In preparation for this trip, I researched hotels in Lisbon extensively, looking for that perfect combination of a boutique-hotel-attitude, a lively bar and restaurant scene, a location that’s walking distance to the city’s sights, and a beautiful interior design. I especially love something unique, something that when you recall your trip in the future, the hotel factors in as a plus, with its own personality. The One Palacio scores on all counts, the Myriad’s only demerit is its location, which is quite far north of the city (but very close to the airport).
Let’s dig into the details…
The One Palácio da Anunciada
I absolutely adored everything about this hotel. It is situated at the perfect crossroads, allowing you to walk or take a short cab ride to just about every neighborhood in central Lisbon. (see more of Scenic Lisbon and our adventures)
When we first arrived from the airport, the cab driver dropped us off at the bottom of Avenida da Liberdade, and stated in broken English that our hotel was a block away, but he could not get to it. So, bleary-eyed from the flight, we stood with our rolling suitcases and attempted to navigate to the hotel. The GPS led us east, down what looked like a back alleyway (eek), which led to a pedestrian mosaic-ed street. A few blocks up, we spotted the hotel’s discreet signage and knew we had found something special. (For clarity’s sake, you can reach the hotel by taxi, basically by heading one block north of hotel and coming in that way where the street reverts back to cars.)
After check-in we headed upstairs to eat breakfast to acclimate to the new time zone. What we encountered was the most beautiful breakfast buffet ever. (see the photos below) But definitely, the pièce de résistance of the hotel was the outdoor pool, and lucky for us, though it was October, it was still warm enough to take advantage of it. (see the pool in the photo at the top of this post) There’s also a spa, and a small gym on the premises.
The hotel opened in February 2019, after the H10 Hotel group put a thoughtful re-design on this 16th-century palacio (1533 to be exact). They kept many of the original details in the public areas, but the rooms are thoroughly modern. Though it’s in the heart of the city, it is a true sanctuary. The service was friendly, and respectful—and very helpful. I give the experience 10 out of 10 stars.
Check out the photos from our stay.
The ceiling in the dining room next to the outdoor breakfast patio. Right, to the right of the main entrance, the lobby has comfortable chairs to relax in and a super-mod bookcase.
The breakfast patio was behind the palacio, where the hotel took advantage of carving out the space in between surrounding buildings. Right, one look at the breakfast buffet, which cost 29 euro (and worth it).
Café Americano out on the patio. Right, the fountain at the center of the patio, right behind where we sat. And the star of the patio, a 100-year-old dragon tree.
The discreet signage of the hotel (thank you passers-by for adding coordinating color to my photo). Right, a bar (Boémio Cocktail Lounge) located on street level of the hotel, which was not open when we were there, had lots of funky art.
The lobby, just in front of the entrance. Right, the chandelier over the O Jardim Wine Bar, which for breakfast hosts the buffet.
Another view of the patio, with hotel rooms above. Right, close-up of the breakfast offerings.
Part of the bread offering on the 29 euro breakfast. They also served a fruit salad, along with eggs and a selection of meat and cheeses. Right, a view of the patio from the spa/pool area.
The route to the pool area had an eye-catching row of recessed lighting. Right, baked goods on the breakfast buffet, for those with a sweet tooth.
Also part of the 29 euro breakfast: a selection of meats and cheeses. Right, the stairs up to the pool. Noted: In many places throughout Lisbon banisters on stairs are optional.
My room. This was located on the first floor facing the pedestrian street, but was not noisy, as I feared it might be. The decor was duo-tone: taupe and Portuguese blue. Bonus: next to the bed on both sides were USB charging stations and an American plug and electricity. Right, a small table in the room.
As in many European bathrooms, the toilet is separate from the shower area. Note the photo on the wall in between the rooms shows the state of the hotel before renovation. Right, my room had a tub, the shower was actually next to the tub, with hidden drain at the wall’s edge.
A wall of taupe closets revealed a coffee-prep area, mini fridge and safe. Right, my room had a double sink. Note, in the reflection in the mirror the door to toilet is frosted glass.
Careful. The steps leading down to the lounge area of the pool. Right, I missed breakfast one day, so opted for a Caesar Salad by the pool. As a matter of fact, we spent the afternoon here and it was absolute heaven.
Near the spa was a whirlpool bath, whose water was cool, not hot. I wondered how those plants stayed alive, then one time I came upon a man with a spray bottle giving them some love. Right, the palacio’s pretty window.
The 100-year-old dragon tree is even more dramatic at night. Right, when I asked the woman in the lobby what time the pool closed, she told me they stayed open all night. So, I took advantage of that for a late-night swim. The following day I heard that the pool closed at dusk, so I am not sure what the policy is.
The One Palácio da Anunciada, R. das Portas de Santo Antão 112-134, 1150-268 Lisboa
Myriad by Sana
OK, I will admit to a bit of incorrect planning on my part here. When I saw this hotel’s location next to a bridge, I assumed it was the one near the Belem area of Lisbon. But, this hotel is located about a half-hour taxi ride from the center. Ooops!! That being said, I thought the hotel itself had a breathtaking design, and turned out to be a great place to stay.
Full story: we had been at a friend’s wedding down in the Algarve for 4 days, re-uniting with dear friends. Needless to say, we indulged and celebrated day after day. We drove back up to Lisbon on a Monday (roughly a 3-hour drive) and had the foresight to book a massage upon our arrival. AAAHHH. The spa was located on the top floor of the hotel and had a stunning, shimmery, white-on-white design meant to add to the relaxation. The staff could not be nicer, or more pampering. The spa features a small indoor swimming pool, and a sauna with a full-glass wall that looks down on the city. This is the way to embark upon our last 2 days in the city!
The hotel design has a tri-color strategy: White, black, with punches of red. Glass windows allow for extensive views throughout the hotel, even the elevators were glass on 4 sides providing a thrilling ride up and down. I would have liked to have dinner in the round restaurant located above the metal sail on the hotel, titled 50 seconds—for that’s how long it takes for the elevator to reach the space. They were closed on Monday night, unfortunately, so that’s mistake number two in my planning efforts! No great loss, though, check out the photos from our stay…
(photo above) In the lobby, over a backlit floor sat a red piano, which Bob could not resist. Right, part of the enormous lobby. Here’s a really nit-picky comment: if you notice, the furniture in each area is a multiple of one design. It’s almost as if they ran out of ideas at that point in the design and just ordered a bunch of the same piece.
The view of the hotel from Parque das Nações which was created for Expo ‘98. Right, the south-facing deck off the lobby of the hotel.
A view from the 17th floor, looking down into the lobby. I adored the lighting fixtures, which resembled giant jellyfish. If you look closely, just above the stairs is the breakfast buffet. Right, the breakfast buffet had it all. This was included in the room price.
A couple more views of the inner atrium of the hotel. The rooms for the hotel were on the north and south sides of this.
The River Lounge dining room at breakfast (see our dinner here at this link). Right: Want some fresh-squeezed juice with your breakfast?
The elevator banks revealed the workings. Right, the metalwork sail on the back of the building, with 50 Seconds restaurant at the top.
The room continued the color scheme. It also featured a glassed-in shower in the center of the room, for the exhibitionists out there! The room controls were super high-tech, and there was definitely a learning curve trying to figure out what switch turned on what. Also, if the room card was not in the port near the front door, some of the switches would not be operational to control say, the TV or the blinds. That room needed an instruction booklet! For such a new hotel, I thought the charging stations were lacking.
Myriad by Sana Hotel, Lote 2.21.01, Parque das Nações, R. Cais das Naus, 1990-173 Lisboa
