Interior decorator Rose Fournier has an eye for exquisite detail, texture and colour. She “curates” her interiors, juxtaposing fine furniture and antiques with witty flea market finds.
The first luxury hotel she designed in Marrakech – Riad Tarrabel, an elegant oasis in a French colonial-style mansion, blends French and Arabic styles. It is described in the Louis Vuitton Marrakech guide as “one of the medina’s most closely guarded secrets”, both intimate and romantic. With only 10 rooms, it’s like having your own luxury home in Marrakech.
And now Rose, an acclaimed interior designer and author, has chosen Lisbon’s chicest and most tranquil neighbourhood – Lapa – for her second boutique hotel – Tarabel Lisbon. The mansion hotel has just nine suites, a private pool, alfresco dining and a veranda with front-row seats over the river Tejo.
Tarabel Lisbon will launch in December and is the second hotel in the privately owned Tarabel collection. Rooms are individually decorated, showcasing Rose’s brilliant collecting passions. Details include four-poster beds, freestanding baths, botanical prints, lanterns and troupe l’oil paintings (one room has a “painted” library, another features a giant birdcage).
The dining room, designed for intimate dining for hotel guests only, reflects Rose’s love of vintage crockery, glassware and colourful fabrics (she is the author of Creative Tables, published by Assouline, and Recevoir et Surprendre, published by Librairie Eyrolles).
Central yet wonderfully secluded, Lapa crowns one of the city’s highest hills, with views over Lisbon’s vast River Tejo. The area hasn’t seen mass tourism dominate in any way, so remains completely authentic. This is Lisbon’s most prestigious neighbourhood, yet visitors can walk everywhere from here, including to the Jardim da Estrela park and down to the riverfront.
And now in the heart of Lapa, a stylish new hotel will open this winter offering nine individually designed suites and uninterrupted views of the river.
Tarabel Lisbon is the second hotel in the privately owned Tarabel collection, with the first property located in Marrakech, having appeared in leading travel guides and books including Louis Vuitton’s City Guide series.
Tarabel Lisbon will officially open on 2nd December 2024 and has been designed by renowned interior designer Rose Fournier with every corner of the property designed to enhance Lisbon’s famous natural light. Each suite features a queen-sized bed, separate lounge area, bathrooms with both standalone baths and separate dual showers, and most have outdoor space with views of the river.
Rose Fournier has interior designed every aspect of Tarabel Lisbon. Fabrics are by Pierre Frey, a company founded in Paris in 1935, the Designers Guild and Brunschwig. Furniture has been sourced by Rose and is a combination of custom made and by leading brands Honoré and Miral. Rose has also designed and created selected pieces of furniture. Tarabel Lisbon is located in a 19th-century mansion which has been meticulously restored and completely updated.
A private garden for hotel guests only, features a swimming pool and guests can dine alfresco, overlooking the exotic jacaranda trees, which come into full bloom in spring with deep purple flowers and honeyed scent. The gardens offer a totally tranquil environment with front-row river seats (there’s no sound pollution, as no cars or roads are visible). Much like the country itself, time at Tarabel Lisbon moves at its own pace.
Inside the hotel, guests can unwind in the sitting room with its full-height windows offering undisturbed garden and river views. The sense of peace and tranquility is felt everywhere around this grand house.
Unwind on one of the sofas or vintage chairs with a book, enjoying a glass of champagne or Port wine. Come sunset, and that famous Lisbon light celebrated by poets, starts to change with reflections on the river, and the golden hour offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy the garden.
Portuguese azulejos – colourful glazed ceramic tiles – are one of the country’s signature sights. Introduced by the Moors in the 13th Century, the famous white-and-blue azulejos are hard to miss when walking around any city or town in Portugal. And in Lisbon you can admire the greatest variety of beautiful panels adorning the facades of churches and gardens as well as private homes.
Tilework is Portugal’s national art, and each architectural style tells a different story.
In that spirit, Tarabel Lisbon has commissioned its own private azulejo designed by Gonçalo Jordão of After Wall and textile designer Thierry Larcher with Rose Fournier’s input. The azulejo (ceramic tiles) at the hotel showcase this magical city in a new light.
The restaurant will open daily to guests offering breakfast, lunch and dinner with a contemporary Portuguese and Mediterranean menu.
The beautiful, whimsical table settings have been created by Rose Fournier who is also the author of Creative Tables (published by Assouline Publishing). The book can be read at the hotel.
From 2025 the restaurant will open for lunch to everyone but breakfast and dinner will remain exclusively for hotel guests.
Laurent Bocca, Tarabel’s managing director manages a team of industry professionals in both Lisbon and Marrakech including Swiss assistant manager Arnaud Jeannot who is based at the new hotel.
The imposing Basilica da Estrela is a famous local landmark, and the hotel is close to the neoclassical Assembleia da República (Portugal’s parliament). Set in a lemon-fronted, 17th-century palace, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga presents a world-class collection of European and Asian paintings and decorative arts.
This autumn one of Lisbon’s leading galleries and museums, Gulbenkian Foundation, will relaunch CAM – Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian following a redesign including the exterior and part of the gardens by acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The new look features a 100-metre-long sweeping canopy, composed from ceramic tiles made in Portugal.
A new luxury boutique hotel in a unique Lisbon address is always an event. Lisbon has long been a captivating destination, with its vibrant architecture, stunning landscapes, and warm weather. Continental Europe’s most westernmost capital city, also happens to be Europe’s sunniest capital. Lisbon is now a year-round destination connected to 132 cities globally.
Lisbon has grown rapidly over the past 10 years attracting tourists from around the world often staying around selected busy areas but the Lapa neighbourhood has retained its charm and character, largely due to its residential population and lack of construction work seen across the city. It remains historic and typically Portuguese. This is what visitors come to Lisbon searching for – and Tarabel Lisbon has been designed to showcase Portugal’s capital at its very best.
https://tarabellisbon.com (full site online in November)
