Hotel Britânia - Hotel in Estremadura

One street back from Av. de Liberdade, this gem of a hotel was designed by Cassiano Branco and ranks among Lisbon's classified buildings. Art Deco meets ocean liner: it's a museum piece. The fun begins in the reception area which sports twin ranks of marble columns, softly-coloured walls, orange armchairs, port-holed doors and a huge globe, beautiful decanters of port wine to which you may help yourselves, and the showpiece, a retro barber's shop. A wood and chrome staircase leads to the bedrooms (there's a lift too); all enormous, with private entrance halls, decked terraces on the top floor, original cork parquet floors, funky steel tubular lamps and original Estremoz-marble bathrooms with deep sinks and tubs. You are offered sparkling Portuguese wine at breakfast, served impeccably in your room – or in a bar adorned with period photos of the feminist legend Natália Correia, who once lived here. There are paperbacks aplenty to swap in the book-exchange library, serious shops a stroll away (for those with the cash) and the Glória funicular to ferry you to cool Bairro Alto. Staff are charming.