The Pestana Palace is located in a quiet residential area of Alto Santo Amaro in the historical city of Lisbon, Portugal. The beaches of the Estoril coast – Sintra and Cascals – are just a short drive from the hotel.
Lisbon, located along the right bank of River Tagus, is a 1,000-year old town. It was under Roman rule from 205BC and made into a municipium called Felicitas Julia by Julius Caesar. It was also under the Moorish rule until it was reconquered by the Crusaders. Lisbon’s status as the capital of Portugal formed the constitutional convention.
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The Pestana Palace, formerly known as Marquês de Valle Flôr Palace, was built by a rich farmer José Luis Constantino Dias in 1904.
The palace was designed by the Italian architect Nicola Bigaglia who drew architectural influences from France. The design bears resemblances with the styles of the Luis XIV, Regency, Luis XV and Luis XVI eras of architecture.
The wrought iron-gated entrance and the entrance hall, with its marble staircase and huge stained-glass windows, retain the grandeur of the stately palace. The gardens have plants and flowers recalling the impressionist gardens of the southern France.
The Pestana Group took over the palace in 1992 and restored the original grandeur and beauty of the palace to make it a five-star luxury hotel, which opened in 2001. The frescoes, paintings, stained glass windows and other decorative minute details of the palace have been recaptured to its full glory.
The restoration maintained the original features of the palace building and added two new wings to accommodate the rooms. The rooms feature a contemporary look with the balconies looking out to the lush tropical gardens. The present palace building includes a chapel, four royal suites, meeting rooms, a concierge’s desk and reception, lounges, bars and the famous Valle Flôr Restaurant.
The Valle Flôr Palace was classified as a national monument in 1997.
Pestana Palace hotel accommodation
The Pestana Palace has 177 rooms, 13 suites and four royal suites. The private quarters of Marquies have been turned into royal suites decorated with works of art, and furnished with antique furniture and luxurious settees.
All the royal suites offer views over the River Tagus and the vast gardens of the palace. The standard rooms are located in the new wings. The newly built wings are wrapped in pale-grey marble and have mansard roofs. The guestrooms have a palatial setting with white ceilings and walls, dark-wood trim, pale-blue carpeting, dark-blue brocade drapes, gilt-framed paintings and brocade-upholstered armchairs.
All rooms and suites are air-conditioned and centrally heated, and feature en-suite marble bathrooms, mini bars, leather-wrapped work desks with brass fittings, high-speed internet connection and cable TV with an in-house movie service.
Pestana Palace dining facilities
The Valle Flôr Restaurant is located in the former ballroom of the palace and opens out to the private gardens. The restaurant features marble pillars, large mirrors and ornamental decorations on the ceilings.
Casa de Lago, meaning house of the lake, is a 19th-century built Chinese pavilion located in the palace’s garden by the swimming pool. Light meals and refreshments along with drinks are served at this bar and restaurant, which remains open only when the climate is favourable.
The Allegro bar, located near the Valle Flôr, offers a light fare and cocktails in the evening.
Pestana health and wellness facilities
The Pestana Palace has a spa facility, which comprises massage and treatment rooms, a four-person spa tub, a Jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath, Scotch bath and a hardwood-floor fitness centre equipped with cardio and weight machines.
The Garden Spa, surrounded by lush gardens, provides Ayurveda body massage, sports massage, aromatherapy and caviar power facial massage.
There is also an outdoor 30m marble pool with a sundeck located in the palace gardens.
Hotel meetings and events
The hotel’s conference and meeting centre covers an area of 1,200m², in addition to the hotel’s 15 individual meeting rooms. The conference centre is flooded with natural light and equipped with the latest audio-visual facilities. The separate meeting rooms are ideal for launches, presentations, fashion shows, parties and private dinners.
