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.

Getting to a Hotel can be quite stressful, especially if you don’t know Lisbon. Allow yourself to slow down for a moment. As soon as you enter the HeritageAvenida Liberdade Hotel, you leave behind the hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan Lisbon and immerse yourself in a calm atmosphere. Your gaze immediately begins to wander through all the details with which the lobby of this LisbonBoutique Hotel welcomes you. An enormous ceiling height, which boasts elegant 4-meter-high windows flanked by blue and white tiles of the 18^th century, mostly original – others meticulously replicated – that testify to the passing of time in detail.

The desk with a thousand drawers

To the left, as you walk in, is the ex-libris of this LisbonBoutique Hotel. A desk of the ancient Ervanária Hermética herbalist that once occupied the whole space. An amazing piece that incites instant curiosity for its many large and small drawers. There are shelves displaying Portuguese products, which today, as souvenirs, travel the world in the luggage of those who return home. At the end of the desk, regardless of the time, there is tea and coffee under a sign, this too original from Ervanária Hermética.

A historic building where past and present meet

But there is more of that time to tell the story. Two doors open wide, with all their grandeur and original blue colour, to give way to the access ramp. Whoever walks in here sees the modern, peculiar chandelier that antagonistically shines through opulence and simplicity, without competing with the dated details that give life to the space. This is one of the few pieces that does not exude History, but rather makes us anticipate that past and present coexist in harmony in this Hotel. And we’re still at the entrance.

Going up. A boutique hotel with a cosmopolitan view

To get to the rooms, there is a lift with enough details to captivate us during the short trip. On the doors, there are poems by Portuguese authors that shorten the waiting time before we start. As we walk in, it feels as if we’re stepping out onto one of Lisbon’s streets. Under our feet is an impeccably polished typical Portuguese cobblestone floor and, waiting for us, is Tram 28. An invitation to explore the city still within doors.

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At your disposal, more than 100 cores of the purest cotton acetate, 10 types of water buffalo horn and 6 types of fine woods. From design to manufacture, with the anatomical measurements of each customer, from a bespoke and made-to-order service, unique in Portugal and restricted to few stores in the world giving the possibility to the most demanding customers, to the connaisseurs of sartorial elegance, to create their own pair of eyeglasses.

An improved process over decades, using only a classic manufacturing technique, allowing the customer to watch and witness the production of their own glasses on the spot. All the pieces are unique, with their own soul, that of their owner…