Designed by the Architect Cassiano Branco, its inauguration on October 13th, 1944 as Hotel Império was widely reported by the press.

A special emphasis was given to the modernity of the building and the fact that the rooms are in reality, small apartments, with an antechamber, private bathroom and bedroom and in some cases with an extra parlor. Here we lived as a club that brought together great figures and here personalities with renowned names from high society – national and international – have come together. On these tables, books, poems, songs were written. It was most likely the setting for great stories of love, friendship and of moments that were part of recent history.

After 77 years, we reminded ourselves that respecting the building and keeping alive the memories of this unique hotel has been a great pleasure for us. The fascination lies in these memories and that was the reason why we wanted to share them with you,wishing that all those who come to us feel that they are also part of the history of this small Grand Hotel that in the heart of Lisbon has welcomed everyone for 75 years.

Come to Hotel Britania and appreciate the details!

The decoration

Following the news and photographs of that period we’ve undertaken, 60 years later, the idea of ​​the initial decoration and the different colors of the crystal in the chandeliers were the starting point for creating three color options that give the rooms completely different environments.

In this contemporary decoration, the great color stain of the fabric that always covers one of the walls of the rooms, subtly refers to the original 40’s decoration.

In the bedrooms, the carpets were removed and a cork mosaic floor, which is very difficult to find nowadays, was exposed. As it was 60 years ago when it was applied at the Hotel do Império, cork is again labeled as being a safe, comfortable and an ideal choice for our wellness. Made in 1944 by the prestigious Mundet Factory, the cork mosaic bonds with the corridors and bathrooms marble floors, repeating the same geometric motifs typically seen in an Art Deco style.

The pavement restoration was carried out manually according to the original design and technique.

The furniture, made in the early 1940´s specifically for the Hotel do Império by Móveis Costa, from Porto, had all elements set over after several decades. The beds made of solid mahogany recovered the purity of the original lines and for the remaining pieces of furniture, chrome fittings were designed and executed in the original modernist/deco style.