Chiado / Bairro Alto

Martinhal Lisbon Chiado

★★★★★

Most city hotels tolerate children; Martinhal Lisbon Chiado is designed around them, which is why it is the first name Lisbon parents give when friends ask where to stay. Martinhal made its name with family resorts in the Algarve, and in Lisbon it brought the same thinking to a historic building dating from 1855, refurbished in a bright, contemporary style, on the edge of the Chiado, the Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real. Instead of standard rooms, guests choose between studios and apartments sized for families. The Superior Deluxe Studio sleeps two adults and two children, with bunk beds for the children; the Deluxe Studio suits a couple travelling with a baby and has a kitchenette; and the One-Bedroom Deluxe Apartment adds a separate living room and a fully equipped kitchenette, so you can have breakfast in pyjamas, heat a bottle or make a simple supper after a long day. The hotel's supervised Kids Club is the other big draw: parents can leave younger children in a safe, playful space for a few hours and have a grown-up lunch or a museum visit, a luxury that is almost impossible to find in a historic city centre. Breakfast and light meals are served at the hotel's garden bar, which also turns into a relaxed spot for a drink in the evening. Practical touches matter here too, from the room layouts to staff who know which trams and viewpoints work with a buggy. It is not a resort, so there is no pool, but for families who want to be in the heart of the old city it is hard to beat.

The location gives you the best of central Lisbon on foot. The Chiado's cafés, bookshops and squares are around the corner; Praça Luís de Camões and the tram 28 stop are a short stroll; the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint and the playgrounds and gardens of Príncipe Real are uphill; and the Baixa and the river are a downhill walk. The Baixa-Chiado metro station connects you to the rest of the city, including the Oceanário at Parque das Nações. Bear in mind that the surrounding streets are steep and cobbled, so a sturdy, compact buggy or a baby carrier is more useful than a large stroller.

Living in it: choose the one-bedroom apartment if your children nap or go to bed early, since a separate living room lets adults stay up without whispering in the dark. Use the kitchenette for breakfasts and snacks to save time and money, and book Kids Club sessions early in your stay, as they can fill in school holidays. The Bairro Alto nightlife is close, but the hotel's own spaces are calm; ask for a room away from the street if you are light sleepers.

Base math: rates are firmly upper-mid to high for Lisbon, but compare them to booking two hotel rooms in a luxury property and the value becomes clearer, especially once you factor in the kitchen and childcare. For couples without children there are better-priced boutique options nearby; for families, particularly those with under-tens, this is the most stress-free base in the old city.