Santiago de Alfama - Boutique Hotel

We’ve got no hard facts to back this up, but if the local hotel scene is any indication, Portugal must have more palaces per capita than just about any place on the planet. This particular palace, in the Alfama district of Lisbon, dates back to the 15th century, and incorporates a bit of Roman ruin as well — and while it’s lived several lives over the course of many hundreds of years, it’s unlikely ever to have looked quite so splendid as it does today, in its new life as Santiago de Alfama, a 21st-century family-owned luxury boutique hotel.

The restoration was an intensive one, occupying several years of work on the part of the architect, Luís Rebelo de Andrade. For all Santiago de Alfama’s grandeur, it spans just 19 rooms, which means even the most (relatively) humble room offers ample space to spread out. They’re all different, but they’re all attractive, spanning centuries of design history, from restored period architectural details to modern artworks and contemporary furniture. And the views, thanks to Lisbon’s hilly topography, are impressive, encompassing varying vistas of city rooftops and the river. Audrey’s, the restaurant, is open from breakfast and lunch through tea and dinner, and Manny’s Bar keeps the libations flowing into the night.