The Best Hotels in Alfama, Lisbon
Alfama, Lisbon’s old city, features steep cobbled streets, guitar-stumming fado musicians and some of the most fascinating sights in the capital. Offering spectacular views of the River Tagus, you will also find a variety of bars and restaurants and a range of accommodation, everything from budget hostels to historical mansions. Here are some of the best hotels in Alfama where you can enjoy the city’s relaxed and friendly vibe.
1. Eurostars Museum
Luxury
Across the street from the Tagus River, the distinguished Eurostars Museum is centuries old. The museum displays preserved walls, public spaces, and objects dating back to the second century AD. Today the hotel offers all the modern comforts and amenities including a serene spa, indoor pool, sauna, Turkish bath and fitness room. Along with a complimentary buffet breakfast, the in-house restaurant Atlantiko serves traditional Portuguese fare.
2. Solar Do Castelo, Lisbon Heritage Hotels
Boutique Hotel, Chain Hotel
This boutique and romantic property, housed in an 18th-century mansion, is the only hotel in the grounds of Saint George’s Castle. Listen to the cry of the castle’s resident peacocks while enjoying complimentary breakfast on the terrace or exploring the courtyard and garden. The regal rooms are a nod to the hotel’s past as a palace and there’s a bottle of Port wine and Molton Brown products to welcome you.
3. Urbano FLH Hotels Lisboa
Hotel
Centrally located, Urbano is a four-minute walk to Lisbon Cathedral and 10-minutes to St George’s Castle. The rooms are modern and compact with warm wood details and fun Super Mario-inspired artwork. Private bathrooms offer showers and rooms are best suited for one or two people. A continental breakfast of fresh orange juice, bread, croissants, fruit, and yoghurt is delivered daily to your door.
5. Portugal Boutique Hotel
Hotel
Just a short walk from historic Rossio Square, the rooms at this boutique gem are decorated in calming blue and white colours, inspired by traditional Portuguese tiles. The hotel’s cheerful restaurant Jony Rules serves Portuguese wine and tapas, while Premium Wine House, an underground wine cellar, offers wine tasting and brunch. Additionally, guests can visit Rooftop Bar, on the ninth floor of the hotel’s sister property Hotel Mundial, for views over the rooftops of Lisbon.
6. Hotel Convento do Salvador
Eco Hotel, Hotel
Once part of a 14th-century convent, Hotel Convento do Salvador is just minutes away from Castelo de São Jorge and Sé Cathedral. The well-connected number 28 tram stops outside so its location is perfect for exploring the area. The hotel’s public spaces have the feel of a modern art gallery – clean and light with walls adorned with an array of work by some of Portugal’s most celebrated contemporary artists. As for its rooms, they are cosy, some have river views.
7. Santiago de Alfama
Boutique Hotel, Hotel
This family-run boutique hotel won the 2019 Condé Nast Johansens Award for Best Urban Hotel in Europe. It is a favourite of international celebrities and it’s easy to see why. Housed within an exquisitely restored 15th-century palace, it features some of the Roman remains found during its reconstruction. Every room here is unique, with some overlooking the River Tagus. The finery extends to the Dining at Audrey’s restaurant, where menus of fresh seafood and delicious wine pairings promise to seduce.
8. Memmo Alfama
Boutique Hotel
9. Alma Moura Residences
Hotel
These stylish serviced apartment, tucked away from Alfama’s bustling streets, come with an outdoor lawn and patio where you can collapse onto a deck chair after a busy day of exploring. The Alma Moura Residences is a short walk from the Jardim da Cerca da Graça, a public park with wonderful views of the city.
10. Alfama – Lisbon Lounge Suites
Hotel
These modern yet inexpensive apartments and rooms feel like a private sanctuary with the friendly services of a hotel. They are situated on a steep cobbled street just wide enough for the popular number 28 tram to pass by and which you can see from the rooms’ large windows if you don’t feel like squeezing onboard.
11. Hotel Riverside Alfama
Hotel
The Hotel Riverside Alfama is about as close to the River Tagus as you can get, offering the perfect starting point to any stroll by the water or exploration of the neighbourhood’s narrow streets. This lobster-red hotel has 21 stylish minimalist rooms that feature striking hand-painted tiles (the owners also run a nearby tile shop) and a top complimentary breakfast. It’s a popular hotel, so be sure to book early.
12. Palacete Chafariz D’El Rei
Hotel, Guesthouse
Live like a Portuguese aristocrat at Palacete Chafariz D’El Rei. This magnificent and eclectic building from the 19th century underwent years of restoration, reopening as a boutique hotel in 2010. It feels like a stately home, complete with stained-glass windows, glass chandeliers and a wood-panelled library. Magnificent views of the nearby River Tagus await you from the rooms and terrace, as does your butler.
Christy Taylor contributed additional reporting to this article.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.