Santa Clara 1728 · Lisbon, Portugal

‘Santa Clara 1728’, the fourth project of hoteliers João and Andrea Rodrigues, was brought to life under the careful guidance of Portuguese architect, Manuel Aires Mateus. The transformation of the space from historic building to contemporary design hotel has been artfully negotiated; forgoing neither charm nor comfort in the transition. Considering all of their hotels as family homes, ‘Santa Clara 1728’ doesn’t operate as one would traditionally expect. The Rodrigues family occupies the top two floors of the property, with the six remaining bedrooms and bathrooms for guests located on the floors below. The guest suites are simple and luxurious, with designer accoutrements and beds made up with crisp, Portuguese linen. The bathrooms feature freestanding tubs and washbasins crafted from pink-hued local limestone, along with oversized rain showers that have views over the internal gardens. The ground floor houses a communal dining space where meals are served—included in the price of a room are breakfast in the morning, and tea at 5pm; a decadent affair consisting of homemade scones, strawberries, orange cake, and rice pudding.