BIARRO ALTO (above)
8, Piaca Luis de Camoes
Bairro Alto 1200
Lisbon
55 Guestrooms
Flores Restaurant
Garret Cafe
Mezzanine Bar
6th Floor Lounge
|
PALACIO BELMONTE (above)
Pateo Dom Fradique 14
1100 - 624 Lisboa
Portugal
Tel: +351 21 881 66 00
www.palaciobelmonte.com
10 suites
Belmonte Cafe
Library
Music Room
Governor Room
Maria Ursula room
|
FAROL DESIGN HOTEL (above)
Av. Rei Humberto II De Italia, No. 7
2750-461 Cascais
Portugal
Tel: +351 21 482 3490
www.farol.com.pt
34 bedrooms
Restaurant Rosa Maria
Classic Bar / Nuts nightclub
2 Conference Rooms
|
|
|
|
Winter 2005 / Places
- Lisbon
The fact that MTV chose Lisbon to host its star-studded annual awards ceremony in November surely cements the Portuguese capital's status as a capital of cool. It may be small, with just under 2 million residents, but it's vibrant - as CEO Brent Hansen remarked, "We chose Lisbon because it's a young city." Only last year the country hosted the Euro 2004 football championship and the tourist board reports that numbers of tourists visiting the capital continues to rise year on year. First boosted considerably by Expo '98, which commemorated the 500th anniversary of the great Portuguese explorers' discovery of a sea route to India and left the remarkable architectural legacy of the Parque Das Nacooes, Lisbon has been touted since as the New Barcelona.
It may not have quite the riches of its Spanish rival, but it's a strong competitor with an extremely pretty, compact coastal city with plenty of sunshine and lots to see, from ancient castles, grand squares and the fado, to hip boutiques, cutting-edge restaurants and cosy, late night bars in the Bairro Alto. Built on seven hills there are an abundance of incredible views and the nearby seaside town of Cascais and the mystical World Heritage Site of Sintra are an added bonus. Not forgetting the golf resorts and fantastic opportunities for water sports such as kite-surfing along the Atlantic coast beaches, such as Guincho.
In terms of hotel activity, there are plenty of golf resorts and spas opening in the region, but in the city not so much to report. The big news has been the arrival of Grace Leo Andrieu's boutique E90m Bairro Alto hotel, conveniently located on the border of two trendy neighbourhoods of Bairro Alto and Chiado, both extremely appealing districts full of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars - ideal for tourists to explore.
Otherwise recent hotel developments appear to be predominantly restricted to refurbishment programmes, such as the Sofitel Lisboa's (www.sofitel.com) new look "that blends French and Portuguese cultures of past and present," by international architects/designers Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet in collaboration with French couture fashion designer Jean-Charlers de Castelbajac and florist Carlos Filipe. The 171-room Sofitel is located on the Avenida da Liberdade, Lisbon's most prestigious boulevard lined with designer clothes stores.
Close by the Hotel Britania, part of the Heritage Hotels Lisboa (www.heritage.pt) and Lisbon's only surviving Art Deco hotel has also recently been renovated and modernized, it reopened in May 2005. Heritage Hotels Lisboa are evidently a hotel group to watch, they've also enlisted Portuguese architect and interior designer Miguel Cancio Martins, of Buddha Bar and Man Ray fame, to renovate and refurbish the 18th century Heritage Avenida Liberdade Hotel. The hotel will reopen with 42 rooms, and new public areas including a wellness room in 2006. Cancio Martins says of the project, "Everything is about balancing the old and the modern so as to keep it coherent." Something that appears to be intrinsically Portuguese, as Sleeper discovered on a recent visit to three notable hotels in Lisbon and Cascais.
Biarro Alto
Grace Leo Andrieu, working with interior designer Jose Pedro Vieira and architect Diogo Rosa La of Bastidor, has brought her inimitable sense of style to bear on Bairro Alto, located in an enviable spot in Lisbon's Old Town.
Lisbon has long deserved a boutique hotel of the calibre of Grace Leo Andrieu's five-star Bairro Alto. If location is all, then GLA have triumphed - this elegant hotel couldn't be in a better spot, especially for visitors eager to explore the best parts of the city. The 19th century building with its distinctive mustard yellow faŤade is by far the grandest building on PraŤa Luis de Cam›es (named after the soldier poet Luis Vaz de Cam›es) in the trendy Bairro Alto (Upper City) district.
This historic area of Lisbon dates back to 1513 and the narrow grid of streets, just north of the hotel, are today packed with cool boutiques (Rua de Norte is the main retail artery), traditional fado houses and atmospheric little late-night bars. Meanwhile the flats above are often still occupied by elderly residents who hand birdcages from their balconies and occasionally drench rowdy late night revellers with buckets of water. What's more the famous No.28 tram passes by virtually outside the hotel, so guests can catch it and take the rollercoaster ride through town and up to Sao Jorge Castle. The shops, book stores and museums of Chiado are also on its doorstep.
In the midst of all this bustling street life, designer Jose Pedro Vieira and architect Diogo Rosa La of Porto-based Bastidor, Interiores e Design have managed to create a serene oasis that feels as though it's existed for years. This is Bastidor's first hotel, they are known best for their residential projects. GLA asked them to create an up-to-date hotel that could be nowhere else but in Lisbon.
Rosa La explains, "because the building had already been a hotel, we wanted it to have a certain 'nostalgic' and traditional feeling about it, and not just be another minimal hotel."
It was their intention to "pay homage to the country's architectural and design styles through the ages, including exotic influences of its former colonies, while interweaving materials from other countries such as England, France, Morocco and Italy," - in spite of this vast scope of influences the designers have still managed to create a refined sense of cohesiveness through a repetition of colour and materials.
On site work took over two years, "because of the traditional type of construction and that fact that the hotel was not demolished from inside but was entirely rebuilt using the original structure and most areas had made to measure panelling and carpentry units" says Rosa La. "It was truly very hard work, but it was also a great pleasure and an unforgettable experience."
The biggest challenge was probably spatial, since it feels like quite a lot has been shoe-horned into the rather modest-sized ground floor public areas. Elements such as the sandy and amber hued Venetian-style terrazzo marble floor laid (by Milan-based company Fantini) throughout the public areas lend the space a classical feel. The lobby is sparsely decorated, there are two forest green benches inspired by 17th century Portuguese design and two contemporary wrought iron sculptures, by Rui Chafes, framed within alcoves carved from traditional Lioz stone.
Reception is discreetly tucked away, through an archway in one corner.
Tall archways located either side of the lobby, house beautiful tall glass doors bearing a geometric design in white colonial lacquer, imparting the haute charm of a Parisian salon. These lead through to Flores restaurant on one side and the Mezzanine and Garrett Cafe Bar opposite. Already an award-winner, the restaurant's Chef Henrique Sa Pessoa just won the title of Portugal's Chef of the Year for his world cuisine which "deftly fuses the flavours of Portugal's former colonies with those of the Far East."
In keeping with the food, the green, white and cinnamon coloured azulejos that wrap around Flores like glazed ceramic wainscoting, inject a Moorish note. Handmade in Morocco they were designed by Bastidor.
"We took inspiration from traditional Hispanic-Arab patterns that were very common in Portuguese palaces and manor houses a few centuries ago," says Rosa La.
The 35-cover restaurant is furnished with beautiful polished dark mahogany chairs with buttery-hued leather seats, inspired by 18th century English chairs they also display a colonial influence in their striking flower motif backs. Matching mahogany pedestal tables with moulded bronze base plates were made locally and take their cues from Portuguese national heritage, "the central leg is inspired by the traditional 'rope' pattern found in the Manueline style in Portuguese architecture and furniture," he says.
Large black and white photographs by Rui Calcado Bastos, depict Lisbon city scenes, whereas cushions upholstered in Ralph Lauren fabric bearing a bamboo, or palm tree pattern add a hint of Far East spice.
Flores feels very much a GLA production, every single detail has been meticulously considered; crystal from Poland, lovely amber hued glassware and stylish staff uniforms conspires to create an impeccable, cohesive whole.
Garrett Cafe Bar across the lobby is modern in feel. Slightly sunken, to no doubt add a sense of space, it glows from a huge Mondrianesque illuminated wall designed by Bastidor with technology supplied by Zumtobel Staff. The coloured lights are reflected in the polished black top of the large triangular table, a very distinctive centrepiece that was also designed exclusively for the space, created from a mould it is fibre-glass and finished in black polyester paint.
A partially lit corridor leads from this space towards the Igloo-lounge, which was previously a laboratory belonging to the neighbouring pharmacy. Black banquettes brightened by orange and red cushions are paired with small glossy-topped oval tables - designed by Bastidor to match those in guestrooms - and Patricia Urquiola-designed stools by Driade.
There is an additional area, leading off the lobby and overlooking Garrett Cafe Bar is the more discreet Mezzanine. An extension of the bar, it features wenge wood flooring, Chinese lacquered tables and low slung leather chairs. A glass wall enables guests to glance down at the brighter bar area, or outside at PlaŤa Luis de Camoes.
The 55 guestrooms are laid out over five floors. Rooms are a little small for a five-star hotel, but house everything a guest would require. Classic in feel with timber wood panelling they follow four, typically Portuguese, colour themes of yellow, ivory, a kind of Georgian-green and a burgundy red. An unusual touch are the frescoes of birds, hand-painted by local artists Alexandra d'Andrea. "The idea was to have small one in each room and in different places," explains Rosa La, "as if they were the remaining part of a much larger existing piece that had vanished with time."
Each room is furnished with American walnut and cane furniture; wardrobes, armchairs and a slender desk that doubles up as a dressing table with a central panel that lifts to become a vanity mirror. Plasma TVs sit discreetly on custom-designed ledges incorporated into the wood panelling. Bastidor designed the oval tables with lacquered chocolate brown bases and tops carved from Portuguese stone called Brecha da Arrab’da, "it was used a lot in earlier decades in Lisbon and we found one remaining block, unfortunately I don't think we'll be so lucky next time," he says.
We particularly liked the contemporary steel and porcelain bedside lights, custom-adapted and produced by British company Alva Lighting. Bathrooms are also small, they correspond with the colour scheme of the room with matching painted woodwork, classic veined marble walls combined well with modern chrome taps and sanitaryware.
There are four suites, more spacious these include an adjoining lounge area furnished with custom-designed sofas and armchairs upholstered in faux-fur and velvet textured fabrics from Sako, Rubelli and Osborne and Little. Luxurious bathrooms include double washbasins, freestanding baths and dinner-plate shower heads.
Bairro Alto is a great addition to the GLA portfolio. It may be a little pricey, considering the size of guestrooms, but it is in an excellent location, beautifully done and service was exemplary - Lisbon needs more such hotels.
Palacio Belmonte
Maria and Frederic Coustols' painstaking restoration of a 15th century palacio has retained much of the property's Portuguese charm.
Few hotels encapsulate the heritage and historic spirit of a city as enchantingly as Lisbon's Palacio Belmonte. This 10 suite hotel, perched on high is only cobblestones away from Sao Jorge Castle in the intriguing old Jewish medieval quarter of Alfama, opened in 2003 following a sensitive five year E30million (approx) restoration programme initiated by two very dedicated owners, Maria and Frederic Coustols.
The property dates back to 1449, although there are older elements originating from the 3rd century BC. The first part of the structure was erected upon ancient fortified Roman and Moorish walls, called respectively Cerca de AlcaŤova and Cerca Moura. It consisted of three towers; a corner tower to the north built upon Roman foundations, and two towers to the west one rectangular and the other pentagonal built upon a 40 metre rock of 7th century Moorish provenance. The Palacio was expanded two hundred years later, when the Belmonte family added an East terrace and classical facades.
The property's most stunning feature, the friezes of traditional blue and white ceramic tiles - azulejos - were commissioned in the early 18th century. These decorative artworks adorn most of the first floor public areas lending an inherent Portuguese character to the property. They were created by master tile-makers Manuel Santos and Valentim de Almeida during what is considered the golden age of this art. There are 59 panels comprising more than 30,000 tiles and depicting various classical scenes of high society and court life.
When Coustols purchased the Palacio in 1995 the property was in need of much care and attention. The first two years of the restoration work were devoted to understanding the different phases of construction from 130 years BC to 1995 - studying the archaeology, air circulation, materials, heat, cold, wind, rain, acoustics and so on.
Architect Pedro Quirino da Fonseca was assisted throughout the restoration by the head of the City Hall rehabilitation department, architect Felipe Lopes. So respectful was the work that they even redeveloped a formula to make the old Vitruve's lime mortar, championing its use instead of cement.
Since then, the mortar is the favoured material for the restoration of all of Portugal's National Monuments
Their painstaking attention to detail was recognised by the Portuguese government in 1997 when they bestowed the Palacio with National Monument status.
Furthermore in 2000, on behalf of the British Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Prince Charles presented the Coustols with an Urban Regeneration award, placing the property in the super league alongside the likes of the Royal Opera House and the Tate Modern. In continuing these impressive beginnings, it is the owners intention that, "Palacio Belmonte will be a showcase and permanent exhibition of Portuguese craftsmanship and re-invented traditional, know-how."
Staying at the Palacio Belmonte is a rarefied treat, with only ten suites (named after prominent Portuguese individuals such as ecologists, writers and inventors) it's like being guests at the grand rambling home of slightly eccentric but very elegant, wealthy and worldly philanthropists.
Staff remain at a pleasant, almost invisible distance, but are always just a phone call away. There is nothing so modern and ghastly as air conditioning, instead the stone floors, traditional wooden caixao (coffin) ceilings and 'saguao' (small openings in the thick walls) conspire surprisingly well to provide efficient natural ventilation and facilitate air circulation.
The eclectic furnishings assembled by the owners are an inspired blend of 17th, 18th and 19th century antiques combined with artefacts and objets d'art from Asia and Africa. There's plenty of space in the public areas to find a quiet corner, with a series of lounges featuring simple white linen sofas and bursts of colour from raw silk cushions and antique armchairs bearing richly patterned silk upholstery. The compact library (stocked floor to ceiling with 4,000 books and papers) is painted a welcoming burgundy red whereas deep turquoise dominates in one of the salons overlooking the garden at the rear. Huge, distinctive wrought iron pendant and wall candelabras, painted red or turquoise, provide sculptural lighting pieces throughout.
Suites are generously proportioned ranging from 30m2 to over 135m2. Ours was located up a narrow winding stairway and included a lobby area with a beautiful carved timber doors concealing a wardrobe recessed into the wall. The main suite included a dining area, timber shutters with window seats, contemporary paintings, lovely old standard lamps and a gorgeous distressed antique gilt mirror, plus a canopied bed. Refreshingly free of a TV (they are available on request but quite frankly, would ruin the gentrified air), there was instead a stereo - Mozart's Adagios proving the perfect soundtrack. The capacious ensuite white marble bathroom was wonderfully modern by comparison.
Suite highlights include the Bartolomeu de Guasmao, a duplex with its own terrace overlooking Alfama and the river Tagus, and the romantic Padre Himalaya suite at the top of the Roman tower with a chic monochrome 'Preto Estremoz' marble bathroom and a bedroom with a 360ű panoramic view. The expansive, rather regal Souza Cardoso suite includes a dressing room, living room, breakfast room, veranda and private solarium, plus views of the garden pool. But it is the garden that really completes this idyllic haven.
There is something a little bit Greek and a little bit ProvenŤal about it, with its white-washed walls, bougainvillea, citrus trees, fragrant herbs such as rosemary and low slung garden chairs painted a shade of blue reminiscent of the blue created by French painter Jacques Majorelle for his celebrated Marrakech garden.
Guests usually chose to breakfast here, either at tables offering stunning views across higgledy piggledy red rooftops towards Sao Vicente church and the river beyond, or in secluded corners beneath dappled shade, or lounging on timber decking surrounding the neat, black marble pool. Such a setting combined with the refined heritage of the interiors, engenders a marvellous sense of serenity rarely found in a hotel in the heart of a capital city.
Farol Design Hotel, Cascais
Carlos Miguel Dias' sleek new extension to the Farol Design Hotel houses a series of rooms designed by ten different Portuguese fashion designers.
Hotels with interiors designed, or styled by fashion designers are, it appears, increasingly the rage in the super branded noughties. There are the luxury, international five-star affairs created by major players like Armani, Missoni, and Bvlgari. Then there are the cutting-edge, quirky local versions, such as the fashion suites at Brussels' Royal Windsor Hotel, the Pelican in Miami or the Farol Design Hotel in Cascais, which opened in 2002.
This contemporary hotel (represented by epoque hotels and design hotels) has a prime craggy cliff-top spot in the seaside resort of Cascais, on the Estoril coast 30 miles from Lisbon. Originally a fishing village, once known as the "Land of Kings and Fishermen", this handsome town has long been the favourite holiday destination of Lisbon royalty, yachties and high society - where better to situate a stylish, design hotel?
There are 34 rooms; fifteen of which occupy a renovated 19th century mansion, once owned by the Count of Cabral. The other 19 rooms are located in the adjoining sleek new modern extension designed by architect Carlos Miguel Dias. The public areas, by designers Cristina Santos Silva & Ana Meneses Cardoso, are bright and welcoming, with an almost retro '60s palette of red, black and white. The modest sized lobby, with an oh-so-now mirrored reception desk, also has a lounge area furnished with bold sculptural low red sofas, curvy polished black tables and Starck's Bohem tables, also in red.
This leads through to the bar, enriched by original dark timber paneling and stripped wood floors. Small white coffee tables with tops reminiscent of lace doilies are paired with button-backed red sofas and slipper chairs upholstered in red damask and velvet. Not that the interior needs much embellishing, since this room - set into a bay - has floor to ceiling windows which give fantastic sea views. It is this Atlantic Ocean vista that they have really taken advantage of with the landscaping at the Farol, both bar and restaurant lead onto the terrace, from which guests can access the lower walled terrace with pool. It's all very Ibiza-meets-Nikki-Beach with a few teak day beds scattered around, dressed with diaphanous white drapes that billow seductively in the breeze.
Many of the rooms have ocean views, cleverly even those positioned to the side of the new extension. Ten Portuguese fashion designers, including established grand dame Ana Salazar, Fatima Lopes (known for her risque creations and spider-woman bikinis) and Miguel Vieira who designs sexy, well-tailored clothes have created a room each. Other designers are Ant—nio Augustus, Arkadius, Joao Rolo, Jose Ant—nio Tenente, Manuel Alves & Jose Manuel GonŤalves, Paulina Figueiredo and Paulo Matos.
Sleeper experienced the Miguel Vieira room, a vision in white - very John and Yoko - with a vast low bed incorporating a seat at the end which was handy for luggage. Amazingly it didn't feel too much like a sanatorium, mainly due to the wide expanse of glazing that makes the marine scene outside almost feel part of the interior. Decoration was fun, with words such as 'peace' and 'harmony' stenciled in gloss onto matt white walls and a fabulous table, consisting of a simple strip of glass resting on giant letters reading 'Amor'.
Some rooms are more successful than others, the Paulo Matos room is slightly off kilter, sporting a hotch potch of global influences including some Bet Lynch tiger print chairs, whereas others such as that by Manuel Alves & Jose Manuel Goncalves are extremely elegant. The Arkadius suite no doubt rises a few eyebrows with its erotic artwork, black and gold sofa and bas relief of a naked woman protruding from the wall - which would surely scare the bejesus out of anyone in the middle of the night.
By contrast the Ana Salazar suite is more calming with pleasantly few distractions except for a large photographic artwork, predominantly of a stone wall and wonderful corner position looking out to sea. Equally simply done are the luxury suites by Cristina Santos Silva & Ana Meneses Cardoso, opting for a monochrome palette these rooms continue the style of the public areas; similar boxy furniture, decorative vases and a slightly baroque mirror lending a touch of decadence. An open round bath, recessed into the wall on a raised platform, adds a touch of fun.
The loft rooms are compact but given a rustic character by brick arches and beams exposed and integrated into the design. Room rates vary according to season and view (land or sea) and whether it's a room by one of the 10 designers. During peak season doubles start at E215 and suites are E400. Bathrooms are generally little pokey and apparently the owners are intending to make some improvements in this area as well as add a hamman in the near future.
Although its setting is fantastic, The Farol Hotel isn't your normally polished, slick design hotel. After three years it's looking a little tired around the edges. The Farol could be fabulous, but it needs to try harder to keep up appearances and the standards one expects of a design hotel.
|
