Lisbon awarded “Best City Destination”

Lisbon is been collecting awards in the last couple of years and from last week we can add one more to the lot, Best City or Short Break Destination” by Travel Media Awards.

It is no secret that Lisbon has become one of the Top destinations in Europe and, as stated by Paula Oliveira from Associação de Turismo de Lisboa, these awards are a recognition of Lisbon’s diverse
touristic offer and a boost to carry on with the strategy and investment that will maintain and increase Lisbon’s visibility.

This was the 6th edition of Travel Media Awards. The event took place in Dublin and the election was made by members of tourism specialized press and, as a result, Lisbon was awarded Best City or Short Break Destination.

Find out the complete list of winners.

A new Museum in Sintra

The NewsMuseum, Sintra’s brand new museum, opened symbolically on April 25th with the presence of the Portuguese President.

Located in the former Museu do Brinquedo (Toy Museum) right in Sintra’s historical center, the NewsMuseum features more than 25 thematic modules including the “IArena”, a 67m2 lounge with a touch screen with almost 360° vision allowing a great deal of interactivity.

The room includes theme areas dedicated to the journalists who became the news, a multimedia stand about communication, a tower with 70 screens broadcasting the most important news channels in the world and a brief description about the Bairro Alto where, in the past, the major newspapers were located.

The NewsMuseum is the biggest media and communication experience in Europe.

Peixe em Lisboa 2016

From April 7th to the 17th, the Pátio da Galé in Terreiro do Paço welcomes the 9th edition of “Lisbon Fish & Flavours”.

This is the most important event of the Portuguese gastronomy dedicated to seafood, with top restaurants as well as Portuguese and foreign Chefs making an appearance.
The event will present restaurants with fish and shellfish tasting menus, a gourmet market, cooking classes and debates.

Nine national and international special guest Chefs have already been confirmed for the live presentations, putting together inventive dishes using only the best seafood on offer. From these we can outline Elena Arzak, Pino Cuttaia, Diego Gallegos and Nuno Mendes.

Daughter of the famous Juan Maria Arzak that in Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain, boasts three Michelin stars, Elena Arzak brings to the Portuguese capital some examples of perfectionism and detail that made her well-known in the avant-garde cuisine.

The Italian Cuttaia Pino, holder of two Michelin stars at La Madia in Licata, Sicily, highlights the sea gastronomy, bringing sophistication to the Italian way of facing the kitchen.

Diego Gallegos takes the stage on the 15th. Brazilian by birth, Andalusian by choice, he recently achieved a Michelin star in Sollo restaurant in Malaga and will demonstrate in "Fish in Lisbon “the reason why he is nicknamed as "el chef del caviar".

Finally, the Portuguese Nuno Mendes returns to this iconic event and shows, live, why we he became one of the most popular Chefs of London’s dining scene, where he recently opened a Portuguese-influenced restaurant.

Over the course of ten days, visitors can check out the Fado Night on the first Sunday where dinner will be served to the sound of live Fado music, or the DNA Pastry Chef Challenge, where pastry chefs go head to head in a contest to find the winning sweet. Also this year, there are the Fish Nights where on Saturdays and Sundays from midnight to 2 in the morning, Lisbon Fish & Flavours opens its doors to the night birds.

As you can see it is an event that you can’t miss so, for further information click on “Fish in Lisbon”.

Program for Lisbon’s new museum

As we informed, in 2016, Lisbon will have a new museum the MAAT, Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. The inaugural program was just presented.

Four exhibitions will mark the inaugural program of the MAAT in the renovated rooms of the Central Tejo building.

Designed by the British architect Amanda Levete, the building will have approximately three thousand square meters for exhibitions and events.

These are the exhibitions:

Lightopia 
Exhibition Room: Central Tagus / Gallery 1 - from June 28th to September  11th
Lightopia looks at how the electric light revolutionized our environment like almost no other, with examples of its application and reinvention in the fields of art, design, architecture and many other subjects.

Second Nature
Exhibition Room: Central Tagus / Gallery 2 - from June 28th to October 15th
The EDP Foundation Art Collection constituted, since its beginning, a bet on a cultural investment that reflects the contemporary Portuguese artistic production and follows the actions of EDP Foundation in the arts.
Second Nature is the first of a series of exhibitions that will present views on the Art Collection EDP Foundation.
The exhibition focuses on the artistic representations of the natural world when we become aware that there is no longer nature untouched by human culture.

Siloquies and soliloquies on death, life and other Interludes – Edgar Martins
Exhibition Room: Central Tagus / Cinzeiro 8 – from June 28th to October 15th
A solo exhibition of the Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins, currently, living in London. A unique project of a Portuguese artist’s rising recognition, as is the rule in the renovated room Cinzeiro 8.

Artist´ Film International
Exhibition Room: Central Tagus / Caldeira Room – from June 28th to October 15th
The exhibition "International Artists' Film" will present a set of international artists with works in film, video and animation. The works will be projected into adjacent spaces to the industrial machinery of Central Tejo, inviting to the discovery of art within a museum route dedicated to science and energy production.

2016 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Hotels

The Hotel Avenida Palace was recognized, for the third time, with the Travelers’ Choice Award. 

For the 14th year, TripAdvisor has highlighted the world’s top properties based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from travelers around the globe.

The promises of all Travelers’ Choice winners are remarkable service, quality and value.

Winners were identified in several categories and the Avenida Palace was elected in the categories of Luxury, Service and Romantic Hotel.

We would like to thank all our Dear Guests, namely those who take their time to write a review about the experience lived at our Hotel.

To check out all of the 2016 Travelers’ Choice winners go to www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Hotels.

Lisbon favorite destination for the European in 2015

2015 was the year of confirmation for Lisbon as one of the most important destinations in Europe.

Recent figures released by the search engine jetcost.pt, present Lisbon as the most popular city in 2015 by the Spanish, French, British, Germans, Italians, Dutch and Russian travelers.

On the other hand, Porto, has been chosen second by the Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian, third by the Dutch and it ranks fourth by the British.

Faro, the gateway to the Algarve, is also on this list and very well ranked, for instance, it is the second most visited city by the British and the Dutch, the third by the Spanish, French and German and the fourth by the Italian and Russian.

As for the Islands, despite the growth of Açores, Madeira is still the preferred by the European tourists, mostly due to its climate and, of course, a spectacular landscape where one can enjoy nature in all its splendor.

As mentioned Açores is growing, been São Miguel the most demanded island of the group ranking fifth as preferred destination for the European tourists, followed by Santa Maria and Faial. The liberalization of the direct flights to the islands played an important role on this increase, but one cannot exclude its natural beauty, clear waters, lush vegetation and landscapes of volcanic origin, making this a thru paradise in the middle of the Atlantic.

Lisboa à Prova - The best restaurants in Lisbon in 2015

When talking about Lisbon one cannot exclude its food and its restaurants, typical, international, “nouvelle cuisine” and Michelin Stars, all of these can be found in our beautiful city.

Lisboa à Prova is an annual gastronomical competition, which aims to promote and select the best restaurants in Lisbon divided in three categories - Contemporary Kitchen, Portuguese Cuisine and World Cuisine.

Last week, the winners for the 2015 competition were known. After 6 months of visits and evaluations, the participant restaurants received their trophies, 1 Fork, 2 Forks and 3 Forks, in an event hosted by the Town Hall.

126 were the number of restaurants awarded, judged for its cuisine, service, environment and quality / price ratio, in a total of 700 anonymous tests, carried out between June and November 2015.

Comparing to the 2014 edition, there were 11 more restaurants awarded and the number of subscriptions rose by about 25%, showing an evident qualitative increase in Lisbon restaurants.
90 restaurants were awarded with “1 Fork”, 29 have achieved the award for "2 Forks" and only 7 restaurants have earned the maximum reward of "3 Forks".

Here’s the complete list of winners. Choose wisely!

Arriving at the Avenida Palace

The Avenida Palace's new video is almost ready, here's a small peek.

Top 5 – Blog Posts of 2015

At the end of each year before we look to what’s ahead, it’s time to look back and see what we have done.

2015 was a busy year, Lisbon was acknowledged has one of the most important destinations in Europe and because of that, it was constantly on the spotlight, breaking the record of tourists received in one year.

It was in fact a big challenge but the city was able to deliver and presented, to all of those that visited us in 2015, a diverse number of events, either cultural or sport related, that combine with Lisbon’s natural beauty and the already existing cultural offer, made the majority of all our visitors eager to return.

In our blog we try to combine useful information about the city and the hotel and as a balance we leave you with this year’s Top 5 Blog Post with received more views from our followers.

1 - Lisbon’s new secret garden
These days it seems like there’s always something new popping up in Lisbon, new restaurants, new view points, but today we’re going to talk about a new garden that just opened in Graça.

2 - Lisbon is the second city with the best hotels in Europe
Cleanliness, service and room quality were the aspects that weighed more in this election. The Portuguese capital received a score of 82.7 %, just behind Edinburgh.

3 - 5 Apps to use when visiting Lisbon
When you are visiting a new city having the right Apps on your smartphone can highly improve your experience, and in Lisbon it’s no different.

4 - Lisbon’s new beach
For a couple of years now Lisbon is trying to “reconnect” with the river, the Lisbon’s beach it’s a huge step.

5 - Top 5 – Lisbon Museums
Lisbon has some of Europe’s best museums, with unique, private and public collections, that are an important part of the Portuguese history.

Our Christmas Video

Lisbon, a safe place to be

Lisbon is famous for its good weather, its culture, its food and now for its security. 

When deciding where to travel on the next vacations, tourists always consider several criteria such as location, weather, cost and security. Of course, some criteria weigh more than others but, in this troubled days, security as became more and more important.

In a recent survey made by Lisbon Tourism Office in August and September of this year, Lisbon was considered a safe destination for 98% of tourists.

According to the analyzed data, 96% of the tourists feel safe in Lisbon and 75% feel confidence in the police, if necessary.

The study also shows that the choice for Lisbon as a tourist destination was easy in terms of security and that only 0.2 % of the tourists felt less safe than in their place of residence.

So, in case your still in doubt on which place to visit, here’s another leverage to help you reach a decision.

Museu da Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia (MAAT)

A new museum is growing in Lisbon the new Museu da Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) and the works are already underway.

Scheduled to open on the summer of 2016, the museum is being built by the Tejo River, adjacent to the Museu da Electricidade (Electricity Museum) and it is a project by the EDP Foundation.

The director of the museum will be the architect Pedro Gadanho who was in the last couple of years the contemporary architecture curator at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Designed by the British architect Amanda Levete, the building will have approximately three thousand square meters for exhibitions and events.

It will also include a restaurant overlooking the 25 de Abril Bridge, and the possibility of walking all over the building. The outside staircase comes down, all the way to the Tejo, creating a large public space.

Golden Week Lisbon

Lisbon will host an entire week dedicated to the Chinese tourists, specifically in the luxury shops of Avenida da Liberdade.

From the 1st to the10th of October, it will be a week targeted to the Chinese tourists, aiming to increase the volume of sales by promoting the luxury shops and adorning that area.

Matching a set of Chinese holidays, the event entitled "Golden Week Lisbon," will transform the Avenida da Liberdade into a Chinese main shopping area.

In order to overcome the cultural barrier, this event’s communication will be made in Chinese and decorative mottos will be set throughout the Avenida da Liberdade, with the goal to promote more business and more sales for the nearly 40 luxury shops.

A flyer with the map of the stores, will be distributed by hotels and tourist centers.

The 25 de Abril Bridge (Ponte 25 de Abril) will be a tourist spot in 2016.

As to celebrate the 50 years since its opening, the 25 de Abril Bridge may become the latest touristic feature of Lisbon, in 2016.

It is one of the most admired bridges in the world and one that most tourists know. Next year it can be visited and more. According to the newspaper Público, the company that manages the equipment is looking for partners to initiate a bold and promising project: the creation of an elevator that allows ascending to the top.

The goal is to present Lisbon from a new perspective, with a new viewpoint. This elevator will be implemented on the Belém area, a few meters from the Padrão do Descobrimentos, also one of the most acclaimed sights of the city.

Around the Alcântara’s column, an exhibition site will be created to tell the story of this bridge, inaugurated on August 6th, 1966.

Lisbon is the second city with the best hotels in Europe

Cleanliness, service and room quality were the aspects that weighed more in this election. The Portuguese capital received a score of 82.7 %, just behind Edinburgh.

Lisbon was chosen as the second city in Europe with the best hotels by the Global Review Index from PwC consultant.

The Portuguese capital received a rating of 82.7 % in this study which analyzed the online reputation of more than 11 hotels in 48 cities. In a worldwide classification Lisbon was ranked in eighth place.

Cleanliness, service and room quality were the key features in the choice. In the opposite direction is the city’s location, considered a downside.

PwC points Lisbon as one of the cities with “greater propensity of investment for 2015 and 2016 “, something that the consultant hopes will be reflected in the increase in hotel competitiveness and reinforcement of occupancy rates.

TAP Portugal: Image of a People

A new exhibition is in display on MUDE – Museu do Design e da Moda until the 1st of November, TAP Portugal : Image of a People.

In the last 6 months TAP, the Portuguese Air Line has made the headlines in Portugal due to its sail to private companies.

TAP was created on 14 March 1945 by Humberto Delgado, who was Director of the Civil Aviation Office at the time. That was the year it acquired its first aircraft — two Dakota DC3s, with room for 21 passengers. But was only in 1946 that TAP could launch its first commercial route, between
Lisbon and Madrid service began on 19 September.

The exhibition TAP PORTUGAL: IMAGE OF A PEOPLE focuses on the design of the national airline, from 1945 to the present day. It highlights its contribution to TAP identity and to consolidate the image of a modern airline, qualified, safe and competitive, at the service of the Portuguese people and the communities around the world.

The items on display reflect the contribution of design to the collective awareness of TAP as a national symbol and to the identification of the Portuguese people with (their) flag carrier. Moreover, it shows the way it contributed to the construction and dissemination of the image of a people and their country across borders over the last 70 years.

More information here.

5 Apps to use when visiting Lisbon

When you are visiting a new city having the right Apps on your smartphone can highly improve your experience, and in Lisbon it’s no different.

The “Observador” as put together an article where they reveal the most significant Apps when visiting Lisbon and Oporto and from those we have selected the ones that really matter in Lisbon.

The list includes Apps for planning your routes, apps that will “take you back in time” or apps that
will simply help you to choose the best restaurant.

Soon, the Avenida Palace’s App will be part of this list, but for now these are the most important ones:

• Lisbon Travel Guide

This app is a time saver, before you go out to visit the city. It allows you to plan routes, according to the maps available, it sets pins on the places where you want to go so that you don’t miss out on them, and it helps you to decide where you can have dinner or take a break for shopping.

• Rewind Cities Lisbon

"A magical and entertaining journey into the city’s past" is the invitation that Rewind Cities Lisbon offers you. Based on an augmented reality concept, this app allows you to view the city's past superimposed over the real picture you see on your smartphone. It's a unique experience to know the history of where you are.

• PortugalBy

Here you can see Lisbon through the lens of professional photographers. The application works as a photo file from different parts of the country, and it is possible to know where they were taken so you can enter the scene that captivated you the most. In addition, you can identify the images captured in the surroundings of your current location, so that you can get a move on and discover other places.

• Zomato

This is an App that helps you to look for the type of restaurant you want to go and on the area you prefer. You can also follow foodies who you think may be good gastronomic advisors

• Lisbon map and walks

Here's a guide that will be your companion through the streets of Lisbon. Let yourself be led by the guidelines of this application, the goal is to know which street you’re at and what it has to offer. At the same time, you can take pictures of your stroll and share them with friends.

Lisbon’s new secret garden

These days it seems like there’s always something new popping up in Lisbon, new restaurants, new view points, but today we’re going to talk about a new garden that just opened in Graça. 

Lisbon’s Downtown and the Graça neighborhood are closer than ever.  An old dream and an 874,000 euros investment of the Lisbon’s City Council and an agreement that allowed the City Council to keep a piece of land belonging to the Ministry of Defense, brought the project Jardim da Cerca da Graça to life.

According to José Sá Fernandes this 1, 7 hectares of green space, in the heart of our historic city, will surely become "one of Lisbon’s new secrets".

In addition to the large balcony located to the left of its entrance and from which one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Castle, the Chiado and the Tagus, the garden also has extensive lawns, a small orchard, a playground and a kiosk. In addition its location allows to shorten the distance between Downtown and the Graça, walking through the Mouraria quarter.

At the opening ceremony, which took place only hours after the garden opened to the public, one could hear kids playing and screaming, which was in fact the goal of the entire project.

The reopening of Museu Nacional dos Coches

The new Museu Nacional dos Coches in Belém, opened to the public last Saturday, with a free admission program that included a parade by G.N.R. “Charanga a Cavalo” and a display of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art.

The date was set to mark the 110th anniversary of the inauguration of the original museum in 1905, an initiative of Queen Amelia, wife of King Carlos I.

From today, the entries in the new museum cost six euros and later on, when the museum's building project is complete, it will cost eight euros.

In the old building of Museu dos Coches, the Picadeiro Real, will remain open to the public and the entries will cost four euros, two euros less than it was charged so far.

The new Museu dos Coches arises in Belém as a cultural center but also as a public place. In the words of the architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha "the museum has no door and it faces all sides." More than a museum, the project works as an urban infrastructure that offers “public space” to the city.

This is the most visited museum in the country and on this project two concerns converged, on one hand the imperative need to increase the museum’s exhibition area as well as its technical support infrastructure and, on the other hand, the need to build new areas.

The new Museum includes spaces for permanent and temporary exhibitions, areas for conservation and restoration workshops that will contribute to the development of such heritage.

A library, an auditorium and an archive will allow to accomplish a set of cultural activities that will enrich the museum’s cultural offer. The Museum also features dining outlets, a Souvenir Store and a Tourism Office.

The surrounding areas of the new building were all renovated and feature a new Museum Square with free access. This is a perfect new spot for leisure and family recreation.

International Museum Day

There’s no excuse not to visit any of the Portuguese Museums this week: on the 16th during the night and on the 18th during the day, the majority of the museums and palaces will be open, free of charge, as it is the Night of the Museums and the International Museum Day.

The International Museum Day, is celebrated each year on May 18th, with several activities under the theme “Museums for a Sustainable Society”.

The European Night of the Museums, created by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, will take place on May 16th.

About 70 museums across the country will join this year’s edition, contributing with over 400 different activities.

The Night of the Museums itself will organize over 140 activities, providing attractive and out of the ordinary experiences enabling the public to experience the sites in a different perspective, participating in activities organized purposely for this atmosphere and specific time.

As mentioned, on these days, in the Museums and Palaces managed by DGPC, the admission is free.