Portugal

Memos. Rooms have hardwood floors, cutting-edge furniture, and lots of space; all of
them open onto a starkly contemporary staircase that was added to the building’s shell
during its complete gutting in 2000. The location in the heart of the Alfama means you’ll
be amid some of the city’s hippest and most avant-garde attractions. Breakfast is the only
meal served.
Rua Milagre de Santo António 6, 1100-351 Lisboa. & 21/885-49-40. Fax 21/885-49-45. www.solardos
mouros.com. 12 units. 119€–259€ double. AE, DC, MC, V. No parking available at the hotel. Tram: 28.
Amenities: Bar; concierge; room service. In room: A/C, TV, CD player, minibar, free Wi-Fi.
IN THE BAIRRO ALTO
Expensive
Bairro Alto Hotel With a location that’s unmatched for its association with
literary, historic, and Romantic-era Portugal, this 2005 reincarnation of Lisbon’s oldest
hotel sits within an ocher-colored six-story baroque building within a few steps of the
square (Praça Luís de Camões) that commemorates Portugal’s most important literary
patriarch. It originated in 1845 when it was rebuilt from the rubble of Lisbon’s Great
Earthquake less than a century before as the Hotel de l’Europe, then the capital’s most
visible hotel.
Huge effort was taken to blend the historic with the cutting edge here, from the ample
use of thousands of feet of exotic hardwoods, to the presence of all the electronic accessories
that the post-millennium generation would expect. Bedrooms and their furnishings
are rich with antecedents to Portugal’s imperial past, yet updated with a sense of
upscale minimalism and with lots of postmodern amenities. There’s also a sophisticated
bar, a rooftop terrace with a splendid panorama, and a gem-size restaurant (p. 113).
Praça Luís de Camões 8, 1200-243 Lisboa. & 21/340-82-88. Fax 21/340-82-00. www.bairroaltohotel.
com. 55 units. 385€–475€ double; 530€–650€ suites. Rates include buffet breakfast. Parking 15€. AE, DC,
MC, V. Metro: Baixa/Chiado. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; concierge; exercise room; room
service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (5€ per hour).
Inexpensive
Hotel Anjo Azul (Blue Angel) This is the only hotel in Lisbon that markets
itself to a gay clientele, although heterosexual clients also check in and are welcome. Set
on a narrow street in the Bairro Alto, a short walk from such well-recommended gay or
mixed bars as Portas Largas and Frágil, it occupies a narrow, much-renovated 18th-century
town house that retains many of its original blue-and-white tiles. Don’t expect luxury
or even an elevator—just clean but small and exceptionally simple rooms, and a
thoughtful and helpful staff well versed in the advantages of the surrounding neighborhood.
No meals of any kind are served, there’s no bar on-site, but the attractive, international,
and worldly clientele, many of whom return for second and third visits, don’t
really seem to mind.
Rua Luz Soriano 75, 1200-246 Lisboa. &/fax 21/347-80-69. www.anjoazul.cb2web.com. 20 units, 7 with
private bathroom. 40€–50€ double without bathroom; 50€–85€ double with bathroom. AE, MC, V. No
parking available at the hotel. Metro: Baixa Chiado. Tram: 28. In room: TV/DVD.
IN THE GRACA DISTRICT
Moderate
Albergaria da Senhora do Monte This unique little hilltop hotel is
perched near a belvedere, the Miradouro Senhora do Monte, in a hardly visited part of
the city. It has a memorable nighttime view of the city, the Castle of St. George, and the
Tagus. The intimate living room features large tufted sofas and oversize tables and lamps.
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SETTLING INTO LISBON 5
WHERE TO STAY