AlmaLusa Alfama
The boutique AlmaLusa is the result of the meticulous renovation of a building which has stood watch over the north bank of the Tagus since the 12th century. The hotel’s arched ‘portas’ gateway was once part of Lisbon’s original defensive wall, when the city was concentrated around Sao Jorge hill and its castle. It’s the invisible line between old and new Lisbon: old Alfama which clings to the slopes of the hill is a maze of narrow, twisting streets and constricted alleyways which follow a footprint established by the Romans. New Lisbon, with its ostentatious Praca do Comercio and Rua Augusta triumphal arch, spreads out across a valley floor and up into the Bairro Alto.
The hotel offers a glimpse of both the old and new eras – following the devastating earthquake of 1755, the Marquis of Pompal was tasked by the king to rebuild and remodel downtown Lisbon. The building’s original, ancient footprint was retained, together with the portas archway, with the ‘Pompaline’ upper stories added as part of the city’s regeneration. The new renovations employed a similar approach – embracing the old architectural features of the building, whilst adding more contemporary colour schemes, natural materials, and cosy 21st century creature comforts.
The AlmaLusa Alfama has twenty-five rooms and suites in all: interior rooms overlook the shaded internal patio, whilst superior rooms have views of the Lisbon’s Se Cathedral – both room types come with queen-sized double bed. Deluxe rooms and suites look out towards the river, and can be arranged as doubles or twins. For families and friends, it’s also possible to connect deluxe suites and superior rooms via an internal door. Breakfast is served in the ground floor Delfina Café – an excellent option for a light lunch or a relaxed dinner, and their petiscos (Portuguese tapas) is particularly popular.
The Casa dos Bicos literary museum, home to the Jose Saramago Foundation is just next door – the square to the front of the hotel also bears his name – and the unmistakably yellow façade of the city’s Ministerio das Financas will lead you into the grand Praca do Comercio, the centre of life in downtown Lisbon. You’re also a stone’s throw from the Tagus River, with the jumbled medieval streets of Alfama, the capital’s oldest district, criss-crossing Sao Jorge hill to your rear.
