CORINTHIA HOTEL LISBON

I’m not sure where to begin with this review. The hotel is beautiful with gleaming public areas, very comfortable rooms, a lovely pool and an excellent bar. Our junior suite was a good size with an enormous, incredibly comfortable bed. Contrary to other reviews the aircon worked well and the room was very quiet and peaceful. Breakfast was fantastic with a huge selection of high quality breakfast staples and local delicacies (the scrambled eggs were poor but everything else was wonderful). The bar was very nice and the food and cocktails were both fantastic. Service in the bar was also quick, efficient and friendly. We stayed for 4 nights and have no complaints whatsoever about the room, housekeeping, bar and restaurant staff, concierge, doormen or pool, all of which were as you’d expect at a 5 star hotel. Unfortunately, our experience was soured somewhat by our treatment at both check-in and check-out. On arrival (myself, my wife, our 10-month old son and disabled mother-in-law) we were told that our rooms were not ready because the previous occupants had not vacated. We arrived 2 and a half hours after the advertised check-in time so were somewhat surprised by this but these things do sometimes happen. After leaving us waiting in reception for 30 minutes, the receptionist finally came back and told us we would have to wait another 90 minutes and then the rooms “might” be ready. By this point our baby needed to nap and my wife and mother-in-law were exhausted after 8 hours of travelling and 2 flights. We asked to speak to a manager who eventually appeared and told us there was nothing he could do. We explained that this was unacceptable and he then offered to upgrade us to the executive floor where rooms were ready. After more phone calls we finally made it to our rooms and there was no crib or kettle. A quick call to room service resolved this. I later discovered that although we had been “upgraded” to the executive floor, this did not include use of the executive lounge which was not made clear to me at the time the upgrade was given. Again, not a huge problem but I’d rather this had been made clear at the time. On checking out, the receptionist handed me my invoice which showed I had been charged for the upgrade. At the time the manager told me that “there is nothing to pay” and “everything is taken care of” but the receptionist checked and confirmed that this was not what I had been promised. I was more or less called a liar in front of a reception full of people. The duty manager refused to speak to me and communicated with me through the receptionist on the telephone. This ridiculous situation carried on for over 30 minutes at which point I told them I had to leave or I would miss my plane and stated that I would pay the remainder of my invoice and the upgrade fees could be discussed once I returned home. I very clearly stated that they were not authorised to charge me the upgrade fees at that point and I signed an invoice which showed only the genuine costs I had incurred (food and drinks etc.). I then returned home to find that the hotel had charged the upgrade fee to my credit card without authorisation. After a further exchange of emails with the hotel during which they reiterated their position that I had never been promised a free upgrade, I asked for the contact details to make a formal complaint to the relevant tourism regulatory body and the hotel emailed back apologising for the misunderstanding and confirming that the charges would be refunded. I very much enjoyed my stay at the hotel. The property is beautiful, the rooms are luxurious and the breakfast is amongst the best I’ve had. The location is slightly out of the city centre but there is a taxi rank outside and we enjoyed being a little bit out of the busiest part of the city. That said, the horrendous service I received at the start and end of my stay have put me off the hotel and I’m not sure I’d be able to recommend the hotel to others. If I’m being charitable then this was a miscommunication which was then badly handled rather than a blatant attempt to rip off a tourist but it did take the shine off our stay somewhat.

Beautiful hotel, elegant room, very comfortable with excellent service and a huge assortment of breakfast items. Many things to do on a city tour - the Tower of Belem, the monument to the Discoveries and the National Palace of Queluz.

We really loved this hotel from the moment we arrived until our departure. Our three night stay was made very special by the team in the executive lounge who did all they could to make us feel at home. Our room was 2214 and it enjoyed views out over the city that will stay with us for a long time. The food choices in the lounge were excellent throughout the day from breakfast through lunch and dinner. The views from the lounge were fantastic. Our room was really comfortable and well appointed, in fact it could not be faulted. We will return to this hotel to enjoy being pampered again.

Our final leg of the portugal tour was 2 nights at the Corinthia Hotel , Not only was the location close to the malls and restaurants, the Metro was also just around the corner. The hotel staff were very courteous and helpful. The rooms kept very clean and tidy & had clean towels and toiletries daily. Buffet breakfast was included iwith the suite and it was delish.. We also liked the indoor spa & swimming pool and managed to find time for a quick dip before the end of the trip.. Taxis were easily available and the porters and staff at the foyer were really pleasant and helpful. We would definately come back to visit again....

From the moment we arrived we were met with friendliness and courtesy by the excellent staff of the hotel. Our room was spotlessly clean and very spacious. We particularly liked the welcome gift of custard tarts! I highly recommend the Corinthia for its excellent value and quality. It is well worth paying the little extra to avail of the Executive lounge-its fantastic. The hotel is not within walking distance of the city but the excellent metro is just across the street and taxis are very reasonable. Will stay in the Corinthia again on my next visit to Lisbon.