A VISIT TO THE OLISSIPPO LAPA PALACE HOTEL IN LISBON
Greetings.
In my last travel post I invited you to take a cruise with me aboard Oceania Cruise Lines, Riviera. But actually, before we do that, I want to show you around Lisbon, Portugal. It was in Lisbon that we joined the 3rd leg of Riviera’s maiden voyage. In order to insure that we met the ship on time, we arrived in Lisbon 2 days before sailing, which also gave us a little time to explore the city.
Lisbon Airport
We checked into one of Europe’s finest hotels. So please join me for a visit to the Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel in Lisbon, part of the Leading Hotels of the World organization.
This luxurious palace, nestled on a lovely hilltop, was built in the 19th century.
It’s ideally situated in Lapa Hill, tucked away in the city’s diplomatic quarter which is Lisbon’s most traditional and elegant neighborhood. The hotel is just minutes from downtown shopping and the historic Belém area. “Lapa” means Moorish Rock, from the original name “Lapa das Mouras”. I don’t know if those are Moorish Rocks used in the beautiful courtyard entry of the hotel, but they were very lovely, and I saw this type of stonework throughout the city of Lisbon.
This resort-style hotel has stunning views of Lisbon and the Tagus River. In fact, the day after our arrival our ship conveniently pulled up to a dock just below the hotel.
Come on in to the hotel lobby. I was struck by the beauty of the marble floors, the murals on the walls and the lovely coffered ceiling.
Hand painted Portuguese tiles formed murals in many places around the hotel, and this intricately carved marble fountain adorned one of the public rooms.
Our room was located here on the ground floor overlooking a lovely fountain and the beautiful lush green landscape of the gardens.
Here you can see the view we enjoyed from our very pretty room.
The thing I enjoyed most about our guest room was the amazing gray marble bathroom. It even had a vase of fresh flowers for us to enjoy.
I’m a fan of L’Occitane bath products, especially the verbena scented products. Look how beautifully the amenities were displayed on Portuguese pottery.
And just look at this ornate marble bath enclosure, complete with a heated towel rack.
Even the tub was ornamented with a lovely hand painted Portuguese tile mural. I thought the port scene was particularly apropos, since the next day we’d be boarding a ship in that very harbor.
You know our room was really nice; however, if you really want to spend some big bucks in this hotel you can book a room on the rooftop.
It’s called the Tower Room and comes complete with 2 private balconies. One is located on top of a turret where you can enjoy a candlelit dinner along with one of the best views in Lisbon.
Wouldn’t that be nice? Regrettably not in our budget, but a girl can dream.
And just look at that view!
Also cascading from the rooftop is this impressive fountain that is again covered in a tile mural. That door leads into a very nice indoor pool and spa complex.
Now, let me take you for a stroll around the beautiful grounds with its lush, sub-tropical gardens.
Here’s the pool that my son and I made good use of during our stay.
The weather was lovely but, surprisingly, very few people were indulging, which made it very tranquil for us.
We enjoyed a lovely alfresco lunch at this pretty table near the pool.
Yes, my son ordered a hamburger in Portugal. I had a sandwich filled with prosciutto, green olives and arugula and served on pretty blue and white Portuguese china.
Now, let’s go back inside because I want to show you the hotel restaurant.
Located just off this pretty terrace is the very elegant dining room.
However, the weather was so perfect during our stay that we dined on the outside terrace.
The food we consumed in the Lapa Restaurant was absolutely divine and the service impeccable! In fact, in 2012, Travel & Leisure Magazine ranked the hotel #6 overall for the “World’s Best Service”. The menu features Mediterranean cuisine that has a distinct Italian influence. We started with a delicious soup and these delectable salads.
Next up were our yummy entrees, enjoyed by the 3 of us of course.
Mine was a giant ravioli covered with roasted vegetables.
And look what we had for dessert! That homemade gelato was served on a bed of sugar candy that was being suspended on delicious little cubes of pineapple.
At the conclusion of our meal, they presented us with this tray of sweet confections.
But, if you really wish to dine in style at the Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel, you can do so here in this magnificent room. But we’ll have to leave that for another visit.
So, as the sun sets in Lisbon, I bid you farewell for now. But stay tuned and in my next post I’ll show you around Lisbon. Don’t miss it!
So there you have it: A VISIT TO THE OLISSIPPO LAPA PALACE HOTEL IN LISBON
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