Porto, Stay a Little Longer

How Village by BOA turns a visit to Porto into something that feels like home.

Lior Zach thinks a lot about belonging. The way a city can make you feel like you have always lived there, even when you have just arrived. It is this feeling that sits at the heart of BOA Hotels, and what brought him to Porto.

Porto came naturally.

“Porto is one of those cities that gets under your skin,” he says. “The tiles, the light, the pace of life all speak to an authenticity that is increasingly rare in Europe today.”

Porto is small, and Bolhão puts you at the heart of it. Here, narrow streets, local markets, independent coffee shops, artists and families sit side by side, giving visitors the sense of discovering the city from within.

Village by BOA grew from a simple observation: the way people want to travel has changed. They want more time, more depth, and a sense of belonging.

“We wanted to give people the space to live,” Zach explains, “not just somewhere to sleep.”

Designed for extended stays, Village by BOA combines the space of a private apartment with the services of a hotel: speciality coffee downstairs in collaboration with Simpli Coffee, with the same coffee also waiting in your apartment kitchen, a gourmet market, a gym, an event space, and a concierge who knows where the best table is tonight.

Zach is particular about design and service. Every BOA Hotels property is design-led, featuring custom-made furniture, art from local artists, and spaces built for comfort and rooted in the character of the place.

The service works on the same principle: present when needed, invisible when not.

“We are there for whatever you need,” he says, “but we know to keep distance and give privacy.”

The same care shapes what comes next. Both are five-star properties built around restoration of body and mind: Oscuro arrives in Paros in 2027, and KURA follows in the Douro Valley in 2029.

For Zach, service also defines how BOA Hotels works with partners. From the first conversation, the company is involved in finding the right asset, shaping the concept, developing the project, and operating it over time.

“We work with people we love from the very beginning,” he says. “For us, the relationship is part of the project.”

It is this long-term approach that shapes everything BOA Hotels does.

For more information:

IG: @villagebyboa
E: hello@villagebyboa.com
W: villagebyboa.com
PH: +351 910 985 706