Elite Traveler January-February 2018

elite traveler JAN/FEB 2018 117

Day trip Hire a chauffeured car for the 35-minute drive to the picturesque pine-studded hills of the Serra de Sintra. Here, nobles escaped the summer heat in opulent palaces and gardens, which include a variety of public historic monuments and a hotel, the luxe Tivoli Palácio Seteais. The coastal drive back to Lisbon passes the wild surfing shores of Guincho en route to Cascais, a fabulous fishing village and beach destination. Ameal at Cascais’s The Mix restaurant, helmed by chef Ricardo Deus and set within the Farol Hotel, a 19th-century oceanfront villa, is a must.

TOP SUITES

PRESIDENTIAL SUITE Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Former Portuguese Prime Minister António Salazar had this 400,000-sq-ft midcentury-modernist hotel constructed after World War II to welcome visitors in haute style. The very grand one-bedroom Presidential Suite features a double-door entry, an antiques-filled marble-floored foyer, formal dining for eight and an oversize living room with two sofas. The suite’s five balconies offer incredible 10th-floor views over the Eduardo VII park, from the Marquês de Pombal statue to the Tagus River. Brito, the dapper maitre d’, greets guests at chef Pascal Meynard’s Varanda Restaurant. Also on-site: a four-treatment-room spa and an indoor lap pool. From $18,000 per night. Contact Guilherme Costa, general manager, +351 21 381 1400, fourseasons.com/lisbon This palatial 18th-century townhouse, located at the edge of Chiado, formally opened as a hotel in December 2017. The exclusive 19-room boutique property features two first-rate restaurants, Suba and Criatura, and a rooftop terrace with river views. The glamorous lobby opens to marble floors and a curved staircase leading to the ornate noble floor, which houses two Royal Suites, each with sculpted-wood ceilings, enormous windows in the bedroom and a sitting room decorated with a stylish contemporary flair. The Queen Suite boasts a freestanding oval soaking tub surrounded by azulejo murals; the salon in the King Suite is ensconced within the historic, wood-paneled library. Each connects to The Yellow Room, a luxe lounge with a stunning chandelier, which becomes private if both suites are booked From $3,400 per night. Contact Paula Marques, general manager, info@verridesc.pt, +351 211 573 055, verridesc.pt Located on a hilltop in a quiet residential neighborhood studded with diplomatic mansions, Olissippo Lapa Palace — a member of Leading Hotels of the World — dates to the 19th century. The elaborate palace entry features cream, pink and black marble floors, high painted ceilings, stained-glass windows and formal furnishings. The gracious fifth-floor Royal Suite is decorated with antiques, along with azulejo murals in the marble bathroom. The views from the terrace overlook the courtyard, the Rio Tejo and the distinctive red April 25th suspension bridge. The one-bedroom suite extends to three by connecting the two adjacent deluxe rooms. A newer garden wing offers accommodations facing the exquisite subtropical garden, outdoor pool and spa atrium. From $2,700 per night. Contact Pedro Gomes, front office manager, pedro.gomes@olissippohotels.com, +351 213 949 593, olissippohotels.com ROYAL SUITES Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina ROYAL SUITE Olissippo Lapa Palace

MUST-SEE SIGHTS

Visit Torre de Belém (Tower of Belém), the Unesco World Heritage site built where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Tagus River. Designed in 1515 to defend the city’s harbor, it occupies a prestigious historical location near Jerónimos Monastery, where explorer Vasco da Gama is entombed. torrebelem.gov.pt Explore Castelo de São Jorge (Saint George’s Castle), which dominates the maze of narrow cobblestone streets in the culturally rich Alfama district. It housed Romans, Visigoths and Moors until 1147, when Afonso Henriques, the first Portuguese king, captured it. castelodesaojorge.pt Tour MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture & Technology), a brand- new cultural center in a delightful contemporary structure with a walk-up rooftop terrace on the renewed riverside promenade in the Belém historic district. maat.pt Marvel at Museu Nacional do Azulejo (The Tile Museum), set within a 16th-century cloister for the sisters of Madre de Deus monastery. It showcases traditional blue-and-white Portuguese tiles, some dating from the 15th century, plus a cityscape dating from 1738. museudoazulejo.gov.pt Linger at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation , a parklike seven-acre art complex with Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, Asian and European art, china, tapestries, carpets and contemporary European paintings donated to the city by Armenian-born collector of Portuguese art Calouse Gulbenkian. gulbenkian.pt

Enjoy the sunshine at the Varanda Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Soak in the tub surrounded by azulejo murals at Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina

The 19th century style decoration of the Royal Suite at Olissippo Lapa Palace