Built in the 1950s when Portugal’s then-prime minister and dictator António de Oliveira Salazar demanded that Lisbon have a hotel fit to welcome the world’s elite, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is an established, historic and hugely admired landmark in the city.
Descendants of one of the original families that owned it remain in charge and, since adding the world-class Four Seasons brand and their solid-gold service levels in 1997, the hotel has remained an emblem of top-flight luxury and elegance for Lisbon. “This is the best hotel in Lisbon,” said my taxi driver as we pulled up in front of its imposing, modernist façade — and few in the city would argue.
