While many flock to the beaches of the Algarve in summer, Portugal’s capital is a year-round delight. Full of surprising hidden gems and bursting with laidback charm, Lisbon is the type of city that slowly weaves its spell over unsuspecting tourists. Its oceanfront position, historic architecture, quirky bars, and dynamic restaurants play a part, sure, but a slew of chic designer digs play a big role, too. We recently had the pleasure of checking into The Ivens Hotel, a sumptuous, adventurous property in the heart of this buzzing city.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Review of The Ivens Hotel

The Ivens Hotel facade
The facade of The Ivens beckons delightfully

Set in a historic, pink-hued 19th century building that once housed the Rádio Ranascença radio station, The Ivens is a sophisticated boutique beauty that offers adventure and luxury in equal measure. Its location can’t be beat, either. Positioned on a quiet side street in the lively Chiado neighbourhood, the property has the best of Lisbon at its door. From here, guests can explore everything from chic boutiques and galleries to world-class mixology and gastronomy.

Check-in takes place on the mezzanine overlooking the lobby. Far from being a business-like transaction, the staff are engaging, and quickly offer a glass of chilled Prosecco to kick off an immersion into their world of adventurous luxury. I think I’m going to like it here.

Urban safari luxe

The Ivens sits on the corner of Rua Ivens and Rua Capelo, streets named for two of Portugal’s most intrepid—if lesser known—explorers. In the latter half of the 19th century, naval officers and adventurers Roberto Ivens and Hermenegildo Capelo chartered territory between Angola and Mozambique, taking in the great Zaire and Zambezi lakes and even getting lost in the jungle for 42 days. Their explorations—and the sketches, maps, fossils, and other souvenirs from their travels—are the inspiration for The Ivens, which brands itself an “Explorer’s Hotel”.

The hotel entrance is manned by staff wearing the kind of beige safari suit you’d associate with 19th century Europeans in Africa—complete with pith helmet—who usher guests into an atmospheric lobby that appears half gentlemen’s club and half luxe jungle. Dark wood panelling and leather chesterfields sit alongside tropical-esque plants and artistic frescoes of vaguely African jungle scenes. It shouldn’t work, but at the adept hands of architect Lázaro Rosa-Violán and interior designer Cristina Matos, it does, without veering into kitsch.

The theme continues on the guest room floors. Coming off the elevator on the third floor, I’m greeted by a wall of portraits. A closer look reveals they’re all of 19th century European explorers—and they’re all men. It’s as if Gertrude Bell, Nellie Bly, Isabella Bird, and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu never existed—though perhaps this omission is because they weren’t strictly safari explorers?

The room

Understanding that even tireless explorers need to rest and reset, The Ivens has 87 guestrooms that have been rendered as terribly chic oases. In contrast to the rest of the property, my Ivens King room seems rather minimalist, but Matos has deftly wielded textures and decorative touches to create a sense of luxury that recalls 19th century opulence and hints at safari adventuring.

The Ivens Hotel guestroom
Relax in charming interior spaces

The room’s centrepiece is a king-sized bed dressed in crisp white linens, which you’d expect as standard in a hotel of this calibre. Above it, though, are a collection of sketches—presumably inspired by those Ivens and Capelo brought back from their travels—and an oversized ladybug figurine. Even the desk and minibar are inspired by vintage safari tray tables.

The white-tiled-bathroom though, is thankfully, very much of the 21st century. Jo Malone products sit atop a marble vanity, while plush white Ivens-branded towels sit waiting to be used. Of course, there is still a light vintage touch in the form of antique-feel taps and shower heads.

Final thoughts

Taking The Ivens’ tagline literally, I spend so much time exploring Lisbon that I don’t seek to venture through too much of the hotel. I hear there’s a gym somewhere, though I got my cardio scaling Lisbon’s notorious hills, not on a treadmill. Still, I made it to Rocco. The hotel’s restaurant is an incredibly glamorous space that—like the rest of the hotel—hints at old-world charm while enveloping guests in unfettered luxury. There are several spaces here, so guests can choose the experience they want.

The Ivens Hotel CRudo Bar
Don’t miss a visit to Crudo Bar

The main bar features floral-print bar chairs and banquettes and floor-to-ceiling walls of wine, and specialises in seriously craft cocktails. Down the stairs, the dining room brands itself a “traditional Italian osteria”, but this opulent setting would never fly in one of these humble Italian eateries. Nevertheless, the food is a nod to Italian flavours—and utterly delicious. Breakfast is a decadent smorgasbord with plenty of buffet options and hot dishes made à la minute—say yes to the pancakes and the Eggs Benedict. My favourite spot, though, is the Crudo Bar, a small alcove with an aesthetic taken straight from the Amalfi Coast.

In terms of service and offerings, there’s nothing to fault at The Ivens. Luxury permeates every detail and staff are nothing if not attentive. However, given the hotel’s price point—significantly higher than most in Lisbon—I notice that the clientele skews to American and British retirees. One thing’s for sure, though. I would return to The Ivens in a heartbeat.

Learn more about The Ivens or Book through Booking.com

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