The 9 Best Boutique Hotels in Lisbon

Our pick for history is Convent Square Lisbon. The hotel is built around the open-air cloister of the Convento de S. Domingos, a Dominican convent from 1242 commissioned by King Sancho II; original tombstones and 17th-century tiles survive. It joined the Vignette Collection in 2023. Palacio do Governador Lisbon stands on the site of the 17th-century governor's house of the Tower of Belém: Roman stone vats were preserved beneath the courtyard, along with blue-and-white tiles and brick vaulted ceilings.Palacio do Governador Lisbon · BelémTwo hotels occupy 18th-century buildings. Bairro Alto Hotel Lisbon was home to the Grand Hotel de L'Europe until 1980 and reopened in 2005, rehabilitated and expanded by Eduardo Souto de Moura, winner of the 2011 Pritzker Prize, with interiors by Atelier Bastir and TheStudio. Two cast-iron works by Rui Chafes stand in the lobby. The Lumiares Hotel Lisbon opened in 2017 in a former palace in Bairro Alto, keeping its original Grand Staircase with a sculptural brass light installation.Memmo Alfama Lisbon · AlfamaIndustrial history with a new life: in 2021, The Ivens Lisbon turned a 19th-century Chiado warehouse into an Autograph Collection hotel named after the explorers Roberto Ivens and Hermenegildo Capelo, with interiors by Lazaro Rosa-Violan and Portuguese artist Cristina Matos. Memmo Alfama Lisbon opened in late 2013 in a 19th-century former shoe polish factory, and a street-art portrait by Vhils covers part of the facade.

If you are looking for a design hotel in Lisbon, Príncipe Real has a contemporary signature: architect Samuel Torres de Carvalho designed Memmo Principe Real Lisbon with local limestone, hand-painted tiles and Portuguese art. Valverde Hotel Lisbon on Avenida da Liberdade is styled like a London or New York townhouse, with antiques, art and contemporary furniture. The Vintage Lisbon was redesigned from top to toe by 2019 in a mid-century modern style, with pieces by local artists and makers.

Awards and hotel collections: Bairro Alto Hotel Lisbon holds four stars in the Forbes Travel Guide and is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. Palacio do Governador Lisbon belongs to Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Valverde Hotel Lisbon to Relais & Châteaux, and both Memmo hotels are part of Design Hotels.

The smallest hotels in this selection are in Príncipe Real, Alfama and on the Avenida: Memmo Principe Real Lisbon has 41 rooms, some with terraces, Memmo Alfama Lisbon has 42 and Valverde Hotel Lisbon 43. At Valverde Hotel Lisbon, the Junior Suites have balconies over Avenida da Liberdade, a heated marble-clad pool hides in the courtyard, and massages take place in a treatment room with an in-house masseuse.Memmo Principe Real Lisbon · Príncipe RealLiving like a local: all 53 units at The Lumiares Hotel Lisbon are apartments with a fully equipped kitchen, and the penthouses have private terraces. At The Vintage Lisbon, with 56 rooms, every room has a vintage bar cart with a gin and tonic kit, and The Hangout lobby bar has a wood-clad fireplace and a record player. Palacio do Governador Lisbon spreads 60 rooms over five floors, with some suites under brick vaults.

The larger hotels stay personal, too. Bairro Alto Hotel Lisbon and The Ivens Lisbon have 87 rooms each; the Ivens counts ten suites, including two signature suites on the top floor. With 121 rooms, Convent Square Lisbon is the largest hotel in the selection and keeps a daily tea ritual inspired by Portugal's tea heritage. Babysitting is available at the Bairro Alto Hotel and Convent Square.