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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 a sense of place to a sense of calm, other pools appear magically in oasis-like hotels as you step into birdsong and away from the buzz. Here an expanse of blue lies glimmering under a cascade of pink bougainvillea or set in a lush garden between palm and jacaranda trees. From rooftop dips with views and soaks in subterranean spas, to swims in leafy courtyards, here’s our pick of the best hotels in Lisbon with a pool.
How we review
Every hotel in this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis. They stay for a minimum of one night, test at least one meal and trial other experiences that the hotel might have to offer.
At a glance, the best hotels in Lisbon with a pool
- The best luxury hotel in Lisbon with a pool – Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
- The best value hotel in Lisbon with a pool – Palacio Ramalhete
- The best hotel in Lisbon with a pool suitable for families – Tivoli Avenida Liberdade
- The best hotel in Lisbon with a pool with a view – Torel Palace
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
£
224
per night
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• The best hotels in Lisbon
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
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
£
131
per night
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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
£
299
per night
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On Lisbon’s grandest boulevard, this charming boutique hotel’s 48 rooms and suites overlook the capital’s characteristic red roofs. Interiors behind the beautifully preserved 19th-century façade draw together the very best art, porcelain, fabrics and marble from around the country, creating a national showcase. There is a fitness room on the first floor, complete with treadmill and a balcony to relax on afterwards and a small spa. There are a number of sitting rooms with a wide range of books to browse and a tiny film room, as well as the all-important heated swimming pool on the roof terrace with sun loungers.
From
£
298
per night
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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
£
171
per night
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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
£
252
per night
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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
£
195
per night
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• The best hotels in Porto
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
£
399
per night
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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
£
700
per night
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• The best hotels in Cascais
Standing just off Lisbon’s main thoroughfare, this design-centric hotel offers 40 rooms, a restaurant, bar, and a good-sized swimming pool. The latter is lined with black tiles reclaimed from the 1980s, and surrounded by a vertical garden with lush greenery between the sunbeds, chairs, and tables. The garden around the swimming pool is inspired by the Botanical Garden of Lisbon and aims to bring the outside in. It comes with a vertical planting designed by Michael Hellgren. Many rooms are on the small side, but have everything you might need; some come with a large terrace overlooking the pool and internal courtyard. There are four suites which offer more spacious accommodation.
From
£
193
per night
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• The best hotels in Madeira
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
£
136
per night
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This attractive 18th-century palace delivers a real feel of authentic Lisbon, with its rich interior detail, flower-filled courtyards and literary past as home to the Maia family, immortalised in Eҁa de Queiroz’s 19th-century classic Os Maias. Away from the busy, main tourist areas, it is a hidden gem and good value for money. There is a small, heated outdoor pool in the shade of a huge palm tree; a little oasis of tranquillity in the city, with far-reaching views over the Tagus River.
From
£
105
per night
Rates provided by
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The flagship property of the small, but perfectly formed, Memmo Hotels collection, with sister pr…
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Perfectly located on the Praҁa dos Restauradores, this hotel faces the Avenida da Liberdade on on…
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Rising high above the heart of Lisbon, opposite the leafy, Eduardo VII Park, the InterContinental…
This article was originally published by Telegraph.co.uk. Read the original article here.