FozBoy

well... lucky you then! either you really insisted with FD for them to give you this benefit or you were just born covered in Starwood Platinum!

I've stayed at this hotel probabbly some 150-200 nights, not once have I had a suite upgrade at check-in... or, for that matter, neither have i ever had a single SNA clear at this hotel.

Another huge turn-off at this hotel is smoking. They let people smoke almost anywhere at the upstairs Panorama Restaurant and Bar. Apparently there is some sort of imaginary line separating the smoking section from the non-smoking section, but i guess the smoke is not au pair with imaginary lines.

Once I complained about this on my customer feedback survey and next time I was there I didn't even get a club room upgrade, got stuck with SPG preferred !

nologic

To some extent, you have to pick and choose your times...sometimes a suite UG is something you really care abt and other times, it's like "wow, I have this cool room all to myself, but..."

If you care about your Platinum treatment, and obv you do by this post, I suggest you speak w the GM or SPG Elite Ambassador. This hotel has always made me feel welcome as a Platinum and when they don't have a suite available, I feel they at least try. Again, I have spoken w the GM about this issue, and he assures me that they do care about upgrading Plats to suites, they just can't accommodate all the requests, and otherwise his intention is to make sure Plats have a exceptional experience.

JDiver

I'm here now.

Location is a pleasant long walk to the Marqués de Pombal statue and down the wide, shaded Liberdade Avenue. 5€ by metered taxi.

Check-in was uncomplicated and though we were 1.5 hours early for 1400 checkin we were quickly welcomed wirh a remark we had apparently not stayed with them previously.

Front Desk staff have all been helpful and welcoming, and the Concierge is very friendly and willing to orient, arrange, help.

We have a nice Club queen bedroom on the 21st floor with expansive views toward the Tejo/ Tagus river, spa (includes hammam), fitness center and outdoor pool access, breakfast in the Lobby Bistro or the Club Room (adequate if on the slightly skimpy side, a sparkling wine if you wish or like mimosas), a drink voucher for the Panorama bar.

The room sports a smallish Bang & Olufsen flatscreen television, minibar, safe, chest of drawers, closet and shelf space with area for the minibar, safe and an espresso (Delta activus, I think) with capsules. The floor is in dark wood, as are furniture. Highlights are in beige carpet, textured light brown wallpaper that has lots of threads sticking up, an ivory leather headboard, white ceiling. Fairly good lighting, aided by the electric blackout blind and large southern exposure window. There is a desk with wired Internet and 220 VAC Euro connection, phone, lamp and task chair; an armchair with pole lamp is provided with a drum side table.

Bath is spacious enough, glass enclosure for toilet and bidet, another for single sink sporting the usual Sheraton amenities and toweling (including wash cloths) and glass shower-tub with hansgrohe levered rain shower with movable "telephone" head with glass wall to the bedroom (can be closed with an electric blind).

Soundproofing is better than many properties, both toward the outside and other rooms.

Seems like the property is doing some stealth unbundling (MAGC): You can put out a card by 0200 waiving housekeeper services for 500 Starpoints (to your account or to help hungry kids with UNICEF) or a 5€ food or beverage credit per night. Conditions, and of course it really means you're being charged 5 € each time you use Housekeeping if you're here 3 days or longer.

The breakfast in the Lobby Bistro is pretty complete - fruits (often in light syrup), cheeses, cold cuts, the breads and pastries so ubiquitous in Portugal (try walking several blocks without having your eyes and salivary glands seduced by a neighborhood pastelaria!), soft scrambled eggs, baked tomatoes, potato patties, mushrooms, bland sausage* and mushrooms), etc.

The Club Room offers the same eggs, sausages, bacon, some breads, fruits and juices. I overheard someone requesting and being granted a cooked to order omelet.

The afternoon "happy hour" (5-7 pm) offered two Portuguese house quality white wines, two reds. These were replaced, but it required someone asking the attendant. Additionally, a warming tray offered skewers os salmon and a fairly succulent chicken (next night, "fish fingers" and mini-meatballs). Other snacks included ham, cheeses, olives and crackers, fruit skewers and finger sandwiches. The fridges offered beer, soft drinks, sparkling and still water.

No more Martini, no Port at the end. Some pastries and cookies / biscuits left out at 7:00 pm.

Sunset in the lounge is splendid - and I'm pretty sure that soaring, zooming pair of exhuberant raptors putting on a brilliant flying display as they come home to roost on the Sheraton's roof (highest building in Lisboa and on a hill near an expansive park to boot) were Peregrine falcons!

Note: infrequently there is a junior management type dropping in; there seems to be no lounge attendant per se, and the servers circulate with other assignments (Lobby Bar and Bistro, checking room mini-bars, etc.)

The servers seem.quick to withdraw services (the hot cart war rolled away at 6:50 pm as a few people were just arriving) and slow to clean up (and not vacuuming extensively crumbed carpets).

The lounge offers wide screen televisions in the two rooms, two computers and a printer, free decent WiFi some daily newspapers, a selection of teas and coffees and long hours. It's comfortable, with seating offered at tables seating two or 3-4, and like any unattended lounge can have periods of loudness, very active children and the occasional lout or lounge wolf who tries to seemingly meet their daily nutrition needs by scarfing as much as they possibly can.

The Panorama restaurant offers stunning views, attentive and welcoming service and a menu that highlights the newer Portuguese gastronomy. Service is unrushed, and the bill will never be offered; it must be requested. Prices in bar and restaurant (open for dinner only) seem a bit high.

The Lobby Bar offers nice local beers and a few others frim Bud to Guinness, a variety of snacks, canapés and some sandwiches.

The Lobby Bistro offers a la carte lunch and dinner, as well as a buffet lunch and prix fixe lunch including thtee courses, tea, coffee, still or sparkling water for 25€. Service is variable; the maitre d'hotel is welcoming, some servers are attentive, a few distant and walking around officiously but avoiding actual work.

More as stay plays out... but IMO this is a decent Sheraton property worth staying in.

*I've had some flavourful and spicy chouriços and other "enchidos" in Portugal, but the sausages served in the hotel are flavourless and undistinguished, though some offered bone fragments - not a good thing, of course.

UA-NYC

Great property - one of the best Sheratons I've come across. Some of the touches I remember in my suite were, dare I say, StR-like.

Wasn't this rumored to be planned as the first W in Europe, before those plans obviously changed?

Oxon Flyer

Thank you for your thoughts so far, and its especially nice to read a review that's seen through non-spg lenses. ^

This is a fresh perspective too : we've a substantial thread discussing the Make a Green Choice initiative, and IIRC not once has it been seen as a '$5 surcharge to have housekeeping'.

Please. Is the selection of Martini bottles of various dryness still in the lounge ?

BTW, what's a 'bland sausage' ?

JDiver

The MAGC idea is green, properties seem very varied in implementation and the 5€ no housekeeping option could be looked at several ways (including potential impact on housekeeping staff, IMO.

I didn't see the Martini bottles but I'll look more closely No more Martini, no Port after, just some biscuits and mini-pastries. We saw "house" level wines: two whites, two reds, ranging from Douro to Madeira.

Bland sausage is what's served when you really serve cheap, flavourless sausage in a country renown for its enchidos and somewhat less its presuntos. By cod, this is Portugal!

Land-of-Miles

In many stays I have never had a suite upgrade here. I don't really understand the rave reviews, this is an ok property sure but not really a place to get excited about,

I have shifted my Lisbon stays to the superb IC (a former Meridien).

heakja

Totally agree. You really have to beg for a suite upgrade at this hotel. The lounge has gone downhill since our first stay in 2011, and on our last stay we were assigned a smoking room - though even with an ashtray on the desk and a distinct smell of smoke, front desk insisted it was a non-smoking room .

JDiver

We were offered the Interconti, but the club room and some spaces are currently under refurbishment.

I overheard a front desk clerk telling a registering guest smoking is not allowed.

heakja

Well, then that must be a recent policy change. They are offering smoking rooms at spg.com, and their web page says this:

SMOKING POLICY
Smoking guest rooms are available on several floors. Please contact the hotel for further information.

JDiver

The property has been fairly full with conferees; perhaps the guest was checking in and there was not a smoking room was available, but he asked and was told he'd have to smoke outside, iirc.

izzik

What are people's experiences with smoke smell in this hotel?
Does the ventilation system still move smoke-scented air through non-smoking rooms?
We had an unfortunate experience with PH Paris Vendome - nonsmoking rooms that reeked.
From now on, we're aiming for 100% nonsmoking hotels, which can be difficult in parts of Europe. Would like to stay at this hotel though.. unless folks have detected smoking issues.

RafKa

Just checked in here. Hotel full, had to book a Club Room for 8,500 points, and got just that. Room 2217, big sign stating it's a non-smoking room, but you can't help noticing the strong smell of stale cigarette smoke. Only staying for the night, so not worth the fuss. If it really bothers you, I'd suggest you steer clear of this property as it seems to be a recurring problem, and they view it as low priority.

TravelSummary

Taxi to Sheraton was 8.80 Euro plus tip. Sweet talked my way into what turned out to be a really awesome suite (I'm Platinum). Shocked at the upgrade given the difficulty others have had getting suites. First impressions are really quite good here.

Booked a club room for 3 nights for 8,500 points (standard rooms sold out).

Kenji

stayed here 2 times as platinum (2 days and one week). got upgraded twice to executive suite and my colleague (non-member) to club. nothing to complain