Lisbon April 2011

The price I got from the hotel was 101€ per night including the VIP option. I asked them to match the rate offered by a cooperating internet site. I secured the room with a credit card and did not have to pay for the week at the time of booking. I was booking for 7 nights two months in advance so that might have been an incentive for them regarding the rate. You have to do your homework to determine what deals are availalble at the time you are booking. However, we did compare it with apartment rates and other hotels and found it to be very competitive for an excellent hotel. Apartments typically had smaller beds. We had a firm, king-sized bed on an upper floor in a room with a great view of the city. The hotel is really first rate and while we did not eat there more than once because we found their menu to be too costly (breakfast was 19€ p.p., the VIP option they offer for a few extra euros is a good deal because it gives you access to the spa and to their "VIP room" on the 19th floor which has available non stop expresso coffee and free soft drinks and bottled water. We found this to be a nice feature and a money saver. There is a bar in the room which we used only to to store the wine we purchased for ourselves at the big supermarket at the Amorieres Mall 100 yds. across the street. The hotel is a 15 minute walk to the metro, has about 5 different bus routes passing by and you can walk to the center of town in about 25-30 minutes if you are a good walker (up and down hilly streets). Cab to the center of town costs 4-5€ depending on the time of day. The hotel employees are friendly and helpful. Having stayed there at that rate, I believe I would be willing to pay more to stay there again. Can you stay in Lisbon for less? Probably. But we are sure we received value for what we paid. I hope this helps.

Thanks. Afraid that's out of my price range. I'll stick to the Residencial Florescente, which is just off Praca dos Restauradores and close to the Restauradoros metro, Rossio station, the funicular to Baixa and the delicious chicken at Bomjardin... Love Lisbon!

"a resonable price" Your definition of reasonable may not be mine. Please be more specific.

When you go on a holiday you gotta allow yourself to some treats. If the price is fair for what you were looking for, why not? There are many Lisbon hotels to choose from but all depends on your expectations and taste. It's important that you choose a good location because otherwise what you pay with transport there could be the difference for a nicer hotel in a closer area.

I agree. The information I provided was to let anyone who is considering the Dam Pedro in on the treatment I received. To each their own...

Hey, if you can afford the Dom Pedro, go for it. I can't, which is why I asked for your definition of reasonable. Since I actually prefer the location of the Florescente, we're both happy. And others can make their own choice.

I agree with Kathy - to each his/her own, else we'd all try to crowd into the same hotel. We also prefer Florescente both for its location and atmosphere. It's walking distance to many sites and the water as well. Also it's a five minute walk to metro, bus, and train station. It's a typical European style hotel with an enjoyable breakfast that's included in the price. We love visiting Lisbon and Portugal. We have been there six times in the past 25 years for three to four weeks at a time travelling all over the country. and hope to return in the next few years. As Joel noted, the people are among the nicest in the world, and the history, sights, scenery, wine, etc. are wonderful. Hope we all agree on those points!

It's a pleasure to hear what different people enjoy. Typicallly when we travel we like to take an apartment or a house (when we go with other members of our family). We stay in one place and then, using that as a base, day trip to other spots. We also enjoy the idea of meeting residents of the area whom we get to see more than once. We have done this a lot in Italy. Some friends of mine enjoy touring and visiting many different places on a single trip. I think we all have a lot to contribute to a conversation about the places we have been and believe this offers the opportunity for others who would enjoy some alternatives in a particular location to hear about them. I have a question about the Florescente, not having stayed there. It does sound like a good alternative in Lisbon. Does it offer a king sized bed in any of its rooms?

I travel solo, so don't know about the king-size question. This is the web site: http://www.residencialflorescente.com/index.php?lg=en If you like apartments, this place is located in Baixa and gets good reviews: http://brownsapartments.com/ - I nearly stayed there last time (good web deal came up).

Susan is right, the chicken is amazing!

Joel, I think the unlimited espresso alone would be worth a little more money!

Joel-sounds like you enjoyed Lisbon as much as we did. Did you eat at Bonjardim, the amazing chicken restaurant? We really loved that place. All our meals were great in Lisbon and most were not expensive.

I am staying in an apartment off Rossio for two weeks in October. We will be using Lisbon as a home base and taking day trips to other areas of Portugal. I am very interested in hearing about some tasty but, inexpensive restaurants to stretch our travel euros. Of course, we will want to do wine and port tastings as well. Since this will our first trip to Portugal and Lisbon all suggestions are welcome! Shelly
Nashville TN USA 5/26/11

Shelly - there are a few recent threads on Lisbon with many of the recommendations you are looking for. The RS guide has some great recommendations and the roast chicken place is not to miss. The port tasting room is at the top of the furnicular. There is another tasting room on the square at the river. Portugal is so cheap that I think you'll find your budget will be fine with most any restaurant.

Thanks Douglas, I'll look for them. I just downloaded Rick Steves' book to my Nook, so I can take it with me.

Joel, What is the best way to get from the airport to a hotel in downtown Lisbon? Thank you. Marius (Cleveland, OH)

Hi Marius: The easiest way to get to or from the airport I believe is by taxi. The price, as I remember it, was around 10-12 euros or so. The convienence can't be beat. The airport is really not very far north of the center of the city. The fare is typically metered. Bags add a little to the cost. Departing our hotel, at 5:45 a.m. they called a taxi company number. In five minutes the taxi was there. This was on a rainy Saturday morning. A week earlier when we arrived, we queued up for a taxi directly outside the terminal and the fare was slightly more than the return. Rick Steves notes the same thing in one of his books. The trip to the center of town takes 15-20 min depending on time of day. I hope you enjoy Lisbon. No reason why you won't. It reminds me a little of San Francisco with the hilly terrain, the water, cable and trolley cars etc. Enjoy!

While the easiest may be a taxi, it's not the cheapest, so it depends on your definition of "best". I take the airport bus, which has several stops in town. I get off at the Praca dos Restauradores as the Florescente is just a couple of minutes walk away. See http://www.golisbon.com/transport/airport.html