The 12 Best Hotels in Lisbon

As Lisbon has grown to accommodate a recent influx of international visitors in recent years, so has its hotel scene. This list of 12 of the best hotels in Lisbon—part of Afar’s Hotels We Love series—could easily be twice as long, given the range of options for amazing value.

Fancy a night in a restored palace? Take your pick. Or a boutique hotel on a charming, tree-lined street? Throw a stone, you’ll hit one. (Maybe don’t throw anything; everything’s historic.) Portugal is also developing a reputation as one of the most family-friendly destinations in Europe, so we’d be remiss not to include a few kid-friendly spots, including best-in-class apartments with hotel amenities. Let this list inspire your next trip to the City of Seven Hills.

Andaz Lisbon

Courtesy of Andaz Lisbon

Years in the making, Andaz Lisbon has been well worth the wait. Occupying a prime location near Praça do Comércio, the hotel is designed by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola, who drew on Lisbon’s colors, craftsmanship, art, architecture, and history to create a contemporary hotel with a strong sense of place.

The 170 guest rooms are housed within a restored 18th-century building that was once a bank. Four Arch Suites frame views of the 19th-century Rua Augusta Arch, the monumental gateway to Praça do Comércio, where in past centuries ships unloaded cargoes of gold, spices, and other riches from across the Portuguese Empire. Throughout the rooms, Lisbon’s natural light illuminates works by contemporary Portuguese artists, while bathrooms stand out with glossy crimson walls and bold red-and-white tile work.

Dining celebrates Lisbon’s long history as a crossroads of global influences. Rooftop restaurant Luzzi incorporates flavors inspired by Portugal’s former trade routes, from Goa and Mozambique to Macau and Brazil. Downstairs, the Andaz Lounge serves street food classics, including cod fritters and chicken empanadas, alongside locally made gin on tap.

Bairro Alto Hotel

Courtesy of Bairro Alto Hotel

When the Barrio Alto Hotel opened in 2005 at the intersection of theater and shopping district Chiado and nightlife quarter Bairro Alto, it quickly became a laid-back place to unwind after a day of touristing. Occupying a five-story, 18th-century building painted that cheery Lisbon yellow seen all over the city, it’s a historic boutique hotel like so many others. Yet Portuguese designers leaned into fun, colorful textiles and geometric patterns to update the interiors.

Spacious guest rooms and suites mix both classic and contemporary elements (think antique tubs and heated bathroom floors) and have views over the popular Largo do Camões and the River Tagus. A patisserie on the ground floor serves freshly made Portuguese pastries all day, and the rooftop bar has one of the city’s best sunset cocktail spots. The hotel also offers a single-occupant rate for business travelers, digital nomads, or solo travelers who may just be passing through.

Hotel das Amoreiras

Courtesy of Hotel das Amoreiras

Hotel das Amoreiras sits on the garden square of Jardim das Amoreiras, four charming blocks that seem fit for a Wes Anderson movie. To understand the neighborhood is to understand the hotel: Within the Jardim are Lisbon’s first mulberry trees, planted by the Marquis of Pombal in the 18th century—the seeds (pardon the pun) of the city’s silk industry.

Surrounding homes served the local silk workers, though the restored silk factory is now the Arpad Szénes-Vieira da Silva Foundation, honoring a contemporary Portuguese artist and her Hungarian husband, who was also a painter. On the same block, the hotel has 17 bright, peaceful guest rooms and two attic suites bathed in natural light. À la carte breakfast is served daily until noon in the living room–style comfort downstairs or outside in the courtyard. Garden strolls are practically required.

The Ivens, Autograph Collection

Francisco Nogueira

Step into the lobby of The Ivens, Autograph Collection, and you are immediately drawn into the world of Portuguese explorers Ivens and Capello and their 19th-century travels through Africa. Globes, leafy plants, velvet armchairs, and cabinets of curiosities create a playful and transportive atmosphere.

Upstairs, the 87 guest rooms have high ceilings, wooden floors, and a continuation of the Out of Africa theme with oversize jungle prints. Downstairs, two restaurants and a bar designed by Barcelona-based Lázaro Rosa Violán, in his trademark exuberant style, draw a local crowd. Make time to experience it all, from the scarlet prawn risotto and tiramisu in Italian Rocco (don’t miss one of Lisbon’s most Instagrammed restrooms) to a plate of exceptional local oysters at the marble-topped bar.

The Lisboans

Courtesy of Lisboans

Set within a former factory in a quiet residential neighborhood between Alfama and Chiado are the kind of stylish, spacious apartments (with Juliette balconies!) you may never want to leave. Artists, writers, and fashion designers have been known to check into the Lisboans, which is also for families who need a little extra space and autonomy.

The 15 one- and two-bedroom apartments have high ceilings and large windows, letting plenty of natural light into the tastefully decorated living room, which has a mix of handcrafted throws and rugs and flea market finds. What’s best about the Lisboans? The serviced apartments come with the comforts of home—microwave, stove top, dishwasher—as well as daily housekeeping and breakfast basket deliveries.

A staffer sits in the downstairs “lobby” and can answer any questions, recommend a dinner spot, or plot a path through the nearby Praça do Comércio. But you needn’t go far for a good meal. Just out the front door is the celebrated farm-to-table restaurant Prado, and around the corner is the upscale Prado grocer and wine bar, selling farm-fresh eggs, produce, juices, and natural wines.

Martinhal Lisbon Oriente

Courtesy of Martinhal Lisbon Oriente

Ever since the debut of its first beachside resort in Sagres in 2010, the Martinhal collection of hotels, resorts, and residences has shown its competitors how to truly marry luxury and family friendliness. Kids are always central to the mission, with nods both practical (bunk beds, kid-size utensils) and playful (a Fiat inside the café to play in).

The kids club caters to a wide range of ages, from six months old to early teens, with babysitting services, stocked playrooms, and pajama parties. A baby concierge is on call with all the supplies you forgot at home. And at Martinhal’s newest location—Lisbon Oriente, about 25 minutes by car outside the city center by the Park of Nations—studios and apartments are available for extended stays with the same custom hotel-style amenities. There are indoor and outdoor pools, playrooms and coworking spaces, and a fitness center with yoga for ages 12 and up.

The One Palácio da Anunciada

Courtesy of the One Palácio da Anunciada

The second property from Spanish hotel chain H10 offers an oasis amid Lisbon’s city center. Set on a cobblestone street just off Avenida da Liberdade, the restored One Palácio da Anunciada is in a 16th-century palace a short walk from restaurants, cafés, and Bairro Alto nightlife, yet it avoids the clamor that normally comes with such a convenient location.

Large windows fill nearly every space with natural light, from the marble-filled lobby to the spa’s indoor pool and the 82 guest rooms. Suites seem more like elegant apartments than hotel rooms. Custom hand-painted ceramics decorate the walls, while gentle lighting and soft edges abound in the bedrooms. On the perimeter of the hotel’s idyllic courtyard and gardens are the exceptional spa and O Jardim Wine Bar, a spot for Portuguese wine and tapas.

Palácio Príncipe Real

Courtesy of Palacio Principe Real

“New” hotels in Lisbon are often centuries old, but lovingly restored, as is the case with Palacío Príncipe Real. Built in 1877, the rose-colored mansion served as a family home—and, as legend has it, was the site of many memorable high-society parties until the 1980s. Current owners and U.K. expats Gail and Miles Curley honored the home’s joie de vivre when they reopened it in 2021; there are no check-in or check-out times, and breakfast runs until early afternoon (or whenever you wake up) and can be served on the terrace or by the infinity pool, which is heated by the hotel’s solar panels.

The 25 guest rooms (“cozy,” “dream bath” with copper tubs, “dream garden” with balconies and garden views, and signature suites) are elegantly done—Gail is an interior designer— and come stocked with Byredo amenities, Dyson hair dryers, and mini-fridges filled with complimentary Portuguese snacks, wine, and beer.

Santa Clara 1728

Photo by Francisco Nogueira

Santa Clara 1728 is set within an 18th-century palace that’s now the (impeccably designed) home of hotelier João Rodrigues, whose family occupies the top two floors. Downstairs are six suites, where guests can enjoy spa-like serenity thanks to the minimalist design of famed Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus, who opted for natural woods and eggshell-blue walls, sitting rooms, and river views.

High-end linens make you want to stay in bed awhile (though there’s no air-conditioning, so throw open those windows and listen for the market vendors in the square below). Guests are invited to dine at Ceia, a nine-course meal at the hotel’s communal table, Wednesdays to Saturdays.

Santiago de Alfama

Courtesy of Santiago de Alfama

Lisbon’s oldest district is known for its labyrinth of narrow streets, abundant fado bars, and historical attractions. Opened in 2015, Santiago de Alfama is a draw in its own right. The former 15th-century palace is a short walk south of São Jorge Castle. Its 19 guest rooms offer views of the River Tagus or the courtyard garden, as well as unique configurations, including interconnecting bedrooms that would be ideal for families. Most accommodations combine traditional elements such as wood-paneled ceilings and intricate cornices with modern comforts like rain showers and bespoke linens.

As there are so few rooms, the staff will always know your name, though it’s unsurprising in this family-run hotel that functions like a more intimate B&B. Be sure to dine in the café and bistro Audrey’s, named after the owners’ daughter, which serves seasonal dishes using fresh produce from the kitchen garden.

Tarabel Lisbon

Courtesy of Tarabel Lisbon

One of the newest additions to Lisbon’s hotel scene, Tarabel occupies a 19th-century mansion behind a duck egg–blue facade in Lapa, the city’s stately embassy district, where grand homes and private palaces line secluded streets. Step inside and the atmosphere shifts from urban to serene with terraces of emerald-green lawn, a bottle-green swimming pool shaded by white parasols trimmed in yellow, and views of the River Tagus below.

Designer Rose Fournier, who is based between Marrakech and Lisbon, builds on the success of Riad Tarabel in Marrakech, having filled the hotel with antiques and curiosities gathered on her travels; the result is the feeling of a private home. There are nine guest rooms, each individually designed but united by an airy palette of crisp white linens, flowing curtains, painted woodwork, and deep soaking tubs. Be sure to head to the terrace for sunset before settling in for dinner, where dishes such as lime-cured scallops are served on artfully mismatched porcelain.

Verride Palácio Santa Catarina

Courtesy of Verride Palácio Santa Catarina

Housed in an 18th-century palace, Verride Palácio Santa Catarina has 18 rooms, each with its own character and a different perspective on Lisbon. Some are grand, with panoramic river views—most notably the two Royal Suites, one with richly carved wooden coffered ceilings and the other with intricate stucco work. Others have a more contemporary aesthetic and overlook the city’s narrow streets.

At the top of the hotel, a rooftop terrace offers panoramic views across Lisbon, while one level below, a small pool provides a welcome place to cool off between sightseeing excursions. For dining, Michelin-recommended Suba serves refined, contemporary cuisine, while the Lisbon Club 55 focuses on traditional Portuguese dishes in a more relaxed setting.