Pestana Palace Lisboa Hotel & National Monument

Character and identity

Set in the restored Palace of the Marquis of Valle-Flor, a 19th-century cocoa baron's residence classified as a national monument, this 194-room hotel sits in a quieter pocket of Lisbon, away from the centre. The palace itself is the heart of the experience: Louis XV furniture, romantic frescoes, and lounges done out in Italian, French and Chinese styles. Two modern wings, reached by glass bridges over exotic gardens, house the bedrooms. Valle-Flôr restaurant occupies the former ballroom with gold columns and Regency furniture, while the outdoor pool, set below a 19th-century Chinese pavilion, was the Marquis's original swimming pond. A Les Clefs d'Or concierge team works round the clock.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The reason to book is the palace: few European hotels offer interiors of this calibre, and the gardens create a genuine oasis within Lisbon. Splurge on a room inside the historic palace rather than the modern wings if the heritage atmosphere is what's drawing you, and plan around the Saturday garden picnic in summer or the Sunday brunch in the old ballroom.