Frankie Lister-Fell

Sure, you can choose one of the many, many classic hotel chains on offer for your trip to Lisbon – but what about if you fancy something a little different? A boutique, perhaps, or a central hotel with the best rooftop bar in the city? In that case, it sounds like you’re looking for something a little more cool. And that’s where we come in: the hotels on this list don’t just have great service, good food and nice rooms, they’ve all got a little something that makes them unique, and a place where locals and tourists actually want to hang out for the weekend. These are the coolest hotels in Lisbon, right now.  Lisbon’s coolest hotels at a glance 📻 Best for retro charm: The Vintage 🏙️ Best for city views: Memmo Príncipe Real 🏛️ Best for a historic stay: AlmaLusa Alfama 🛋️ Best self-catering: The Lumiares 🏠 Best for homely vibes: Dear Lisbon 📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to hotels in Lisbon How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world – new openings, old classics and everything in between – to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. Along with our brilliant team over at Time Out Lisbon, every hotel on this list has been individually reviewed and selected for a reason: we’ve been there, we think it’s great and we’d genuinely recommend it. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. ?

Finally, some better news when it comes to the cost of living crisis. Thames Water, London’s water provider, has announced a scheme that will slash water bills for thousands of low-income households in the city. Following a successful pilot in Richmond and Wandsworth, the scheme is now expanding to cover more boroughs across the capital. Through data sharing between Thames Water, councils and Policy in Practice, customers who qualify could have their water bill halved automatically, whether they know about the scheme or not. It is projected to save households hundreds of pounds a year. Keen to see if you’re eligible to save (more than) a few pennies on your water bill? Here’s what you need to know.  Which London boroughs are cutting household water bills? Residents in the following areas could benefit: Westminster Camden Islington Brent Haringey Enfield Hackney Tower Hamlets Lewisham Southwark Greenwich Lambeth Richmond upon Thames Wandsworth Ealing Kensington & Chelsea Hammersmith & Fulham How much are bills discounted by? Eligible households could see their water bill cut by 50 percent, which could save more than £300 per year Who is eligible? There’s two tiers to the scheme. Customers whose water bill exceeds 5 percent of their net income will automatically get it reduced by 50 percent as part of the Water Help scheme.  There’s also Water Sure, a social tariff which caps bills. This is for households where someone is receiving a means-tested benefit and either has a medi

Chelsea’s King’s Road is one of London’s most iconic streets. Even if you rarely venture west, chances are you’ve heard the name. Once a private route for royalty between Whitehall and Hampton Court Palace, the street found new fame in the swinging sixties as the beating heart of fashion and youth culture, and in the ’70s Vivienne Westwood’s own legendary boutique helped establish punk style. This month the King’s Road is about to mark another milestone: it’s getting its first new pub in 100 years. A former Grade II listed bank that is part of the Cadogan Estate is being transformed into a two-storey boozer with a restaurant and live performance space.  To give you an idea of its grandeur, the building was constructed by Sir Roger Blomfield. He was the guy behind Chequers, the prime minister’s grand 16th-century manor house in the Buckinghamshire countryside. After a £2.4 million makeover, the building has been transformed into The Trafalgar, which takes its name from Britain’s 1805 victory in the Napoleonic Wars. On the ground floor the pub has retained the building’s five-metre-high ceilings, dramatically large Georgian windows and ornate plasterwork. Under oversized chandeliers, sip a glass of sparkling wine and nibble a cheese toastie from comfy leather dining chairs. Downstairs is the entertainment and private party space, featuring a sound system, antique mirrored ceiling and a hidden bar. The Trafalgar will have a programme of live music, cabaret and standup every Thur

Way back in 2023, Transport for London tantalisingly unveiled shiny new trains with modern features and yes, even air con, for the Docklands Light Railway. But a series of technical problems meant the project kept getting pushed back, and at one point it was ‘delayed indefinitely’. Today (October 1), however, there’s finally a positive update. This week the new-look trains will officially start to be rolled out. It hasn’t been an easy few months for DLR users. When old carriages were taken out of use, travellers on the driverless network connecting south to east had to make do with a reduced service and shorter trains. The oldest 54 trains in the DLR’s fleet, some of which have been in service for more than three decades, have been replaced with modern, higher-capacity carriages. Alongside air conditioning, there will be bigger walkways through the carriages, charging points, three wheelchair spaces for better accessibility, live travel information and 10 percent more capacity compared to the previous trains. There’s also a ‘multi-use area’ to store buggies, bikes and luggage, which is handy for those heading to the swish London City Airport. And don’t worry: you’ll still be able to sit at the front of the train and pretend you’re driving it. The full replacement of the older fleet will be complete by the end of 2026. TfL said this will increase the overall capacity of the DLR by 50 percent. Here’s what the new trains look like in action. Photograph: TfL Photograph: TfL