The ME Lisbon Is The Latest Addition To The Design-Led Luxury Lifestyle Hotel Collection

It begins with the doorman, receptionist, and those from the Aura Team, ME’s specialised customer service agents. They introduce themselves by name and, instead of uniforms, are dressed down in smart but casual Lacoste outfits, and will only ever be a WhatsApp message away. It is warm, relaxed, and personal—a laidback spin on the hotel arrival ritual, and just the thing if you have, for example, just spent four hours standing in the immigration arrivals queue at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport. The high-ceilinged lobby is something of an art gallery, too, with a central tiled installation and light show on the walls. It could easily have been insistent and distracting and, yet, it is instead unassuming, its energy not harrowing to any visitors.

The Lisbon location is the latest to join about a dozen ME by Melia hotels across the globe, and is essentially brand new, having opened its doors only last August. The façade is all streamlined glass, understated even, and would be at odds with the historic nature of the Portuguese capital, except that it is located just outside the traditional city-centre tourist districts. Positioned at the corner of two main roads, it is nonetheless outside the major pedestrian thoroughfares, making it less hectic to enter and leave. But neither is it too far from where you would want to be—the Edward VII Park is just next door, while the iconic roundabout and monument to the Marquis of Pombal is a stone’s throw away. Avenida da Liberdade and its many luxury boutiques are 10 minutes away on foot, while key tourist districts such as the vibrant Bairro Alto and fashionable Chiado neighbourhoods, as well as the historic Alfama, are within half an hour—and the nearby bus and metro stops are an option, too.

There are 213 rooms in total, starting at an already considerable 23 sq m and progressing to spacious suites of up to 66 sq m; the capstone is the 107 sq m Ultimate ME+ suite, which includes a kitchenette. The premium rooms are positioned at the hotel’s corners, giving them exceptionally commanding panoramic views of the city—dramatic hills fading gently down towards the waterline. Inside, the theme from the lobby continues in a more intimate fashion. As with the more public areas, there are little splashes of lilac throughout, a nod to the jacaranda trees endemic to Lisbon and known for their springtime blooms. Despite the stylish colour and ceramic artwork décor from local artists, it never feels overwhelming. From the well-stocked minibar to the generous bathtub to the pillow menu, it feels quite purposely meant first to be relaxed and lived in. Lifestyle, if you will.

Aside from the lobby bar, there are two restaurants in the ME Lisbon, both of them importations of existing, rather ambitious gastronomic concepts. On the ground floor is Fismuler, originally out of Madrid, and its contemporary European stylings are delivered with an uncomplicated, straightforward, yet elegant panache via a menu that changes daily, depending on the ingredients. It is also where breakfast is served; there is no wasteful buffet, but the staff will bring you exactly what you want from the menu. Try the bacon bikini sandwich, which might be the greatest bacon-and-egg-between-two-slices-of-bread concoction you will have ever had.

On the 12th floor is Attiko—and on the 13th-floor rooftop as well, actually, as during the summer months it extends to a rooftop bar replete with swimming pool. A modern Japanese concept first developed in Dubai, it offers classics such as nigiri sushi alongside bolder, more fusion-type dishes. Executive chef Miguel Relova is a Nobu alumnus, and it shows; you may want to try his version of miso-marinated black cod, which he elevates with touches of ginger and yuzu. Once dinner is done, you don’t even need to go anywhere else—a DJ comes in around 11pm and the restaurant stays open even later as you while away the evening on one of its signature cocktails.

For more purposeful pampering, there is the Korpo Spa in the basement. Aside from its comprehensive array of massages and face and body treatments, it also hosts a sauna, Turkish bath, sensory shower, and even a 35 sq m indoor pool. A 24-hour gym is right next door.

The ME Lisbon is the opposite of a sprawling hotel with plentiful options—it feels focused, curated, and boutique in its approach. The design-led nature never gets in the way of you, the guest, and how you want to run your rest or recreation. It is the perfect homey base from which to explore one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.