The Vibe: Unpretentious, chic-bohemian.

The area: At the bottom of the Bairro Alto, across the square from the Cais do Sodré station where ferries cross the river, the train departs to Cascais/Estoril and the Lisbon subway system connect.

The DNA: On what exactly a boutique hotel is, opinions differ a lot. Most heard is the size of the hotel. Nowadays hotels in the US call themselves boutique while having hundreds of rooms. Otherwise small hostels and b&b’s call themselves boutique too while lacking the first class facilities normally associated with a boutique hotel. LX Boutique Hotel fits the bill precisely and even supports boutique in its name. And right it is: with 45 rooms it is a small hotel, still having all the facilities of a first class hotel. In all the LX is a very pleasant place: a smooth running organisation with things often unnoticed like silent air conditioning, great WiFi, good breakfast, all in order. Add the bonus of location and chic-hip design, this is a Lisbon favourite in a city spoilt for hotel choice.

Suite-Me-Up: There are four room categories to choose and also a choice of views: either the Tagus river (with upper floors looking towards the iconic 25th of April bridge, reminiscent of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge) or city/street views (the street behind the hotel can get quite noisy). The floors are split by Lisbon themes: fado, literary and bohemian Bairro Alto.

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 45 rooms & suites (14-35m2) (151-377 sq ft) • interior design: Cristina Matos ❌ no parking available • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk