As thoughts turn to Christmas shopping trips, Inspira Santa Marta Hotel (+351 210 440 900; www.inspirahotels.com,) has created a special tour that focuses on the beautiful architecture and interiors of Lisbon's shops, as well as what's on sale inside.

The chic 89-room urban retreat has launched a two-night B&B package featuring a two-hour Shop Tour, which aims to inspire visitors to appreciate one of Lisbon's greatest assets – its exquisite traditional and re-imagined retail stores.

Highlights include a visit to Luvaria Ulisses, a glover that has been operating since 1925, where a professional fitting adds a touch of theatre to a shopping trip. Guests will also visit a branch of the jeweller Tous, former home of Ourivesaria Aliança, to admire the exquisite, carefully restored Louis XV-style furnishings, as well as works by the artist Artur Alves Cardosa.

The former warehouse of Lisbon haberdasher David and David is also on the list. Now reinterpreted by A Vida Portuguesa, a trendsetting retailer of all things Portuguese, this intriguing box of treasures delivers a memory-evoking experience for locals and an insight into the country's culture for visitors. 

At the end of the tour, guests receive a list of further shops of interest from an architectural and design perspective, so that they may continue their journey through the retail landscape at their leisure. Read the blog here.

The Shop Tour is led by Marta Monteiro, a personal image consultant, who has years of experience working in the fashion industry. Marta is also available for other shopping services to suit guests' needs, including adventures based on individual styles and budgets. Inspira Santa Marta Hotel is well-located for the signature stores of the global fashion houses, including Gucci and Prada, which are three minutes' walk away on the Avenida da Liberdade.

The two-night package, price €432 (£309) for two people, includes two nights in a superior double with breakfast and one guided Shop Tour (the second guest can join the tour for €74/£52). Use of the wellness centre, WiFi, access to online newspapers and magazines in several languages, bathrobes and slippers, tea, Nespresso coffee and bottled water are also included. The offer is subject to availability.

Inspira nominated in Earth Changer category at National Geographic World Legacy Awards

The Lisbon hotel has also been named as one of the 15 finalists in the prestigious National Geographic World Legacy Awards.

An international panel of judges selected the 89-room urban retreat in central Lisbon for the Earth Changers award following an on-site inspection. This category recognises cutting-edge leadership in environmentally friendly business practices and green technology, from renewable energy and water conservation to zero-waste systems and carbon emissions reduction.

Inspira Santa Marta, the only Portuguese finalist, was shortlisted from more than 150 entries, representing 51 countries and six continents. The hotel was singled out for putting in place environmentally friendly operations that serve as “a role model for Portugal's tourism industry”.

The judges were particularly impressed by the hotel's Green Squad, which provides leadership in implementing innovative sustainable tourism ideas both in the hotel and the community. For more about Inspira Santa Marta's environmentally friendly practices, see inspirahotels.com/en/green-hotel.

The National Geographic World Legacy Awards showcase the leading travel and tourism companies, organisations and destinations driving sustainable tourism transformation of the travel industry. They are a partnership between the global non-profit membership organisation National Geographic Society, and ITB Berlin, the leading trade fair for the world's travel industry. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at ITB Berlin on 10 March 2016. For more about the World Legacy Awards go to www.nationalgeographic.com/worldlegacyawards.

More about Inspira Santa Marta Hotel
Inspira Santa Marta Hotel is set in a quiet quarter close to the centre of Lisbon, just off the Avenida da Liberdade. Beyond the hotel's sympathetically restored 18th-century façade, a radical reinterpretation of four buildings has resulted in a cool, contemporary interior with a soaring atrium at its heart. The vast open-plan space, home to the hotel's reception, restaurant, bar, and lounge areas, is set against the backdrop of a sweeping staircase, which leads to the spa. 

The hotel is inspired by the Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui, which informs the liveable design of the common areas, bedrooms and suites – guests can request a room that reflects their birth sign. The styling also beautifully accords with the five elements – water, earth, wood, fire and metal – through the tasteful choice of colours, patterns and materials for the modish décor, fabrics and furniture.

The cleverly designed 89 bedrooms and suites enable guests to move seamlessly through their day. The rooms centre on supremely comfortable beds, with eye-catching integrated shower rooms in the bedrooms and more luxurious open-plan spa bathrooms in some suites. Generous storage areas, smart task- and mood-lighting options, ergonomic desks, and comfy armchairs to relax in all come as standard, as do flat-screen TVs, plug-and-play technology, free WiFi, online newspapers, complimentary toiletries, bathrobes and fair-trade tea and coffee.

In the hotel's light and airy 80-seat restaurant, Open Brasserie, Chef João Silva's team creates Portuguese cuisine with a Mediterranean twist. Fresh, seasonal ingredients – organic and sustainably sourced where possible – are transformed into dishes such as codfish loin from the Portuguese coast served with asparagus, fried egg, potato sticks and sun-dried tomato. Open Brasserie is also certified gluten-free and menus include both vegetarian and vegan options. The Urban Bar provides a convivial space, with an open fire in winter, for sipping the country's fine ports and wines as well as other drinks. There's an adjacent games room, too, where guests can shoot some pool.

Rare among its four-star competitors in the city, Inspira Santa Marta also has a sleek spa, The Retreat, managed by Ritualspa. Also designed according to Feng Shui philosophy, this peaceful place has a wellness area with six individual and double rooms for treatments and beauty therapies, plus a tea room for post-treatment relaxation. Features include Vichy water and colour therapies and Elemis is the product of choice. Guests also have access to a well-equipped gym.

Inspira Santa Marta has outstanding green credentials, from its energy-saving systems, to its rigorously audited supply chain and its committed support of several community projects at home and abroad. Consequently, it has won many accolades, including Best Sustainable Hotel in Portugal in the 2013/14 International Hotel Awards.

Double rooms with breakfast cost from €130/£95 per night, subject to availability.

Contact: www.inspirahotels.com, +351 210 440 900. Follow: Twitter @inspira_hotels; facebook.com/InspiraHotels, pinterest.com/inspirahotel, YouTube, and Google+.

To request images or further information, and to enquire about press visits, please contact Little Black Book Creative: Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@lbbcreative.co.uk, or Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@lbbcreative.co.uk.

ENDS