Hotel Avenida Palace, the history (part IV)

In this “episode” the Avenida Palace is stage of significant Portuguese historical developments.

“The hotel did not fall short of their expectations: A private orchestra flooded the rooms with music during their famous Saturday balls, and while the dancing pairs challenged love, spies from everywhere looked for conspiracies. A Special Night Service, characterised by an exquisite French “à la carte” cuisine, sustained the hours, and “seasoned” the most fierce emotions. The aromas of Parisian fragrances filled the air with the faint and sweetish scent of a decadent monarchy.

Upon the monarchy’s fall, in October, 1910, the Palace provided to the diplomatic corps a privileged balcony over the events: shrapnel and grenades flew over the roundabout, where the revolutionary armies were camping, and the Rossio, where the realist troops were stationed. The latter’s Military Staff was established in the Palace of Independence, on the S. Domingos square. Inevitably, the hotel was hit. In spite of such a change, the spot still held its attraction over the elites.

In the late 1917, a year in which Russia lived some dramatic moments, Lisbon welcomed the Ballets Russes Company, which was run by the famous Sergei Diaghilev. Almada Negreiros went to the hotel to greet the Company, and dedicated a manifest to it.Two years later, the hotel is sold to the Sociedade Portuguesa de Hotéis, Lda. (Portuguese Hotel Society), which in turn sells it a year after that. The world’s economic situation worsens after the end of the First World War, and affects every sector. In this picture of crisis, a group of Portuguese businessmen establishes the Companhia Portuguesa de Hotéis (Portuguese Hotel Company), and buys the Palace on 17/11/1919, ensuring its management for 45 years.

President Sidónio Pais also visited the Palace for some time, and was fatally wounded almost in its midst, on the 14th December, 1918, at the Rossio station. He was shot on his way to the Hotel. It is unknown if he ever used the “discreet” door on the 4th floor, which connected the Hotel to the Rossio station. Naturally, little is known about those who used such a “secret path”, meant for VIPs who wished to remain anonymous, and possibly an access to forbidden passions. However, we know it was used on several occasions. Years later, Salazar used it. According to the recollections of an old employee, who is now deceased, the former President of Government would have visited the Hotel to greet Biachi (the representative of Yugoslavia in Portugal), who was staying at room 405, using the door on the 4th floor, which was usually locked.”

Hotel Avenida Palace, the history (part III)

In this 3rd part we reveal some details of the hotel’s luxury decoration, the name change and also a story of a Prince who defied a Queen.

“The interior decoration had an exquisite Belle Époque style. The rugs, portieres, and upholstering of the ottomans were the finest available in the quality market. The furniture was purchased directly from Maple, one of the most elegant stores in London. Almost all the rooms distinguish themselves with their silk lining or leather paper. The walls in the dining room were overlaid with leafy velvet, which was broken off by oak wainscoting. All rooms had heating and ventilation apparatus, and almost all already had bathrooms. The guests had a hydraulic elevator at their disposal, to go from one floor another, and the Hotel’s kitchen was considered to be one of Lisbon’s finest.

In 1893, the Grande Hotel Internacional is renamed Avenida Palace, just as its European congeners. The Palaces symbolised the court’s splendour, in a time when the birth aristocracy was beginning to be surpassed by the bourgeoisie’s money. The pleasure of travelling, which up until then was limited to diplomatic, political or commercial reasons, had become fashionable amidst the wealthier classes, favouring the search for hotels with palatial luxury. In 1900, the hotel is sold to Wagons Lits, a Belgian company which had always been associated to railway transportation.

The Palace recreated the magnificence of Versailles, offering the fascination of rivalling with the hotels in Paris or Rome. It was fit for princes, and it lodged members of the European royalty. D. Miguel of Bragança, prince of Portugal, was one of them. He defied the law issued by D. Maria II in 1834, which forbade D. Miguel I and his descendants to come to Portugal, under penalty of death upon summary procedure. According to some accounts of the time, the prince D. Miguel II arrived at the Rossio station, on the 23rd of January, 1901.

He was escorted by a secretary, “two elegantly dressed young men”, and servants dressed as chausseurs of the German noble households. The proscribed prince and his escorts lodged at the Avenida Palace, under aliases. D. Miguel registered himself under the name of Count of Mutzgen. They were identified by some noblemen and were acclaimed by D. Miguel’s supporters. The stay of a Portuguese prince in the Avenida Palace endowed Rossio’s hotel with a new romantic aura, drawing clients from both the wealthy Brazilian bourgeoisie and the European aristocracy, who sought a capital with a pleasant temperature.”

Source – Lisboa Porta a Porta

Hotel Avenida Palace, the history (part II)

In this second “episode” you will find out what was the purpose of building such a luxurious hotel and the context, social and political, surrounding the opening of the Hotel Avenida Palace.

“The aim was to obtain a luxury hotel, worthy of the finest European aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie from all over the world. Rossio had already become the meeting point for prominent people, as well as the country’s political centre (the Café Martinho, where so many political and literary gatherings took place, was just in front of it). This is inferred from the excerpt of the “The Illustrious House of Ramires”, by Eça de Queirós, when the character Gracinha reads a letter which mentions the arrival of her cousin Gonçalo to the Rossio station.
“(…) it seemed a royal reception. We were more than thirty friends. Obviously, every one of our kindred was there; and if a revolution was to erupt that morning, the Republicans would capture the whole of the finest, good stock Portuguese nobility gathered at the Rossio station.”

At that time, Lisbon was going through a troubled period. The ultimatum issued by Great-Britain (following the Lusitanian intention to connect Angola to Mozambique) had created a wave of outrage against King D. Carlos. The King returned the decoration of the Order of the Bath to Queen Victoria, and offered a generous contribution for a public subscription for the purchase of warships. However, the political decomposition of liberal constitutionalism was rising, and the Republican movement expanded. Meanwhile, the city grew. With the influx of great European fast trains, it was slowly becoming a Cosmopolitan capital, welcoming illustrious personalities used to the luxury of the new Parisian hotels.


Lisbon did not lag behind. On the 10th October, 1892, the opening of the Grande Hotel Internacional (Great International Hotel) takes place, in all splendour, under the management of Edmundo Eloy. The original project (with less than one floor) established an interesting connection between the Station and the Restauradores Square, through an interior gallery, which was later removed. The view was magical: to the North, an immense avenue, named Liberdade (Liberty) six years before, when the prince D. Carlos was married to D. Amelie d’Orléans; to the South, the Tagus, and the city’s downtown, dated from the era of the Marquis of Pombal; to the East, the old string of houses of the Castle’s neighbourhood, leaning imposingly from above a hill.”

Source – Lisboa Porta a Porta

Hotel Avenida Palace, the history (part I)

Today we celebrate our 127th anniversary and, as part of the celebration, we start here a series of posts where we share our history. Enjoy!

“When architect José Luis Monteiro received the commission for Lisbon’s Central Station, in Rossio, the Real Companhia dos Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses (Royal Portuguese Railway Company) requested him a project for an adjoined building for administrative services, which would include a luxury restaurant on the first floor. The restaurant would become one of the most popular restaurants in the city, given its location and the view it provided.

The inauguration of the Rossio Station took place in 1890, when Master Monteiro was already undertaking the project of the adjoined building, the construction of which would be supervised by David Cohen, one of the most illustrious names of Portuguese engineering.

However, the railway traffic, which now had a terminal in the city centre, had intensified with the inauguration of the South and West lines, and demanded new resources from the hotel business. Wagons Lits, a company with ties to the railways, made a proposal to the Real Companhia for the new building to be made into a great station hotel, similar to the Palaces of other European capitals.

They would be in charge of its exploitation, and would hold right of preference in case of sale. The initial project was altered, and the architect was finally able to dedicate himself to the construction of the new hotel without the style constraints imposed on him for the Rossio Station. Instead of a building with a neo-Manueline style (dubbed by the critics as “manuelinho style”, or “little Manuel style") which aroused a strong controversy, we were faced with a Second French Empire boulevardier construction, a classically inspired composition influenced by French architecture, much to the beaux-arts taste of José Luis Monteiro, rooted in the constructions of Paris. Nothing was left to chance. In 1889, the D. Pedro IV square, by the hotel, was decorated with two bronze fountains manufactured in France.”

Source – Lisboa Porta a Porta

Sintra...just around the corner.

A common error while booking a trip to Lisbon is booking one night in Sintra, in the assumption that Sintra is very distant from Lisbon. Well, it isn't. Especially if you are staying in a hotel located right next to the Rossio's train station.

EPAE (Parques de Sintra / Pedro Yglesias)

The train is the easiest mean of transportation to Sintra, there are many trains each 10 minutes during rush hours and each 20 minutes during the rest of the day and the trip takes around 40 minutes. So, I wonder: do you really need to change hotels in order to visit Sintra? Of course not.

Sintra is one of those magical places where nature and mankind come together in perfect harmony, as if they wanted to leave us surprised, surrendered to the beauty of the work that was classified by the UNESCO as World Cultural and Landscape Heritage in 1995.

We find in Sintra testimony of virtually every period of the Portuguese history and, often, in a dimension that went beyond the boundaries of this territory, for its importance.

Its origins date back to prehistoric times. In the area, important remains belonging to the Late Neolithic, were found. During the time of Arab domination, the population lived in a golden era, due to its influence as a major supply center and defensive support of Lisbon.

Throughout the Middle Ages, on the remains of the Arab palace, a royal palace was built which served as summer residence for the monarchy. From this moment on Sintra acquires a new momentum. At the end of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, Romanticism deployment by the King D. Fernando II, attracts a large number of visitors, converting it into an unique cultural center.

Today, apart from the perfect combination between an unspoiled nature and an unique historical and monumental legacy, Sintra also has some important tourist infrastructure and leisure.

What not to miss during your visit to Sinta:

Castelo dos Mouros (Parques de Sintra / Emigus)

Castelo dos Mouros

Known as the Moorish Castle, it is situated at 3km from the city center on Highway Pena, one of the summits of the Serra de Sintra, a place from where you can enjoy great views.

Palácio da Pena (Parques de Sintra / NES)

Palácio e Parque da Pena

Represents a mixture of exotic and medieval styles, and is one of the
greatest examples of Portuguese architecture of romanticism. Its interior has many rooms lavishly decorated.

The whole palace is surrounded by a beautiful park and has an excellent viewpoint from where you get some wonderful views.

Palácio Nacional de Sintra (Parques de Sintra / Emigus)

Palácio Nacional de Sintra

It is today the only Portuguese medieval royal palace and it is clearly distinguished by the two chimneys that stand on its structure. Inside you may find a large collection of Mudejar tiles, different rooms, patios, etc.

And especially the Jardim da Preta with acess from the interior of the palace, in which stands the statue of clay in real size that represents one of the most beautiful chapels in Sintra, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

It is considered a National Monument.

Sintra... a journey that will make your day!

Hop On Hop Off

A simpler, funny and cheaper way to know Lisbon.

We've talked here about what we think is the best way to know the city, but that has its costs...

Fortunately, there are other solutions and the "Hop On Hop Off" tour is when comparing cost and flexibility, the best solution.

This option helps you customize your visit to Lisbon, by allowing you to exit on the any of the many stops along the itineraries and to visit what you wish, for as long as you wish, and then get back to the bus stop and wait for the next one to carry on with the tour.

There are 3 itineraries to choose from: Belém, Oriente and Castelo, all of them quite different and covering most of waht Lisbon has to offer.

All have on thing in common: the departure point Marquês de Pombal. The Belém itinerary goes along the river and has stops in places such as the Coach Museum and the Jerónimos Monastery. On the way back it goes thru the Basilica da Estrela and the Gulbenkian Museum.

The Oriente itinerary covers the newest part of Lisbon Parque da Nações, it stops in the Lisbon Zoo, the Casino and the Oceanarium and on the way back it goes via the river and it stops in the Tile Museum. Last but not least the Castelo route, is the shortest and it stops in the Fado Museum, a very important stop which can't be missed, now that Fado has been considered an "Intangible Heritage of Humanity".

As you can see Hop On Hop Off tours its an excellent solution to visit the city, the price of the tickets range from 15 up to 25 Euros and itineraries can be combined. Tickets are available for purchase with our Concierge.

Good weather is a must to use this service so, summer and spring ate the most appropriated seasons but, even during winter, if it is not raining, the buses are out there waiting for you.

The Bar

According to Wikipedia, a Bar is “a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks - beer, wine, liquor and cocktails - for consumption on the premises”.

Well, it’s much more than that isn’t it?

A Bar is where people meet, to talk, to discuss, to celebrate, to cry, but mostly to share their mood, feelings and opinions, with friends or family and sometimes with the Bartender, that “friend/ shrink” that listens to us when no one else does.

That’s why the Bar is a very important part of a hotel, and it can`t be seen by managers as “every hotel has one so we must have one too” or a “cost center”. When we are too busy selling rooms we sometimes forget what to do when the customer is already in the hotel.

A Bar can complete the character of a hotel or be the character itself, it can be its heart and soul. It is very important to create the perfect ambiance where people can feel calmed and relaxed, after a sightseeing day, but at the same time an ambiance where people can feel vibrant to start a party night.

The Bartender is a key element, his knowledge, his patience will provide the client with the confidence and tranquility of a good service. 

That’s why it is important to invest and promote it, to organize events which add value to the client’s stay. Musical events mainly, but there others that can be exploited, like sports events played on a big TV screen.

So, in the end it’s only a matter of vision and determination to grant the clients with experiences they won’t forget.