Open since 2010, the Independente Suites and Terrace is a palatial bed and breakfast in central Lisbon. Housed in the former residence of a diplomat, this grand building has had a bohemian makeover to turn it into 13 suites and two restaurants (with a stylish hostel next door). I stayed here for 7 nights in August 2017. I’ve mixed some of the hotel’s press pictures and some shots from Instagram with my own video review for Independente Lisbon above and images below so you can get a real feel for the hotel.
While you’re planning your trip, check out my Lisbon city guide!
Rates
Prices per night range from £19 for a shared dorm in the separate hostel section up to £195 for their most expensive private room in the hotel section. Click here to check the price for your dates:
Location
The Independente is located at the top of the Barrio Alto and opposite the panoramic Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, which means it’s at the heart of everything interesting and has a fantastic view. This positioning does mean it is at the top of quite a large hill but that is Lisbon for you. (This is not a city for fabulous heels but rather one for your coolest trainers as it has some impressively steep and rustically cobbled streets). It also means you have lots of amazing restaurants and party spots nearby,
The closest Metro stop, Restauradores, is a 9-minute walk away – but the street is so steep it requires Ascensor da Glória, Lisbon’s second-oldest funicular, to assist you with this journey. One of Lisbon’s main train station, the beautifully Gothic Rossio, is just along from Restauradores, so there are plenty of transport options nearby.
The room
We originally booked the Double Room (which is the second room type) but were upgraded to a Double Room with a City View when we checked in. This was lovely, especially as I’d booked the hotel for the view it has (or at least at the amazing viewing point across the road). Sadly, there were intense construction works going on throughout our whole stay, which meant not only was there a loud banging all day but all night as well… It really put a damper on our summer holiday as it was difficult to sleep but hopefully, when you stay there all the construction work will be finished. Obviously, the hotel couldn’t do anything about this but they were very apologetic and provided us with earplugs at check-in. So, they get points for that.
The room itself was wonderful: high ceilings, huge windows, vintage furniture, plus paintings and decorations on the walls. It was quite arty and rather romantic and felt very comfortable. It really felt like we had rented an apartment due to how roomy it was. The suites are more like a bed and breakfast, rather than a hotel, so there are certain things that it doesn’t have (room service, mini bar, phones, gym etc) but who needs those things really. Our bed was very comfortable and the shutters provided the perfect blackout, which meant I didn’t need to use my sleeping mask once! There was ample hanging space in the cupboard, and a desk with a TV (although we never turned ours on). Overall, it was hugely spacious and lovely and I could have happily lived there!
Breakfast
The included breakfast is good: hot and cold buffet with juice and Nespresso coffee. Nothing amazing but still good for an included breakfast. It’s served on the terrace every morning till 11am, which I thought was a real winning point. I hate hotel breakfasts that are only available in the morning – people are on holiday! The terrace itself has an amazing view over the city and was bathed in sunshine every morning, making it a pretty amazing place to start your day.
On weekends, its Decadente restaurant serves an amazing brunch which is an extra charge but well-worth checking out. You can even sit in the courtyard on a nice day. Their set brunch is even gluten-free and vegetarian, which made us both very happy.
Amenities
Each room comes equipped with a good quality air conditioner, a flat-screen TV and an in-room safe, although it is quite small and only suitable for passports rather than laptops. There is also free WiFi is available throughout both buildings, which was strong everywhere I used it.
As mentioned above, there are two restaurants: Decadente, which is very stylish and well-reviewed with a sunlit bar area outside, and Insolito, the terrace which doubles as the location for the hotel breakfast each morning. These are both great additions to the location and very popular each evening.
Bottom line
This hotel was the perfect place to spend a week with my partner. It felt homely and not overly hotel-ish, but with the added benefit of free breakfast and two bar/restaurants. I also think the location is pretty dreamy: as long as you are not adverse to walking up and down the hills of Lisbon, then you will be treated with an amazing view. The main restaurant, Dedecante, is one of the best/coolest of any hotel I’ve ever stayed at (it really is nothing like a hotel restaurant) and the roof terrace could be a pretty sweet place to chill on a warm evening.
I really enjoyed my stay at the Independente Suites & Terraces and recommend it for any fabulous traveller.
While you’re planning your trip, check out my Lisbon city guide!
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📌 Disclaimer: This hotel kindly offered me two nights at half-price in exchange for writing a review and featuring it on my social media accounts and I paid for the other 6 nights. They made no editorial demands on me and this is a completely honest account of how I felt about my stay. As a general rule, I don’t write negative reviews: if I don’t like a hotel or hostel, I don’t feature it. So I obviously really liked this one.
