Lisbon, Portugal

The Vintage Hotel & Spa

Price per night from$213.68

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (EUR196.23), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Va-va-voom vixen

Setting

Avenida back streets

Standing pretty on a quiet backstreet near the Botanic Garden, head-turner The Vintage Hotel & Spa wows with a hushed ambience and sultry good looks. A recent makeover has turned this Lisbon bolthole into a mid-century den, complete with lounge bar, cocktail trolleys and lashings of dark, seductive wood. Its two prized assets are polar opposites: downstairs, a subterranean spa cossets and soothes; upstairs, a breezy rooftop bar knows how to get the party started.

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

Free breakfast, a DIY gin & tonic kit in room and a 15% discount off dinner at Blue (food only)

Facilities

Photos The Vintage Hotel & Spa facilities

Need to know

Rooms

56, including three suites.

Check–Out

Noon. Earliest check-in, 2pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.

Prices

Double rooms from £177.87 (€208), including tax at 6 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of €2.00 per person per night on check-out.

More details

Rates usually exclude the buffet breakfast of fresh fruit, bread and pastries, cold cuts, muesli and cooked dishes such as pancakes or bacon and eggs (€18 each, €9 for children).

Also

Lisboan Margarida Fleming is the artist behind the stern portrait of a Fadista (female fado singer) hanging above the bar.

At the hotel

Gym, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, minibar, cocktail trolley, tea and coffee kit, free bottled water, Claus Porto toiletries.

Our favourite rooms

Ask for digs on the upper floors, for lofty views through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Dressed with tactile velvet, splashes of ochre and bold artwork from local artists, the green Deluxe rooms have a mid-century Scarlett O’Hara vibe. The feisty heroine, no doubt, would have approved of the vintage DIY cocktail trolleys in every room – just the picker-upper after a hard day’s work exploring Lisbon’s cobbled streets. Terracotta Executive Suites have a gentler, more romantic feel, with plenty of light streaming in from corner windows.

Poolside

The spa’s compact underground pool makes for an atmospheric dip. It's open to all guests from 7am–10am and 2pm–5pm; outside of those times, you'll need a spa appointment.

Spa

Small but stylish, the subterranean spa has a sauna and a hammam, which you’re free to use 7am–10am and 2pm–5pm. Outside of those hours, book a treatment for a pampering session: a hot-stone massage, say, or a soul-soothing Vichy shower. Luxe products by La Sultane de Saba and Portuguese brand Claus Porto can be bought at the spa boutique.

Packing tips

Bring designer flats: Lisboans are smart dressers, but those hilly streets can be treacherous for the high-heeled.

Also

All the common areas are wheelchair accessible, as are some of the rooms. Guests can help themselves to a free minibar on arrival (replacement drinks are charged) and rustle up a spiced gin and tonic from their vintage cocktail trolley.

Pet‐friendly

Pets under-15kg are welcome for €30 a night (one per room); the hotel provide a bed, blankets and snacks for your four-legged friend. They're welcome to wander around the hotel, as long as they're on the lead. See more pet-friendly hotels in Lisbon.

Children

Welcome, though the Vintage has more of a grown-up vibe. Extra beds and cots can be added to some rooms, and the restaurant has high chairs.

Food and Drink

Photos The Vintage Hotel & Spa food and drink

Top Table

On sunny days have your meal alfresco on the sheltered patio. If the weather isn’t playing ball, ask for a table behind the bar, away from the kitchen’s to-ing and fro-ing.

Dress Code

The right note in Lisbon is somewhere between smart and laid-back: a silk shirt and jeans, or something vintage with up-to-the-minute trainers.

Hotel restaurant

Decked out with wood panelling, black-and-white photography from the Algarve coast and a gleaming central bar, Blue has an airy, nautical feel. There’s a fire for chilly nights and, on balmier days, an inner courtyard flanked by vertical planters. Chef João Silva’s culinary take is Portuguese with a cosmopolitan twist. Start with the crispy Scotch egg and its garlicky bulghur side, then feast on slow-roasted pork or squid tagliatelle.

Hotel bar

The ground floor Lobby Bar unashamedly channels a Mad Men aesthetic with velvet sofas, low curvaceous tables and a jazzy soundtrack. Upstairs, the V Rooftop bar is a tropical playground perched above the city, with sunloungers, perfectly mixed cocktails and views of São Jorge Castle to boot.

Last orders

Breakfast is served 7am–10.30am; lunch noon–3pm; dinner 7pm–11.30pm. Rooftop drinks are poured until midnight.

Room service

Tempting treats such as sweet potato chips, beetroot hummus and fried corn can be ordered in-room.

Location

Photos The Vintage Hotel & Spa location
Address
The Vintage Hotel & Spa
R. Rodrigo da Fonseca 2, 1250-191 Lisboa, Portugal
Lisbon
1250-191
Portugal

Tucked behind the broad Avenida da Liberdade, the Vintage is a quiet corner near the leafy Botanical Garden, a 20-minute stroll from the buzzy nightlife of the Bairro Alto.

Planes

Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport is the best place to touch down. It takes around 20 minutes to drive to the hotel. Transfers can be arranged for €35 for up to three people, one way.

Trains

A five-minute drive away, Cais do Sodré serves Comboios de Portugal trains to Lisbon, Oeiras and Sintra. Santa Apolónia station, a 15-minute drive away, is served by CP trains to major Portuguese cities such as Oporto, Coimbra, Aveiro and Faro.

Automobiles

You won’t need a car in Lisbon – the metro, trams and buses are cheap and easy to use, and taxis have you covered for everything else. If you do choose to drive, bear in mind the city’s made up of steep cobbled hills with many a one-way street. The nearest car park costs €15 a day.

Worth getting out of bed for

Compact, photogenic Lisbon is best explored on foot – unless, of course, you’re working your quads on one of its notoriously steep inclines. Thankfully, many of Lisbon’s best sights are just a gentle stroll downhill from the Vintage. Beat the afternoon crowds with a first-thing amble around the nearby Botanical Garden, where a luxuriant collection of pines, cacti and sugar palms nods to the country’s rich history of exploration. The city’s main boulevard, Avenida da Liberdade is lined with designer shops and handsome 19th-century buildings. When you reach Rossio, reward yourself with a restorative shot of ginjinha (a punchy cherry liqueur) at hole-in-the-wall A Ginjinha, or a generous scoop of artisanal ice cream at retro parlour Santini. Drop by Claus Porto’s shop in nightlife hub Bairro Alto to stock up on vintage-tastic rainbow-hued soaps, old-school toothpaste and delicate scents. Eminently Instagrammable LX Factory has artist studios, concept stores and hipster coffee shops a-go-go. For a dose of old-world charm, make time for a day trip to Sintra’s technicolour palace and pine-scented trails. 

Local restaurants

A hop and a skip away from the Vintage, Boubou’s stylish inner courtyard draws Lisboan ladies-who-lunch with cosseting service and modern Portuguese fare. Graze on rabbit croquetas, kafir gambas or – if you’re up to the challenge – a whole grilled octopus. For something more traditional, sample hearty Alentejo cuisine in blink-and-you’ll-miss it Zé Varunca. If you’re short on time, popular riverside food hall Time Out Market may be just the ticket. It packs Lisbon’s star dishes under one roof, from O Prego da Peixaria’s legendary steak sandwich to Balcão da Esquina’s buttery razor clams.

Local bars

Come nightfall, the sleepy Bairro Alto district becomes the setting for a bustling street party, with chatty revellers hopping from tabernas to tiny bars until the small hours of the morning. Boho rooftop Park Bar is perfect for sundowners, with sweeping views over the city, the river, and the bell towers of Santa Catarina Church – particularly alluring at golden hour. Sumptuous Prócopio is a louche, 1920s-style den, complete with stiff drinks, velvet banquettes and nuzzle-friendly lighting.

Reviews

Photos The Vintage Hotel & Spa reviews
Allyson Morgan

Anonymous review

By Allyson Morgan, Script-penning producer and actress

‘You’re going to LOVE Lisbon’, was the refrain that Mr Smith and I heard from all angles as we planned our trip. It seemed like all of our travel-loving friends had been there already – and we’d planned to go ourselves until the pandemic disrupted our adventurous ways. So in some sense, our expectations for this trip were already sky high, after years of delay and dreaming about tile art and pastéis de nata, and burnt orange rooftops. For our first time in Lisbon, we expected magic.

A few days before our visit, the first bit of enchantment came via WhatsApp, from the Vintage concierge staff, confirming arrival details and reminding us of our complimentary hotel transfer as part of the booking package. Not having to navigate a foreign taxi system is what dreams are made of. 

After shooting off a few quick details, we were assured all was set. And as promised, almost immediately upon touching down on the runway, we were contacted again to inform us the driver was standing by.

We were whisked away by our local driver, and within half an hour, deposited at the Vintage Hotel and Spa, with its glimmering white exterior and a welcome mat that invites guests in with the motto ‘inspire, relax, play’. Mr Smith and I were ready for a combination of all three.

We arrived early in the morning, perhaps a bit over eager, so the Vintage held our bags while the room was being prepared, and we headed out on foot to the nearby Botanic Garden. Luckily, the very popular, locally brewed Fabrica coffee truck was open at the entrance, so we got a quick jolt of iced caffeine as we explored the local trees, flowers, and bamboo forest.

Within an hour we received a WhatsApp message that the room was ready, but – entranced – we decided to continue strolling for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, all through downtown Bairro Alto, with a stop for an outdoor drink at Miradouro Sao Pedro de Alcantara, where we gazed out over the city. Sure, the view was fantastic, but we both admitted to ourselves that we were just as excited to see what awaited us back at the Vintage. We grabbed custard tarts – those famous pastéis de nata at Manteigaria – and made our way back. The return journey was not without incident, however. I’d been warned about the uneven stones in Lisbon, but after a glass of wine (and me being a bit of a klutz), I of course wiped out on one of the cobblestone streets. Not to worry, the glass of bubbles cushioned the blow. At any rate, I was ready to rest.

Arriving back at the Vintage, we found our bags already neatly placed in the room, which was decorated in deep navy blue, rustic tan, and dandelion yellow. The Vintage Deluxe room rivalled a small apartment, with a balcony that we could view the city from. We threw open the windows and turned to the vintage bar cart, which was stocked with both complimentary smoked almonds, and a make-your-own gin and tonic, complete with local aromatics and a red gin. After half a day of walking up and down hills (and falling on them), I was ready for robe life with a G&T in hand, the breeze blowing through my hair on the terrace.

After a refreshing happy hour in our room, we headed out again to dinner at the farm to table Prado, named one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, with its indoor greenery competing with the Botanic Garden. After a three hour tasting menu and several glasses of locally produced wine, we somehow made room for a nightcap at Toca da Raposa, a cocktail bar using seasonal ingredients with drinks named after animals. Mr. Smith had the Lynx, while I enjoyed the T-Rex, and we both subsequently appreciated falling asleep in the spacious bed back at the Vintage.

The next morning, feeling the effects of the night before, we were both ready to dig into the hearty breakfast buffet at the hotel’s Blue Bar & Restaurant. It was a bit too hot to sit on the lovely patio, so we enjoyed perusing the selection of cold yogurt and jams, local cheeses, fresh salmon and an array of pastries, plus eggs cooked to order, in the air conditioned breakfast room. We also eyed the sparkling wine and figured a little hair of the dog couldn’t hurt for our second day.

Refuelled and ready to go again, we headed out towards Belem, where we ogled the Belem Tower, Padrão dos Descombrimentos, and Museu Coleção Berardo – but were most thrilled by the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), currently housing the modern and contemporary art museum Museu Coleção Berardo.

While we pursued the Warhols, we received a pleasant check in message from our concierge team to make sure everything was to our liking. Yes, we replied – we liked those G&Ts a little too much! After stops at the Museum of Art and Technology and the LX Factory, Mr. Smith and I were ready to recharge back at The Vintage at the V Rooftop Bar. Just in time for happy hour, we marveled how the tint of our rosé perfectly complemented the roofs of the homes below. The sunlight twinkled through our glasses, like a magic potion.

After quick rinses using the rain head shower, we went to our final dinner at Tricky’s, taking seats at the chef’s counter. The atmosphere was lively and the plates were delicious, constructed by head chef Joao Correia, who brings a touch of Italy to the Portuguese menu. Our favorite dish was the ricotta tortellini with saffron butter sauce – I would have licked the plate if Mr Smith hadn’t stopped me. After one last drink at UNI, the sister bar of Toca da Raposa, where only eight guests are seated at a time and the menu is built around flavor profiles, we were ready for bed.

On our final morning, Mr Smith and I realised we hadn’t left ourselves time to take advantage of the spa at the Vintage before our train to Porto. However, we weren’t upset; this only gave us an excuse to come back soon. We found our inspiration, fun, and relaxation over the two days we spent – and a little bit of magic, too. As our concierge team wished us goodbye and helped us into our transfer to the train station, they asked us what we thought of our time. I yelled enthusiastically, ‘We LOVED Lisbon!’.

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Price per night from $213.68