Is Palacio Belmonte the Dreamiest Hotel in Lisbon?
Is Palacio Belmonte the Dreamiest Hotel in Lisbon?
With its rich history, vibrant style and central location, Palacio Belmonte is one of the dreamiest spots in Lisbon
So what’s it all about?
Palactio Belmonte began life as a 15th century palace, built on a warren of ancient Roman and Moorish walls. Later, in the 18th century, the interiors were dressed in thousands of traditional blue-and-white Azulejo tiles.
Despite it’s grand start, Palacio Belmonte fell in to disrepair, and was all but forgotten.
That changed when Frederic Coustols, the current owner, embarked on a journey to restore it. In the process he painstakingly re-set the original Azulejo tiles, and converted the building to a boutique hotel.
The reborn Palacio Belmonte is as lovely as ever, with an outdoor swimming pool, and Coustols’ personal collection of modern art and books.
But surely, we hear you say, that’s not enough to call it the dreamiest spot in Lisbon is it?
You’re right. So let us tell you more about why we think it is..
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This will be our third visit to Lisbon, and Palacio Belmonte feels like the best located hotel of the lot.
With the train station located close by, even further flung places, like Sintra and Belem, are easy to get to.
Palacio Belmonte is located in the Alfama district, one of the oldest and best preserved quarters of Lisbon. Outside the hotel, Moorish avenues spiral down to music-filled streets that hum with activity.
At night, with the windows wide open, fado melodies drift up to us, carried on the sea breeze, and lull us to sleep. By noon, the marble tiles underfoot have been warmed by the sun, and the air fills with the scent of just-baked Pastel de Nata.
Could anything be more scrumptious than a warm custard tart? We think not.
Killer views from one of the highest spots in Lisbon
What’s more, being so high up means that the views from the hotel are pretty spectacular too. From our suite, which has its own private balcony, we can see the red-roofed city undulating across all the seven hills of Lisbon. In the distance, the sea beckons.
And those views are gorgeous all day, and night, long. We enjoy many a morning coffee from the terrace, padding out onto the wooden boards to soak up the tumble of Portuguese houses that lead from the hills to the sea.
So the views are great – but are the rooms as nice?
Yes, the rooms are gorgeous.
Our suite, the Ricardo Reis, is located in the Roman tower, and made up of a set of rooms. Each room seems more beautiful than the one before it.
Stone, spiral stairs, just wide enough for one person to pass, lead up to the suite. Heavy wooden doors open up to a grand lounge, which is defined by its traditional vaulted ceilings, collections of artworks, and vintage furniture.
After the lounge is the bedroom, filled with a generous bed, more of those lovely red rugs and azure-blue azulejo tiles.
There’s also a bathroom, which has its own stunning vista, framed in a dreamy landscape window.
The Acqua di Parma bath products are a welcome touch too.
A hotel filled with bags of original character, including thousands of traditional Portuguese tiles
Because the hotel is located in an area that’s remained largely untouched over the centuries, many of the features inside are original. In fact, during its restoration, Coustols went to incredible lengths to maintain the look and feel of the place.
The arrangement of Azulejo tiles in our bedroom might be one of the best examples of the craft in the city. Save for the ones at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo – which you have to visit!
Sounds great, so it must be crowded right?
Nope. Actually, we have the place to ourselves.
The sparsity of the rooms – just 10 suites in all – make the rambling mansion feel like its all yours. A home away from home.
For instance, one afternoon we head to the library and peruse Coustols’ books, and are left undisturbed by any other soul. We’ve read that he consumes one book a day which, going by the breadth of his library, we can believe.
Later that night, after dining out on giant prawns in sizzling, garlicky oil, we come home and play chess, again undisturbed, until late. And that’s the point I think – staying at Palacio Belmonte feels like you’re staying at home. Or – the home of your very wealthy alter ego anyway.
Breakfast is just as intimate
We let the concierge know what we’d like the night before, and at what time, and the next morning it arrives set up on our private balcony.
We tuck in to baskets of warm croissants and currant-studded bread, fresh out of the oven. There are eggs too, alongside plates of cheese and meat. Other vessels brim with cream, and yogurt veined with plum jam. We save most of the glistening fruit for later, though we can’t help but pop slices of juicy peach into our oats there and then.
Oh, and did we mention the pool?
It’s nestled in the wild garden of the hotel, fringed with blue sky and cascading Bougainvillea.
All in all, our stay at Palacio Belmonte has been fantastic.
It feels like a privilege to be in such an old building that has such a rich history, and I can’t wait to go back one day, to enjoy the hotel all over again :)
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The Details
Palacio Belmonte, Lisbon
Address – Pátio de Dom Fradique 14, 1100-624 Lisboa, Portugal
Website – Palacio Belmonte
Our stay at Palacio Belmonte was complimentary, however this does not affect our write up in any way. All views are our own and as ever we aim to provide useful and honest feedback.
