Hospitality & Hotel Architects — Design, Renovation and Delivery
Hospitality projects are business projects. Your design must support operations, guest experience and revenue—while meeting constraints, approvals and the reality of execution.
Pedra Silva Architects designs and delivers hotels and hospitality interiors from concept to completion, with structured coordination for permits and approvals when required.
20+
Years
Hospitality and architecture since 2003
10+
Hotels & Guesthouses
Boutique hotels, heritage renovations, hospitality interiors
4
Countries
Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain, Russia
2
Awards
ArchDaily Building of the Year nomination + The Plan Awards finalist
Why Pedra Silva for hospitality
Pedra Silva Arquitectos has delivered the Aethos Hotel Ericeira (a 3,745 m2 boutique hotel, ArchDaily Building of the Year 2024 nominee and Plan Awards 2023 finalist) and licensed hospitality projects with Turismo de Portugal since 2014.
- Boutique hotels delivered: Aethos Ericeira and others across Portugal
- Regulatory experience: Camara Municipal, Turismo de Portugal, DGPC heritage coordination
- Hotel categories handled: 4-star and 5-star, lifestyle, boutique, surf-culture
- Working in Lisbon hospitality since 2014
Who we help
- Boutique hotels and lifestyle hospitality brands
- Hotel refurbishments and repositioning projects
- Restaurants and hospitality-led common areas
- Investors and operators entering Portugal
What you get
- Guest journeys that convert: arrival, flow, wayfinding and atmosphere
- Design decisions aligned with operations and maintenance
- Value engineering without losing the core concept
- Approvals-ready documentation and coordinated consultants
- End-to-end management: one point of contact, from design to handover
Scope of services
- Feasibility, spatial strategy and repositioning
- Concept design and interior architecture
- Room prototypes and repeatable standards (rollouts)
- Coordination with MEP / specialty consultants
- Permits/licensing support and coordination with authorities (as applicable)
- Tender support, contractor alignment, site supervision and handover
Our process
1) Feasibility & concept direction
Define the experience, target guest and operational constraints.
2) Prototype & standards
Rooms, bathrooms, FF&E guidelines, durability and maintenance logic.
3) Approvals-ready packages
Coordinate consultant inputs and documentation for submissions.
4) Execution planning
Phasing, procurement realities, contractor coordination.
5) Site supervision
Quality control and detail delivery.
6) Handover
Snagging, as-built updates and readiness to operate.
Hotel Architecture in Lisbon
Lisbon has become one of Europe's most dynamic hospitality markets, attracting international hotel brands, boutique operators, and property investors. As hotel architects based in Lisbon, we bring local regulatory knowledge and an international design perspective to every project.
Our hospitality work covers the full spectrum: from new-build boutique hotels to heritage building renovations, from surf-culture lifestyle hotels to urban guesthouses. Our flagship project, the Aethos Hotel in Ericeira, is a 3,745 m2 boutique hotel renovation that earned an ArchDaily Building of the Year nomination in 2024 and a Plan Awards finalist position in 2023.
For hotel renovation projects in Portugal, we manage the regulatory complexity that international investors find challenging: Camara Municipal submissions, heritage authority (DGPC) coordination when applicable, and Tourism Board (Turismo de Portugal) requirements for hospitality licensing.
We work with both Portuguese and international clients entering the market. Whether you are repositioning an existing hotel, converting a heritage building, or developing a new hospitality concept, our end-to-end service covers concept design, permit coordination, construction supervision and handover.
Hospitality sectors we serve
- Boutique hotels and lifestyle hospitality brands
- Heritage hotel renovations and adaptive reuse
- Surf and tourism destination hotels
- Urban guesthouses and serviced apartments
- Hotel restaurants, bars and common areas
- Wellness and spa facilities within hospitality settings
Looking for a hotel architect in Lisbon? Start a conversation about your hospitality project.
RELATED PROJECTS
Aethos Hotel
Aethos Ericeira is a boutique hotel located near Calada beach, in Ericeira, a growing tourist destination known for its amazing waves and the surf culture it welcomes.
View project: Aethos Hotel
Zero Museum
Located in Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo – Tavira, in Algarve, and promoted by the Instituto Lusíada da Cultura, the Zer0 Museum project proposes the rehabilitation of part of the local agricultural cooperative’s installations into a museum and creative centre dedicated to the digital arts.
View project: Zero Museum
Palma Apartment
Located in Lisbon, the Palma Apartments main objective was the total restructuring of the existing space to create a new proposal for a living space that was more fluid and more adequate to our clients’ lifestyle.
View project: Palma ApartmentFAQs
We support permitting by structuring documentation and coordinating the necessary consultants and approval cycles with relevant authorities. The exact responsibilities depend on the project and legal framework.
Often yes. We can plan phased works to keep operations running where feasible—balancing guest comfort, safety and timeline.
When applicable, yes. We coordinate project information and feedback cycles with the relevant entities as part of a structured approvals process.
We focus on the guest journey and the few design decisions that create maximum perceived value, then value-engineer the rest without damaging the concept.
Yes. We can develop a repeatable design language—room prototypes, finishes, and guidelines—while adapting to each site's constraints.
Yes. We frequently design hospitality-led lobbies, lounges and restaurant-style common spaces aligned with operations and brand.
A short discovery to align on business goals, constraints, timeline and approvals path—then a feasibility and concept roadmap.
No. We're Lisbon-based and work across Portugal and internationally depending on project fit and scope.
Our hospitality portfolio includes the Aethos Hotel in Ericeira, a 3,745 m² boutique hotel renovation that received an ArchDaily Building of the Year 2024 nomination and was a 2023 Plan Awards finalist. Additional hospitality projects span heritage renovations and boutique guesthouses across four countries. See the hospitality portfolio for the full list.
Yes. Much of our hospitality work is heritage renovation, adapting protected and character buildings into contemporary boutique hotels. In central Lisbon this means coordinating with heritage authorities (IGESPAR / DGPC), Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, and structural engineers specialised in existing-building retrofit. We handle the full approvals path and the execution on site.
Hotel Permits & Licensing in Portugal
Hotel projects in Portugal require compliance with Turismo de Portugal regulations and the RJET (Regime Jurídico dos Empreendimentos Turísticos). We manage the full permit process: feasibility, design within regulatory constraints, documentation, and authority liaison.
We operate across Portugal and internationally, with completed projects in Lisbon, Ericeira, the Algarve, and the United Kingdom. Every project benefits from our integrated approach: a single team handles concept, licensing coordination, construction supervision and handover, reducing the communication overhead that typically causes delays and cost overruns in hospitality fit-outs.
Other services
Healthcare Architecture
Clinics, dental practices and specialist healthcare spaces with regulatory compliance and patient-focused design.
Explore healthcare architectureWorkspace & Office Design
Workplace strategy, fit-outs and headquarters projects with end-to-end delivery and site supervision.
Explore workplace designPlanning a hospitality project? Contact us
Learn more about our studio in Lisbon
Pedra Silva Architects Portugal - hospitality studio in Lisbon