Torel Palace | Lisbon

The Vibe: Privileged.

The Area: Located on top of the most central of Lisbon’s seven hills. Surrounded by lavish gardens, the Torel Palace offers stunning views over the city centre, the Tagus River and the São Jorge Castle. The main street, Avenida da Liberdade, lies just beneath the hotel and can be reached in five minutes either by steps which run between the levels, or by the Lavra funicular, the oldest one in Lisbon, which dates from 1884.

The DNA: Torel Palace is a story of three people whose paths crossed in Lisbon after all of them decided to change their lives. In 2013, João Pedro Tavares, who had left a career of over 20 years in banking, decided to start a new project. He rented a beautiful, but abandoned villa on top of the Sant´ana hill in the heart of Lisbon and transformed it into a bed and breakfast. In early 2014, Barbara Ott from Austria visited Torel Palace as a guest, and was smitten by the charming palace – and by Lisbon. After a few months of reflection, she decided to leave Austria, settle in Portugal – and become a partner in Torel Palace. Together, Joao and Barbara renovated the second building alongside, which in spring 2015 became part of Torel Palace. In autumn of the same year another Austrian, Ingrid Koeck, who was looking to establish a B&B in Portugal, walked into the bar of Torel Palace, where she met Barbara. It was only a question of time before she became the third partner in what has become a slowly but steadily growing hospitality business marked by passion for people, dedication to personal service, and a joy for life.

Suite-Me-Up: The individually decorated rooms and suites in various categories feature a royal theme, with each of them names after a Portuguese king or queen. Room facilities include air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a safe, a minibar and a Nespresso machine. Elegant bathrooms come with a hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. 24-hour room service.

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 25 rooms & suites (20-110m2) (215-1,184 sq ft) • hotel opened: December 2013 • interior design: Isabel Nogueira • bathroom amenities: Saboaria Portugueza • parking possible on-site (charged) • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk and concierge

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