Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon

Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon

Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon

Propped up on a sun lounger, lulled by the late-summer Portuguese heat that is gently blanketing the afternoon, the only palpable movements in my vista are a little tumbling fountain in the centre of Pestana’s outdoor pool, and the occasional stir from a glistening Portuguese lady raising her supine self just enough to take an elegant sip from an icy fruit drink.

Outdoor pool at the Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon
Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon

Many of the hotel’s guests are sprawled out around me, bikini-clad and comatosed on loungers and grassy spaces, while a handful summon enough energy to wallow in the chilled pool waters, or make the most of the gym in the adjacent spa. Seats like gigantic cat baskets line a nearby lawn, inviting wanderers to pause and curl up in the silence, and a pagoda offers refreshing shade plus stretching views of the grounds.

Inside, towering ceilings, pastel hues, intricate detailing and hordes of antique furniture give the feel of a giant dolls house: ostentatious yet refined, and a little untouchable. It takes a while to truly believe that these antique pieces are in fact intended for human contact, and that speaking above the hushed whisper of a museum won’t get you told off. But, after a few moments’ adjustment, it sinks in that this listed national monument and all its treasures are here not just to be admired, but also to be wandered through, sat on, and enjoyed.

Pestana’s standard double rooms are, in the context of the rest of the hotel, nice enough. They don’t exude particular wow-factor, but the simple set up is attractive and the furnishings are of an aptly high-quality – a thick mattress tops a large double bed; plentiful wardrobe space, a well-stocked mini bar and a hairdryer can be found in the fitted cupboards; and the bathroom, while small, is clean and shiny with thick white towels and bathrobes.

Royal Suite, Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon
Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon

For a thoroughly enchanting chamber, the four Royal Suites have something of the fairytale about them, with the living space and bedroom swept in cream and gold furnishings, dotted with antique light fittings and leading out onto a private balcony through huge French windows. Pestana’s traditional airs certainly don’t deter modern crowds; pop-legend Madonna makes one of the suites – Suite D Manuel II – her home whenever she is in town, and, during my stay, TV network MTV held an international meeting in the hotel (while relieving the bar of a fair few drinks).

With plates of food as beautifully presented as its surrounds, the light and airy Valle-Flôr Restaurant serves up a formidable array of innovative cuisine, from breakfast through to dinner – the breakfast buffet is a particularly impressive feast (but do swerve the rather stern lady determined to park you where she sees fit, and take a spot outside if there’s space.) Soft breads are made all the more appetising when smothered in a white goats’ milk butter, and a cold golden soup of fresh mango topped with tapioca to start is a highlight. Blood-red velvet chairs and a large banqueting table fill a wood-clad private dining room that can be reserved, while spacious reception and meeting rooms cater well for business guests.

Offering candle-lit solitude, and the chance to massage away any traces of guilt following over-indulgence at the restaurant, Pestana’s Garden Spa is a tranquil space with a rainbow of pampering treats – try the hot chocolate treatment to rejuvenate the skin. An inviting Jacuzzi and indoor pool are on hand for a dip away from the heady Portuguese sun, and the gym area is fully equipped. For a post-treatment stroll, head out into the surrounding lush gardens, where pathways lead through greenery, wide lawns, flashes of exotic blooms, and plenty of points to stop for a ponder.

Reception room at Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon
Pestana Palace Hotel, Lisbon

Set in a quiet pocket of Lisbon called Alto Santo Amaro, the Pestana Palace Hotel feels set apart from city life, yet all the attractions of the Portuguese capital are but minutes away with the hotel’s shuttle into town. Pestana’s guests can join the tourist masses in squeezing through the crowds at the Monastery of St Jerome, they can pop into nearby Pastéis de Belém for a taste of their famed eponymous custard tarts, hop on trams, and spend the afternoon savouring a mini cruise on the Tagus River, before smugly heading back to Pestana’s palatial surrounds to relish feeling aeons away from the rest of civilisation.

Pestana Palace Hotel
Rua Jau, 54, 1300-314 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: (+351) 29 172 4210.
Website: www.pestana.com
Double room from £164 / €189.