The Lumiares
The LUmiares
Aesthetics: 8/10
Hits the trifecta of clean, comfortable, and contemporary. Sleek white kitchens and bathrooms are accentuated by Smeg toasters, Nespresso machines, and Claus Porto toiletries. The bedrooms are cozy, with blankets from the Alentejo and the kind of rugs you can sink your toes into. Our penthouse had a lovely tiny terrace with two chairs overlooking the rooftops - a perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine while planning the evening.
Comfort: 10/10
Lots of space, great amenities - rooftop restaurant/bar, spa, gym, ground-level coffee shop/casual food joint, room service, laundry facilities in apartment, super conveniently located close to both the Bairro Alto and Chiado neighborhoods
Food: 7/10
I can only speak to the breakfast and room service; we didn’t actually eat in the restaurant. The breakfast spread was about average for Portugal - meats, cheeses, granola/cereal components, yogurt, and pastries, with hot dishes available on order. Like everywhere in Portugal, all the incredibly delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice one could drink was available.
Bar: 8/10
Delightful rooftop cocktail bar attached to the restaurant Lumni; wine also available at Mercado, located on the ground floor.
Spa: N/A
The Lumiares has a good-sized gym and spa (four treatment rooms; extremely reasonable pricing for treatments); I didn’t have a chance to use the spa while in Lisbon
Service: 10/10
Great: friendly and helpful
Price Point:
$$$
Worth Going Out Of Your Way For:
Not necessarily, but a solid choice in a great location. If you’re traveling as a group of friends or a family, The Lumiares is one of the best options available in Lisbon.
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Narrative:
I have this thing about space: I like it. I like wide streets, parks, rivers, and lots of room to strew my belongings about when I’m traveling.
I’m married to someone who has a thing about amenities: he likes a restaurant, a bar, a gym, and a concierge. He doesn’t want to deal with the cringey moment when you arrive at your VRBO rental only to discover that the owner’s janky credit card machine doesn’t like your card, and the ATM won’t spit out enough cash to cover your stay.
While traveling in Portugal as a temporary platonic thruple (our friend Sara joined us for the week), we needed a place that would serve as a place to hang out but would also meet everyone’s needs. The answer? The Lumiares, a brilliant boutique property in the Bairro Alto neighborhood of Lisbon.
Consisting of 53 suites, The Lumaires ticks all the boxes: with a two-bedroom apartment, we had plenty of space to hang out, but also had tons of privacy (each room had its own en-suite bathroom, as well as a half bath off the living space). A tiny terrace provided a birds-eye view of the surrounding rooftops (the glow in Lisbon after a rain is indescribable), while wine, beer, water, and soda awaited us in the refrigerator.
Sounds like an awesome airbnb, right? Here’s the kicker: The Lumiares is a full-service hotel as well, with a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, spa, and gym. Super helpful staff answered all our questions and took care of details like ordering taxis to the airport.
Home sweet home + a bar/gym/coffee shop set-up? That hits the sweet spot exactly right.
While You’re In The Area:
Take a right out of the hotel on Rua de Sao Pedro de Alcantara and, barely a block away, are two can’t miss shops: Chocolateria Equador, where I became hooked on chocolate-covered candied ginger bits (spoiler: that’s what everyone’s receiving for Christmas this year), and Claus Porto, the famed Portuguese soap maker. Continue south to the river and hook a right to visit Mercado da Ribeira, a/k/a the Time Out Market, for an unreal assortment of food and booze purveyors.
how did we book?
Directly with the property.
