Amy Adejokun
Section editor
The Excelsior hotel is a small and unpretentious hotel, offering few facilities and little equipment, but it is perfect for young people looking for an inexpensive place in the Portuguese capital city.
Excelsior - © EASYVOYAGE
Excelsior - © EASYVOYAGE
The Excelsior hotel is located in a small street parallel with Liberdade Avenue, not far from Edward VII Park and Marques de Pombal Square. Lisbon's city centre is a 15-20 minute walk away.
The 81 bedrooms have all been redecorated in a more modern style. You will now find parquet flooring, new curtains and bedspreads, and on the walls, a prominent shade of beige which makes the rooms a lot brighter. Despite this, the decoration remains very sober and classic, without much originality. The rooms are equipped with a television, a telephone and air-conditioning. As for the bathrooms, they are equipped with a bathtub, a hair-dryer and hospitality products. They are also decorated in a classic style with beige tiles.
The Excelsior hotel opened its doors 35 years ago and is remarkable for its outdated decor. However, when we visited at the end of 2008, the hotel's interior decoration was being changed and modernised. Not far from the reception desk, you will find a bar and a small Internet area. A television has also been set up near to the bar.
The hotel restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served as a buffet and Indian cuisine is served for lunch and dinner. The decoration should have changed drastically since we visited in 2008. The tables and chairs should also be more modern
The hotel was being renovated during our visit in 2008, when the decoration was due to change.
The Britania hotel is located in a quieter street than the Avenida da Liberdade and really is worth bearing in mind when planning a trip to the city. Its outdated and Art Deco-style decor make this a very charming hotel, with pleasantly decorated rooms and a small lounge area in the lobby where you can relax and read.
The Tivoli Lisboa is one of the best five-star hotels we've had the pleasure of visiting in this city. For starters, it enjoys a prime location at the heart of the city on one of the most prestigious avenues in Lisbon, the Avenida da Liberdade. It really does have so many assets, including an outdoor pool set amid a very pleasant little botanical garden, not to mention a panoramic restaurant which offers exceptional views across the city. Welcome to a world of luxury where every last detail counts!
The renovated Tivoli Jardim is a very trendy hotel where modernity, design, and clean lines combine to provide chic yet low key surroundings throughout the establishment. This is a great place to stay if you're looking for somewhere with a plush and elegant ambience. Plus, the cuisine served in the hotel restaurant is renowned throughout the city.
The Sofitel Lisbon Liberdade is a hotel with quality services provided in an Asian setting, and is suited just as well to businessmen as to couples. Well located on Avenida da Liberdade, it is very handy when it comes to exploring the city.
This hotel represents the perfect blend between modern and traditional styles. Some of you will probably fall in love with the lift here when you see it, it is so wonderfully decorated! On a more serious note though, this hotel has all the amenities that you could ever wish for.
You will soon feel at home relaxing among friends in the cocooning atmosphere of the lounges at this hotel. Its ideal location, in a quiet street not far from the city centre, makes it an ideal place to stay in the Portuguese capital, and the lack of ostentatious luxury makes it perfect if you are looking for a quality hotel but nothing too flashy.
The Dom Carlos Liberty is a moderately-sized hotel (59 rooms) and is ideally located to make the most of the city of Lisbon. A snack bar, computers and a library, set in stylish and modern surroundings, are open for your convenience all day long: just what you need after a long day looking around the city!
Modern and well-equipped, with quality facilities, the hotel Marques de Pombal's clientele is made up of both families and business people. Ideally located, it will enable you to visit the city with ease, however, its decoration is not exactly at the height of fashion.
The Tivoli Lisboa is one of the best five-star hotels we've had the pleasure of visiting in this city. For starters, it enjoys a prime location at the heart of the city on one of the most prestigious avenues in Lisbon, the Avenida da Liberdade. It really does have so many assets, including an outdoor pool set amid a very pleasant little botanical garden, not to mention a panoramic restaurant which offers exceptional views across the city. Welcome to a world of luxury where every last detail counts!
The Lapa Palace hotel is one of the Lisbon's finest, overlooking the city and the Tagus from its hillside perch. As a member of the Leading Hotels of the World collection, it offers the high-quality service you would expect of such an establishment, and is recommended for a peaceful holiday with excellent views and an ambience fit for the Portuguese aristocracy.
The Four Seasons Ritz hotel really shows its daring side by combining the standards of a luxury hotel with the eccentricity of the artistic world. It offers all the comfort and services that you would expect of an upmarket hotel, with an added touch of eccentricity and colour from the paintings and sculptures by Portuguese artists.
If you are a fan of stylish, minimalist decor, then the Fontana Park, part of the Design Hotels label, is the place for you. The only downside to this place is that it is a little far from the centre of the Portuguese capital, but it will suit couples, as well as business travellers looking for a chilled out atmosphere.
Part of the local luxury hotel and restaurant group, Lagrimas, the Hotel da Estrela, is a small boutique hotel of 19 rooms located in a converted private home deep within Lisbon's narrow winding streets. Contemporary and pleasant, the highlight here, aside from the school themed décor, is the restaurant, where we sampled some of the best squid we have ever had the privilege of tasting on our travels across the world. A member of the Small Leading Hotels label, the hotel is indeed fully deserving of its reputation. An ideal place to stay for a wide-ranging clientele, from families to couples and due to its central location, most sights are within walking distance.
If you are looking for somewhere to spend a romantic weekend, the Solar do Castelo is the ideal place to whisk your lover away to. Charm, authenticity,and tranquillity are the watchwords here, as you will be the only ones sleeping within the castle grounds. It is a real favourite for a romantic weekend.
The Real Palacio is a 5-star hotel located in a quiet neighbourhood on the heights of Lisbon. The hotel is housed in a 17th-Century building and has a certain charm about it, despite the fact that its Standard guest rooms are a little cramped for a 5-star establishment.
This beautiful 17th century building used to be a convent and when staying at this hotel you will be able to feel its peculiar atmosphere. The owner, however, managed to subtly combine a simple and contemporary style with tokens of this building's religious past. If you are looking for some peace and quiet and hoping to spend a weekend in Lisbon reconnecting with yourself, then this is the place for you.