On the map Porto may appear to be one big city, but in fact what looks like one city is actually two cities split by the river Douro. On the north bank is Porto and on the south bank is Vila Nova de Gaia (generally known as just ‘Gaia’) – when you are choosing a hotel to stay in for a corporate event in Porto, then you should certainly consider both sides of the river and in this post we will look at what are the advantages and disadvantages of both options.

There is certainly a completely different vibe for Porto and and Gaia: Porto feels more like a conventional city with all the hustle and bustle that you would expect from a thriving city. You will find fancy office blocks, chique restaurants, historic buildings, busy streets and so on iwith hotels dotted all over. Meanwhile in Gaia it is a different story – the streets are dominated by the port wine cellars, where port wine has traditionally been aged (and still is). These old cellars are served by higgledy-piggledy narrow cobbled streets and there are few locations where hotels can be built, so most of them are squeezed in by the riverside (other than the purpose built and very large hotel, The Yeatman, which somewhat dominates the steep valley side) – because space is at such a premium, hotels by the riverside in Gaia are not really a low-cost option, although they do compare reasonably well to Porto city centre. Gaia feels much less hectic than Porto, much helped by the large pedestrianised area along the river front – so if you are looking for a bit of calm when you step out of your hotel, then Gaia may be the right option for you!

In Gaia there are a very limited number of hotels to choose from, particularly if you want to be within easy walking distance of the river (and easy access to Porto); meanwhile in Porto itself you are spoilt for choice for 4 and 5 star hotels that can work well for corporate events, although the most popular areas are the city centre itself or in the Boavista area. The city centre of Porto can be pretty busy, particularly in tourist season and there is a real premium on hotel prices, so we find that many of our corporate event clients look to stay in Boavista which is right on the fringe of the centre, but much easier to access by vehicle and is still walkable to the centre (around 20 minutes on foot). There are several smart hotels in the Boavista area which have multiple meeting rooms and are really well set up for self-contained corporate events (the Sheraton is a good example, but there are several more) and their prices are much more competitive than the city centre.

There are also some more laid-back options around the fringes of Porto, which can work really well if you are looking for some outdoor space and some more peace and quiet (and you may wish to consider staying completely outside of Porto (or Gaia) where there are some fabulous retreats in the wilder parts of northern Portugal!). Choosing between Porto and Gaia for a corporate event has a lot to do with what kind of event you are going to be running – if your event is more of an incentive style, where having a good time and relaxing is the order of the day, then Gaia may be the best bet. If you really need to get some work done in a more professional environment, then somewhere like Boavista in Porto could work better.

Here are Porto Events, we like to think that nobody knows the hotels in Porto and Gaia best suited for corporate events better than us! We know that a successful corporate event is about so much more than the hotel location and facilities themselves however – having a well-organised and motivated team at the hotel can make all the difference: Will the meeting rooms be set up correctly? Will the guests sail through check-in easily? Will the hotel be happy to delay a meal for 45 minutes when a meeting overruns? These little details are often what really make a corporate event a success and you can trust Porto Events to lead you to the very best that Porto (and Gaia!) have to offer.