The best Lisbon airport hotels

If you really want the airport hotel experience, this is where you should put down your bags. This four-star hotel has received the distinction of ‘World’s Best Tryp Hotel’ in the past two consecutive years. The name says it all: it’s inside the airport, next to Terminal 1. While you’re there, don’t forget to hit El Spa, where you can relax from your trip with a massage or just enjoy the pools, sauna, Turkish bath and jacuzzi.

Double rooms from €108.

The Star Inn is Lisbon’s other airport hotel. If you don’t want to spend as much for a room as you would at TRYP Lisboa Aeroporto Hotel, then book one here – it’s right next door and not by coincidence, since they both belong to the same group. This three-star venue opened in early 2017, and it has everything you need. The 173 rooms are inspired by the theme ‘I’m a star in Lisbon’, with pictures of Eusébio, Amália Rodrigues, Leonardo DiCaprio and even the Beatles hanging on the walls.

If having Lisbon’s airport and main railway station on your doorstep sounds convenient, the Tivoli makes for a fine choice of accommodation. The hotel is in a modern area of Lisbon developed in line with World Expo ’98, Parque das Nações. The Tagus offers the suburb lovely river-frontage and walking paths stretch along the shoreline. The river can also be admired from the Tivoli’s 16 th floor Sky Bar – a big, airy space complete with 360 degrees across the water and city. 

This may not be the most convenient place to get to know the historic districts, but everything else is all around you: a mall, bakeries, restaurants, bars, open-air cafes and, first and foremost, the Oceanarium and the Knowledge Pavillion – Ciência Viva, two mandatory stops in any alternate tour of Lisbon. You're also a 10-minute ride away from the airport, which will come handy if you have to take a red-eye flight. The Parque das Nações area is a bit like the B-side of an old cassette album: you might not enjoy at first those deep cuts, but they will stay stuck in your ear. The district lacks the history or the romance of the city centre, but it has something you won't find almost anywhere else in Lisbon: the Tagus by your doorstep. Myriad SANA takes the most advantage of this: the hotel is literally on top of the water, so there can be no better view of the river. 

From the airport to Saldanha, there are 10 metro stops – it may seem like a lot but let us remind you, once again, of Lisbon’s relatively small scale: it only takes 20 minutes. Tech-heads and design freaks will love this spot. Power sockets and USB ports are a dime a dozen and a remote control lets you flick, switch and dim to your heart’s content. The Evolution hotel is something of a revolution, and strives to be a hotel of the 21 st century with mod-cons and flexible service (including self-check- in). It’s got some quirk factor too, notwithstanding the fact that the hotel is supported by a giant stone hand. There’s also urban art displays about the place. Inside, the rooms are spacious and modern and include a sitting area, desk and a city view to boot. 

Jupiter Lisboa sits to the north of Lisbon’s main tourist hub in a key commercial area. But commercial doesn’t mean boring: Along with plenty of surrounding shops, you’ll have a brilliant blue rooftop pool at your disposal and can kick back on a sun lounger with a panoramic view of the city. The hotel is a relative newcomer on Lisbon’s accommodation scene, but maintains a stylish façade created in 1906 by renowned architect Miguel Ventura Terra. 

Portugal’s national television head office has been jazzed up to become a 295-room, five star spa hotel. Despite its corporate exterior, the hotel has a contemporary fit-out and panoramic views. An elevated walkway cuts through the big, boxy lobby, where pops of orange and silver feature walls give a modern edge. The VIP Grand lacks the polish of some of the city’s other five star establishments, so might not suit true luxe nomads, but down-to-earth travellers will be satisfied with its unfussy style. The hotel is conveniently positioned in Lisbon’s financial district for business travellers, but a lack of ironing facilities might make the morning spruce-up a tad challenging. The hotel has ample chill space with an outdoor pool primed for lounging in the summer months. And as you’d expect from a hotel with ‘spa’ in the title, there’s also a full-service pamper pad. 

The unassuming exterior of the Corinthia is a mere smokescreen masking an opulent interior. This fancy hotel’s seemingly low-key status makes it a magnet for the powers of the world, with guests such as Hillary Clinton passing through its doors. The Corinthia is set over 24 stories and welcomes guests with a marble lobby flanked by the creations of both Portuguese and foreign artists. The 518 rooms are sober and functional with an unobtrusive color scheme of browns, blues and muted purples, and homey timber furniture and finishes; they’re also kitted out with full amenities that will appeal to business travelers. Some of the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across the walls, meaning plenty of natural light to brighten your day. Facilities include the huge Longevity Spa, which has 13 treatment rooms, a heated indoor swimming pool and fully-equipped gym. Once a month the spa stays open until 11pm so you can pamper yourself long into the night.

The Holiday Inn sits in a quiet neighborhood near Lisbon’s Técnico university and is handy to the airport. The accommodation is modest and comfy and has some fab city views. Room décor is kept simple with a navy and white color scheme complimented by timber finishes, and features include complimentary tea and coffee and a desk. Standard rooms are comfortable, but those who like a bit of space can book a suite with a separate lounge area. When it’s time for some zzz’s, you can cut the light with blackout blinds and choose your favorite headrest from a pillow menu. 

Lisbon is an all-round show pony when it comes to cracking views (all those hill-climbs have to count for something), but the InterContinental takes the cake for having one of the best. Pair the sweeping city vista with the hotel’s prime position near the swanky Avenida da Liberdade and you’ve got yourself a winner. The 30-year-old InterContinental recently underwent a renovation, so everything here is looking exceptionally swish. Choose from a classic room, executive room or suite—complete with marble bathrooms—and doze off in a cloud-like bed surrounded by cozy furnishings at the end of the day. Despite its size (there are 331 rooms for the picking), the hotel atmosphere feels calm, which is partly attributable to the low-key staff who keep things humming along nicely in the background.