After travelling all through the country on my Portugal Food Stories adventure, I ended my trip in the capital city of Lisbon. While the rest of my group departed and went their separate ways, I decided to stay on and discover the city on my own. I stayed in Lisbon for 6 nights and had the time of my life discovering this gorgeous city and somewhere along the way, I fell in love. My first real Lisboa experience was when I stayed at the beautiful Bairro Alto Hotel in the heart of Lisbon and I honestly feel it is one of the very best hotels I’ve been to. It is part of the prestigious Leading Hotels Of The World group and has well earned it’s spot along with 400 plus exquisite hotels around the world. I had a fabulous experience, the hotel staff were a big part of making this a memorable trip along with many others.These are my top 5 reasons why you need to stay at the Bairro Alto Hotel in Lisbon.
1. Heritage and Provenance – The Bairro Alto Hotel was christened in May 2005 and is considered to be the first five star boutique hotel in Portugal. The hotel it’s self is an 18th century building that was once the ‘ Grand Hotel De L’Europe’. The hotel is a heritage building with traditional Portuguese architecture. It’s miles away from the new age hotels and glass buildings and reminds you of a classic era. There is a very understated opulence that you will get at no other hotel in the city. To stay at the Bairro Alto hotel is a treat and an experience.
2. The Adorable Attic Like Rooms – The charm of this hotel is in it’s quirky architecture. As you go upward to the higher floors, you can tell the building tapers and it feels like you’re staying inside an antique doll house. It’s unlike any traditional hotel and it makes for such a fun experience. The rooms are beautiful, if you’re lucky and you are get a room facing the famous Praca Luis de Camoes you’ll be in for a treat. Each room is furnished beautifully and decorated in typical Portuguese fashion. Every colour and element represents something Portuguese like the yellow represents the famous Lisbon trams, red for the famous Lisbon rooftops, blue representing the River Tagus etc. While the architecture is wonderfully old school, the amenities are perfectly modern with dvd players, plasma tvs, air conditioning, wifi internet, minibar etc.
3. The Rooftop Bar – Lisbon is gorgeous at any time of the day or night and if you find yourself at the Terrace Bar at the hotel, you’ll be treated to a stunning aerial view of this beautiful city. While it’s the perfect spot to grab a drink or a quick meal and enjoy the view, I personally think it’s the best to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. After all, there really is nothing like waking up to a gorgeous view!
4. The Gorgeous Food – Lisbon as a city is great for eating out. It’s home to some fabulous restaurants and the restaurant at the hotel – ‘ Flores De Barrio Restaurant ‘ dishes out some delectable food. While the breakfast is a sumptuous affair, I had a beautiful meal at lunch time with petiscos I can still taste when I close my eyes and remember it. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, I’d strongly recommend popping in for a meal.
5. Bairro Alto – Lisbon is a gorgeous city with wonderful neighbourhoods. Bairro Alto is possibly the hip chic neighbourhood in town and flooded with bars, restaurants and quirky little shops. The hotel is strategically located in such a way that on one side it’s the Bairro Alto district and the other side it’s the trendy upscale Chiado district. Both neighbourhoods are perfect to experience Lisbon nightlife, adorable bars and cafes, some exquisite posh restaurants including some Michelin Star favourites and lots of boutiques and fun shops including some well known fashion labels to get your shopping fix.
For more about my Portugal adventures you can check out this link or this link or this one
