The Lumen Hotel – Superior 4-star Hotel In Lisbon With Stunning Nightly Lightshow

Offering so much more than just a luxurious place to sleep in Lisbon, the Lumen Hotel has a dazzling immersive, installation experience to boot. The property opened in July 2021 in the central Picoas neighbourhood slightly north of Lisbon’s central Baixa district. This superior 4-star hotel combines efficiency, comfort and great dining with ultra-modern interiors and the star of the show is its immersive light experience which takes place every evening in the central courtyard using video mapping technology. TLE recently stayed in this property so read on to discover more.

Background and Concept

What was once merely a series of derelict buildings, until architect Frederico Valsassina created an entirely new vision for the space producing what is an inviting contemporary building with sophisticated lines that blends into its environment. Inside a chessboard design emphasises light and dark, with straight and diagonal lines providing a dynamic energy throughout the communal areas. Interiors are the work of Nuno Gusmão from Atelier P06 (public spaces) and Barbara Neto from Lemon Variance (rooms), who took inspiration from the tones of sunlight during the golden hour. They have captured this time in the tones, materials and sensory experience. So much so guests are encouraged to linger longer thanks to the building design which lets natural light flood in the interior spaces and guest rooms. Indeed, as the name suggests, light is a central theme of the Lumen Hotel.

Lobby

Bar

Location

Located in the Santa Cruz district of the city, you are around 20 minutes walk from central Lisbon, and ten minutes by taxi. Saldanha and Parque metro stations are close by and a taxi to the airport will take around 20 minutes.

Rooms and Suites

Rooms are finished in one of three tones of colour inspired by dawn, sunset and dusk. Golden Dawn, whose yellows reflect the vibrant tones of dawn; Copper Nightfall, whose oranges and reds are reminiscent of the warm colours of sunset; and Pure Light, whose greys contrast the light and shadow in the minutes before nightfall.

Mirrored walls reflect the colour scheme of the bed headboard, as well as allow sunlight to flood through the large floor to ceiling windows.

Floor lamps, headboards, wardrobes and desks have been designed by Barbara Neto, with oak as a common design thread. The hotel’s verticality is also evident in the décor, both in the floor tiles in the common areas and the vertical strips on the headboard made of eco-leather. The same design language is used throughout to ensure the exterior and interior share a cohesive ambience.

Large king size beds have 100% cotton sheets with a 200 thread count and bathrooms come with Portuguese Benamôr toiletries and you can interact with the team at reception via a 24-hour chat function on the in-room tablet.

Rooms can also either face out to the street or into the central courtyard where the nightly light show takes place.

Suites

And if you are travelling to the city and looking for more space they have a range of beautiful suites which are located on their own floor with free access to their own executive meeting room.

The Photosynthesis Courtyard and Video Light Mapping

The highlight of the hotel and something truly quite unique (well I have never experienced anything like it in a hotel before) is their multi-purpose open-air courtyard and light show.

Pools of water run between flower beds and imposing buttresses are gradually subsumed by ivy planted during construction. The Photosynthesis Courtyard has 42-seats and is open to guests from 11.00 to 22.00. Perfect for a drink or a quick meal, it’s also the backdrop for a daily mapping show at 22.00hrs.

Every night, the walls of the Photosynthesis courtyard turn into a stage. Via a projection of images and sound, viewers are shown a presentation of the city: The Lisbon Light Show. Lasting 15 minutes, which incorporates the hotel architecture, integrating technology into the vertical surface of the space. Images are projected from the hotel’s rooftop, but the 3D perspective ensures it is equally effective seen from the ground or sixth floor (as there are rooms with privileged views of this daily event on all of them). Directed by Cláudia Martins and Rafael Carriço, it’s a truly memorable experience.

Clorofila Restaurant

This is the hotel’s fine dining outlet, where Chef Celso Dias creates Portuguese flavours for modern sharing served in a relaxed contemporary atmosphere. Like the menu, the wine list includes prestigious Portuguese offerings. The 130 seater restaurant’s china is by Vista Alegre and the furniture by Branca Lisboa, with custom-made tables and 60% of the restaurant tables offer a view out to the light show in the evening as well as there being a mezzanine style balcony in the courtyard that guests can dine at in the warmer months.

Interiors

Food

Balcony

Ora d’Oro Rooftop and Pool

Another bonus to this hotel is its rooftop pool and bar. With two uninterrupted views across Lisbon looking towards the river and Miradouro de Nossa Senhora do Monte. The orange-hued pool plays with the reflected sunlight, while the furniture by Vondom, was designed by Nuno Gusmão and includes a 30-seat cocktail bar, meaning you can turn a stay at the Lumen hotel into a day of sunbathing quite easily.

Gym

If you are a gym bunny, there is a well equipped and spacious gym in the lower ground floor.

Business Lounge

Need to do some work while you are here? Not a problem head along to the business lounge on the ground floor.

Final Thoughts

The Lumen Hotel offers a great base to stay in Lisbon with room rates at a good price point for the luxury on offer. The onsite restaurant Clorofila offers great quality food and the light show turns a dinner into a unique evening of entertainment.