PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

Set within an upscale residential neighborhood known as Santo Amaro-Ajuda, about 5km (3 miles) west of the commercial core of Lisbon and about 1.5km (1 mile) north of the Alcântara Railway Station, this grand, imperial-looking hotel occupies a villa that was originally built in 1907 by a Portuguese mogul who first made a fortune in cocoa. The hotel's core is one of the best examples of Romantic Revival architecture in Portugal, combining at least four distinct architectural styles (including what the Portuguese refer to as rocaille baroque and Doña Maria revival) into one shimmering whole. The Pestana hotel chain added two rambling wings and state-of-the-art kitchens and security systems. Only four of the bedrooms -- each a high-ceilinged suite -- lie within the original villa. Most accommodations are elegantly modern, with hardwood trim, trompe l'oeil detailing, upholstered headboards, and hints of the Romantic Revivalism that permeates the hotel's original core. Each unit comes with an elegant and spacious bathroom with a tub/shower combination. The palace boasts one of the largest hotel gardens in Lisbon.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Portugal, 20th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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