A Night at Ritz by Four Seasons Lisbon
Where Tradition and Timeless Elegance Meets Exquisite Hospitality
Witnessing the history for more than 60 decades in the heart of Lisbon, 10 minutes away from the historical city centre, a night spent at the Four Seasons Ritz Lisbon is an extraordinary and a refreshing experience.
A few days ago, I left home with a small bag and went to stay at the Four Seasons Ritz Lisbon, located a few minutes away from home.
Before you ask, “Why would a person go to stay in a hotel in the city she lives in?”, let me explain why.
Recently, I left behind another year of my life.
I have never been one for celebrating birthdays. So I have almost never thrown such big birthday parties.
Has nothing to do with getting on in years, really. I’ve always been like this since I was a kid.
But over the years, I have come to a different awareness and celebrating a birthday has therefore taken on a different meaning for me lately.
We are all giving a struggle in our own way in life. Even though we think of growing up as reaching a “certain” age, I think we “grow” every day for as long as we live. We touch some other lives; we, who are one domino stone among countless others, leave perhaps a big impact on the world without even knowing, and we learn something from every experience, even we are the least unaware of it.
In short, something’s for sure that “we” of today are wiser than we were a year ago.
Ever since I came to this awareness, I have decided to be more grateful for everything I have done and experienced throughout the year, and therefore, to celebrate the year that passed, with a greater gratitude. For this reason, on my birthdays, I try to have an experience that is meaningful to me, that cheers up my soul, and that is different from my every other day.
This year, it coincided with a period that I was working very hard. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a relaxing trip. (And if travel is such an important part of your life as much as it is for me that it affects the joy that you get out of life, you understand what it’s like to not be able to travel for a long time.)
That’s why this year’s gift was an experience where I could feel like a traveler in my own city. To have a ‘special’ one, we chose the Ritz by Four Seasons Hotel Lisbon. And we’re glad we did!
If we’re done with the emotional part, we can now change the sad violin playing in the background and move on to the unforgettable moments of the night. 🙂
When it is Four Seasons, expectations inevitably rise. And as you’ll soon see, Four Seasons Lisbon more than meets this expectation.
Without further ado, let’s move on to our experience at the Hotel.
Dinner – Almada Negreiros Lounge
The night started with a dinner at the Hotel’s Almada Negreiros Lounge.
We see the famous Portuguese painter Almada Negreiros’ name in the Hotel’s Lounge, as well as in the name of the Hotel’s most exclusive suite. (See the quick history section below for the significance of the artist(s) and the piano in the Lounge.)
We surrendered ourselves to our sommelier for drinks. The apéritif, cocktails, digestif and accompanying wines you will see are all his selections.
For the entrée, we had a simple and light salad with shrimp and baby spinach and a selection of sushi and nigiri from O Japonês, their sushi bar serving at the Lounge.
When it comes to Far Eastern cuisine, just the fact that a restaurant belongs to a good chain, is not an enough of a reason to attract me. Therefore, frankly, even though I knew that Japanese food was served at Four Seasons, I didn’t look forward to trying it until that day. However, the freshness and taste of the fish and the quality of the rice were above than expected.
Then we moved on to the main course.
We tried beef tenderloin and octopus lagareiro (Polvo à Lagareiro). (Lagareiro is a style of cooking seafood in Portuguese cuisine.)
Tenderloin was served with boiled vegetables, demi-glace sauce and mushroom purée whereas the octopus was served with baked vegetables and green oil. The cooking point of the meat was on point, both plates were simple but delicious.
Then arrived the part that interested me the most:
The Desserts.
We went for Nyangbo chocolate Arlette and vegan dessert plate from the menu. And I can say that both were excellent choices.
My preference, Nyangbo Chocolate Arlette, was a dessert that chocoholics like me would go crazy for. (“Arlette” is a thin, crispy, cinnamon biscuit from France made from puff pastry.) FS Lisbon’s Arlette comes with a Nyangbo chocolate cream that melts in your mouth between crispy layers and served with a velvet-like pecan nut sorbet to top it.
Finally, we polished the meal with a Port wine recommended by our Sommelier as a digestif. Reeaally, really good one. (It was so good that I was about to make a Rihanna exit with the bottle at the end of the night.)
But the only culinary experience that you can have at FS Ritz Lisbon, mind you, is not only the Lounge. They have their recently opened in-house restaurant “VARANDA”, as well as a one michelin starred restaurant “CURA” for a much refined gastronomic experience. (More on that below.)
The Stay
After the dinner, we had a walk around the common areas of the hotel before retiring to our rooms as I was looking to discover the special art collection that the Hotel houses, which I will be introducing below in detail.
Don’t know about you, but what I like the most about hotel stays is those white, fresh and soft bed sheets. You know what I’m talking about, right? (To get that feeling, I even chose the sheets at my home just like them. 😊)
In the rooms, a classy, yet simple decoration was preferred instead of an eye-straining ostentation, which I highly appreciate.
You can clearly note in the details that a high level of care is applied to make the guests feel special considering any possible needs. (In fact, this is some sort of “credo” of the luxurious hotels like Four Seasons.)
I leave the photos below where you can scroll through to see the details of the room.
Being just out of an exhausting few weeks, I was looking forward to going to bed, thinking I would probably fall to the bed like a tree trunk, but the courteous surprises waiting for me in the room made me very happy as a birthday girl and were worth spending a few more sleepless minutes.
To top this already-amazing experience, I was left a beautiful birthday amenity; a tasteful piece of elegantly decorated birthday cake and a nice bottle of wine to accompany.
Heartfelt thanks for the amazing crew and my beautiful colleagues for this thoughtful surprise. <3
Breakfast
After a refreshing night we woke up lighter, and better yet, to a savory breakfast brought to our room.
The lavish breakfast served with wrought tableware, in a room illuminated by the warm golden light of the morning sun, doubles, triples even, the pleasure of morning hours and is all you need for a vigorous start to the rest of the day; especially if there’s a long and tiresome one ahead.
(But of course, the best thing is to live in the moment and enjoy it. And that’s what we did.)
An Important Element of Urban Memory
and the Epitome of Tradition (Brief History)
One of the things I love the most about hotels like the Four Seasons Ritz is what they have and what they represent: A historical heritage and a hospitality tradition.
As you may know, every city has a hotel as such. Hotels that have gained a prominent place in both the history and skyline of the city; hotels that have been hosting, for decades, the biggest stars, the most prominent figures of the time; hotels where you get a nostalgic feeling when you walk through the corridors, where even the decorative objects make you feel like they would take you on a journey through history if you touched them.
That’s why, these hotels, that constitute an important element of the city’s memory, always have a special place for me.
Being a hotel as such, FS Ritz Lisbon has therefore been given the status of “Monument of Public Interest“. Let’s take a short journey into this 64-year-old iconic Hotel’s history.
The construction of FS Ritz Lisbon dates back to 1959.
Designed by architect Porfirio Pardal Monteiro in 1952, prominent Portuguese artists, such as above mentioned Almada Negreiros, Sarah Afonso and Carlos Botelho also contributed to the construction of the Hotel.
With the luxury it represented and the decorations chosen for it has caused somewhat “stir”, so to speak, in Portugal who was going through a conservative dictatorial regime at the time.
Hence, the famous dictator, Salazar, only visited the Hotel once, which was solely for the inauguration ceremony. For reasons best known to himself but perhaps because it would conflict with the principles he represented, he was not content with attending the ceremony, so much so that Salazar kept his silence throughout the entire event and as soon as it is over, he left. Not even through the gate for the guests, but the kitchen service door instead.
(Read more about Salazar and the Carnation Regime HERE)
What Can I Find at Four Seasons Ritz Lisbon?
Located in the heart of the city, 10 minutes away from the historical city centre, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is overlooking Lisbon from above, providing an unmatched vista to its guests.
The first thing you will notice when you enter the hotel is its lounge adorned with impressive works of art, where Louis XVI style is perfectly blended with the Art Deco notes.
The piano in the Almada Negreiros Lounge is one of the items that mostly attracts the attention of the guests. Engraved with the signatures of countless artists, the piano came from the house of artist Pedro Leitão, who also made the mural next to the main staircase.
The hotel houses an important collection –in fact one of the most important private art collections in the entire country– consisting of more than 600 works of art, including handmade carpets, tapestries, sculptures and paintings by 20th century Portuguese artists.
A prominent art work adorning the Hotel is the “Centauro” of the Almada Negreiros Lounge. The trilogy of artisanal tapestries of Portalegre was inspired by the constellation of the same name and carries Picasso’s influence visible in the cubist marks, exhibitionist poses, in the provocative postures of the centaurs.
All of the art pieces in the collection can be viewed with more info via the smartphone app “Art Collection Ritz Lisbon“.
Bearing a timeless charm brought by the elegant luxury, the Hotel provides guests with a wonderful refuge of relaxation where they can easily unwind and be refreshened from a day spent in the colorful and lively streets of Lisbon.
One side of the hotel overlooks the city’s symbolic structures, such as Eduardo VII Park and the Marquise of Pombal monument, from an almost bird’s eye view wherefore the rooms offer a breathtaking view that you will love waking up to.
However, for a complete “let-go” moment, something that you would not want to miss is the spa at FS Ritz Lisbon. Built of marble and oak on 700 m2 area with Turkish bath, sauna, steam room, ice fountain and 18-meter heated pool, you’ll sure feel much more lighter than when you arrived.
One of the unique features of the hotel is the 400-meter running track built on the rooftop. In addition to the fitness centre, the running track, which allows you to exercise outdoors with an unusual view, is designed for guests who cannot end the day without breaking a sweat. But even if you are not interested in sports, I highly recommend that you do not miss the opportunity to jog against such a view.
Finally, the restaurants and food service within the Hotel are singe-handedly enough to offer a refined gastronomic experience to guests without having to leave the Hotel.
In addition to the Almada Negreiros Lounge (see above for our experience there) the recently opened restaurant “Varanda” serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and promises pleasant moments with special culinary delights from Portuguese cuisine, whereas the Michelin-starred “Cura” offers a unique experience with its exclusive menu created with seasonal ingredients, attracting guests both of the Hotel and from outside.
Book your table at Varanda or Cura
From the aspect of being a valuable part of the city’s heritage and representing a tradition in hospitality area, as well as from the perspective of a real guest, a night spent at the Four Seasons Ritz Lisbon is an extraordinary and a refreshing experience.
Providing such an experience to a guest in the hospitality industry, which is a quite challenging field of work (my dears, I know as an insider), means having a hardworking equipe behind it. Therefore, I would like to thank once again the FS Lisbon family who ensured this experience for us.
If you are coming to Lisbon, I highly recommend you visit the Four Seasons Ritz Lisbon, either for a stay or for a delicious break.
Book your stay at Ritz Lisbon by Four Seasons today
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