LLM contributor Helen Truszkowski heads to Portugal’s capital for a stay at the Martinhal Oriente and to explore the city’s best loved gems.
Lisbon is synonymous with red roofs, outdoor dining, yellow wooden trolleys rolling past, and every hue of skin relishing the atmosphere of the city.
Multicultural in a way so much of the rest of the med isn’t, diversity here has always been a major draw.
A haven for creatives, investors and the well-off, foreigners have flooded into the capital, more recently lured by tax breaks offered through the Golden Visa and Non-Habitual Resident schemes.
It seems Lisbon is in a perpetual identity-altering boom. Add to this a sizable public investment in museums and tourism facilities in the wake of the 1998 Expo and 2008 financial crisis, both of which paid off in a wave of spectacular new buildings.
A haven for creatives, investors and the well-off, foreigners flood into Lisbon. Image credit: salarko/Bigstock.com
Multinational businesses, giddy at affordable construction costs, have virtually levered open the city. To the north Lisbon’s hills are being decapitated while construction cranes clog the byways.
As a result the architecture is wildly eclectic: from MAAT (the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) – a renovated red-brick power station blended with a swooping flying saucer, by British architect Amanda Levete – to the imposing Cristo Rei Statue.
Inspired by Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, the unmissable 270-ft icon was built as an act of gratitude for Portugal’s neutrality during World War II.
Old town Lisbon itself dates back to 1200 BC. Punishing cobblestones and steep inclines aside, this ancient area remains compact and eminently walkable. There’s no better way to spend a morning, minus-a-map, acquainting yourself with the narrow tangle of Alfama’s funky streets that tumble down the hillside below the castle.
The Santos neighbourhood is set on the lower part of the hill: onetime home to pastel-hued mansions of the 18th century elite.
Here you can one-stop-shop, and pay homage to local craftsmanship at a mecca of uniquely stocked stores, peek into the Ancient Art Museum and people-watch on the terraces of stylish tascas (cafés). When your legs turn to jelly, hitch a ride on an elaborately decorated, electric tuk-tuk. They’re just about everywhere.
Where to stay
Five-star Martinhal Oriente stands out with its state-of-the-art architecture by acclaimed architect Eduardo Capinha Lopes. Image credit: https://www.martinhal.com
When you’re over it for the day a shady retreat beckons at the Martinhal Oriente. Until recently this spot was a blank page. Now, soaring at the heart of the Parque das Nações district, the five-star hotel stands out with its state-of-the-art architecture by acclaimed architect Eduardo Capinha Lopes.
Distinctly chic and modern, while understated and comfortable, Martinhal Oriente is indisputably a smooth-operator.
A comparative newbie on the hospitality scene, there are currently just four Martinhal properties, all in Portugal. The luxury eco brand is a bold concept fused by married couple Chitra and Roman Stern of eclectic Singaporean, Indian and Swiss German heritage.
Two decades ago the duo ditched their London-based careers in favour of a less chaotic life in the Algarve. Nine years after their move, still with zero experience of the hotel industry, a business model was born out of the couple’s garage.
It allowed the Sterns to break from routine, with no preconceptions, but plenty of nouse about what they would like to create in a fresh new hotel concept. With four children of their own, the upshot is what the Stern’s firmly tag a collection of ‘Family Hotels and Resorts.’ It’s at the very heart of their branding.
There is no question if you monitor the world’s coolest parents they’ll be holidaying at the Martinhal. It’s the kind of place where you’re welcomed, as opposed to scorned, for bringing the kids along.
Catered to vigilantly at a dedicated Kids Club and a vibrant Play Space, there’s a high level of kumbaya here and a sense that kids absorb what they see and learn best by our example, not being hushed out of sight.
Visionary contemporary works of art by celebrated artists are showcased throughout Martinhal Oriente. Image credit: https://www.martinhal.com
Not that its entirely about the little ones.
The hotel is generously serviced with indoor (heated) and outdoor pools, a gym, versatile workspace, soothing penthouse spa with sweeping views of the city, as well as a stylish, all-day East-meets-Med fusion restaurant, terrace and bar.
The brand is big on supporting initiatives that empower upcoming Portuguese artists. Visionary contemporary works of art by celebrated artists showcase throughout, including a masterful XXL upcycled-waste dragonfly by Artur Bordalo that hovers near the entryway.
82 guest studios, one, two and three-bed apartments feature an urbane, neutral palette with an emphasis on the practical. The emphasis is on sleek, space-saving functionalism, uber-modern furnishings and cutting-edge amenities: think Smeg, QR codes, neat gizmos and minimalist, recessed buttons.
But be sure to get a handle on them before you head to bed for fear that – if you need the bathroom in the early hours – you’re unwittingly transported to Rowan Atkinson’s hapless tech-fallout in Man Vs Bee.
Save it to say I didn’t get a turndown first day because I failed to engage the housekeeping service button that turns the light outside the door to blue. Who knew?
The high level of staff-to-guest ratio seems out of the ordinary, but not quite effortless. There’s perhaps a tad too much hovering by well-meaning personnel. These are my only quibbles in a spot that otherwise excels in a brave new hotel world.
My hidden Lisbon top 5
Be sure to hitch a ride on an elaborately decorated, electric tuk-tuk to tour Lisbon’s streets
Shop: Former ‘Providers of the Royal Household’, Paris em Lisboa has been a city staple since 1888. Beyond the original wood and steel windows, engraved gold typeface and Art Nouveau awning, billowy linens and homewares proliferate on three stately floors.
Browse: Vendors at Feira da Ladra set up at Campo de Santa Clara in Alfama every Tuesday and Saturday. Expect an eclectic mix of stalls selling everything from vintage clothing to antiques, hand-made jewellery to one-off artwork.
Dine: Bénard. Founded in 1868, unfussy Pastelaria Bénard began as an aristocratic teahouse. Its central location at the heart of Chiado provides a great vantage point of lively rua Garrett. Stroll down to swish Atelier Castro for the best pastéis de nata in town, handmade by the in-house chef as you wait in line.
Learn: National Museum of Ancient Art. Created in 1884, and located in the Alvor Palace for almost 140 years, explore a beguiling collection of 40,000 national treasures from the 9th to the 12th century.
Head to Bar Rocco to linger over cocktails at the delightful downstairs bar
Relax: Bar Rocco. A delightful downstairs dive to a deluxe blinging lounge: chill enough to chit-chat, comfy enough to stretch out on a pillow-puffed banquette, and sensual enough to linger over cocktails at the mirrored bar.
In a nutshell
My take away from a weekend break in Lisbon is that while the city’s identity is hard to nail down, its knot of traffic somewhat irritating, its rapid gentrification eye-boggling, all of this only serves to heighten the sense that you’re in a dynamic, forward-thinking metropolis. Move over Manhattan: make way for Lisbon.
Factbox
Martinhal Lisbon Oriente
Address: Praça Príncipe Perfeito n. 1, Parque Nações, Lisboa 1990-278 Lisboa
Tel: +351 215 943 526
Email: res@martinhal.com
Website: martinhal.com
