Both are small palaces for a celebration. Palácio Príncipe Real offers owner-led service and a pool in a walled garden, for those who want looking after; Verride Palácio Santa Catarina costs more and sets its pool on the roof above the river, for those who want the view.
The special oneA twenty-odd-room palace with a garden and pool where the owners' taste sets the tone.
€€€€From about €550 a night
Choose Palácio Príncipe Real if
The catch
Rates now sit firmly in the upper band for a small hotel whose spa is two treatment rooms.
The romantic oneEighteen rooms in a palace above the river, with a rooftop that settles the argument.
€€€€From about €660 a night
Choose Verride Palácio Santa Catarina if
The catch
The miradouro crowd below is loud on summer evenings; ask about room position.
| Best for | Palácio Príncipe Real | Verride Palácio Santa Catarina |
|---|---|---|
| Best design hotels in Lisbon | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best central hotels in Lisbon | On the list | On the list |
| Best quiet hotels in Lisbon | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best hotels with a view in Lisbon | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best hotels for food and drink in Lisbon | Not on the list | On the list |
Palácio Príncipe RealVerride Palácio Santa Catarina
Palácio Príncipe Real
Verride Palácio Santa Catarina
The verdict
Both are small palaces for a celebration. Palácio Príncipe Real offers owner-led service and a pool in a walled garden, for those who want looking after; Verride Palácio Santa Catarina costs more and sets its pool on the roof above the river, for those who want the view.
Questions people ask
Both are small palaces for a celebration. Palácio Príncipe Real offers owner-led service and a pool in a walled garden, for those who want looking after; Verride Palácio Santa Catarina costs more and sets its pool on the roof above the river, for those who want the view.
The most personal luxury in Lisbon. If the trip is a celebration, this is the choice for it. A twenty-odd-room house party in the best neighbourhood, where staff know your name and the garden does the work a view would do elsewhere. Quiet, personal and expensive for what it lacks in facilities.
It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
The romantic booking in Lisbon. Take the river side, book the rooftop for sunset and let the palace do the rest. A real palace with 18 rooms and a rooftop pool and bar straight over the river, beside the sunset viewpoint the whole city uses. The hotel is the occasion here, and the river side is the hotel.
It has a rooftop pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.