Hotel Hotel: so good they named it twice? This super-central Lisbon hotel is not your average stay. The alternative vibe is strong from the minute you step into the snazzy lobby – terrazzo floors, curving walls – and check in with the super-friendly staff dressed in natty, multicoloured sweatshirts. If it’s past lunchtime, they’ll offer you a glass of port on arrival.
Look a little further and you’ll discover a tattoo parlour and yoga studio in the basement. And then there’s the hotel’s secret weapon: a truly incredible subtropical garden out the back. Under the bare roof beams of an old workshop or warehouse lies an overgrown jungle of tropical plants – originally a happy lockdown accident, now a serious USP. As well as several greenhouses’ worth of blissful plant life, the courtyard houses a secluded pool easily big enough for tranquil laps beneath the swaying vines. (It’s unheated, but that’s no problem in Europe’s sunniest capital city.)
Between the ferns there’s also plentiful seating for the hotel’s bar and restaurant: Animal. (Don’t worry, it also serves vegetables.) Breakfast is a top-quality continental buffet that goes big on local meats, cheeses and bolos – cake for breakfast, in plain English. Hot options to order include intriguing but delicious ‘toasts’, like a soft-boiled egg with shrimp and dill on a pillowy toasted bap.
For lunch and dinner, Animal excels at seafood: I was very happy with a lipsmacking ceviche and tuna tartare, followed by a lime-zested, al dente risotto dotted with mussels and topped by massive langoustines. Guests get a free bottle of wine as an incentive to dine in-house, but the restaurant also draws plenty of custom from outside the hotel, including lively, well-heeled local groups in the evenings.
The bedrooms here aren’t huge, but thanks to the hotel’s side-street location, the front-facing rooms are surprisingly quiet considering how central you are. There’s nothing in the room décor to match the spectacle of the courtyard – up here, it’s muted greys and restful blue-greens all the way, plus the occasional tasteful print – but you should have everything you need for a short stay. And what use is sitting alone in your room when you could be sipping a port and tonic in the subtropical paradise downstairs?
Neighbourhood
Avenida da Liberdade is Lisbon’s answer to Paris’s Champs-Elysées: a tree-lined boulevard slicing through the city, lined with imposing buildings and designer shops. With its string of Metro stops, easy walking links to downtown and an unusual-for-Lisbon lack of hills, it’s a solid option as a base for your trip – and its stunning plane trees are almost within touching distance of the hotel’s street-facing balconies.
Nearby
Elevador da Glória: for a quaint tram ride up a steep hill to the breathtaking views of the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara – and the eternally-cool neighbourhood of Príncipe Real.
Sky Bar by Seen: for yet more incredible views atop the upmarket Tivoli hotel, plus tropical vibes and cocktails.
Lisbon Botanical Garden: for subtropical splendour, towering palm trees and shady pathways for hot days.
Time Out tip
Yoga classes in the basement studio run at 8am or 9.30am, depending on the day. If that’s too early for you, have a lie-in and request a private one-on-one class instead.