The best hotels for a Lisbon city break

The 30-year-old building underwent a recent facelift, giving Intercontinental its glow back. The decoration is both light and cosy and rooms have all the technology the 21st century requires – wi-fi is available everywhere. The Akla restaurant is famous for its steak tartar – among the city's best – and its exemplary wine cellar. Its vintage 'azulejo' ceramic wall tiles alone will make a visit worthwhile. If you take one of the suites, you can have longer breakfast hours and room delivery. The hotel has a gym and private parking.

It's one of Lisbon's most prestigious locations, and the Memmo Group chose it for the brand's third hotel in Portugal. Starting with Sagres in the Algarve in 2007, then expanding to Lisbon's Alfama six years later, Memmo picked Príncipe Real for its most recent venture. Despite the tourist swarm, Príncipe Real is still mostly a genuine 'Lisboner's Lisbon' district, cool and cosmopolitan, yet strangely lacking in terms of lodging. The building is brand new and its style is far from the Pombaline ideal of most of downtown Lisbon.

Hidden in a narrow Chiado street, it is located smack in the middle of Lisbon's nightlife and the historic centre. It is but a very short (downwards) walk to TimeOut Mercado da Ribeira, where you can find the city's top chefs' restaurants. It is thus a great starting point for discovering Lisbon without making detailed plans, even if your family came along. With Martinhal, the adults can go out, have fun and enjoy Lisbon in peace while the kids are left in charge of the hotel staff.

A day in the life of the world's best – this is the Pestana Group's proposal at the new CR7, the chain's second hotel (the first is located in Funchal, Madeira) inspired by Portugal's celebrated footballer and aimed at a millennial crowd. Interactive, modern and connected, Pestana CR7 brings to Lisbon a seductive offer: to have a glimpse at a day in the life of Ronaldo, and enjoy the same comforts and extravagances that the Real Madrid star expects to find away from home. This includes perks such as a suite equipped with a Playstation – Ronaldo himself says that wherever he is, there is always a game of FIFA and a pair of controllers around.

In the 1950s, tourism in Lisbon didn't go much beyond the city centre and castle areas. Staying in this hotel at the Martim Moniz square, a couple of minutes' walk from the Rossio, thus meant staying smack in the middle of the fun part of town, right next to all the typical food joints, the theatre houses and Lisbon's bohemian nightlife spots. More than half a century later, a lot has changed in the city, but Mundial's reputation remains intact. The square earned and then ditched a “rough” image, and has now become a fusion food market. As Lisbon grew, so did the Mundial, while keeping its old charm. The hotel remains a favourite with families, tour groups and business travellers.

Behind its 19th century facade Valverde is a boutique hotel whose distinguishing features are its artistic vibe and its immaculate service. Right from the off you'll notice how seriously the building's renovation works were taken. The hotel has a bold aesthetic that brings out its classic features. That might have resulted in a schizophrenic style but instead it became Valverde's calling card, a non-dull history lesson. The 25 rooms and suites vary in size and type – the building's original structure did not allow for any major alterations. However, even the smaller rooms (a little bigger than 20 square meters) make up for their size with large bathrooms including a shower and a tub.

The 53 rooms of this hotel next to Figueira Square houses are contemporary in style and low on frills but high on comfort. This is an excellent area of the city, close to the Rossio, the Chiado and the Cathedral, where you can enjoy the best Lisbon has to offer without having to go far. This includes the Deck, a traditional Lisbon patio turned into a café. The Portugal Boutique Hotel also offers other quality alternatives, including access to the bar and two restaurants at the nearby Hotel Mundial. One of these is the Varanda de Lisboa, where traditional Portuguese food is served with a panoramic view over the city and the river.

Getting to the Solar dos Mouros, a small boutique hotel near the castle, is not easy. Indeed, you will cut through narrow alleys that look like they're going nowhere, climb a few perilous steps and right when you're about to question the accuracy of Google Maps, you will see, hiding among the trees, an old house with 13 rooms. Thankfully the “old” part refers only to the facade – inside you'll find bold decoration – walls come in shades of red, yellow, blue, green and orange, giving it the air of an artist's retreat and making a nice change from the usual bland, beige rooms we're used to.

Born in 2010, Inspira Santa Marta is like a Kinder chocolate egg – plain on the outside, full of surprises within. From the moment you step into the lobby, you'll realize the hotel is much more ambitious than you might have previously thought. Ok, so there's no gold-plated walls, but this utilitarian hotel has earned a positive reputation for its good taste and friendliness, making it a firm favourite among the LGBT community. There are 89 rooms; those on the ground floor are simple in decor, but even they have a Nespresso machine, free wi-fi, glass window showers and biodegradable amenities by Ominsens - stuff worthy of a five-star hotel. Feng-shui principles determine the hotel configuration both inside and outside the rooms, which are ample, minimalist and very comfortable.

This is the story of a simple and cheerful hotel whose reputation as one of Lisbon's best goes beyond its excellent location, in the middle of Rossio. This hotel is a wonderful example of 17th century charm meets pop art invasion.The lobby has stone arcades and neon lights, the bar has ancient tiles, chandeliers and well designed furnishings. Signs hang on the walls of the rooms (46 of them) that read Fado, Lisboa and Amor (fado, Lisbon and love), to let you know romance is part of the story. Make sure you stay in on of the 18 which has a view of the Rossio: it's a rare privilege to sit and watch the world go by.