Laura Goodman

We have a lot of love for Lisbon, and we know we’re not the only ones. It’s the perfect city to linger a while; not too big and not too small, with delicious treasures up and down its cobbled streets. And it wears its brilliance so lightly. If you’re embarking on a luxury tour to Portugalwith us, but want more Lisbon in your life, you might be wondering: what is the nicest hotel in Lisbon? If you choose to extend your stay, here – for your consideration – are the best hotels in Lisbon.

1. Pousada de Lisboa

You know this is one of our top hotels in Lisbon because it’s where guests stay on our Spain and Portugal in Style journey. It’s a palatial city landmark and we love it for its timeless grandeur: the marble halls, the Portuguese art-filled corridors and majestic, sunshine yellow facade. It’s a refined sanctuary on Praça do Comércio, in the heart of historical Lisbon.

2. Brown’s Avenue Hotel

The Brown’s Hotel Group runs four boutique hotels in Lisbon, and this one’s rooftop pool is the crown of them all. It’s not huge, but it’s supremely glamorous, set in angular, sun-bleached limestone and surrounded by potted cacti, green striped loungers and vintage style parasols. If you like your resting place to feel like an oasis, this is one of the best hotels in Lisbon for you.

3. Pestana Palace

If you want somewhere to stay that is unabashedly palatial from top to toe, Pestana is the place. On the palace hotel checklist it has: parquet floors, frescoed ceilings, stained glass windows, oil paintings, marble staircase and lush, green garden flourishing with subtropical trees. There is a spa with a Turkish bath, and the outdoor pool (converted from an original garden lake) will make you want to weep.

4. Convent Square Lisbon

Super-central and as sleek as you could possibly wish it to be, this 800-year-old Dominican convent is easily one of the best hotels in Lisbon. The heart of the place is the open-air cloister, complete with a central firepit and plush outdoor furniture – a place to rest after a morning of walking up and down hills. The rooms are also about peace and repose, with neutral tones, sumptuous sheets and bronze velvet cushions.

5. Palácio Príncipe Real

Another palácio for your address book, this one is in the Principe Real, which is the best neighborhood to stay in Lisbon if you like to swoosh down chic, quiet streets, but still be close to the action. Within this 28-room peachy mansion, you’ll find checkerboard marble floors, palm motifs, azulejo tiles, chandeliers and a glorious, bougainvillea-filled garden with an enormous heated pool and always-alluring hammocks.

6. Bairro Alto Hotel

This is a big old 87-room 18th century building that sits grandly on the borders of two bohemian neighborhoods: the Bairro Alto (an old quarter at the top of Lisbon) and Chiado (lively cultural hub). These are two neighborhoods people might name in answer to the question, which part of Lisbon is best to stay? The Bairro Alto Hotel was one of the first boutique hotels in the city in 2005. No two rooms are the same and each has its own dose of Portuguese flair, with glazed tiles, woven fabrics and ceramics by local makers. The terrace is a special place to soak up views of the city and the Rio Tejo.

7. ME Lisbon by Meliá

The best hotels in Lisbon offer a little respite from the city. On our Ultimate Portugal journey, we stop at this sparkling “luxury lifestyle hotel” to be soothed and energised in equal measure. At the magnificent rooftop pool, sunset is served with spicy watermelon margaritas and California rolls. Rooms are light, modern spaces, with plenty of personality and dreamy views whether you’re facing the street or the Palácio Sotto Mayor.’

8. Memmo Alfama

Many visitors city’s fans cite Alfama as the best place to stay in Lisbon, thanks to its winding, cobbled streets and the fado music that drifts through them as evening descends. Memmo Alfama sits in an immaculately restored 19th century building, beautifully blending the old and the new. The Memmo motto is “make yourself at home” and it’s easy to do so in the fresh, white rooms, with polished concrete floors and views over red roofs, towards the river.

9. Lumiares

An homage to Lisbon’s colours, patterns, and light, this luxury, apartment-style stay in Bairro Alto does not let you forget where you are. The rooftop bar and restaurant is all terracotta, linen, rattan and stone, with mesmerising city views and gorgeous gazpacho and roast octopus. Interiors feature monochrome tiles and gold detailing alongside natural materials – and even the studio rooms have kitchens and coffee machines.

10. Palacio Ludovice

One more palacio for the road (although this one is a mere five storeys, a palacete), this relatively recent luxury opening is named after the man who built it nearly 300 years ago, João Federico Ludovice, architect to King João V. The 18th-century tiles, frescoes and stucco ceilings have all been wonderfully restored. Good news for oenophiles, too: it considers itself a ‘wine experience hotel’, with wines from each Portuguese region represented, a five-course ‘wine dinner’ in the restaurant and wine-themed treatments in the Caudalie spa.

If you’ve been meaning to “do” Japan for the first time, our luxury Japan itinerary is here for you. Aptly named Majestic Japan for its supreme majesty in all areas: iconic temples, fairytale lanscapes (seen from the windows of bullet trains), magical metropolises, luxury hotels (often with their own onsen or hot springs) and life-altering food, this is an 11-day luxury tour to Japan that will leave you thrillingly sated (and planning to come back for more).

Days 1-2: Osaka

Categorically not just a smaller Tokyo, Osaka is a singular city that sparkles with life. It has street food like nowhere else on earth, a cracking nightlife scene and daytime strolls that are not too arduous but dotted with delights. We kick off our tour of Japan in style at the Imperial Hotel Osaka, which has terrific, welcoming views of the skyline and the shimmering Okawa River (which is popular for cherry blossom cruising). Once everyone’s settled at the hotel (perhaps after a swim in the brilliant pool, with its epic views), our guests meet over tempura, sushi and sake. And we’re off…

Explore more Japan: 21 Most Beautiful Places In Japan You Need to Visit

Day 3: Hiroshima

Kyoto and Osaka are about an hour from each other by car, and a mere 14-15 minutes by shinkansen, not even long enough to require a bento box picnic. On our luxury Japan itinerary, however, we slow things down by traveling via Hiroshima, so we have time to sit back and relax as we travel past small towns, rice fields and snow-capped mountains. In Hiroshima, the itinerary is as varied as this thriving, cosmopolitan community; we pause to reflect at the Peace Memorial Park and meet a survivor of the world’s first atomic-bomb attack. Later, we try okonomiyaki – one of many unmissable gastronomic experiences –  before heading onward to one of the loveliest luxury hotels in Kyoto: The Thousands.

Day 4: Kyoto

There is much to see in Kyoto, and often visitors encounter a long distance between key sights, so we’ve carefully designed a fulfilling day taking in temples, bamboo groves, and the Gion district, which is famed for its geisha, as well as its teahouses and lantern-lit restaurants. Guests love our visit to the picture postcard Zen Buddhist temple Kinkaku-ji, a three-tiered pavilion covered with gold leaf, which reflects spectacularly in the pond beneath. Lunch is traditional Kyo-Kaiseki cuisine (multi-course, Kyoto cooking), with an unforgettable performance by a maiko – an apprentice geisha.

Read next: The Most Famous Torii Gates in Japan

Day 5: Mount Fuji

Is there a more iconic mountain in the world than Mount Fuji? Many visitors to Japan encounter it through the window on their way somewhere else, but on day five, we board the bullet train to Mishima, an oasis-like town built on the lava flow of Mount Fuji – for our close up. This is your luxury Japan itinerary, so you might choose to soak up the views on the Kachi-Kachi Ropeway cable car, or to visit the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum for an alternative dose of serenity (in the gardens), some spectacular architecture and a dazzling collection of kimonos. We head straight on to the Cerulean Tower Tokyo Hotel for a well-earned rest before a big day in the capital.

Day 6: Tokyo

Where to begin? Tokyo is a simply thrilling place to be, and you have some difficult choices to make. Will you join a local expert on a tour of the arty, fashion-forward Omotesando and Harajuku neighborhoods? Will you spend time crafting your own lunch with a master sushi chef? Will you prioritize the Tokyo National Museum or the Meiji-jingu Shrine? And what on earth will you eat first? We’ll help you work all this out and more, so that your day in Tokyo is everything you want it to be. But don’t panic – you’ll be back on day 10.

Journey beyond Japan: 15 Best Places to Visit in Asia

Day 7: Sendai

Our luxury Japan itinerary is all about balance, so after the energy of Tokyo, we take the opportunity to revel in Japan’s soothing nature. On a private cruise of Matsushima Bay, we listen to the many haikus it has inspired, which describe it as a place of love and wonder. We eat fresh seafood in a local inn, and we embrace the nourishment and calm of a traditional tea ceremony.

Day 8: Tsugaru and Hirosaki Castle

This is a magical stop that makes a trip to Japan extra special. This wedding cake castle features fortified moats and castle gates, and is one of the country’s cherry blossom hotspots. In season, the blush pink petals fill the moat so it looks like a strawberry milkshake. We learn about the meticulous care and nurturing of the trees from a specialized cherry blossom doctor.

Day 9: Oirase

You are booked into the Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel, a wildly serene mountain stream resort inside a National Park, surrounded by clear streams, mossy rocks, and a forest of deciduous broad-leaved trees. The hotel features hot springs and restaurants out in the thick of it, surrounded by a changing colour palette, depending on the season of your visit. While we’re in Oirase, we enjoy a rare opportunity to meet a sake brewmaster, Takeshi Miura, and share some of Japan’s sacred drink in stunning surroundings.

Day 10: Back to Tokyo

However you choose to spend your remaining time in Tokyo, we always toast to a successful trip to Japan with a celebratory dinner at Hoshinonaruki. It’s always an intensely atmospheric meal, showcasing Japanese culinary techniques and seasonal ingredients.

Day 11: Arigato Nihon!

Your private car takes you to Narita or Haneda International Airport. Unless, of course, you choose to stay awhile…

The Michelin Guide began its glittering life in 1889 as a little red book created by a pair of brothers in France to help motorists plan their trips (thereby boosting car and tyre sales, which was their priority). Over time, the brothers saw their book had legs, and duly assembled a team of anonymous restaurant inspectors; they started handing out stars and – eventually – commanded the attention of the world.

The guide set about awarding one star (high quality cooking, worth a stop), two stars (excellent cooking, worth a stop) or three stars (exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey) and has been doing so for almost 100 years. The Michelin Guide now rates over 40,000 establishments in 25 territories, across three continents.

When was the Michelin Green Star launched?

In 2020, Michelin introduced the Michelin Green Star, which is more like a five leaf clover in appearance. This was a direct response to the myriad creative ways inspectors could see that restaurants were striving to find more sustainable dining. All of the most inspiring restaurants were working differently, but all were committed to making gastronomy better for the world.

So, what is a Michelin Green Star? It is an annual award highlighting restaurants with exemplary sustainable practices. Each Green Star restaurant has its own way of working – it might be that they’re particularly committed to locally-sourced ingredients and seasonal produce, working with growers, farmers and fishermen, or that they use regenerative methods such as no-dig vegetable gardens. But, generally speaking, they “hold themselves accountable for both their ethical and environmental standards” and work with producers and suppliers to avoid waste and reduce or remove plastic from the supply chain.

What’s the difference between a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star?

A Michelin Star recognises exceptional dining experiences. A Michelin Green Star highlights a restaurant’s commitment to sustainable practices.

Bookmark for later: How Do Restaurants Get Awarded a Michelin Star?

Who is eligible for a Michelin Green Star?

Any restaurant in the Michelin Guide is eligible – it may be granted the green star alone, or alongside one, two or three Michelin stars.

Michelin Inspectors consider factors like: “the provenance of the ingredients, the use of seasonal produce, the restaurant’s environmental footprint, food waste systems, general waste disposal and recycling and the communication between the team and the guests about the restaurant’s sustainable approach”.

How many restaurants have been awarded a Michelin Green Star?

Currently, there are 291 Michelin Green Star restaurants across the world.

Which country has the most Michelin Green Star restaurants?

France is currently the leader, with 100 green stars. There are 58 in Italy, 57 in Spain, 36 in Great Britain and Ireland, 35 in the USA and 32 in Japan.

You may also like to read: What To Wear To A Michelin Star Restaurant

Five iconic Green Star restaurants for your little black book:

Fotografiska, Stockholm, Sweden

In 2021, Forografiskas conscious kitchen was awarded a Green Star by the Michelin Guide and it has been named Sweden’s best and most sustainable restaurant by 360° Eat Guide. The highly creative menu strives to explore the full potential of raw ingredients, with waste management and many other sustainable practices at the forefront of the dining experience.  Dine here on our Timeless Scandinavia journey.

You may also enjoy reading: Alternative Dining and CO2 Absorbing Aprons: Welcome to Fotografiska

Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy

 

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Chef Enrico Crippa has been finessing his garden and greenhouses at Piazza Duomo for almost 20 years; he and the garden remain an inspiration to chefs everywhere. The signature salad, with its 70+ leaves, must be experienced to be believed.

Silo, London, UK

Silo is a pioneer in the sustainable restaurant field. At the world’s first Zero Waste restaurant, founder and head chef Douglas McMaster has been famously cooking and working “without a bin” for 10 years. The kitchen is a place of incredible precision, as every gram of each ingredient must be used. Visit London on our Castles & Kingdoms journey.

White Lily Diner, Toronto, Canada

 

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An American diner that smokes its own bacon, ferments its own hot sauce and grows its own vegetables, White Lily is the future piled inside a (homemade) buttermilk biscuit. Our Indulgence in Eastern Canada journey is eight days of Ontarian and Quebecois wonders.

L’Arpège, Paris, France

Michelin says radical chef Alain Passard “called it before anyone else with his 100% vegetable-based menu”. Now, there are vegetable-based dining experiences everywhere, but L’Arpège’s focus on ingredients’ passport and provenance will always have been first on the scene. Stay in Paris on our Ultimate France journey.

To enjoy exceptional dining and the finest end-to-end travel experience, take a look at our collection of small group luxury journeys.