Martinhal Lisbon Oriente offers an artistic entrée to Portugal’s capital city.
Towering above Lisbon’s Park of Nations, Martinhal Lisbon Oriente offers a twofold perspective on Portugal’s gateway city to Europe: deluxe accommodations with a deep sense of terroir, and a launchpad for expatriates looking to make their home in the European Union. It’s their goal to facilitate everything from a one-night visit to moving to Portugal and enrolling children in international school.
Family-owned, Martinhal has carved out a “bleisure” niche in the city, offering childcare and activities for the family to enjoy during business travel, and the residential suites were designed with thoughtful pocket doors and layouts to enhance privacy.
The first time I heard the term “bleisure” was during a tour of the hotel’s art collection, and I at first had to scratch my head. This was so far from the monotonous business hotels whose points I assiduously collected in my early twenties like the narrator of Fight Club.
“Martinhal is focused on Portuguese luxury lifestyle,” says Chitra Stern, Martinhal’s owner and founder. “This is a celebration of contemporary Portuguese culture.”
The property was thoughtfully designed to transcend the conventional tourist’s imagination of Portuguese terra cotta and black cockerel. Several pieces by Portuguese artist Bordalo II decorate the hotel’s halls and common spaces. The artist reclaims trash to compose larger than life works; while eating black cod in the hotel’s restaurant, I divined an upside-down koala’s face amidst a series of oversized, multicolor, light-up tubes.
Bordalo’s work is but one of the many ways the property integrates its modern amenities with the environs. Next door, Galp Tower stands as a monument to the former oil refinery’s history, now transformed into green space. An eye-catching Bordalo II cat awaits visitors in the Park of Nations.
Located on the fifteenth floor, the spa is small but mighty. Facials and massages incorporate VOYA products. After feeling the travel angst melt away during my massage, I sipped tea overlooking the Tagus River while Enya played over the sound system.
Oriente is a metro ride from the activity of downtown Lisbon and offers proximity to waterfront dining and entertainment in the Park of Nations. Walkable to the city’s Oriente train station, a day trip to Sintra, with a visit to the city’s famous palace, is a breeze. Or, catch the metro downtown, where the city’s rolling hills unfold, inviting afternoon explorers to enjoy finding hidden pockets of the city, adorned with ceramics, with a cool glass of Portuguese green wine.