The hotels are not far apart in distance, and they share the same management.

The Continental is closer to the metro station (Campo Pequeno) and a mainline station (Entre Campos). The Lisbon HI is also served by Campo Pequeno metro station, but it's further away, and Alameda (on another line) is also within reach.

The Continental breakfast restaurant is in the basement and unattractive. However there is also a snack-bar cafe operating at street prices. The Lisbon HI has a neat little restaurant which also serves good lunches.

Revamped rooms at the Continental are OK, with wood laminate floors and smart bathrooms, but there can be a lot of noise from neihbouring doors slamming shut. The two-room suite (one to a floor) are sometimes given to Platinums, and these are isolated from other rooms by the lifts and access stairs, so quieter. However, I prefer rooms at the Lisbon H.I.

The area immediately around the Lisbon H.I. is smart. There's a showroom for Bentleys a few doors down. Lisbon's technical university is in front of the hotel, and it becomes a curb-crawling zone for prostitutes at night. The Continental is in a business zone, with a hospital in front of it.

All in all, I recommend the Lisbon H.I., though really there's not much in it. And I have no idea how they handle reward nights and upgrades.