The Lapa Palace Hotel: Lisbon’s regal beauty perched above the mighty Tagus river.

To visit Lisbon is to visit one of the great European capitals — do not confuse it for a Paris, London, Rome, even Budapest or Vienna. The city has a charm and scale all its own; small enough to walk in a day, but massive in its impact and impression; imbued by the unique character of its people who are inextricably linked and defined by its rich nautical history.

The city has the whole range of properties but we decided to go high-end hotel. In this case, with luck, we discovered the magnificent, coral-colored, Lapa Palace.

Any hotel with “palace” in the name sets the a bar high; the web site photos display gilded rooms, white glove service, a sense of decorum, the essence of regal. Well, if any palace converted to a hotel has bragging rights, it is the Lapa Palace of Lisbon, Portugal. Of the five stars, everyone was earned many times over.

Upon our arrival, early one morning, our website-driven perceptions were exactly what we found. While the lobby was empty, it was definitely a Palace, from the massive metal gate entry, to the perfect courtyard entrance, the marble steps and shining floor, the 19th century heavily gilded and adorned walls. But while regal in style, it did not feel stuffy or pretentious. It was human and warm; the rooms plush and comfortable, but not overdone. But of it all, the approachable, comfortable and welcoming spirit was embodied by the the two concierge: the lead, Rui Palma, Chief Concierge; and on the afternoon/evening shift, Hugo (there are two Hugo’s, this one resembles George Clooney…no kidding).

For a 5-star hotel, the concierge can play a major role in defining the experience. We always take a very friendly and human-to-human approach, the intent to bring out the true personality not just the trained professional.

Hugo surpassed our expectations. He was perhaps the most informed, charming, intuitive and helpful concierge we have ever met. For us, this was a first visit so it had the glow of everything being new to our senses. Hugo, and later Maureen of Olive, Goat and Pig, helped shape the entire trip.

Then there is the Lapa hotel itself, with its three coral-colored buildings that curve around to enclose a grove of trees and a comfortable pool. The original palace was built in 1870 and set upon the high hilltop neighborhood of the embassy district, the front facing away from Lisbon to the Tagus river; from the front, in the distance, you can see and the so-called Golden Gate Bridge (otherwise known as the 25th of April bridge) that crosses it with the gigantic white statue of Christ on the opposite bank.

The other two buildings are very private and face the enclosed gardens and pool and provide an oasis in the city; the rooms open to the gardens and pool. you would not know you are in a city.

Royalty built the Lapa, and with only two owners since its origin, it has held onto its palatial touches. Yes, they built two modern buildings behind the Palace, but there was no hotel “facelift” you so often see from older properties. And a pool is a rare and superb escape after a long, hot day.

First recommendation? Ask for a room with a view of the bridge; the majority of the rooms are in a newer section, at the rear, the focal point is the lush gardens and pool.

Second? Have Hugo plan your activities. Three of his four choices were the style of local food and dining you dream about; in fact, two of the three restaurants, we were served by the owner, in both cases with little English. It worked out great (The Magano, in particular, a must).

Third? Have dinner at the hotel restaurant, the Lapa.

Here is the list of general, and truly worthy activities for the week:

Dinner reservations by the concierge; the Magano, The Journalist, and an odd nameless door three blocks away…no cards, nothing but the presence of husband and wife, arguing and cooking;we asked for received a more local menus each night. One night we had dinner and watched a Fado performance at O Faia which was in a class by itself.
A half day “Taste of Lisbon” tour; incredibly worthwhile. Here is the link, please tell Maureen hello from us! We learned so much and had such fun. (PT +351 916 362 338 US +1 215 292 8138)
Three day trips, all very different and depending upon your taste, all very rewarding: Sintra, the exotic palace and town north of Lisbon; Obidos, a truly medieval walled town about an hour’s drive further north; and the town seventy-five minutes south of Lisbon, Evora. (This is the post for the day in Evora).

As for the rooms at the Lapa, there is a wide range. But as we said, try and stay in the main older palace building. The deluxe room was large, had a full living room area, work desk, and a lavish old world marble bathroom and great view. The mini bar was well stocked and the coffee maker highly appreciated for that first cup in bed.

We were lucky that our room was on the top floor and faced the Golden Gate and the Christ statue. It had a tiny half balcony that overlooked the entry courtyard and took in the entire district, with its plethora of embassies with their pinkish painted walls, red tiled roofs, private courtyards and narrow streets.

While the Lapa Palace was luxury borne or a thousand details, one easily ignored shouldn’t be: the hotel restaurant. Normally, the hotel restaurant would be our last choice. Were we wrong. The maitre de and the staff were highly attentive and the food, while a small menu, was fantastic. It had the pleasant contradiction of fine food, with 19th century decor, yet the staff lingered and joked, and were very comfortable to not only deliver a plate, but linger and chat. The maitre de enjoyed our attention and greatly increased our pleasure by feeding us with advice, tidbits about the different wine regions, and even introduced us to a young grape white wine called Vinho Verde, that was like a fresh stream of water and wine across the palate.

Lisbon is a great waking city of many hills. Small enough that you can cover many of the prime neighborhoods — Barrio Alto, Chiado, even the castle — in one day. Ok, that would be a truly exhausting day, but it gives you a sense of the size, versus a Paris or London which can take many trips to cover. The Lapa sits at one end of the major part of the city. After a long day, long walks, with the Lapa, a cool outdoor pool awaits!

The Lapa was almost a mistake — less central, it seemed different from others in its class. Truth be told, no other hotel was in its class. It was regal yet human, haughty in its design, yet approachable with great comfort and relaxation. A truly great hotel has so many elements to it and for the Lapa Palace it was simple: the room, the service, the food, and as with all travels, that special ingredient, the people. Thank you, Hugo.