Hotel Pestana Palace

Built on top of Santo Amaro hill, the Palácio Valle Flôr is one of the most beautiful palatial buildings of Romantic Lisbon. The original design by the Italian architect Nicola Bigaglia was later handed over to the Portuguese José Ferreira da Costa, resulting in significant changes, including the addition of decorative details by Ventura Terra. The decoration of the palace’s interior was carried out by Constantino Fernandes, Carlos Reis and Eugénio Cotrim, with a particular stand-out being the suites on the bel étage which reveal the influence of French, Oriental and Neo-Rococo trends. After having been empty for many years, the palace was bought in 1992 with the aim of turning it into a hotel. The hotel design project retained most of the original features, restoring original structures and architectural elements and adding two new wings of rooms to the former Valle Flôr residence. The design of the wings follows the delicateness and small scale of the palace, proposing a contrasting rationality and linearity. The new wings create a perfect relationship with the beautiful gardens in which the palace is set.