I recently travelled overseas to Lisbon, Portugal, with my family for the first since the pandemic and it was glorious. I knew I’d missed travel, but I didn’t realise how much until I was away again. The airports both ways were a breeze (aside from not realising we needed to fill-in a passenger locator form for the return journey to the UK and almost missing our flight back) and it didn't feel too different to pre-pandemic travel. After seeing the travel industry suffer for so long over the past few years, it’s such a relief to see things start to return to something closer to ‘normal’.
We stayed at The Lumiares which is one of those hotels that you genuinely don’t want to leave - and that you’ll keep revisiting and recommending to all your friends. What I love most about it is how much of a (luxury) home-from-home it is. The vibe and decor is laid-back chic, stylish and modern. And everything about the hotel feels so comfortable, relaxed and easy.
There’s the excellent service made even more convenient with guests able to communicate with reception via WhatsApp. There’s the super-clean, stylish guest rooms, including spacious yet affordable (compared to what you’d pay for in the likes of cities like London) two-bedroom suites which feature kitchenettes and plush bedding. There’s the soothing massage that I enjoyed in its lovely spa and the delicious breakfast (I still dream about the mini pastel de nata/custard tarts) served on the wow-factor rooftop which offers a gorgeous view over the city (see the unfiltered sunset shot below). The rooftop is definitely its highlight feature and I never tired of going up there every morning to eat breakfast and soak up the sun rising over the colourful buildings below.
The hotel’s location is very convenient too; set in the historic Bairro Alto district by Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara which offers another gorgeous vista, and is within walking distance of a lot of the city’s highlights. It’s worth noting that Bairro Alto is also the ‘party district’, so be prepared for some late-night noise if you stay over the weekend (unless you're joining in the fun, too): the rooms do have thick window door shutters which help to keep things quiet.
Unsurprisingly The Lumiares’ rooftop bar and restaurant, spa and rebel cafe draw in a local crowd, and the hotel also does a fantastic job of catering to different types of guest. As a family with two young kids, we felt very welcome. Our accommodation allowed for comfortable sleeping arrangements, the staff were really warm to the kids and I appreciated there being a kids’ menu at its restaurant. The hotel would also be a great place to stay as a couple or with a small group of friends.
I was a little nervous about visiting Lisbon with our two and four-year old as I'd read it isn't buggy-friendly, which is true. There are loads of steep hills and narrow, cobbled, uneven paths. We did still use a buggy to get around - a light-weight second hand one that I got off Facebook marketplace which was totally worth it, as our youngest enjoyed a daily nap in it - but there were times that we had to lug it up and down countless steps.
A great way to get around with little ones is to ride on one of the open-top tourist buses, which we did and it got us free entry into the aquarium, too. The kids also enjoyed visiting Lisbon zoo and wandering along the water by the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge. I spotted little playgrounds dotted around the city (there's a cute one by the water next to SUD Lisboa) and The Time Out market is an easy dining option if you're with kids too.