These are unusual times, and the state of affairs can change quickly. Please check the latest travel guidance before making your journey. Our writer visited these hotels pre-pandemic.
The flip side of Lisbon’s famously sunny weather is the need to make sure your hotel has a swimming pool, especially in the heat of July and August; somewhere to plunge into after pounding the cobbled streets and climbing up and down a few of Lisbon’s seven hills. Even better, settle down poolside with a crisp, chilled Portuguese wine and soak up the sounds and sights (for many pools are rooftop) of this ancient capital. From rooftop dips with views and soaks in subterranean spas, to swims in shady gardens, here’s our pick of the best hotels in Lisbon with a pool.
Pestana Palace Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal
Built in 1904 by a cocoa baron, this grand palace – situated near the banks of the Tagus River with views onto the 25th April suspension bridge – is classified as a National Monument. Inside, expect opulent interiors complete with gleaming marble columns, polished parquetry and gilded, frescoed ceilings, as well as a Turkish spa, classically decorated suites (French-style furniture, heavy drapes, marble bathrooms), an atmospheric bar and an elegant Portuguese restaurant. Outside, the pool has been converted from the original lake in the garden and is surrounded with flora and subtropical trees.
From
£
153
per night
Rates provided by
Booking.com
• The best hotels in Lisbon
Palácio Príncipe Real
Lisbon, Portugal
Right in the heart of one of Lisbon’s loveliest districts, where faded palaces mix with buzzing restaurants and concept stores overlook palm-filled parks, is where Palácio Príncipe Real is situated. The 19th-century pink palace’s look is classic Portuguese (think blue-and-white tiles and Moorish stucco work) combined with uplifting colours, bath tubs from Drummonds, locally sourced candles, crisp cottons and Dyson hairdryers. There are 28 bedrooms, many indulgently large with free-standing bath tubs, and a small spa with two treatment rooms. The heated swimming pool is out in the garden, surrounded by jacaranda and lemon trees.
From
£
263
per night
Torel Palace
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon hotels with pools don’t often come with views like this – unless they’re on a rooftop in the centre. But the pool at these two turn-of-the-century mansions, hidden away on one of the seven hills of Lisbon, is inset on a cobbled terrace and offers a panorama of the red-roofed capital and the River Tagus beyond. The property has the feel of a house rather than a hotel, with beautiful stucco ceilings, beds clad in the softest of linens with warm woven rugs underfoot, glossy white window shutters, and balconies covered in local, brightly coloured tiles. Cave 23 delivers seriously good modern Portuguese fare, and the small but beautiful bar serves a wide range of cocktails and wines.
From
£
87
per night
Rates provided by
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Olissippo Lapa Palace
Lisbon, Portugal
An imposing, 19th-century palace turned luxury hotel set on a hillside in chic Lapa, one of Lisbon’s smartest neighbourhoods. Interiors are warm and welcoming with a fairytale light feel, hand-painted ceilings, Murano glass chandeliers, fresh flowers, polished antiques and stone floors. The Restaurante Lapa serves excellent Italian food, plus there’s a poolside restaurant, Le Pavillion, for juices and daytime snacks. The spa has an indoor pool, a gym, a steam bath, sauna and treatment rooms where Elemis products are used, as well as a heated outdoor swimming pool in verdant gardens with a cascading fountain and views of the Tagus River beyond.
From
£
289
per night
Rates provided by
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Palacio Belmonte
Lisbon, Portugal
This tranquil palace is situated among the narrow Moorish streets of Alfama. Built in 1449, it’s a place well suited to those who want to explore the endless history encased within the palace walls, peruse books about the country and its culture, and study wonderful paintings and more. There is a sauna and a black marble swimming pool under cascading pink bougainvillea in the lush garden, plus all manner of private city tours can be organised on request. The 10 spacious suites all have sitting rooms, many decorated with 18th-century blue-and-white tiles (over 3,800 were commissioned in 1720), breakfast is delivered to your room, and dinner is served at Leopold Restaurant.
From
£
440
per night
The One Palácio da Anunciada
Lisbon, Portugal
Set within a beautifully restored palace in the heart of Lisbon, The One Palácio da Anunciada has been superbly restored with meticulous attention to detail. The light-filled palatial interiors come with their original marble floors, stone staircase and ornate painted and gilded ceilings, rich with stucco work. It has 83 rooms, an excellent spa (with an indoor plunge pool), three different dining areas, a wine bar and a cocktail lounge. A huge, open inner courtyard with a central fountain and a century-old Dragon tree is the hub of the hotel and where breakfast is served in the summer. It is overlooked by a long swimming pool high up above it on another level.
From
£
129
per night
Rates provided by
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Tivoli Avenida Liberdade
Lisbon, Portugal
A Lisbon landmark, the Tivoli Lisboa was built in 1933, and completely re-designed by acclaimed architect Pardal Monteiro in the 1950s. Today it offers 285 rooms, an Anantara spa, Executive Lounge, and one of the city’s best rooftop bars, the Sky Bar. Interiors have been completely renovated with much national culture woven into its fabric, such as famous resident Beatriz Costa, an actress from Portugal’s golden age of cinema, who lived here for 30 years and who has a suite named after her complete with period décor. The warm swimming pool, hidden in a garden of century-old botanical trees, has the feel of a jungle paradise.
From
£
170
per night
Rates provided by
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Epic Sana
Lisbon, Portugal
Epic Sana is centrally located and offers 311 dazzlingly modern bedrooms and a vast spa with an indoor pool, a sauna, Turkish bath and a well equipped fitness centre. There’s a breezy, cool vibe throughout the Onyx Bar on the ground floor, which spills onto a terrace, and the UpScale Bar on the roof terrace, which borders the heated swimming pool. For romantic Lisbon hotels with a rooftop pool, this is a great contender if you’re dreaming of watching the sun set over the Tagus River from the comfort of a cabana. Rooms are seductively slick with cupboards clad in white leather, Bluetooth sound systems, 300 thread-count cotton sheets with elegant, green piping and Nespresso coffee machines.
From
£
131
per night
Rates provided by
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Verride Palácio Santa Catarina
Lisbon, Portugal
This elegant 18th-century palace’s rooftop, small swimming pool and Suba Restaurant offer unrivalled 360-degree views of Lisbon’s skyline and the River Tagus beyond. It straddles two distinct districts from its perch on the crest of hilltop Santa Catarina, famous for its views over Lisbon’s red roofs and the Atlantic Ocean. Whilst the façade faces the ocean, the rest of the building runs steeply down into the narrow, cobbled streets of the Bica area, where yellow trams rattle up and down and small bars date back centuries. Aiming to provide service as yet unparalleled in the capital, with butlers for the Royal suites and excellent staff, the experience is indeed a personalised one.
From
£
289
per night
Rates provided by
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Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal
The Four Seasons is arguably one of the most tempting spa hotels in Lisbon with a swimming pool as its centrepiece. The property was built in 1959 by the Dictator Salazar to prove that Lisbon could do luxury as well as any other European capital, and more than half a century later it is still setting the bar with its inimitable service and impressive facilities (including a rooftop running track). Products include Sodashi, Swiss Perfection and ESPA, alongside local skincare product, Benamôr, whose Jacaranda line is used when the trees outside the hotel are in blossom. All but 10 rooms have private terraces with views over Lisbon, and several good dining spots offer something for everyone.
From
£
376
per night
Rates provided by
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Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa
Lisbon, Portugal
Soaring high above Lisbon, the Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa is situated in the heart of the business district and has excellent fitness facilities including a large spa with an outdoor swimming pool. Despite its concrete facade, the gleaming interiors have a polished elegance, using marble and glass to create light-filled public areas which echoes throughout the rooms and suites. The rooftop Panorama Restaurant (expect contemporary Portuguese cuisine) demands as much attention as the surrounding views over Lisbon, justifying its name, while the Lobby Bistro Restaurant is open all day and serves Mediterranean favourites. The Lobby Bar has a good range of local craft beers, wine and tapas but head to the Panorama Bar for a cocktail with a view.
From
£
111
per night
Rates provided by
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Memmo Alfama
Lisbon, Portugal
This 42-room hotel lies within the Kasbah-like lanes that make up Moorish Alfama. From its sleek terrace, with inset pool, are some of the city’s best views of Alfama’s characteristic church spires and red roofs, beyond which flows the wide Tagus River. The twin bell-towered, 12th-century Cathedral is at the end of the road and Lisbon’s fortified Castelo do São Jorge is just above you. Interiors mix a range of textures, from the thick, exposed, ancient, stone walls at the entrance, to the modern, micro-cement walls in the bathrooms. Showcasing the Portuguese kitchen, buffet breakfasts offer typical cakes and pastries such as pasteis de nata. The Wine Bar has a short menu of regional fare from croquettes of Portuguese ham to a fillet steak sandwich.
From
£
102
per night
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Heritage Avenida Liberdade Hotel
Lisbon, Portugal
An invitingly cool, contemporary bolthole on one of the city’s main thoroughfares. This attractive, wide, tree-lined avenue, surrounded by some of the city’s most elegant designer shops, makes a perfect base from which to explore uptown and down. Behind its powder-blue, 18th-century façade, the hotel draws on Lisbon’s rich heritage, placing period fittings and old photographs within sleek, clean, 21st-century lines. There is a small fitness room in the basement and a lap pool with jets. Complimentary port is offered to every guest at the bar. Wood-panelled rooms are generous in size and warmly welcoming in earthy tones.
From
£
113
per night
Rates provided by
Booking.com
This article was originally published by Telegraph.co.uk. Read the original article here.