Explore ancient Lisbon from its brave new world
John Lee found the perfect holiday spot in the Portuguese capital
Lisbon, the Imperial capital from where the early voyages to mysterious lands were launched, is a modern model for regeneration and reinvention. One of Europe’s most magical cities, it’s a place I had visited many times before, but a couple of years back we took the kids on a day trip there from our hotel out on the west coast of Portugal and we all dearly wanted to come back. We just lacked an ideal venue for a family holiday.
That was until renowned family holiday specialists Martinhal Resorts opened their Martinhal Oriente and Martinhal Residences last May.
Lisbon, no longer a hub for exploration and seafaring, has reinvented itself as a tech, services and, of course tourist city many try to ape. And in that spirit, Martinhal Residences sprang from the innovative regeneration of the former Expo 98 site.
On the edge of the Lisbon docks, a five-kilometre stretch along the Tagus River had been used from 1942 for docking the hydroplanes that flew to the USA until the jet age made them redundant. Then the site became a dreary industrial area full of factories and container yards.
They knocked it all down again and transformed the area for World Expo 98, which celebrated to the month the 500th anniversary of explorer Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India. Over 11 million visitors came to the event over a few months and then the city fathers had to figure out what to do with the site.
The Park of Nations Lisbon (or Parque das Nações) was born.
A marina was built, immediately giving a quaint fishing village atmosphere to the park, and a 25year project to create a new hub for business, recreation and housing began. Martinhal Residences, which opened less than a year ago, combined these three elements.
Martinhal Residences are the new luxury branded hotel residences and serviced hotel apartments from the award-winning Martinhal, more familiar to many Irish tourists for their luxury family hotel and resorts brand.
Our family fell in love with Lisbon, with its tight, winding, cobblestoned streets, some rising almost vertically to São Jorge Castle with its spectacular views over the city. The famous trams negotiate the narrow, medieval streets with hair-raising screeches of iron on iron, often filling an entire thoroughfare, leaving buildings in touch distance. Still, they get you around far more successfully than I can.
It wasn’t just our young children’s’ criticism of my inability to read Google Maps, but the walks are long and problems with suitable nourishment convinced us that a return would require a more adjacent base than an out-oftown resort. Thus, Martinhal Residences is an incredible addition for those seeking a holiday with both the family recreational amenities and an historic European capital on your doorstep.
The lower floors are available exclusively for hotel bookings. All rooms and apartments are designed by famous architect Eduardo Capinha Lopes, Romano Design & Epoca.
There is all that you expect from a modern family hotel – indoor and outdoor swimming pools, top class restaurant, breakfast, serviced rooms and everything else. But with the rise of Airbnb, some couples and families – like ours – have come to desire the privacy, space and convenience of apartment living. So accommodation options range from sophisticated studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments, some with tree-adorned balconies. All apartments have wellequipped kitchens and feature designer brands including Bruma, Smeg, Artemis and Ferreira de Sá Econyl rugs.
Increasing numbers of foreign nationals and native Portuguese are also buying residences at this Martinhal venue and anyone with a hybrid job, impending retirement or investment plans might want to get in touch. The Park of Nations is a homogeneous town in itself and a vision of the 15-minute city, but ready-built.
We often go out to restaurants with our children, but sometimes what is convenient for us can be inconvenient and trying for them at the end of long, active day. A combination is ideal. We have stayed at Martinhal Resorts in Portugal before and this new product offers a vital service for parents and children: a kids’ club. Not all children take to them but ours do with enthusiasm.
The Raposinhos Kids Club is a thing of legend in our house. It accommodates the youngest members of your family, from ages six months to eight years. Parents can relish quality family time with the unsupervised playtime session or let the kids have fun in the supervised drop-off sessions.
There is a prestigious restaurant at the Martinhal Oriente, the Terrace, where Lisbon’s role in opening up the East is celebrated – and gives the hotel its name drawing inspiration from the Portuguese explorations in the Orient, offering a ‘culinary voyage through oriental and Mediterranean fusion cuisine, expertly curated by chef Daniel Andrade.
Lisbon and its world famous culinary delights are only a 15-minute bus or car ride along the seafront. But the Park of Nations is selfcontained. Along with the marina, a whole tourist complex has emerged from the former docklands. The Lisbon Oceanarium is here along with the Knowledge Pavilion and other parks and outdoor spaces. The cable car across the Lisbon skyline docks here too.
The Martinhal Residences are five minutes from the airport, which expands the options I think, whether for a business stay or for something I will be considering in the future: a hub for accessing the golf courses of southern Portugal.
TRAMS GET YOU AROUND MORE SUCCESSFULLY THAN I CAN
THE KIDS’ CLUB IS A THING OF LEGEND IN OUR HOUSE