AlmaLusa Baixa-Chiado — Lisbon, Portugal
The Portuguese capital is on a roll right now, with new hotels opening apace. The latest is AlmaLusa Baixa-Chiado, a boutique hotel tucked into a charming corner, offering a slice of history and rooms with a view from within its 18th century frame.
Once the city’s arsenal, it sits on the magnificent Praça de Munícipio, one of Lisbon’s most emblematic squares, which is paved with its characteristic, calçadas - or cobblestones - and is dominated by the neo-classical façade of the City Hall.
The 28-room gem is the debut property of AlmaLusa Hotels, founded by hotelier Miguel Simões de Almeida, who promises to bring the decidedly understated, historically rich and elegantly contemporary feel to other corners of Lisbon soon.
Drawing on all things Portuguese from textiles to soaps, designer Giano Gonçalves has skilfully woven original flagstone floors and ancient fireplaces with 21st century comfort and technology. The rooms use rich textures in a muted palette of soft browns and greys, whilst the bathrooms, with showers not tubs, mix black slate and white tiles.
Delfina Restaurant, with its brasserie vibe, continues the Portuguese theme with dishes of fried octopus with tomato rice and variations on the national dish, Bacalhau.
ADDRESS
Praça do Munícipio 21
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Mary Lussiana is a passionate hotel-lover and freelance travel writer contributing to many of the UK’s best magazines and newspapers. A mother of three, she has lived in Portugal's sunny south since this century began, and continues to live there with her husband, their yellow Labrador, Bellini and returning children.
-
First look: Vyrao’s latest neuroscientific fragrance bottles the grounding effect of a digital detox
Vyrao’s earthy new fragrance ‘Mamajuju’ provides sensory respite from screen time. Lara Johnson-Wheeler speaks with brand founder Yasmin Sewell for a Wallpaper* preview
By Lara Johnson-Wheeler Published
-
Kengo Kuma’s new Kyoto hotel is ‘a sanctuary of ethereal beauty’
A former ryokan inn, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto offers onsen rooms equipped with natural hot spring water, and a contemporary take on a Noh theatre
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Frieze London 2024: everything to see and do
As London gears up for Frieze Week (7-13 October 2024), here are the must-sees inside and outside the fair
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Find serenity at Casa Fortunato, a Portuguese bolthole filled with light
Design-savvy duo Antonio Falcáo Costa Lopes and Filipa Fortunato chose Alcácer do Sal as the perfect setting for the second iteration of their original Casa Fortunato
By Mary Lussiana Published
-
Discover Locke de Santa Joana: a restored convent turned Lisbon hotel catering to ‘creative, Bohemian aficionados’
Born from the restoration of an old convent, Locke de Santa Joana has been redesigned by Post Company and Lázaro Rosa Violán into a design-led city break
By Mary Lussiana Published
-
The Rebello is a chic hotel with an industrial past on Porto’s riverside
Transforming industrial buildings on the Douro river, The Rebello is a new hotel ‘with an old soul’
By Rupert Eden Published
-
Modern, earthy lodges await at Lavandeira Douro Nature & Wellness
Lavandeira Douro Nature & Wellness in Portugal boasts off-track luxury cabins by FCC Architectura
By Rupert Eden Published
-
Jam Hotel Lisbon is a showcase of circularity and craft
Jam Hotel in Lisbon by Lionel Jadot and Jean-Paul Pütz offsets the raw aesthetic of its repurposed office building with eclectic art, craft and design with a focus on upcycling
By Rupert Eden Published
-
The Algarve welcomes Austa, an all-day kitchen in touch with its heritage
From breakfast to dinner, Austa embraces honest eating and local community
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Marqí hotel brings a minimalist 1970s feel to Portugal’s Sintra coast
Danish duo Mikkel Kristensen and architect Mikas Emil’s mansion conversion offers dreamy, cinematic escapism at Marqí, a secluded boutique hotel
By Jessica Kelham-Hohler Published
-
The Largo brings craftsmanship and creativity to Porto
The Largo is the latest hospitality offering in Portugal's second city, conceived as an elevated residence with an art programme that connects it to the city’s creative community
By Tom Howells Published