Lisbon is renowned for being The City of The Seven Hills. How else would the Lisboetas remain so trim whilst facing the daily temptations of pastel de natas? With the hilly nature of the terrain, it is no surprise to discover most of the Lisbon accommodations are boutique hotels with limited space capacity.
This makes the recent launch of Locke de Santa Joana a fascinating proposition. The space was once a 17th-century convent and is now converted into an aparthotel featuring 370 serviced apartments to shake up the Lisbon accommodation scene. The high-tech nature of their design means you can check in via a self-service kiosk without having to queue for the receptionist.
Locke de Santa Joana breathes new life into the Lisbon accommodation scene
The aparthotel is in a unique location, where it is only flat terrain to the heart of Lisbon. There are no hills to climb. You don’t need public transport to get to the city centre, even though it is close by. Renowned design studios Lázaro Rosa-Violán and Post Company have tirelessly restored the historic building, whereby you have hip modern-day comforts combined with the rich history of the hotel.
During the renovation works, they discovered tens of thousands of artefacts. They will all be displayed at their onsite archaeological museum in their second phase of opening, which would be quite a unique proposition for any Lisbon accommodation.
Rooms that offer the best value out of all the Lisbon accommodation options
Their prices are not too dissimilar to other hotels in the same category. However, what you get is much more space, being a serviced apartment offering a fully furnished kitchen (unless you opt for their lowest category, a Locke Room, which doesn’t have a kitchen). All their kitchen appliances come with manuals via a QR code. The design makes great use of the Lisbon sunlight with floor-to-ceiling glass windows
All your mod-cons are delivered seamlessly from smart TV with Chromecast to high-speed WiFi to USB charging sockets. If you are planning on a working holiday, they have a separate co-working space near the hotel’s reception area. Wellness is at the forefront with popular Kinsey Apothecary toiletries and herbal teas offered in every room. Yoga mats are provided to offer you space to exercise in the room if you don’t want to head down to their 24-hour gym.
The best food and drinks offerings out of all the Lisbon accommodation venues.
Currently, they have Santa Marta open for breakfast and more formal dining and Café Castro’s for quick grab-and-go options if you need a quick fix of pastel de natas. The former is hugely popular with hotel guests as well as lisboetas. It is situated in the serene inner courtyard and overlooks the idyllic pool area, where you will often find hotel guests sunbathing.
The vibrant Mediterranean menu leans heavily on the Italian side of things, even though the decor makes you think you might be at a beach club in Mykonos. Their pizzas are suitably thin-based and come out pipping hot from their pizza oven. They also offer the best of Portuguese seafood from vibrant red prawns to fresh sweet-tasting local clams.
In September, they will be opening The Kissaten, a listening and whisky bar. They will also be opening Spiritland, the hugely popular DJ and cocktail bar from London and Santa Joana, where they will offer elevated Portuguese cuisine. If you are thinking of dining off-site, I would recommend trying Cantinho do Avillez. It is the brainchild of acclaimed Portuguese celebrity chef, José Avillez. There you will get Michelin-quality food at brasserie prices. His signature dishes include an Asian-influenced tuna tartare and a flaked cod with bread crumbs, low-temperature egg and “exploding” olives. The latter is a masterclass in offering appetising textural variety and unlike the typical bacalhau is less salty and more complex.
Take a day trip from your Lisbon accommodation to visit scenic Sintra
At around a half an hour’s drive from Lisbon is the quaint town of Sintra. It is situated in the cooling hills of the Serra de Sintra and was once an area of summer retreat for royalty and nobility. Nowadays you can visit the local arts and crafts shops and the famous Casa Piriquita, which has been operating since 1862. Most people buy their travesseiros, which are puff pastries combined with egg yolks, almonds and sugar.
Sintra is also known as the land of the fairy tale palaces. Most people, at least, visit the Pena Palace. This romanticist castle reportedly inspired Walt Disney to create the Cinderella castle. The building and the surrounding botanical garden are filled with immense history, so it is best to go with a tour guide, such as The Tour Guy to fully appreciate the magic of the surroundings. They have a tour, which also takes you to Cabo da Roca, which is the westernmost point of continental Europe. For nature lovers, their tour also includes a hike through Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
If you are looking for Lisbon restaurant recommendations, make sure you check out our review of Boubou’s.
