Palacio Belmonte - A Right Royal Stay

Seventy thousand delegates descended on Lisbon in November 2018 for the world’s biggest Web Summit. The event took over the city’s Nation’s Park, formerly the site of EXPO 98 and will return year-on-year to Lisbon over the next decade. With global blue chip companies in the city all competing for attention to host VIP guests, meeting and event planners were working overtime to secure the most striking venues which would impact on guests and create positive band perception. The Palacio Belmonte, was one of Lisbon’s truly remarkable venues used during the event and one which has the absolute 'WOW' factor. With only exclusive 11-exclusive suites and sharing the same historic walls and elevation as Lisbon Castle, the current building can trace its history back to 1449, but sits atop and incorporates Roman and Moorish walls. It was expanded in 1640, and finally decorated in 1725, Palácio Belmonte is considered the oldest building of its kind in Lisbon. Palacio Belmonte can be hired out in its entirety and the public spaces have always been used for entertaining; other than Royalty, other luminaries to have been invited to the Palacio was ‘Vasco da Gama’ after his triumphant return from India. My article delves into the history, the significance and the beauty of a truly one-off building, whose owner has created both a luxury hotel and venue, whilst preserving this national monument for generations to come.