Amazing double glazing

It wasn’t just the double glazing that Rachel Roberts found amazing when she checked into the Bairro Alto Hotel in Lisbon for a city break.

"Usually, the mere mention of ‘double-glazing’ would have us well, glazing over. But that was before we stayed in the Barrio Alto Hotel, a lovely boutique affair in the heart of Lisbon, located between the bohemian Barrio Alto and cultural Chiado quarters.

And if we really want to get down to it, we’re actually talking about quadruple glazing. A double whammy: inner and outer glass doors leading onto our cute little balcony with its birds’ eye views of the charming city.

Still with us? Good, because our point is that the second we stepped into our room (a Superior Queen on the fourth floor), we could hear absolutely nothing of the rattling trams, chattering tourists and all of bustling city life on the hotel’s doorstep. We were cocooned to infinity and beyond. We might as well have been on the moon.

In fact the only thing we could hear was a deep, gratifying silence. And it was golden; like the lovely warming yellow hue gracing the hotel’s elegant 18th-century exterior.

Our quadruple glazing also served another purpose – drowning out the siren call of the bell outside the bakery opposite, rung frequently to tell passers-by that another batch of delicious pastis de nada – traditional Portuguese custard tarts – are fresh out of the oven.

The hotel, which houses 55 rooms over six floors, has impeccable lineage, starting life as the famous Grand Hotel de L’Europe. It morphed into its current incarnation as an award-winning boutique hotel in 2005 (garnering gongs from Conde Nast Traveler and the International Hotel Awards) and had a chic refurbishment just three years ago.

There are six types of rooms in the five-star establishment, starting at the most affordable, a single room, right through to a prestige suite. Our superior queen is the mid-range option and all are tied together with an elegant and soothing palette of typically Portuguese colours, including blue to represent the Tagus River which flows through the capital city, and cheery yellow, a nod to the famous trams that have been carrying people around the hilly cobbled streets of the city since the start of the 20th century.

Minimalist junkies may want to get their fix elsewhere; while there’s nothing overblown about the Barrio Alto Hotel, it favours a colonial, comfortable vibe. Modern meets heritage. Think sage-green panelled walls, brick red marble tiles and cherry-wood furniture with wicker panels. We’re willing to bet that interior decorator Jose Pedro watched colonial epic Out of Africa several times!

Truth be told, our room felt like a small suite, with a small entrance hall book-ended with a big enough wardrobe to accommodate two women who went slightly bonkers in the packing department. Little touches like the light that comes on inside the wardrobe when you open the door added a little extra pizzazz to proceedings.

Thanks to that aforementioned glazed glass situation (last mention, promise!), super-comfy beds and black out curtains that eliminated the smallest slither of light, we were off to the Land of Nod almost before our heads hit the pillow.

Our bathroom was a real delight. All polished marble and chi chi Millar Harris products, we showered (under a dinner-plate-sized showerhead) while enjoying views down through the narrow streets to the glittering Tagus. Splitting hairs, however, there was no conditioner to be found.

The best views are to be had from the terrace bar on the sixth floor (voted the 4th Best Hotel Terrace in the World by Trvivago.com). It’s a gem, boasting a laid-back Balearic vibe, thanks to squishy cream chairs you can really sink into, and a jet system that fills the air with cooling mist. Heaven.

If you don’t arrive in Lisbon with a taste for gin, you could certainly leave with one: there are 28 to choose from here, and the extensive cocktail list is made more seductive by the favourable exchange rate.

In a city crammed with dining experiences, it didn’t feel like second choice to eat in Flores do Bairro, the hotel restaurant, twice during our stay. The dining room decor is a stylish modern Moorish, though watch out for some pesky low-flying lampshades! Stand out dishes from the Portugese/European menu were the melt-in-the-mouth ceviche with coconut and lime and monkfish magically grilled to the tenderness of a tuna steak. The restaurant also has window seats overlooking busy square Praca Luis de Camoes.

As a member of The Leading Hotels of The World, the boutique hotel is absolutely on point. The staff strike the right balance between attentiveness and friendliness without being suffocating – no small feat – and special props to concierge Paulo who helped us map out a fabulous 48 hours in the city.

A small, but memorable touch, is the fine paintings of native birds hand-painted onto the walls of each room by local artists. We only wish we could roost there too with our feathered friends."