Nice to know: Say Meow to Chimmi
"What a hidden gem! We walked past Tings Lisbon whilst on route to the lookout and decided to circle back... Instantly offered some homemade drinks and snacks and the two resident cats were an added bonus. Talk about paradise!"
— Danny, on Tripadvisor.
Look Closer: The Vocal Explorer of the Graça Ridges
If you have spent any time checking into standard, cookie-cutter luxury hotels, you know the drill: predictable greetings, corporate uniforms, and a sterile atmosphere that feels exactly the same whether you are in London or New York. When Annette and I founded Tings Lisbon after 25 years on the road, we wanted an environment built on absolute professional precision but dressed in spontaneous authenticity. That means original art, fresh flowers, no rigid textbooks, and our two free-roaming Lisbon Boutique Hotel cats. While Rocco rules the slow lounge chair, his brother Chimmi runs the active street-level operation.
Chimmi is our resident extrovert, a talkative explorer who treats the entire neighborhood as his personal territory. If Rocco represents the art of doing absolutely nothing, Chimmi represents relentless curiosity. He is highly verbal, constantly checking in on guests, and perpetually investigating his surroundings. But don’t let his social nature fool you into thinking he’s a lap ornament—he expects you to respect his boundaries. He is on a mission, and he dictates the terms of engagement.
The Art of Conversing with the Perimeter Guard
Understanding Chimmi requires understanding a cat who has things to do. He loves our guests and stays highly involved in the daily rhythm of the hotel, but he completely skips the lazy, endless cuddle sessions. If you try to pick him up or force a heavy embrace, he will quickly let you know that his schedule doesn’t permit it. He prefers to keep things casual, walking through the lounge or courtyard with an air of absolute authority.
The insider guest strategy for befriending Chimmi is simple: let him come to you, and talk back. Since he is incredibly talkative, a simple, friendly acknowledgment is often all it takes to get an enthusiastic meow in return. If you are lucky and approach him on his own terms, he will happily allow a gentle scratch right behind his ears—and he will be incredibly satisfied. Just don’t expect him to linger for long; his perimeter fence needs patrolling, the rooftops are calling, and he has a full day of supervisor duties to attend to across our Graça oasis.
The High-Energy Explorer
Meet Chimmi, our highly talkative, curious, and fiercely independent garden explorer.
Always on a mission, he prefers patrolling the perimeter to sitting for long cuddles.
If you are lucky, he might grant you permission to scratch right behind his ears.
But don't expect him to linger—he has an entire neighborhood rooftop empire to run.
What’s the Story?
Chimmi’s daily routine tracks the lively, fluid landscape of the property. Unlike his brother, who maps his day mathematically based on shifting sunbeams, Chimmi maps his day based on actions and operational oversight. He takes his duties as the self-appointed manager of Tings Lisbon very seriously, shifting from outdoor garden stakeouts to indoor front-desk supervision without missing a beat.
He is an animal of intense focus. Whether he is trying to audit the contents of a freshly arrived grocery bag in the dining lounge, sitting directly on the reception desk to monitor incoming emails, or standing sentinel on the terrace walls to watch the sunset over the terracotta roofs, he does it with absolute commitment. He reminds us that a real lifestyle hotel shouldn’t feel sleepy—it should feel alive, slightly unpredictable, and completely full of character.
The Art of the Crash Out
WHERE TO SEE
Chimmi keeps a dynamic schedule, but you can usually find him keeping an eye on the administrative and creative hubs of the hotel:
- The Reception Desk: His morning office. He loves to plant himself directly next to the computer monitor, supervising check-ins and keeping a watchful eye over our daily bookings.
- The Terrace Wall: His premier sunset viewing station. He sits proudly on the white plaster wall overlooking the courtyard, tracking the neighborhood flow with a glass of local white wine sitting nearby on the table.
- The Dining Room Tables: Whenever fresh supplies or large blue shopping bags land in the lounge, Chimmi will immediately scale the wooden tables to inspect the cargo and run his own quality checks.
WHEN TO SEE
Chimmi is a daytime operator. The absolute best time to catch him in a talkative mood is during the morning breakfast service between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM when he stalks through the indoor dining spaces greeting guests. If you miss his morning rounds, look for him around 5:00 PM, when he sets up his late-afternoon post on the wooden console table alongside our Buddhist statues, taking in the soft golden rays before dusk.
WHERE TO SEE
You need to engage with Chimmi to appreciate the active, curious side of slow travel. While Rocco teaches you how to sit completely still, Chimmi shows you how to properly explore. Watching him confidently navigate the highest ridges, peer out from the terrace boundaries, and talk back to anyone who says hello is the ultimate masterclass in how to interact with the vibrant, living environment of Graça.
The Supervisor’s Daily Agenda
Conducting a rigorous independent audit of our incoming lounge supplies.
Enjoying a sunset view over the terracotta rooftops with a glass of local white wine.
Handling the morning email administration directly from the front office desk.
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha - Seeking a moment of quiet meditation next to our Green Tara
3 Quick Facts About Rocco
- The Verbal Contract Requirement: Chimmi is an intensely vocal creature who communicates with a diverse range of chirps and meows. He treats human interaction like a business negotiation; if you want to touch him, you need to speak to him first. Greeting him warmly opens the door for a brief, friendly exchange, whereas silently approaching him will usually result in him walking away to find a better conversation partner.
- The Elite Rooftop Passport: While Rocco stays safely within our garden boundary lines, Chimmi possesses a true neighborhood explorer passport. He treats the red clay barrel roof tiles of Graça as his personal highway network, scaling high walls and traversing steep angles effortlessly to keep tabs on the entire hillside block before dropping back down into our hidden oasis for dinner.
- The Office Manager Persona: Chimmi has an unexplainable affinity for administrative tasks. He is drawn to open laptops, stacks of freshly printed booking papers, and active workspaces. If there is a desk being used anywhere on the property, Chimmi considers it an open invitation to sit directly in the center of the action to ensure our hospitality strategy is being executed flawlessly.