Since it opened in 1959, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon has established itself as one of the premier addresses for affluent visitors to Portugal’s capital. And thanks to a striking €50 million redesign and some new additions, the property has further cemented its “must-stay” status.

Portuguese architecture studio Oitoemponto is leading the team that is breathing new life into the guest rooms, with the entire hotel due to be refurbished by February, with three floors so far complete.

Among the changes is a new heated outdoor pool, while a new alfresco bar is also still yet to launch – from what I could see during my visit in October, it’s not far off at all.

The makeover, unveiled in May 2021, takes cues from the hotel’s original style while bringing it up to date for the modern traveller. Artur Miranda and Jacques Bec, the masterminds behind the design, were said to be reluctant to completely modernise the classic property, thus they set about poring over old black-and-white photos of the hotel in its early days to take inspiration for the new concept. The result is vintage elegance with touches of 21st-century chic.

My premier room showcased those stylish 1950s features, complete with a signature Four Seasons bed and a private terrace overlooking the garden, with panoramic city views. Vintage glamour is everywhere, from the plush chaise longue to the velvet teal Art Deco-style chairs and the sleek wardrobe handles to the retro lampshades – the attention to detail is exactly what you would expect from this brand.

Modern comforts include a huge flatscreen TV displaying a personalised welcome message, Wi-Fi, a Nespresso coffee machine and an electronic system for the lights and the curtains. Guests will find Bulgari toiletries in the beautiful marble bathroom, where there is also a tub and a separate shower and toilet and double vanity. The 1950s theme even continues here with the lampshades, retro taps and heated towel rail following suit.

As part of its redesign, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon has also launched a restaurant called Cura, on the ground floor and with its own street-level entrance. A former conference room, Cura is headed up by Portuguese native and head chef Pedro Pena Bastos, who makes dining a fine art – quite literally, as each of the 13 dishes on the full tasting menu Origens (€130) looks almost too pretty to eat (the other two menus include lighter Cura for €95 and vegetarian Raizes for €85).

The dishes are indeed as artistic as they are tasty; this is an experience not be missed. A standout for me was the tagliatelle-style squid with hazelnut, bergamot, roasted seaweed butter and ossetra caviar, garnished with gold leaf. Other highlights included the seafood chawanmushi and the bread course featuring ancient grains like emmer and spelt, with aged butter and green olive oil from Pedro’s Tomar family estate.

At the time of writing I said Cura is setting its sights on a Michelin star and that, in time, it will surely get one. Just last night (14 December) it was awarded its first one. Cheers to that! 

How to book it

Rooms from €590 per night, fourseasons.com/lisbon