The Social Hub has expanded with its first Portuguese location, offering hotel rooms, apartments, coworking spaces and dining options in the heart of Porto.

The Social Hub is set to open its first Portuguese venue in the heart of Porto, representing a €60 million investment and creating 30 new jobs in the city.

The four-star hybrid hospitality venue, which opens on March 1, features 271 hotel rooms and 39 residential apartments, along with premium coworking spaces, meeting facilities, dining venues, a gym, and a rooftop pool and cocktail bar.

Located in Porto's Bonjardim district, the new hub increases The Social Hub's portfolio to 20 locations across 18 European cities, with plans for a Lisbon venue also in development.

Marion Koopman, The Social Hub's chief operations & commercial officer, highlights the significance of the Porto opening: "This remarkable hub has a very special meaning for us as it represents our arrival to the dynamic Portuguese market. Porto is the perfect place to embark on this journey, having worked closely with key city government players over the past four years."

The venue combines contemporary design with elements reflecting Porto's UNESCO World Heritage status. It offers 310 rooms in total, with accommodations suitable for travellers, extended-stay guests and students.

Among its facilities are a state-of-the-art gym, over 580 square metres of coworking space for nearly 100 local professionals, and 450 square metres of meeting and event spaces, including an auditorium that can accommodate more than 250 guests. The property also features a large interior courtyard garden that adds new green space to Porto's city centre.

The dining options include a full-service restaurant serving reimagined Portuguese cuisine with petiscos-style small plates and family-style sharing dishes, accompanied by organic wines. A rooftop cocktail bar offers panoramic views of the city, while a café serves specialty coffee from local roaster Combi alongside Portuguese pastries and light meals.

As a certified B Corporation, The Social Hub emphasises community building and social impact. The Porto location will host more than 200 community experiences annually, ranging from cooking classes and professional development programmes to vintage markets and cultural initiatives, all open to locals, travellers, students and coworkers.

The venue will also support scholarship recipients from the group's TSH Talent Foundation, which helps changemakers facing barriers to opportunity, and will provide access to the Better Society Academy, designed to equip individuals with skills for driving positive change.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Amsterdam, The Social Hub now employs more than 1,000 people across its European locations, with additional venues planned for Rome in spring 2025, followed by Lisbon and Turin.

by Olivia Palamountain | GLOBETRENDER