honey from a honeycomb, pastries, cereal, grain salad pots, freshly prepared eggs (omelette, scrambled, etc.) - and mini pasteis de nata. Options for drinks included coffee, loose leaf tea, fruit juices, smoothies, Portuguese sparkling wine and even White Port (apparently that's a thing, I need to try it next time). I didn't try the fresh cooked eggs because the buffet was enough to keep me happy each day.

Fish and fruit
Fish and fruit
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Pastries
Pastries
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White Port and grain pots
White Port and grain pots
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The views from the breakfast table were wonderful. If you woke early enough, you could watch the new day's light slowly paint the roofs and houses on the opposite bank of the river. A delightful way to start the day.

Sunrise
Sunrise
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The hotel comes with a spa and 24 hour gym. It will surprise no-one to learn that I didn't try out the gym - but it looked very impressive and was built around a full width, floor-to-ceiling window looking over the Douro. The spa offers a wide variety of massage and other treatments, an indoor pool, steam room and sauna. The sauna and pool look over the river and towards Porto; the steam room is an internal room so has no views at all.

Swimming past Porto
Swimming past Porto
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Facing the glass wall of the swimming pool is a row of 8 sunbeds, arranged in pairs with each pair separated by one of the chain-link curtains used in the wine bar and destination restaurant. The view from the sun beds is pretty impressive.

By day from the Sala das Vinhas
By day from the Sala das Vinhas
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The last room in the spa complex, the Sala das Vinhas, is the wind-down room where clients relax after a treatment. The room is peaceful and very chilled, with gentle background birdsong emerging from the sound system. The room looks over a small pool and olive tree towards the mosteiro close to the Gaia side of the Dom Luís bridge. The view is attractive by day — but by night is absolutely breathtaking.

But stunning by night
But stunning by night
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Hotel guests have access to the spa facilities but if you want a treatment, it would be sensible to book before arriving at the hotel.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The cavernous entrance to the car park
The cavernous entrance to the car park
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It might be a little mundane, but the car park is definitely worth a mention. In a town where car parking spaces are at a premium, the hotel has a secure, gated and internal car park sitting in the centre of the building. The space has 3 rapid charging points, wide spaces to comfortably accommodate modern cars (or supercars) and direct access from the car park to the spa, the gardens or the lift to reception. The ceiling in the car park is huge, creating a cavernous feel to the space.

Looking into the working cellar
Looking into the working cellar
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But the most interesting aspect of the car park is the entrance tunnel. For the past 50 years, tourists who want to visit one of the brands (now) owned by Sogevinus have been directed towards either the Burmester cellar or the Calem cellar. The work still has to be completed, but there will soon be a Kopke visitors centre. It is yet to be decided if the Kopke cellar will be open to general visitors or only to hotel residents, but the hotel guests will certainly have privileged views over the working cellar. The 3rd floor corridor of the ruby wing has a dozen windows looking over the cellar.

Window which will look into the cellar when the work is complete
Window which will look into the cellar when the work is complete
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The entrance to the car park has a glass wall for half its length looking into the working cellar with stacks of barrels filled with Port maturing slowly until ready to be drunk by eager consumers. I can't wait for it to open!

The view into the cellar
The view into the cellar
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Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

In summary, the hotel was wonderful and we are definitely returning to stay again — and have already booked!

What did it for us was the staff. The staff are absolutely wonderful. They have created an atmosphere at the hotel which is relaxed and comfortable while still proving immaculate service. Nacho Manzano's menu and training will only get better but was superb when we tried a couple of the limited choice of the dishes available on day 1. The Port-by-the-glass menu will inevitably get bigger and I suspect a Coravin will appear at some point in the future, not to invest in one would just not make sense in such a high quality wine bar.

Work continues on certain elements of the hotel's environment. There will be a gate into the hotel's garden just behind the mercado at the western end of the Gaia cais. The garden actually belongs to the township of Gaia but the hotel has reached an agreement where they renovate the derelict dumping ground the garden has become and, in return, get a right of access through it to a gate into the grounds. This will make it the only hotel with access from above, from the side and from the bottom of the hill.

The entrance from Rua Barão Forrester
The entrance from Rua Barão Forrester
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I can't wait for our next visit! And I can't think of a better spot for watching the São João fireworks.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
winesecretary
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by winesecretary »

In fairness to the Tivoli, the rooms at the Yeatman are ridiculously large. It feels like a quarter of a mile from door to terrace. And the baths… I decided to have a bath in my room there one evening and it took about 30 minutes to fill.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

winesecretary wrote: 22:06 Wed 05 Feb 2025 In fairness to the Tivoli, the rooms at the Yeatman are ridiculously large. It feels like a quarter of a mile from door to terrace. And the baths… I decided to have a bath in my room there one evening and it took about 30 minutes to fill.
But at least once the bath is full you can swim lengths until you're exhausted, and then get out of the bath and have a shower.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

And that concludes my write-up of my visit to the most excellent Kopke Tivoli in Vila Nova de Gaia - unreservedly recommended.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Glenn E.
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Glenn E. »

It sounds wonderful! I love your writeups and photographs. It's almost as if I were there!

I also like first photograph (the map), which showed the room rate as 242 EUR? That's really not bad at all for a high-end hotel.

Is the room rate the same in all 3 wings, or does that vary?
Glenn Elliott
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Kopke Tivoli Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Glenn E. wrote: 22:40 Wed 05 Feb 2025 It sounds wonderful! I love your writeups and photographs. It's almost as if I were there!

I also like first photograph (the map), which showed the room rate as 242 EUR? That's really not bad at all for a high-end hotel.

Is the room rate the same in all 3 wings, or does that vary?
It varies by room size, but the rate of €242 is a low season rate (but if you book for the next couple of months you can get a rate as low as €148 per night).
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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