Bairro Alto Hotel

Hotel description

It’s stylish, it’s plush, it beckons you off the street with its cheery yellow exterior. But perhaps the best thing about the Bairro Alto is the hotel’s choice location on Lisbon’s main square, Praça Luís de Camões. This central spot would make its poet namesake proud: serene by day, the square is home to a number of Baroque churches and historic cafés, with easy access to the nearby fashion district. At night, it becomes a hub for exploring the local clubs and watering holes that overflow onto the side streets through the wee hours of the morning.

But rest assured – returning to a room at the Bairro Alto after a late night of red wine and fado music is quite a treat. The hotel’s designers worked hard to preserve some of the charming details of the original 18th-century mansion while incorporating the work of contemporary Portuguese artists, such as the sculptor Rui Chafes, who created the two cast iron works in the main lobby. Private rooms, as well, feature original photography and paintings. A modern sensibility has also been applied to the more practical elements of this revamped mansion: all of the rooms have Brazilian hardwood floors, marble bathrooms, DVD players, and wireless internet capability. If money’s no object and you can’t survive a vacation without a lion-claw bathtub, you might consider upgrading to a suite. But no matter which room you book, don’t forget to crack open that complimentary bottle of port to kick off your holiday right.

Don’t miss the welcoming public spaces of the Bairro Alto. The Café Bar, which opens onto the street, is decked out with festive Cubist furnishings, while the Terrace serves up fresh salads and panoramic views of the Tagus river.