The Lumiares - Lisbon

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this apartment-style hotel in Lisbon and unpacked their silver from famous jewelers Joalharia do Carmo, a full account of their city break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside the Lumiares in Lisbon…

For anyone living somewhere less sunny than Portugal, one of the highlights of a city break can be browsing the local markets, where the sun-ripened vegetables, fruit and other delights seem a cut above anything you could find back home. But it’s a pleasure tinged with a little pain, because if you’re staying in a traditional hotel, you won’t actually be able to cook with any of it. Thankfully, the people behind swish apartment-style hotel the Lumiares know this. They understand that luxury means options, so no matter what size of room you plump for, you’ll have a sleek Smeg kitchen with everything you’d need to whip up bacalhau à brás (a classic Portuguese fish dish) or caldo verde (the nation’s favourite soup). If you’d rather someone else do the work for you, you’ll be pleased to hear that the service is every inch what you’d expect at a grand dame; there’s also rooftop fine-dining with skyline views, and a compact spa in which some of the city’s finest masseurs work their magic. The hotel’s right at the heart of the old city, too, putting some of Lisbon's best eating and drinking on the doorstep.