Lisbon is one of my favourite cities, and such great value when compared with other European capitals. An equivalent hotel to this in Paris would set you back three times as much, and probably twice as much in Madrid.

The hotel is well situated (Lisbon is a small city and taxis are cheap - you'll pay around €10 to get here from the airport), and has parking available on the street or in a car park at the rear of the hotel. The reception area is a vast expanse of marble with an open plan bar and seating area and the restaurant is opposite the reception desk. The rooms have modern styling with very large bath / shower area and more than adequate bathroom space. The floors are "wooden" laminate, so the rooms don't have that cosy feel, but they are always spotlessly clean. The beds are large and comfortable with great pillows and linen. The usual TV & services are present, but don't expect any English TV channels apart from the omnipresent and eternally depressing BBC World and CNN.

The restaurant offers high quality international food which is well presented and the service is always superb. The restaurant lacks atmosphere, however, so I would recommend eating out if you have the time and the inclination to explore. The food in Lisbon is outrageously good, especially anything which comes from the sea. Bacalao (salt cod) is a must-have on any trip to Lisbon, as are the pasteis de belem (a.k.a. custard tarts).

Breakfast costs extra, and it's quite a lot extra. The upside is that you can eat until you burst, but you do pay for the privilege. Personally I prefer to go out to have a pastry and a strong coffee like the locals.

There are better hotels in Lisbon (Marriott, Sofitel and Ritz/Four Seasons), but frankly, they cost twice as much and are not twice as good. This was always my first choice hotel and I stayed here many times.

Oops, nearly forgot the spa! For those who like a spa, there's a very nicely appointed one on the first floor, worthy of a five star hotel, and within the complex there is a really well-equipped gym with cardio-vascular machines, multi-gym, free-weights and exercise rooms.

And finally, the staff here are all excellent - in general the Portuguese are faultlessly polite - and they take pride in the service offered.