As I was to be spending most of my Portugal trip with my family in the North, I didn't feel any need for "local color" or authenticity during my brief stay in Lisbon. I was traveling with my elderly parents and wanted something clean, comfortable, convenient and under $150... the Holiday Inn would be just fine (as the serviceable hotels where we usually stayed Roma and Lutecia had no rooms under$200) . My search turned up a special deal at Hotel Corinthia for 75 Euros a night. The website looked nice, TripAdvisor said it was okay so I went for it.
I will not think twice about where to stay in Lisbon ever again! This was my best hotel experience in Portugal bar none!
The hotel is itself is beautiful and modern, but the stand-out feature of the hotel is its staff. From the bellman in a tophat that seemed to have whisked my luggage out of the taxi before it even stopped, to the friendly front desk Corinthia made me feel as though I was indeed their "guest." At the height of the festival season and with over 500 rooms, that seemed like a feat in retrospect. Even though my Portuguese is halting and I need to speak English for more complicated questions, I never felt condescended to, as I have elsewhere and the staff's English is impeccable!
The room I had was quite large and had a great view. It was attractively furnished and had a pleasant view to the north. (My parents room had a great view of the Aqueduct) The bed was very comfortable and the sheets and pillowcases where soft and cottony. The bathroom was large and shiny with a strong shower and lots of hot water. The only less than stellar items where the leaky toilet and budget hair dryer that was attached to the desk... nowhere near a mirror.
The hotel's location is a bit north west of the central "downtown" area, but a cab ride to the Rossio was about 5 Euros (cabs are cheap and plentiful in Portugal) and the Sete Rios station is one block away for catching the local subway, bus or even transit to other parts of Portugal. The twin towers shopping mall is directly behind the hotel and has a food court, cinema, grocery, pharmacy and book store. Other than that, the immediate neighborhood isn't that exciting, but as I stated it's cheap and super-easy to get around.
With that in mind, we opted for the Hotel's restaurant on our first night. I was less than excited about this option, expecting1 boring, overpriced meal. Again I was pleasantly surprised! The modish restaurant, Tipico, had a variety of Portuguese Style dishes prepared in a contemporary style. The results were definitely tasty and entrees were modestly priced at 14-20 Euros. The wine list is huge and unwieldly, so I just asked the server for her suggestion and was pleased with the result. Over the course of 3 meals my family and I sampled most of the menu. Avoid the pasta dishes, not bad just boring and definitely try the Portuguese fish specialties: all were delicious and elegantly prepared. The maitresse d'hotel, Catia, was warm and inviting, offered inspiring wine selections, and even prepared a special dish for my cold-suffering boyfriend. Breakfasts were not included with our rooms, but I tried the buffet anyway. If you are here on business, go for it... there's lots of fresh fruit and cheeses amidst the stale breads and runny eggs. If you have some time, though, you're best off going for treats at any local cafe.
Access to the top floors is limited to the Executive Club and the pool was not available at the time of my trip. Room service was speedy and pleasant.
