Hotels
The independent hotel group is inviting guests to discover Lisbon and Porto behind the wheel of Britain’s fully electric open-air runabout.
Luxury hotels have long competed over destination spas and Michelin-starred restaurants. Now they’re turning their attention to how guests actually move through a destination.Bomporto Hotels,the independent Portuguese hospitality group behind three boutique properties in Lisbon and Porto, has partnered with British automotive brandMOKEInternational to bring its fully electric vehicles to its hotels, offering guests a decidedly more stylish way to explore Portugal’s two largest cities.
For those unfamiliar with the name, a MOKE is an open-air, doorless beach buggy with unmistakable retro styling. Originally developed in Britain during the 1960s, the vehicle became an unlikely luxury icon after finding its way to the French Riviera, Caribbean resorts and California beach towns.
Today’s MOKE retains its playful silhouette but swaps its petrol engine for a fully electric powertrain. For the first time, visitors to Portugal will be able to rent vehicles by the hour or by the day to explore two of Europe’s most walkable and increasingly design-conscious cities at a deliberately slower pace. Available at The Lumiares Hotel & Spa and The Vintage Hotel & Spa in Lisbon, as well as at The Rebello in Porto, vehicles can be reserved directly at each, with rates starting at €50 per hour or €225 for a full day. Rather than simply handing over the keys, Bomporto pairs each rental with curated driving routes, neighborhood recommendations and locally inspired experiences that encourage guests to venture beyond the standard sightseeing circuit.
Good hotels have always known where to send their guests. Increasingly, they’re also paying attention to how they get there. For Bomporto, that means replacing the usual rental car with something considerably more characterful, encouraging travelers to slow down—swapping a tightly planned itinerary for an afternoon spent following the Douro, lingering over lunch by the river or detouring into a neighborhood they hadn’t intended to visit. It’s a subtle shift, but one that suggests the drive is becoming as much a part of the experience as the destination itself.
Taking the Scenic Route
The vehicle’s story is almost as compelling as its design. Originally conceived in Britain during the early 1960s by Sir Alec Issigonis—the engineer behind the original Austin Mini—the MOKE was first intended as a lightweight military vehicle before finding an altogether more glamorous second life. By the late 1960s it had become synonymous with the French Riviera, Caribbean islands and California beach towns, attracting admirers ranging from The Beatles and Brigitte Bardot to James Bond. Today, eachMOKEis hand-built in Northamptonshire, England, where the original cars were produced, marrying unmistakable heritage styling with contemporary electric engineering.
For MOKE International, Portugal becomes another addition to a growing collection of destinations where the brand has evolved beyond a nostalgic collector’s item into something closer to a lifestyle accessory. Already a familiar sight in places such as St. Barth, St. Tropez, Miami Beach and Waikiki, where its open-air design feels less like transportation than part of the vacation itself.
The brand’s easygoing character makes it a natural fit for Portugal, where Lisbon and Porto reward travelers willing to wander rather than rush. In Porto, guests staying atThe Rebello, a converted collection of riverside warehouses overlooking the Douro, will receive access to self-guided driving routes that trace the river toward the Atlantic, climb to panoramic viewpoints across Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, and continue through seaside neighborhoods including Foz and Matosinhos.
Lisbon’s suggested itineraries are equally varied. Guests atThe Lumiares Hotel & Spa, housed within a restored 18th-century palace in the city’s vibrant Bairro Alto, can leave Portugal’s capital behind for the Atlantic beaches of Cascais and Guincho or spend the day wandering the city’s historic quarters at their own pace.The Vintage Hotel & Spa, meanwhile, offers a stylish base near Avenida da Liberdade for weaving between Belém’s riverside landmarks, the converted warehouses of LX Factory, and residential neighborhoods such as Lapa and Marvila, where some of the city’s best cafés, galleries and wine bars reward those willing to wander.
More Than a Hotel Perk
Hotels have become increasingly inventive in the ways they help guests experience a destination. For Bomporto, that now extends beyond the concierge desk and behind the wheel of a MOKE. The goal is less about transportation than encouraging spontaneity, local discovery and the simple pleasure of taking the long way around. In Portugal, checking into a boutique hotel may now come with something rather more memorable than a room key: the chance to explore Lisbon’s hills or Porto’s waterfront behind the wheel of one of Britain’s most enduring automotive icons.
All photos courtesy Lydia Harper (@lids_harper)for Parc Fermé.