A Boutique Stay at Pousada de Lisboa

My recent city break to Lisbon was a cultural cocktail of exploring castles, hopping in tuktuks, getting lost in winding cobbled streets, photographing pastel coloured buildings, taking in panoramic views and stopping for plenty of coffee along the way. It’s safe to say we made the most of our 3 nights and 4 days in Lisbon, and I left feeling like I had experienced a generous slice of the city.

But after the miles of walking, map navigating and mini adventures of each day, one of the best things about the trip was coming back to our heavenly hotel. Here’s my review of Pousada de Lisboa…

Getting There

After an easy 2-hour and 20 minute flight from Gatwick, Scott and I touched down in Lisbon Airport. Our Classic Collection driver was ready to greet us at the airport and no sooner had we walked through arrivals we were whisked off to the city in our luxurious private transfer. The drive from the airport to Pousada de Lisboa only took 15 minutes which was a really nice surprise.

The Location

Although the hotel is only a 15-minute drive from the airport, the position of the Pousada de Lisboa could not be more central. It’s located right on the Praça do Comércio; Lisbon’s famous canary yellow square. Facing the Tagus River and surrounded by magnificent parliament buildings, it’s one of Lisbon’s most iconic locations. The cities’ vintage trams rattle right past the front of the hotel, further adding to the charming buzz of this hotel’s location.

Checking-in

The hotel itself is housed in a section of the old parliament bureaus and you can sense an aura of power and history the moment you walk through the door. We received a wonderful welcome from the reception staff, who checked us in and explained all the facilities within the hotel perfectly as our luggage was taken up to our room.

 The Room

We were upgraded from a classic room to a gorgeous superior room. Our welcome was made even more special with a surprise gift of port and freshly baked Portugese custard tarts (which have become my new obsession!).

As with most hotels in historical buildings, each room has a different layout and slightly quirky shape. Our room was in an L shape and featured a compact reception area with chaise longue and a writing desk. The room was incredibly light and airy, with 4 long windows and a ledge balcony to step out on for fresh air.

The grandest part of the room was of course the king sized bed. I loved the headboard, which extended from floor to ceiling and featured an intricate panel of grey coving. The bathroom was another interesting element of the room. It was almost like an opaque box within the bedroom itself, with one glass wall exposing full visibility to the shower.

There was a curtain you could pull across, but the design meant that there wasn’t a lot of privacy in terms of toilet and shower. Although aesthetically it looks very cool, you have to know your partner pretty well to stay in one of these rooms!

There were fluffy robes, slippers, luxury toiletries, a beautiful rain shower and the Wi-Fi was great, but two things that were really missing in the hotel room were simple tea and coffee making facilities and complimentary bottled water. For such a nice hotel, I would have expected both of these to come as standard.

The Dining Experience

On the first night of our Lisbon trip we dined in Pousada de Lisboa’s restaurant, which serves regional Portuguese cuisine in a fine dining setting. The quirky and historical features of the hotel extend into the restaurant too, with cosy low ceilings and a characterful brick ceiling.

The service within the restaurant was absolutely faultless and the waiters really took their time to describe the menu options and recommend wines suited to our taste. We even got to sample a few of the wines before choosing a bottle.

Although we only ordered 2 courses, our meal turned into a gastronomic feast as the chefs brought out not 1, not 2 but 3 surprise dishes before our starter arrived! We were treated to Portugese sausage, crispy cones filled with prawn and topped with caviar and a very cleverly disguised crab terrine.

My main dish was slow cooked crispy pork belly with orange, which the waiter explained was popular Portuguese dish. The pork belly was without a doubt the highlight of the dinner. By the end of the meal we felt extremely well looked after, truly spoilt and very, very full.

 An Urban Oasis

An unexpected and really special part of the hotel is the little urban oasis that is hidden away on the top floor. Here we found a modern wellness complex complete with spa treatment rooms, large gym, a small indoor pool, sauna and solarium.

The solarium is a roof terrace right at the top of the building with chairs and sun loungers and would be an ideal place to soak up the sun in summer months. So after all that sightseeing around the city, I loved knowing there was a place to unwind back at the hotel.

The Verdict

The Pousada de Lisboa is everything I could ever hope for from a European city hotel; boutique in style, characterful and luxurious. It is stylish yet unpretentious and the staff are professional, friendly and incredibly helpful. Although it’s only 8 months old, Pousada de Lisboa is part of Lisbon’s fascinating history and is a hotel equally as charming as the city it’s in.

Perfect for: stylish city breaks and romantic weekends away

What do you think of this hotel? Are you planning a trip to Lisbon and considering a stay here? If you enjoyed this post or have any questions about this hotel, please leave me a comment in the box below! x

Want to read more about Lisbon? Check out my Lisbon City Guide.

The Facts

My trip to Lisbon was with Classic Collection Holidays, who offer 3 nights Pousada de Lisboa Praca do Comercio from £473 per person. Price based on 2 adults sharing a classic room on a bed and breakfast basis and includes return flights from London Gatwick (other UK departure airports available) to Lisbon and private transfers.

Thank you to Blacklane for providing with airport transfers from Gatwick and picking us up in style.