Long considered the city’s finest hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon reflects the nobility and charm of historic Portugal, and offers vistas of Eduardo VII Park, St. George’s Moorish castle, the Old Town and the Tagus River from atop one of Lisbon’s seven hills. Within walking distance of the historic old town, a landmark hotel enhanced by outstanding contemporary art. Spacious guest rooms, many with balconies overlooking the city, Lisbon’s most sophisticated dining and the impeccable standards of Four Seasons.
A historic 10-storey building, combining the exquisite luxury of an old Portuguese mansion with the high standards of a prestigious hotel brand, perched on one of the city’s seven hills. Since it opened in 1959, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon has established itself as one of the premier addresses for affluent visitors to Portugal’s capital.
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon began life as an idea in the mind of the dictator António de Oliveira Salazar in 1952. Approaching Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva, a modern crusader dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Portuguese artistic and cultural heritage, Salazar expressed his desire to build a representational hotel to meet the demands of international tourism following World War II – a hotel of which Lisbon, and Portugal, could be proud.
Built with the aim of imparting upon the city a modern legacy, the modernist structure was complemented by façades, interior walls and floors clad with a colourful array of more than 40,000 square metres of the most beautiful and rare marble. Henri Samuel, the acclaimed French interior designer, was given the colossal task of conceiving the environment of the Hotel’s greatest areas of prestige. The effect of the overall concept, associating an art deco tendency with a Louis XVI style, was magnified by the choice of materials used and the unrivalled quality and finishing of the traditional Portuguese craftsmen employed. With an enviable scale of space and refined interior concept, the Hotel offered the world outside its walls a chance to be immortalised within. A host of notable local artists, from painters to sculptors, were invited to bestow their own individual and vibrant legacy of decorative arts.
Representative of national values and the independence of the Portuguese spirit, the eclectic mix of sculptures, paintings and tapestries made the Hotel as veritable a museum of contemporary art as any found on the steep climes of the city outside.
Managed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts since 1997, the personality of the Hotel today is as profoundly acute as that born in the minds of its creators. More than sixty years after it first opened its doors, Lisbon’s most storied luxury hotel has breathed new life into some of its guests rooms. Portuguese architecture studio Oitoemoponto didn’t want to destroy the vintage feeling—the hotel is an emblematic architectural piece of 1950s Portugal, and its art collection practically makes it a museum of modern art—nor their own memories of staying at the classic hotel. They set about “re-imaging the past for the present,” creating rooms that nod to the hotel’s roots will making sense in the 21st century. Their look is lighter and more contemporary, and their tech is state of the art. The balconies overlooking Parque Eduardo VII, needed no improvements.
FEEL AT HOME
The refashioned result shows off beautifully appointed Fifties-style guest rooms and suites, a total of 282 rooms spread over 10 floors all are luxurious and spacious, most have large balconies overlooking the park. Chairs, lamps and wide headboards, for example, are all re-editions of the originals, while the stylized wave design seen on the in-room carpets mirror the elegant staircase tapestry that greets visitors near the Ritz Bar on the ground floor.
There are three room styles to choose from including mid-century modern, art deco and Louis XVI traditional. This array caters to all types of international visitors since not everyone has the same interior preference. The signature Four Seasons bed is a favourite of repeat guests with its pillowtop mattress and soft duvet. All rooms have private bathroom with Bulgari amenities.
A GASTRONOMIC TRIP BRUNCH
The timeless dining room at Varanda Restaurant, with its huge floor-to-ceiling windows and the terrace overlooking Parque Eduardo VII are the perfect place for weekend brunch, now a true gourmet gastronomic tour around the four corners of the world.
Every weekend the gastronomic destinations take guests to Latin America, offering Mexican tacos, guacamole, ceviches, or grilled picanha guests prefer to go to Brazil. Lovers of the Middle East will be delighted with delicacies such as lamb marinated with fine herbs with oriental rice and vegetables with cumin and coriander; and hummus, baklavas or kataifs with honey. For those looking to travel east, from the Asian continent they can delight themselves with a braised lily tataki, teriyaki, sesame and celery; vegetarian nasi goreng or gyozas and dim sum. On another weekend those who prefer to stick to Mediterranean flavours can marvel at the fresh burrata salad, seasonal fruit, arugula and balsamic reduction; fregola sarda, pecorino cheese, green asparagus, shitake mushrooms, cherry tomato confit and white balsamic sauce.
In addition to these culinary destinations, brunch classics are always a must: pancakes, French toast, waffles, homemade yogurt or the classic Ritz eggs benedict, as well as the live sushi station. And, given the current limitations, each customer’s table will have their very own buffet table, with oysters, mini salads, cheeses and sausages, patties, samosas and cod pastes, flavoured breads and butters and more.
THE RITZ POOL BAR
With panoramic views of the treetops of Eduardo VII Park, the Ritz Pool Bar is the best spot in the city for alfresco dining, Lisbon-inspired cocktails and petiscos.
Nothing says holiday like a drink while in the pool. Guests can enjoy a refreshingly signature cocktail and a light bite with amazing vistas, all while soaking up the rays and hardly lifting a finger. Occupying the original circular shaped structure from 1959 in the Hotel’s terrace, the Ritz Pool Bar opens fully onto the pool area with terracotta red décor, sun loungers and sleek cabanas, creating the feeling of hovering over Eduardo VII Park.
For the newly-created outdoor area of the Ritz Pool Bar and ultra-luxury swimming pool, OPENBOOK Architecture intended to create the atmosphere of a city resort, which would take full advantage of the connection to Eduardo VII Park, whereby a guest lying by the pool or having a drink at the bar will feel part of the park’s greenery and be transported outside the urban environment of the city.
The Ritz Pool Bar is open between 12:00 noon and 6:00 pm serving a selection of summery dishes including zesty salmon ceviche, a flavoursome wagyu beef Burger, a Josper-grilled tuna, a vegetarian bao and the Hotel’s classic club sandwich and Caesar salad, of course, paired with the freshly-squeezed juice of the day, the Hotel’s signature Ritz Mojito.
A WELLBEING DESTINATION
Every aspect of the 1,500 square metre Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is focused on relaxation. With windows overlooking the garden and park, the Ritz Spa boasts an 18 metre heated indoor lap pool and lounge area with oversized pool lounges, treatment rooms, sauna, steam room and a refreshing crushed ice fountain. The state-of-the-art fitness center boasts a fully equipped Pilates studio and yoga classes.
Combining ancient Ayurvedic, European lymphatic massage and TCM therapeutic techniques, this unforgettable spa journey begins with an immunity-boosting cup of tea and an invigorating ginger foot ritual. This is followed by a nourishing body massage using Ignae’s aromatic warm oils and volcanic Azorean basalt hot stones, which are exposed to the light of a full moon to absorb the purest energy.
The views from the rooftop gym on the 11th floor, with its full-size running track, are strong motivation to fit in a workout.
