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VIP Diplomatico Hotel – reviews, photos

4.0 of 5
Rua Castilho 74, Lisbon 1250-071, Portugal
Hotel amenities
VIP Diplomatico Hotel
Ranked #108 of 212 hotels in Lisbon
3.5 of 5 stars 182 Reviews
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182 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    39
    77
    44
    15
    7
Date Rating
Oslo, Norway
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Avoid this hotel!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 July 2011

This hotel is the worst hotel-experience I have ever had during my time as a traveler!
1. When we came to the hotel the staff said the room is paid for and breakfast is inkl. When we had helped our selves with the breakfast a guy comes up to have us sign for a bill for 16 euro. When we said that the people had said that breakfast was inkl no one belived us. They told us that there were 3 options; First was we did not understand english, second was we were lying and third was that we were stupid. Then they asked for the voucher, something the staff had not given us.
2. The bed is not a bed for sleeping. Worst bed-experience in Portugal (rock hard).
3. The shower did not work the way it was supposed to. You could not stand up taking a shower.


We been staying in all kinds of hotels, guesthouses & resorts all over the world and never been treated like this. And we have never misunderstood anything before.

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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HongKong
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Definitely NOT 4 Star”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 July 2010
1
person found this review helpful

Definitely not 4 Star. Nothing VIP about this hotel. Room on 7th Flr and have to tell you our room looked very very tired. Carpets worn out, beds hard as rock and walls paper thin and disturbed every night with noises from next door. For 4 days they were fixing the WIFI and no internet. Don't think they have had internet for a while.
Last day noticed bites suspect bed bugs unfortunately.

  • Stayed July 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Miami Beach, Florida
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“The staff is awful”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 July 2010
1
person found this review helpful

Stayed here three nights. This is run down and old compared to other options at the same price in better locations. The elevator is downright scary. A large group of us were in town for a major event and this place was bottom of the barrel amongst all of our friends. Our friends all paid about the same and stayed at way better, more modern places than this by the exhibition grounds. We chose this place because it looks close to barrio alto on the expedia map. It's not. In fact, it isn't really close to anything worthwhile.

During our visit, the front desk sent us merrily walking up a steep hill to a closed restaurant, sent us to what turned out to be a known and notoriously slummy (among the locals) part of the beach on overcrowded public transportation, and suggested a nightclub where a friend (also a guest of this hotel) was robbed and beaten. Upon returning from the robbing and beating incident, front desk staff, despite speaking OK English, made no effort to communicate with the Portuguese people we needed to work with (we don't speak Portuguese).

Next beef - we purchased wifi access and were given a card with a username and password. Which the maid stole or threw away while we were out. Upon telling our amigos at the front desk, they grudgingly replaced our access card with a total of three non-working cards. We finally got a username with like 12 minutes of access despite paying for two hours. Losing a few buck is no big deal. Running up and down stairs for twenty minutes trying to figure this out in the process of losing a few bucks was infuriating.

Next- these guys have actual, metal keys for the rooms that they will not let you take out of the hotel. So, you have to ask the wonderful staff to have the key to your room every time you come back. I felt like I was asking my dad for something.

  • Stayed June 2010, travelled with friends
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
St Albans, United Kingdom
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Nice Hotel”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 May 2010
1
person found this review helpful

This is a nice hotel. I was so fortunate as to have a room at the back, facing the courtyards and not the road. "Sound Proof Rooms" as mentioned in descriptions (found on other websites) however do not really exist, unless this is available for business meeting rooms only. At several times, I was woken up by people in the next room having a shower or flushing the toilet. In the mornings it was the cleaners making a noise in the hallway.
All in all, it was decent, clean and the staff nice. Room was spacious. There was a kettle and cups for making tea, a telly and a small balcony. All rooms are air-conditioned.
Wireless Internet access was available, but had to be paid for. I found it at €3.00/1hr, €5.00/24hrs and €10.00/3 days fairly expensive, though. I agree with previous reviews that it does not really deserve the 4 star rating as the hotel does need some TLC.

  • Stayed May 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Staines, England
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
52 helpful votes 52 helpful votes
“Nothing particularly wrong, but...”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 May 2010
1
person found this review helpful

I stayed at the VIP Diplomatico Hotel for three nights at the end of April/beginning of May with my girlfriend.

We had been due to visit Lisbon a couple of weeks before staying at the Residential Alegria, but had to cancel due to volcanic ash. We were unable to rebook at the Residential Alegria as it was full (and we lost the cost of one nights accommodation) but were able to get a double room at the VIP Diplomatico. We paid 52 Euros a night, as part of a promotion they were running.

If you are thinking about staying at the VIP Diplomatico then don’t be fooled by the website, grand name or it’s four star rating. It is a rather dated hotel, with old fashioned and tired furnishings, worn carpets and an old style lift. The bed was also two singles pushed together, which I know causes a problem for some people.

The bedroom had a TV with a number of English channels, limited tea and coffee making facilities, a mini-bar and a safe (which I believe you had to pay extra for). The staff were helpful and spoke good English. We didn’t have breakfast or use the bar, so I can’t comment on that.

It is a good 25 minute walk to the centre of Lisbon (potentially longer depending upon where you were going). It is well placed for buses and the metro, but we found it somewhat inconvenient and too far out for our liking.

We would also laugh as we walked past the very grand looking Sofitel hotel on Avenida da Liberdade as it had the same four star rating as the dated VIP Diplomatico! Whilst there is nothing particularly wrong with the VIP Diplomatico, I don't believe it deserves a four star rating. I would stay there again, but I would try and find somewhere more central first.

I would also suggest that if you are expecting luxury or modern facilities that you look elsewhere. However, if you are able to get a good rate and don’t mind being some way out of the centre then this could be the place for you. Just don’t expect too much.

  • Stayed May 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about VIP Diplomatico Hotel

  • Vip Diplomatico Lisbon
  • Hotel Vip Diplomatico
Address: Rua Castilho 74, Lisbon 1250-071, Portugal
Price range (per night):* INR4,124 - 7,635

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