Bairro Alto Hotel, Lissabon, Portugal

Bairro Alto Hotel is located in the square that bears a statue and name of Luís Vaz de Camões, the soldier poet who told the story of Portugal's discoveries in his epic poem, 'Os Lusíadas'. To this day, Bairro Alto remains synonymous with creativity and revolution, the latter if only in spirit since the people's uprising in 1974.

The Bairro Alto district (literally the Upper City) is an historic enclave dating from 1513, which is reached in a novel way via the Santa Justa Elevator (a structure reminiscent of the Eiffel tower in Paris) from the lower city. The colourful district resounds to the calls of vendors and fishmongers, and the windows and balconies are festooned with laundry and birdcages. At night the area comes alive with some of the finest fado cafes in the city, along streets lit by Victorian lanterns. Fado is the famous brand of music and dance brought to Portugal by African slaves in the 19th century. Characterised by songs of sadness and despair, there is no better place in Portugal to experience this musical genre than in the Bairro Alto of Lisbon.

In recent times, Bairro Alto has also made a name for itself as an alternative shopping destination, popular with those looking for fashion and design outside the mainstream. Up and coming designers have increasingly chosen to move into the area, further contributing to the district's creative and economical regeneration.