An unassuming staircase meets the entrance to a narrow townhouse at 164 Avenida Liberdade, Lisbon. The uncomely entrance appears as if it leads to nowhere; a perplexing and Carrollian “down the rabbit hole” moment for many a first-time visitor. The stairs actually lead up to a blind walkway where, once at the top, a narrow corridor reveals itself. A sharp turn right, another left, and you are in the Valverde Hotel Lisbon. This maze-like trickery represents exactly what this clandestine dwelling wants to achieve. A hidden hotel which clearly doesn’t want to be found.

Avenida Liberdade is Lisbon’s answer to Regent Street or the Champs Élysées. The top echelons of designer shops line the street alongside five-star hotels, aspirational restaurants and Epicurean wine bars. The buildings are grand and classically beautiful, a stage for Lisbon’s epicentre of luxury and best Lisbon hotels. In contrast to all of these tokens of affluence, the Valverde Hotel Lisbon, staying true to its original form as a townhouse, maintains a discretion and an unwillingness to be a hotel, lending it an endearing quality to its guests.

The design concept and attention to detail in this abode, resembling a New York townhouse, are what make the Valverde Hotel, part of the Relais and Chateaux, stand out from the crowd. Firstly, there is an overriding sense of cosiness as you walk in, by virtue of the rich, brown parquet flooring and the sumptuous, colourful fabrics which envelop the furnishings.

Even the lifts are lined in a fine jacquard fabric in monochrome. Despite its slender floorplan, the ceilings are generously high and where there isn’t black and wood panelling on the walls, there is a playful use of bold and sometimes hypnotic-patterned wallpapers, all rich in colour. An array of classic and contemporary art fills most of the communal wall space: from figurative to abstract and from oils on canvas to three-dimensional glazed clay pieces. The kind of beguiling art that awakens a curiosity and stops you in your tracks. Quirky, disjointed metal lamps amuse the walls in the breakfast room, while bookshelves are tempered with gratifyingly tactile and eye-catching objets.

In keeping with its whimsical style, the design of the Valverde Hotel is constantly evolving. The designers regularly attend auction houses, purchasing one-off antique pieces to add to Valverde’s vast collection of décor.

The rotation of antiques not only continually updates the look and feel of the house but also keeps an element of sustainability in its evolution.  The items being replaced are returned to the auction houses and re-sold. Recent additions include a vast, Astrology-etched mirror in the saloon and an ornate chandelier with flecks of green glass from the Douro Valley, Portugal’s famous wine region to the north of the capital.

True to a townhouse design, you will find neatly customised enclaves to sit, relax, work or entertain. It is these pockets of privacy which make you feel as contented as you would in your own home. Deep, hefty sofas with sizeable coffee tables and thoughtfully curated book collections encourage optimum comfort without the soporifics of a bedroom. Upstairs, a maze of narrow corridors gives way to 48 bedrooms, each decorated in its own rich palette.

White metro tiles make a regular appearance in the monochrome bathrooms, alongside beautiful stone floors with traditional nineteenth century fixtures and fittings. The choice of panelling is tastefully dark, with plush fabrics in demure colours alongside a characteristic illumination design, all colluding once again in a tempting notion of hibernation.

Yet the beating heart of the hotel isn’t its indoors, but its outdoors. The Valverde Hotel encompasses a spacious courtyard wedged between the high-rise components of the hotel. This urban oasis is lush; green with ferns, subtropical plants and trees, interspersed with comfortable seating areas for guests to eat meals, enjoy afternoon tea or while away the hours in a nature-infused environment.

The garden is proudly a part of the Jardins Abertos, the Open Garden festival, where private gardens of homes and Lisbon hotels have been showcased to the public since its inception in 2017. The festival has become the initiative encouraging properties to cultivate gardens in the more citified areas of Lisbon. The space was conceived around the idea of an inner-city retreat, where guests have the opportunity to feel removed from the hubbub of the metropolis. An open-air mezzanine overlooks the garden, which holds a small pool, just long enough to swim lengths. In Summer the pool is aligned with sun loungers and shaded by the tall, tropical trees. The cooler months see it heated to a toasty temperature of 30 degrees, enough to see the steam rise.

On the ground floor, the design alone of the restaurant Sitao – meaning “place” – is a symphony of materials. The floor is a harmonious pattern of glazed herringbone tiles of different blue and green tones, blur your eyes and it’s like a seascape beneath you. A softness is introduced with semi-opaque, gold-toned wooden partitions between each table. Black felt made from local Portuguese wool ripples along the ceiling, serving the duel function of dampening the acoustics of the room with an elegant stroke of design ingenuity. Dishes to note are the Lombode Garoupa Braseado – braised grouper fillet – for lunch, and for dinner the Tagliatelle de Lulas e Carabineiro – the Squid and Shrimp Tagliatelle – a firm favourite among diners.

Of the Relais and Chateaux ensemble, there are hotels where you are on show and there are ones for you to hideaway in. The Valverde Hotel is a place which surprises and charms with twists and turns in its emulation of a private residence, a far cry from other grand hotel offerings along the Avenida Liberdade. There is something romantic about being tucked away in an intimate setting within such a bustling municipality which makes you feel protected and privileged that Lisbon’s best kept secret has been shared with you. With a quiet confidence, ensconced in luxury, the Valverde Hotel Lisbon achieves a comfort beyond that of your own home.