Palacio Belmonte
Author: Anothertravelguide.com1 COMMENT
Tell your Lisbon acquaintances you are staying at Palácio Belmonte; as likely as not, their reaction will be a mixture of respect and a sort unspoken sense of affinity. The long and short of it is - you may not have earned the keys to the city as yet but now you're definitely someone who knows what he/she is talking about. Palácio Belmonte is the pride of Lisbon and its secret gem at the same time. This is one of the most intriguing (and most expensive) places of accommodation in the whole city. The 1449 palace with its traces of Roman and Moorish architecture, miraculously spared by the 1755 earthquake, in 1994 was bought by the French philanthropist and "collector of buildings" Frederic Coustols, impressed by Wim Wenders' Lisbon Story (the protagonist of the film, a sound operator, comes to Lisbon to help his friend the filmmaker who is staying at the then weather-beaten and tatty Palácio Belmonte, sleeping in an iron bed between the walls with the 18th century painted tiles, and can't bring himself to finish his latest film).
The renovation lasted five years; the owner invested 26 millions into this property, fully aware that he was unlikely to ever recover the money. The result is an eight-suite hotel that has nothing whatsoever in common with the classic idea of a five-star hotel (especially if your previous experience is limited to Four Seasons): no chocolates on the pillow, etc. You won't notice when, how and by whom your room is cleaned, and breakfast is available any time you please, even at 3 pm.
The hotel is an ecological experiment at the same time: the building has no air conditioning; the air circulates through a special about a metre wide passage between the walls; anytime you open a tiny, dwarf-house size door, you are hit by a reviving breath of freshness. Neither is there a TV set or any kind of whining music box; instead, there is a self-service bar right next door to the library, and you can feel free to help yourself to any amount of anything liquid, from port to cognac and gin. Each of the eight suites is a bit different: authentic things from the heyday of the palace mixed with modern objects. The Alberto Caeiro suite boasts a 17th century table and a valuable art collection.
The Padre Himalaya suite, named after a famous Portuguese Jesuit, explorer and ecologist, are located on the third floor of the palace, on the very top of what used to be a Roman tower. Spiral stairs lead up to the bedroom with a breathtaking 360 º view - it is a tower, after all. The Gil Vicente suite that carry the name of a Portuguese Renaissance writer, is situated in the Moorish tower; it has a courtyard garden with a glass roof and a fireplace. In some of the suites traces of the 1755 earthquake have been preserved and turned into a decorative element of the stone wall. And then there is the garden, surrounded by old blooming trees, with a black marble pool on one side. You can sit there, have your breakfast and observe the life of a 21st century city going on there somewhere, far below.
At Palácio Belmonte you lose track of time, and, thanks to the strategic layout of the suites, at times you will feel the palace belongs to you alone. By the way, you will find another historical gem of the city right next to the walls of Palácio Belmonte - the "last public pissing spot in Lisbon" in the words of the colourful description given to the landmark by the locals: a tin screen with a metal boy busy spending a penny and a sign that says Urinol. The patina is still the same: this is where the sound engineer Philip Winter was relieving himself in Wenders' Lisbon Story.
Rates: from EUR 300-1200
Palácio Belmonte, 14 Páteo Dom Fradique, Alfama
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Lisa Garner
Visited: July, August 2010
I had wanted to stay at the Palacio Belmonte for many years so when I planned a trip to Portugal to ride Lusitano horses it was the only choice for me in Lisbon. It far surpassed any expectations I had, I became completely enchanted. Beyond being the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in, and really not like a hotel at all, more like a private house w here one is a guest, the whole experience soothed my soul. From the organic breakfast laid out on crisp white linens, taken on the terrace under the shade of a pomegranate tree with a view of the Alfama district spread out beneath me, church bells bringing in the hour and the Tejo sparkling in the distance...to my exquisite suite hung with silks that shone golden in the morning sun, the hotel was incredibly refined and yet relaxed. The staff were willing and able to help with any request and from what I could see, the guests wishes were always accommodated. For myself I enjoyed lying by the black marble pool and listening to the sounds of the birds. To be tucked up here in this private garden whilst Lisbon teemed with tourists was luxury in itself. And wandering around the beautiful public rooms, or reading a book in the library, it really did feel as if one was in one's very own palacio. When I came across other guests there was an easy friendliness between us, something akin to a both being in on this wonderful secret... but because the hotel's suites are spread over such an individual floorplan it was easy not to see anyone at all, such were the towers and passages that one needed to navigate to enter one's own domain.
No stay at the Palacio would be complete without spending at least a few minutes with the owners, Frederic and Maria Coustols, who are the most warm and charming hosts you will ever meet, and who are involved with many fascinating projects.
I know I will return to this hotel again and again (and indeed I already have)!
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