Lisbon just got a fresh new face in its vibrant hospitality scene! The Locke de Santa Joana Hotel, which swung open its stylish doors on July 15, 2024, is already turning heads with its unique blend of contemporary design and local flavor. Located towards the top end of the Avenida da Liberdade in the heart of Lisbon, Portugal, this hotel is a stone’s throw from some of the city’s most iconic attractions, making it a perfect base for both tourists and business travelers.
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Historic Charm & Modern Comfort
Nestled in a beautifully restored 17th-century convent, the Locke de Santa Joana Hotel in Lisbon effortlessly marries history with modern comfort. The hotel’s design integrates preserved architectural features with contemporary touches, creating a unique ambiance that flows through its 370 serviced apartments. Whether you’re staying for a night or an extended visit, you’ll find everything you need right at your fingertips—from coworking spaces and meeting rooms to a tranquil courtyard and an inviting outdoor pool. The on-site restaurants and bars offer a perfect spot to unwind, making it tempting to never leave the hotel grounds especially on hot days.
Much of the old convent feel is preserved here, with the main convent accessible in the middle of the terrace next to the pool and main restaurant. The exterior has been preserved, while the interiors of the buildings and rooms have been renovated into hotel style modern luxury.
Prime Location
Locke de Santa Joana Hotel boasts an excellent location at the top of Avenida da Liberdade, one of Lisbon’s most iconic boulevards. Known for its grand architecture, luxury boutiques, and tree-lined promenades, Avenida da Liberdade serves as the perfect gateway to explore the city’s rich history and vibrant culture. Just a short walk from the hotel, you’ll find yourself immersed in a neighborhood that effortlessly blends the old and new, offering a taste of Lisbon’s dynamic spirit.
One of the highlights of staying at Locke de Santa Joana is its proximity to some of Lisbon’s must-see attractions. A short walk down Avenida da Liberdade leads you to Rossio Square, a historic gathering place surrounded by cafes, shops, and stunning landmarks like the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II. From there, you can easily access the charming streets of Baixa and the atmospheric alleys of Alfama, where Fado music fills the air and centuries-old buildings tell the stories of Lisbon’s past.
If you’re in the mood for some retail therapy, the upscale boutiques along Avenida da Liberdade are just steps away, offering everything from high-end fashion to unique Portuguese brands. For art enthusiasts, the nearby Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian are just a quick ride away, showcasing impressive collections of classical and contemporary works.
The neighborhood surrounding the hotel is a blend of elegance and energy, with a mix of historic charm and modern flair. You’ll find an array of restaurants, cafes, and bars where locals and tourists alike gather to enjoy the city’s renowned cuisine and nightlife.
You can find an excellent Continente supermarket 250m away, as well as an Aldi supermarket and a MiniPreço grocery store also within close walking distance. For those that want to cook in their apartments with their built in kitchens, it is a perfect location.
Check-In: A Blend of Self-Service and Personal Assistance
Checking in at Locke de Santa Joana offers a modern, streamlined experience with the option for self-service. The hotel features convenient self-service check-in computers where you can scan your ID or passport and enter all the necessary details on your own. If there’s a bill to settle before your stay, you can easily handle it using the provided credit card machines. You then place your own keycards on the scanner which programs it to your room.
For those who prefer a more personal touch or encounter any issues, the self-service area is located right next to a staffed check-in desk. The staff were readily available to assist if needed, ensuring a smooth process for everyone. We opted for the self-check in kiosk and the experience was smooth and easy.
Rooms: A Cozy and Well-Equipped Stay
Locke de Santa Joana offers a variety of room types to cater to different needs, with the majority featuring fully equipped kitchens. Out of the 370 rooms available, you’ll find everything from compact 20m² studios to the expansive 75m² Santa Joana Suite, a stunning three-level space located in the original convent building. The rooms are spread across four buildings, all overlooking a central courtyard that houses the pool, outdoor bar, and Santa Marta restaurant.
We stayed in a Locke Studio for four nights in early August, just two weeks after the hotel had opened. Everything in our room was brand new, and it was exciting to be among the first guests to ever stay there. The studio was equipped with modern appliances, including a washer/dryer, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, oven with microwave functionality, and a two-burner electric hob. There was also a small couch for lounging, making the space feel cozy and functional.
The queen bed was soft and comfortable, with fresh new bedding. However, we did notice that the mattress comforter had some clumping, which created uneven spots while we were sleeping. Despite this minor issue, the air conditioning worked perfectly, keeping the room at a comfortable temperature throughout our stay during a hot Lisbon summer.
The bathroom was modern and sleek, featuring a walk-in shower with a rainfall showerhead, a towel drying rack, and a toilet. The shower was a particular highlight, offering a refreshing experience after a day of exploring Lisbon.
One downside of the studio was its compact size, which made it a bit challenging to find space for our suitcases. We ended up spreading our belongings around the room, which wasn’t ideal, but we managed. On the plus side, the kitchen was extremely well-equipped—one of the best equipped kitchens/kitchenettes we’ve encountered in our travels. It had all the cooking utensils we needed, although we did miss having larger bowls for mixing or preparing salads. While there was no coffee machine, a kettle and some coffee were provided, which was a nice touch.
Overall, we were extremely impressed with our room, especially since it overlooked the pool and courtyard, giving us a pleasant view instead of facing the street. Despite a few minor inconveniences, our stay in room B131 was comfortable and enjoyable, offering a great blend of modern amenities and thoughtful design.
Amenities: Great Potential with a Few Drawbacks
Locke de Santa Joana offers a range of amenities designed to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. The 24 hour gym, for instance, is well-equipped with everything you need for a full workout. With two squat cages, adjustable benches, weight plates, dumbbells, kettlebells, and a cable machine, the strength training options are solid. For those who prefer cardio, there are treadmills, bikes, and other cardio machines available. It’s an excellent gym, though during busy hours, it might feel a bit cramped given the large number of rooms in the hotel. So, if you’re someone who likes to work out in a bit of space, you might want to plan your visit during off-peak times.
The pool area is another highlight, offering a lovely and relaxing space to unwind and cool off in Lisbon’s warm weather. The pool itself is nice, though it’s on the smaller side considering the available space and the number of guests the hotel can accommodate. It’s a great spot to take a dip, but you might find yourself wishing for a bit more room, especially on those hotter days when everyone is looking to cool down.
Adjacent to the pool is a terrace with some grassed areas, perfect for lounging around. However, there’s not much shade, which could be a drawback if you’re looking to escape the sun for a while. The biggest issue here, though, is the limited number of sunbeds. With only eight single sunbeds, three double sunbeds, and six square lounge cushions, the space fills up quickly—often by 9:00/9:30 in the morning. This left many guests without a proper spot to relax, pushing them over onto towels the grass, which isn’t ideal for everyone.
For a hotel of this size, with so many rooms and guests, the limited sunbed availability is a little bit of a concern. While adding more sunbeds would likely make the area more crowded, it’s probably a necessary step to accommodate the needs of the guests and something that will hopefully come as the hotel finds its legs. As it stands, the pool and terrace area, while charming, might not meet the demand during peak times, which could be disappointing for those hoping to enjoy a leisurely day by the pool.
Overall, the amenities at Locke de Santa Joana are well-thought-out and have the potential to offer a fantastic experience, but some improvements are needed to ensure all guests can fully enjoy them.
Food & Drink: A Mixed Experience with Potential
During our stay at Locke de Santa Joana, only a couple of the dining options were open: the lobby café offering coffe & pastries and Santa Marta, the hotel’s Italian-inspired restaurant. While other bar and dining venues are slated to open in the near future, we found ourselves intrigued by Santa Marta’s offerings, which include a mouth-watering selection of antipasti, woodfired pizzas, and grilled meats and fish. Although we didn’t dine at Santa Marta—thanks to the convenience of our in-room cooking facilities—the delicious aroma of freshly baked pizza wafting over to the pool area was hard to ignore. If the tantalizing smell is any indication, this restaurant is sure to be a hit once it’s fully up and running.
The Santa Marta also offered hotel guests breakfast offerings, though we were unable to see a menu during our stay. Plenty of others dined and had their breakfast at this relaxing terrace retreat though.
Next to the pool, there’s an outdoor bar that looked fully stocked but, unfortunately, was not open during our visit. Drinks were offered from the bar of the Santa Marta instead for pool guests. I suspect once the hotel is fully operational the bar will be a busy spot, but for whatever reason the hotel was not operating this bar space while we visited.
We stopped by the Santa Marta restaurant for a couple of afternoon drinks around 3:00PM one day, hoping for a laid-back experience. However, upon mentioning that we were only interested in drinks, we were led to the very back corner of the restaurant, far from the pool and atmosphere, despite the place being mostly empty. To add to our disappointment, we were seated next to a table of other drink-only customers, uncomfortably close to the designated smoking area. The ambiance was far from pleasant.
Service, too, was a little lacking. Despite counting 11 staff members milling about, we struggled to get our drink orders in, and later, it was equally challenging to settle our bill. The staff seemed disorganized and inattentive, suggesting that some additional training might be needed.
Another surprising aspect was the restaurant’s practice of asking for tips, which wasn’t typical in many Lisbon establishments we visited. This seems to be aimed at tourists, and while tipping culture varies globally, it felt somewhat out of place given the overall service quality we experienced.
While Locke de Santa Joana’s food and drink offerings show promise, particularly with the upcoming dining options, our experience was mixed. There’s definitely room for improvement, particularly in service and the overall guest experience. However, we remain optimistic that as the hotel settles in and the remaining dining venues open, these early teething issues will be addressed.
What We Loved
- Well-Soundproofed Rooms: We appreciated the peace and quiet in our room, as we never heard noise from other guests.
- Well-Equipped Kitchen: The kitchen had everything we needed for cooking, making it easy to prepare meals in our room.
- Brand New Hotel and Facilities: The fact that everything was brand new added a fresh and modern feel to our stay.
- Excellent Location: The hotel’s prime spot at the top of Avenida da Liberdade made it easy to explore Lisbon’s best attractions and enjoy the local vibe.
What Needs Some Work
- Queen Bed Instead of King: While the bed was comfortable, we would have preferred a king-sized bed for extra space.
- Service at Restaurant: The service at the poolside restaurant was disappointing, with slow staff and an unwelcoming seating arrangement for those just wanting drinks.
- Limited Sunbed Availability: Sunbeds by the pool were in high demand, and if you wanted one, you needed to claim it by 9 AM—or even earlier around 8:00-8:30 AM. More sunbeds are definitely needed to accommodate all guests.
Conclusion
Overall, our stay at Locke de Santa Joana was a positive experience, and we would definitely consider staying here again. The hotel’s excellent location, modern amenities, and well-equipped rooms made it a comfortable and convenient base for exploring Lisbon. While there were some teething issues—such as the service at the restaurant and the limited availability of sunbeds by the pool—these are to be expected with any new hotel. We’re optimistic that as Locke de Santa Joana continues to settle in and opens more of its facilities, these minor hiccups will be resolved, making future stays even more enjoyable.
Curious on what to do in Lisbon? Check out our 3 day Lisbon itinerary here.
Check availability and book your stay with the Locke De Santa Joana here.
