Lisbon › Avenida da Liberdade and Chiado
Two of Lisbon’s best-known luxury hotels, from two different eras. Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is a 1959 grand hotel by Eduardo VII Park, with a huge Portuguese art collection and a rooftop running track. Bairro Alto Hotel is an 87-room boutique hotel in four 18th-century buildings on Praça Luís de Camões, between Chiado and Bairro Alto. Pick by the Lisbon you want: space and calm, or old streets on your doorstep.
Last checked: October 2026 · Based on official hotel information and recent reviews · We may earn a commission
At a glance
Grand hotel by the park
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
€€€€ · Near Avenida da Liberdade
- 282 rooms and suites, renovated in 2021
- Rooftop gym with a 400 m running track
- Spa with an 18 m indoor pool
Boutique in the old centre
Bairro Alto Hotel
€€€€ · Praça Luís de Camões, Chiado
- 87 rooms, including 22 suites
- Rooftop BAHR restaurant and terrace
- Four 18th-century buildings, redesigned by Souto de Moura
Which fits what you want?
If you want to walk everywhereBairro AltoChiado, Bairro Alto and the river nearbyIf you want a big spa and poolRitz18 m indoor pool and an outdoor poolIf you love art and designRitzA large collection of mid-century Portuguese artIf you want a rooftop at sunsetBairro AltoBAHR terrace over the TagusIf you travel with childrenRitzSpace, pools and babysittingIf you want an intimate stayBairro Alto87 rooms, each one different
Amenities side by side
| Amenities | Ritz | Bairro Alto Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| City or river view | Many rooms | Terrace over the Tagus |
| Central location | Near Avenida da Liberdade | Chiado and Bairro Alto |
| Pool | Indoor and outdoor | No pool |
| Spa | Four treatment rooms, sauna | Wellness area |
| Gym | Rooftop gym and track | Fitness centre |
| Fine dining | Varanda | BAHR |
| Families | Babysitting | Ask the hotel |
| Quiet | By Eduardo VII Park | Lively area at night |
What each one does best
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon: the grand hotel
The Ritz opened in 1959, built by a group of Portuguese businessmen at the request of Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar, who wanted a first-class hotel for the capital. Four Seasons has managed it since 1998. Its 282 rooms and suites were renovated in 2021 with details taken from the original 1959 design.
The hotel is known for its collection of Portuguese art, including tapestries by Almada Negreiros. On the roof, a gym is circled by a 400-metre outdoor running track with views over the city and river. Downstairs, the spa has an 18-metre indoor pool, and the Varanda restaurant looks out over Eduardo VII Park.
Check Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon prices and availability → · Read the hotel story
Bairro Alto Hotel: the boutique in the old centre
Bairro Alto Hotel opened in 2005 on Praça Luís de Camões, where Chiado meets Bairro Alto, and was among the first five-star boutique hotels in Portugal. In August 2019 it reopened after a major renovation by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, who joined four 18th-century buildings into one hotel.
It now has 87 rooms, including 22 suites, plus a patisserie, a wellness and fitness area and BAHR, a fifth-floor restaurant with a terrace looking over the rooftops to the Tagus. It is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, and the trams, shops and viewpoints of the old centre start at the door.
Check Bairro Alto Hotel prices and availability → · Read the hotel story
Where they are
Who should skip both
If you want a beach holiday or a resort pool day, look elsewhere: both are city hotels. Lisbon is also very hilly, so if steep streets are hard for you, plan on taxis or trams whichever you choose.
The choice is yours
Two very different Lisbon stays
Choose the Ritz ifyou want a grand hotel with space, a big spa and pool, an art collection and a quieter setting by the park.Choose Bairro Alto Hotel ifyou want a smaller hotel right in the historic centre, with a rooftop terrace and Lisbon’s streets on your doorstep.
Which would you choose?
Tap a heart to share your pick
Sources: Four Seasons press: hotel facts, Wikipedia: Hotel Ritz (Lisbon), Luxury Travel Magazine, Five Star Alliance: Bairro Alto Hotel, Virtuoso: Bairro Alto Hotel, Jacada Travel. Facts change: please confirm details with the hotel when booking.