Lisbon Lux
Old meets new in a beautifully restored hotel in the Portuguese capital
Nothing will destroy your appetite faster than a giraffe-like model nibbling watermelon at the next table. (Even the Parisian-slim French mother of two hesitates over her baby-sized serve of gloriously buttery scrambled eggs). It’s an unfortunate situation given the breakfast spread at Lisbon’s Bairro Alto hotel.
In the heart of the old district, the elegantly lux boutique hotel is a magnet for the chic-set: this morning, the light-filled modern breakfast room is bustling with visiting fashionistas, on hand for the first day of the city’s 2006 winter/autumn fashion shows.
The 19th Century building houses just 55 rooms, each paying homage to the blend of historic architectural detailing and mod furnishings that is this property’s signature. And if all this isn’t enough to attract, how about the optional extras: the hip bar, well-equipped gym (a rarity in Europe’s petit luxury lodgings) and gorgeous roof-top terrace, offering chilled wines, scrumptious club sandwiches and a panoramic vista across terracotta rooftops to the Tagus River.
The perfect chill zone for the weary clothes-horse.
OPTIONAL EXTRA
Gourmands take note of the stunningly creamy range of house-made ice-creams from Flores, the hotel’s classy restaurant. The mascarpone, cinnamon and pistachio trio is unforgettable.
Bairro Alto. 8 Praca Luis De Camoes, Bairro Alto, Lisbon. +351-21 340-8288