Palácio Ramalhete

Palácio Ramalhete has the soul of a historic property—Manuel II, Portugal’s last king, and Britain’s Duke of Windsor were once guests—without any of the attendant stuffiness. Situated in an 18th-century palace on the Rua das Janelas Verdes, each of the 16 accommodations has its own unique character. The Oak Suite, for instance, features handsome wood wall paneling with an ornate carved-stucco ceiling, while the spacious Dove Room, which occupies the palace’s former chapel, is lined with original hand-painted blue-and-white azulejos (ceramic tiles). There are three tiered internal courtyards, the highest of which has a small heated outdoor pool with a massive palm tree for shade and River Tagus views in the distance. Art lovers, take note: Just opposite the hotel is the National Museum of Ancient Art, filled with important Portuguese works that include Nuno Gonçalves’s Panels of St. Vincent.