I’m doing a small birthday trip in Lisbon and over the four nights I’m gonna sample three hotels! Today’s blog post is a summarised review of Sheraton Lisboa and Sofitel Lisbon Liberdade, and I’ll write about the One Palacio later.
There are many hotel options in Lisbon, and SLH affiliates that entered the Hilton system recently look quite intriguing. After some considerations however I went safe (and economical) and booked the Sheraton for the first two nights, using my 40k free night voucher from Marriott.
Sheraton isn’t so centrally located but very well connected. There are two metro stations and one railway station nearby, easy for travelling around, to the airport or Sintra. It’s not great for walking though, so a factor to consider if you have a packed schedule.
The Sheraton sits in a business district, and is probably one of the tallest buildings in the city at almost 100 metres.
Although unnecessary, I used my suite night awards towards this reservation as they were expiring after all. It cleared into an executive suite successfully.
It’s a pretty standard and average hotel room, nothing to write home about.
The bathroom has a see-through design which doesn’t quite go with the business design concept. A very local welcome gift – pastel de nata.
One of the main selling point of the Sheraton is its generous club benefit, available from 9am to 11pm! Unfortunately its club lounge was permanently closed after refurbishment, and club benefit is now offered in the lobby bar instead.
You can order soft drinks, beer and wine anytime during the day.
From 5pm to 7pm, snacks and sparkling wine are served in the happy hour.
It’s a fixed canape set and you can ask for more. I like the salmon.
Some photos of the breakfast buffet.
A second selling point is its spa. It’s very rare to find a heated outdoor swimming pool in European city hotels.
There are sauna rooms and a jacuzzi inside.
The “Panorama” on the top floor is claimed to be the highest viewing platform in Lisbon. It used to be the club lounge, but somehow they just decided to leave it idle now.
The hotel staff, especially those from the lobby bar, are very friendly and attentive. As a business hotel the Sheraton does a decent job as long as you don’t mind its location.
Let’s continue with the Sofitel. I was on the fence whether to stay here or not, but eventually couldn’t resist its very attractive Step rate, that I booked via Badazhou, including free breakfast and $100 on-property credit. The Sofitel is somehow significantly cheaper than the other 5-star or even 4-star hotels nearby at just €180, and you can pay using Accor points too.
The Sofitel is very well positioned on the Liberdade Avenue, with a metro station in front and just 10 minutes walk to Rossio square.
I’ve stayed at a few Sofitels now and can’t say any one of them truly impressed me. I find their brand identity a bit vague, as they try to be more than just averagely upscale but not quite luxury yet.
First impression of this Sofitel is positive though, as their lobby is tastefully designed.
To save money I booked the cheapest single room. Boosted by my Accor Gold membership, the Step rate and my birthday, I received a one-level upgrade to a standard double room, which isn’t a surprise per my previous Accor experiences.
To give them some credit the room is very well maintained and there’s little sign of wear-and-tear. I like their choice of materials and colours and their bed is the most comfortable out of my three hotels in Lisbon.
A welcome plate of sweets:
Breakfast is slightly more thoughtful than at the Sheraton but nothing exciting.
The restaurant is quite beautiful.
The Step rate includes $100 credit, converted generously to €95. Accor elite members receive a 20% off restaurant voucher and they can be used together. Also don’t forget to use your welcome drink, which I exchanged for a non-alcoholic cocktail.
I had two lunch at the restaurant and can recommend it. Prices are very reasonable for a five-star hotel and food is good. I didn’t calculate it on purpose but my bill total comes brilliantly to €94.8!
As it’s a small city hotel, there’s no swimming pool. Two office rooms are converted into gyms. Honestly they look very awkward and I doubt many people want to use them.
Elite recognition and service are a bit poor – they wouldn’t accept my 2pm late checkout request until the morning of departure. That said, despite of being stingy I still think the Sofitel is great value for a one-night stay if you book via the Step program.
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