Tavares awarded Michelìn star
Tavares Restaurant has just been awarded a star in the presitgious Michelin Guide 2010. This is a highly coveted award internationally and is in recogniton of the excellemnce of Lisboa’s oldest restaurant.
Three Member restaurants of Lisboa Tourism already have this coveted prize. Located in the heart of Chiado, Tavares, has always been a meeting point for intellectuals and gourmets, and has as its chef José Avillez, who despite his youth is already a well known figure in the haute cuisine world.
More than two hundred years old, Tavares, a member of Lisboa Tourism since 2004, is an excellent host, with a passion for detail and fine cuisine, qualities that have won it a place in the Michelin Guide Portugal/Spain 2010. Eleven Restaurant and Fortaleza do Guincho, members of Lisboa Toursim since 2006, also have a star in the famous Guide, awarded previously. The concept of Eleven is inspired in the passion for cuisine shared by eleven friends. This unique setting, situated at the top of Eduardo VII Park, won its first Michelin star in 2005, only one year after its opening, something that is very rare. One of the restaurant’s partners is Joachim Koerper, regarded as one of the greatest chef in Europe. Fortaleza do Guincho Restaurant, enjoying a fantastic view of the Atlantic Ocean and Cabo da Roca, serves the inspiring Cuisine by Antoine Westermann, the famous chef holder of Michelin Guide three stars. The Michelin Guide evaluates the best restaurants and hotels in the world, awarding a maximum of three stars based on five criteria: quality of ingredients, skill in their cuisine and flavour, cuisine character, value and consistency between visits..

Lisboa Oceanarium welcomes 14th million visitor
Vasco, the Lisboa Oceanarium mascot, welcomed visitor number 14 million, a family of four people on their first visit to the site, on December 18.
The Oceanarium is visited by one million people annually. Inaugurated 11 years ago, it has become Portugal’s most visited cultural site. Students, teachers, families and organised groups are able to enjoy guided visits, theme workshops, lectures, concerts for babies, birthday parties and even a special night with the sharks. In addition to a diploma to mark this special event, the visitors were given a guided visit, a Lifecooler CoolGift Escapade voucher and various products from the Oceanário. Lisboa Oceanarium has as its mission statement the aim of promoting knowledge of the oceans and creating awareness of the need for Environment Conservation, through a change in our behaviour.

Bom Sucesso website wins international award
The Bom Sucesso Design Resort, Leisure & Golf website has been awarded by the CNBC - European Residential Property Awards with the Best Development Website 2009.
The structure, graphics, design and ease in acessing content as well as surfing the site www.bomsucesso.net were evaluated by an international multidisciplinary jury.
The Bom Sucesso resort will now exhibit the CNBC – European Residencial Property Awards prize logo, a symbol of excellence in the real estate sector. Situated near the town of Óbidos and less than an hour from Lisboa, Bom Sucesso – Design Resort, Leisure, Golf & SPA represents one of the most ambitous tourism developments in Portugal. Built on a 1,576.210 m2 plot of land, the development features residencial housing, a hotel with spa, 18 hole championship golf course, leisure facilities and extensive nature reserve. In addition to this latest award, Bom Sucesso had already been awarded the Overseas Living Luxury Life Style 2008, in the Best Developer in Europe category, as well as the Best Development in Portugal, awarded by CNBC Europe & Africa Property. The International Property Awards are annual awards given to residential and retail developers, divided into the following geographical groups: Americas, Asia Pacífic, Europe & Africa, Spain and UK. Projects from around the world are evaluated every year.

Berardo Collection highlights art by women
The new exhibit at the Berardo Collection Museum, “She is a Femme Fatale” presents a series of works created uniquely by women, from the start of the 20th century to present day.
The exhibit features work by around 20 artists, including Paula Rego, Cindy Sherman, Louise Bourgeois and Helena Almeida, who address in their work concepts rooted in important social revolution, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. Themes such as identity, gender, sexcuality and politics. The exhibit includes painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, video, dance and performances created by artists from Portugal, Spain, Brazil, USA, Finland, Switzerland, France, Iran and Cuba. The new exhibit at the Museum will be on show to the public until January 31, with free entry.


Lisboa awarded three Tourism “Oscars”
Lisboa was the great winner at the World Travel Awards (WTA), the most prestigious Tourism awards in the world, winning the awards for Best European Destination, Best City Breaks Destination and Best Cruise Destination.
Hotel Praia D´El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort, host of this year’s awards was also winner of Best European Golf & Leisure Resort. Portugal had 32 nominations in 25 of the 48 categories, having won five awards. The World Travel Awards are awarded through an online voting system - www.worldtravelawards.com - thousands of professionals in the sector across the world. Created in 1993, these Tourism “Oscars” award excellence in the travel and tourism sectors on a world scale, promoting the best destinations and services.

Fénix Group responsible for NH Parque Lisboa
As from November 1 Fénix Hotels will manage the former NH Parque Lisboa, belonging to NH Hoteles.
This deal included the purchase of the hotel by the Fénix Group, who already own the 4 star HF Fénix Lisboa Hotel and the 3 star HF Fénix Garden, both in the Marquês de Pombal area. NH Parque Lisboa opened three years ago and features 148 rooms, restaurant, bar, cafeteria, Wi-Fi, babysitting, laundry, room service, private parking and four meeting rooms for 95 people, aimed at the business and leisure guest.

Lisboa Convention Bureau best in Europe
The Lisbon Convention Bureau (LCB), a branch of Lisboa Tourism designed to promote business events, has been awarded the Business Destination Service Awards 2009, given to the best European Convention Bureau.
Awarded by the British magazine Business Destination, the award features several categories, and is a solid recognition of the excellent work carried out by LCB in the promotion of association conferences, corporate conferences, business incentives and product presentation – factors that contribute significantly to make Lisboa one of the top business destinations in the world. The Lisboa Congress Centre was also awarded the “Best Conference Facilities - Western Europe”, at this ceremony as the best conference location in Europe, succeeding the RAI Conference and Congress Centre in Amsterdam. Annually these prizes award business and institutions linked to business tourism, based on online voting. 

Financial Times describes Lisboa as a "charmingly eccentric" city
The Portuguese capital was the central theme in an article published by the British newspaper The Financial Times. This publication recommends Lisboa for a weekend “getaway” thanks to its diverse and modern tourism offer.
The two page article is illustrated with photos of both a historic and avantgarde Lisboa, and written by Paul Richardson, who describes it as a “charmingly eccentric” city determined to maintain its unique atmosphere at a time when most cities are becoming increasingly similar. The parallel between ancient and modern is a constant theme throughout the article, published on February 7 in the How to spend it supplement, including descriptions of landmarks that today are used for very different purposes. Such is the case of the docks area which today is much more than just a safe haven, rather an entertainment spot featuring nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and art galleries which according to the writer, could “easily be located in Ibiza or Miami”. The journalist also highlights the “ultra-modern” metro service, that is fast, efficient and uncrowded. In contrast the tramcars offer visitors the opportunity to discover “Lisboa’s notably peculiar topography”. At the point the writer poses the question: “how can such an ancient transport system have survived as a vital part of the city’s urban infrastructure?”

Lisboa, charm capital
With the twin objective of renovating its heritage whilst maintaining its public access, the City Council supported by Lisboa Tourism has launched a campaign entitled “Lisboa, Charm Capital”.
Palaces and other buildings owned by the council, of unique cultural or architectural value, will be places on sale for conversion into hotels. A total of six buildings from Príncipe Real to Bairro Alto, and Madragoa to Olivais, will in the near future add a new charm to the city: the palaces of Braamcamp, Pancas Palha, Machadinho, Benagazil and Visconde do Rio Seco and the building known as Passo da Procissão do Senhor dos Passos da Graça. Transformed into small but sophisticated boutique hotels these building will reinforce the fame and charm of the Lisboa brand. Through this much needed renconversion of buildings, symbols of its identity as a city, Lisboa will gain new hotels in this hotel sector, increasing the number of rooms offer by around 150 rooms.

Lonely Planet elects Lisboa as must see destination
The Portuguese capital features in “Best in Travel 2009”, a tourism guide published by Lonely Planet, as one of the ten cities in the world to visit next year. Regarded as an appropriate choice for those looking for an urban experience, Lisboa is described as a city that “combines Old World charm with fun”.
The article written by Stuart Butler, highlights the city’s evolution from the 1980’s until present day, when it changed from an “uninteresting” city to the “seductive Iberian mermaid”, noting that Lisboa has improved with age. In this two page article, the guide invites the reader to discover the city’s from the Folk Saints festivities, numerous festivals and cultural events held daily, to the lively café banter and restaurants known as a “gourmet’s dream”. Stuart Butler travelled on the Santa Justa Elevator, and fell in love with the city’s nightlife, recommending Lux nightclub, as a “mega fashion” nightspot, as well as a fado session filled with “nostalgia and passion”, in the many fado houses. Lonely Planet explores 30 destinations for 2009, where cities such as Warsaw, Antwerp, Beirut, Chicago, México City, Glasgow, São Paulo, Shanghai and Zurich are recommended in addition to Lisboa. Lonely Planet was founded in 1972 and its guides are published in English, French, Italian, Japanese, German, Korean, Mandarin and Spanish.