When the Barcelona interior designer, and also a businesswoman, Natalia Tubella ended up in Lisbon more than a decade ago, she was in search of new business opportunities. Together with two partners, also from Barcelona, she acquired an old three-story Lisbon house from the 19th century, with a beautiful façade covered in popular-style tiles, in the heart of Barrio Alto. They turned it into a small 12-room hotel named Casa das Janelas.
And captivated by its uniqueness and soul, they respected the original structure. It quickly stood out for its interior mix of vintage and contemporary design, in a cozy atmosphere where you can share common spaces, to feel at home.
Now she has just opened her second hotel in Lisbon, Pátio Do Tijolo, which she owns together with her brother Juan. If the first turned towards the interior, this second (with 24 rooms) surrenders to the exterior. To the magnificent views it has of the Tagus River and the iconic red 25 de Abril bridge. And to a newly created leafy patio-garden where tropical and exotic vegetation is interspersed with Central European plants.
An invitation to breathe the air of the Lisbon patios with lush greenery: acacias, jacarandas, lemon trees, pomegranates, coexist with strelicias, palm trees and agapanthus. An oasis in the middle of the vital Barrio Alto to find relaxation.
At Pátio Do Tijolo the breakfasts and gastronomic proposal are km0. With a vocation as a guest house, they offer very direct treatment along with a 24/7 luxury hotel service. “With a staff that welcomes and invites you to be part of the place,” says Tubella. The interior design was carried out in collaboration with the architect responsible for the new building Carina Seelig, from the Base Geometrica studio. It is inspired by the Pombal rear facades (which the Marquis of Pombal gave its name). Typical of Lisbon, with a metal structure and stylized pillars, are galleries that here become the main façade with continuous balconies as a splendid viewpoint.
“Above all, the hotel wants to be a spectator of the environment, of the neighborhood,” says Natalia Tubella. She admires what surrounds her. With her neutrality she seeks to be respectful of the historic buildings of the neighborhood where she is located. In the furnishings, designs from Barcelona stand out. “Portugal – she adds – is Lusitania, the country of light. We wanted to bring there some of the light of Barcelona, through lamps and other pieces, created in the city where I am from and live.”
