Take a dip: Seven of Lisbon’s best hotels with pools

With a warm, Mediterranean climate almost all year round, a hotel with a pool is essential for cooling off after a long day navigating Lisbon’s hills and winding streets. These are the best hotels with pools to suit every budget in the Portuguese capital.

Casa Balthazar

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This symmetrical whitewashed Portuguese house may look like it’d be more suited to the rolling hills on the outskirts of Lisbon, but this restored 19th century residence couldn’t be more centrally located. It’s in the area of Chiado – just a two-minute walk from the spectacular eerie ruins of the Convento do Carmen. With only 17 rooms and a small, shaded pool Casa Balthazar feels like a home from home, with exposed beams, vintage oak desks and beds you can sink in, plus it’s got Jacuzzis and plunge pools on terraces.

Metro: Rossio

Enjoy the unforgettable view from the red rooftop infinity pool at Memmo Alfama

Memmo Alfama

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The red rooftop infinity pool is the main focus of this chic design hotel right in the heart of the historic cobbled, winding streets of Alfama. Have an early evening cocktail on Memmo Alfama’s white sugar-cube boxed terrace with lilts of fado music drifting over the rooftops and a view out to the river. The 42 rooms feature glass-panelled bathrooms and rooms are decorated in pared-back earthy, stone-coloured tones. Check out the hotel’s cosy brick-lined circular library – a cosy spot for some down-time.

Bus: Limoeiro

PortoBay Marquês

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You’ll want to spend all afternoon people-watching in the comfy wicker chairs on the pavement café of PortoBay Marquês, on a quiet tree-lined street just next to the high-end boutiques on the Avenida Liberdade. This excellent-value four-star hotel has chic, contemporary rooms and an inviting slate rooftop plunge pool with cascade and sun loungers nearby. The Trato32 restaurant serves crowd-pleasing pastas and is great for families.

Metro: Marquês de Pombal

TRYP LIsboa Aeroporto Hotel

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It’s rare that an airport hotel is something to write home about, but if you’ve got an early morning flight or need somewhere to crash, TRYP LIsboa Aeroporto Hotel is a great budget option, and even comes with indoor and outdoor pool if you have a few extra hours to yourself. Inside the jagged glass and steel structure, rooms are designed with functionality in mind, but elements of the city’s heritage and culture are dotted subtly throughout the hotel. 

Escape the hustle and bustle of Portugal’s capital city at Casa do Barão

Casa do Barão

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With butter-soft leather sofas and a well-stocked living room, this B&B in a terraced house close to the Time Out Market is a great low-key stay with bags of charm. Breakfast on fresh orange juice in the jungle-like garden at Casa do Barão, next to the good-sized sparkling blue swimming pool on raised wooden decking. In the house, the sweeping staircase makes a grand entrance, and a monochrome tiled floor gives off an old-school Lisbon vibe.

Metro: Cais do Sodré

Epic Sana

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There’s no need to queue for the 360º panoramic viewing platform at next-door Amoreiras shopping centre, you get the same breath-taking view – plus a huge rooftop pool – at the five-star Epic Sana hotel. The main selling point for this hotel is space. It’s bright, clean and airy, with 311 rooms that are great for larger families who need a bit of extra room, and mint and white bedrooms exude freshness. There’s also an indoor pool for the chillier months, and a huge spa with sauna and Turkish hammam.

Metro: Marquês de Pombal

Valverde Hotel

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This cool design hotel on the Avenida Liberdade has retro colour-popping furniture set against smoky charcoal walls. None of the 25 rooms are the same in this old building, some have pillars, bay window-seats and are lovingly decorated with azulejo-style prints and mismatched coffee tables and desks. The rooms are on the small side, making this hotel ideally suited to couples. The courtyard swimming pool is at the epicentre of the Valvedere Hotel, with an outdoor terrace surrounding it. Make time to try a glass or two of the vinho verde – green wine, in the casual Sítio restaurant and bar.

Metro: Avenida