Hotel do Chiado

First, the good news: if shopping and stellar views are all you require from a Lisbon hotel, then the superior rooms at Hotel do Chiado are almost unsurpassable. Found right next to the Chiado metro station, this hotel is right in the thick of Lisbon's best boutiques and cafes. The pick of the rooms are generously portioned and have grand grey-stone balconies, which open onto to a manicured lawn.

From here the stunning tri-layered vista overlooks the ornate statues and spires of the Baixa district, rises up into the dusk orange rooftops of the Arabic Alfama - which culminate in the São Jão Castle - and finally sprawls out onto the silky blue waters of the Rio Tejo. Sadly, the rest of the hotel doesn't quite fulfil the potential shown in these view-facing superior offerings. The standard rooms and communal areas are void of imagination and desperately dated. If you can overlook these shortcomings it's certainly worth a visit for the views alone.