Lisbon Marriott, Portugal [Master Thread]
 

Has anyone stayed at the Lisbon Marriott?
How was your experience?
I hear the location is not good, how is the transportation options? Is getting into the city center a hazzle?

The hotel is just your standard Marriott, nothing special. It is about a 20 minute walk to the nearest metro station, which then is a straight shot into the city center. Definitely not a convenient location for tourists, but if you can handle the walk to the metro (which is what I did every day), it is doable.

The hotel was OK the lounge was also "ok". location is good for the airport, but to get into the city a taxi is the best option.

John

I stayed there last summer and the hotel was OK.

It did have a nice pool and the lounge was nice with a large balcony not much of a selection of food.

The location is not very good, unless you want to visit the zoo which is a 5 minute walk.

The service was very poor, right from the telephone operator to the front office staff.

I would not return.

Thank you for the advices.
I find it very annoying that so many Marriott hotels in Europe are located in remote areas.
There are many hotels with a much more central location which are also cheaper, so I don't see any reasons to book with Marriott... apart from a few MR points that I don't really need.
I chose the Lisbon Sofitel, which is no.2 on TA's popularity index (Marriott is #23) and I also got a cheaper rate with beakfast included.

You might want to check out The Sheraton in Lisbon. They recently completed a renovation of all rooms.

It all just depends on where you're going. For every bad location [for tourists, remember many are located for business travellers] (LIS, ATH, FRA, MUC, etc.) there is another city with a great, centrally located Marriott property (LON, AMS, CDG, HAM, VIE, etc.).

Stayed at the Lisbon Marriott a few years ago and found it to be a standard Marriott property. I used the Metro for my trips into the city center and did not have a problem - the walk from the hotel to the station was around 10 minutes.

I've stayed at this Marriott several times. I did a search on this property to check out feedback on the Lounge, since this will be my first trip as Gold.

The service by the front desk staff is okay, not great not bad. Room service is very good. Restaurant has plenty of space. Use of the pool can be a little awkward, as it's right next to a freeway, separated only by some trees.

The assessment of the location by others is kinda/sorta accurate. The location is NOT ideal, but it's not in a bad area. A taxi ride into the middle of town is about seven or eight Euros, including tip. Taking a taxi anywhere in Lisbon is cheap, but the prices are about 20% higher late nights and weekends.

Location to airport is very good, a 15-minute ride max, usually costs 10 Euros (including the 1.60 per bag surcharge).

As mentioned earlier, Sheraton is in a better location (it's actually the tallest building in Lisbon), but I haven't been there since the remodel. The Sheraton is one block from a Metro stop and there's much more within walking distance of the Sheraton.

Side note -- anyone else been to the Lounge at Lisbon Marriott? Any thoughts?

The lounge is nice. It has a outdoor patio which is great for breakfast and in the evenings. Large screen TV with plenty of seating.

The food selection is is really good and breakfast was your typical cold cuts, cereal, fruit and yoghurt. The bread is fresh and warm and so are the pastries ;)

In the evenings, there is complimentary wine, beer and port with small sandwiches, chips and tapas. The custard desserts are addictive.

The attendant was very friendly and spoke good English, he was transfered from London.

8/10 ^

On another note, the fitness centre.. ummmm I mean closet is a JOKE! No AC and the machines are either ancient or broken :td:

Lots of roaming street cats in the pool area trying are a bit of a pain.

I agree wholeheartedly. During my 6 week stay I got to be very friendly with Rui (breakfast Concierge) and Luis (Evening Concierge) as well as Mr Anil Sampat who is the GM. Anything I requested within reason was granted and I would not hesitate to go back again.

--DD73

I was there this past Christmas.. Nice hotel, decent rooms, lounge is better than average.. Staff are very very friendly, concierge service is excellent.. Taxis are cheap in Lisbon, so getting around is quite simple.. I prefer this location to being right downtown.. Halfway between airport and downtown is ideal for me. Easy in, easy out..

Was there last summer, paid for an executive room (the rate was cheap). Haven't been to many lounges so can't compare.

Having complimentary wine is nice of course, although it isn't quite high quality, saw the exactly same bottles for $1-3 in a department store later.

Hot appetizer was nice on the first evening but not so great on the second (meat was so hard it was almost impossible to cut it).

Staff are courteous indeed (except for a the Russian lady who almost pulled desserts out of my hand because it was 9:30PM or whenever they stop serving them).

Can someone confirm Club Lounge opens weekends
 

Appreciate an update on this property in Lisbon. The latest update was a thread dated Mar 2008. The following thread (only read first few posts) says the CL is open on weekend.
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...arriott+lisbon

Is there any recent update? Understand it is somewhat remotely located (no a problem for me) and the gym sucks.

What about the room, bathroom and air-con etc...(perhaps more details than just say they are ok)? Thanks.

Size of the rooms are a touch smaller than what you would see at a North American Marriott, but a little larger than European standards. Chair at the table in the room is not terribly comfortable, it's a standard chair...not a business chair.

Internet access does have option to log into roaming partners.

Bathrooms have two unique properties: A narrow tub and shower area (they do not have the curved shower rods), and the sinks are a little lower than other properties. Floor usually partially floods after showers.

Air conditioning is very sensitive. You can go from "meat locker" to "hatching baby chicks" quickly and easily. Dial-controlled thermostat, three fan speed options.

Disagree about CL not having plentiful food -- I find it to be good. Complimentary wine in the evening, too. Open on weekends.

Anything else you want to know?

Thanks.
Do you recall if CL is open on weekend?
Your comment re size of room, was it an upgraded room or standard type? Do well do they treat elite plat or gold?

Internet is EUR19.95 per day in room (according to web). I will pass. Do they have a computer in either the CL or biz center where one can do online check in and print board pass?
Many thanks.

IIRC - the lounge was open over the weekend and there was a PC in the lounge with free internet access, but no printer.

Yeah, that's what I meant by "Open on weekends."

There is a computer there in the lounge, but I'm not 100% sure if it's hooked up to a printer. You might want to ask the concierge attendant if you can use her/his computer for that -- they're pretty friendly there.

Again, the internet access has logging onto roaming partner options.

Thanks for the info re PC being available in the lounge. Once my travel dates are firmed up, I think I will give this place a try.

According to their web site, the club lounge is no longer available on weekends. It closes at midnight on Friday. Does anyone know if they offer breakfast to club level guests in the restaurant on the weekend? They still seem to sell those rooms as Exec level.

Skyteam 777-
Where are you getting your info?
I just pulled up the Marriott web site and put in a weekend night, and it shows a room with CL access, and it says the lounge is open Sat.-Sun 6am-12pm. So it should be open every day of the week. 12pm, by the way is noon, so I assume they mean 12am or midnight. Something got lost in the translation.

This is all I can pulled from the hotel web site re executive lounge:
"
Executive Lounge

Other

With exclusive free access for guests staying in the Executive Floor, serving breakfast and afternoon snacks and drinks.

* Open for breakfast"

No hours posted, nor is it clear about open daily or not.

You have to put in a specific date on the reservation page. Then click on a room option which includes CL access, and it will then reveal the info I provided - i.e., open Sat.-Sun. and the hours it is open.

HookEm,
Thanks for the info.
I logged on and plugged in dates. Then came the rates. If I choose room type with "Executive Lounge Access" (week day rate 213 EUR; 223 Eur weekend), then I see this:
"Please Note
Starting November 3, 2008, the executive lounge will be open Monday through Friday only 6am-12midnight."

By the way, AP rate week-day is 81 EUR and 88 weekend.

On weekend, the difference in rates (Exec Level vs AP) is 135 EUR. The lounge is NOT even open on weekend. Go figure :mad: (btw, this was discussed in another thread)

I had clicked on room details for a CL access room, and it shows the CL is open Sun.-Sat. But allset2travel is right, the reservation page also shows the words that it is now closed on weekends, which I had not observed. They need to correct the room details page so customers aren`t negatively surprised because they didn`t see the words pointed out by allset2travel.

You might want to post that in the lounges being closed thread, as it's a perfect example.

Good suggestion!
Did a couple search in vain to find that thread.

Any current updates on quality of hotel and lounge?

I called the hotel yesterday and if I understood her correctly:

Recent TA and other blogs I've read haven't given this hotel and the lounge a raving review: Breakfast in the restaurant is a madhouse--poor service, lines to get food..., there is no security to enter the lounge so it's overrun by guests who probably shouldn't have access and thus they run out of food, drinks early in the eve and don't replenish. Booze no longer complimentary. Mediocre exercise room.

Anyone stayed there recently and care to comment/update? Anything special done or Platinum members (eg drink coupons at bar on weekends).

thanks

I stayed there for 3 nights in May this year.
I confirm the story you received from your call to the hotel re the lounge & breakfast. I received comp breakfast everyday. I found the restaurant was in good order. They did check ask for your room # before entering. I noticed the hotel had some tour groups stay here. During high season, I could imagine the restaurant may seem chaotic. I saw nothing of what you read.

About the lounge: Moderate size with tables spread out. Food and drinks were extremely limited. I recall there was beer availalble. Not sure about wine or liquor as I don't consume them. Water and soft drinks were available. There was one computer in the lounge, fee based! I was able to get my boarding pass printed downstairs in the business center which normally charge by the time. Since all I needed was to print BP, she did not charge me anything.

I found my room up to Marriott standard. I did receive an upgrade. No comp internet in room. The place is somewhat dated, but not at the point when it becomes disgusting.

Many (in forums) rejected the hotel based on its location (remote from city center). For the rates that I paid, I had no complaint. I used the buses (several stop right in front of hotel) to connect to the subway. In and out from hotel to city center can be done in less than 45 minutes. Very convenient indeed, contrary to public opinion!

I was there in June, and agree with everything said above. I would like to point out that the computer in the lounge is completely free. I used it to check flights and some other future travel plans with out any issues. You do have to enter your room number to log on, but there is no charge asssociated.

Thanks for the update re the computer in the lounge being free now.

I stayed there recently, and agree with most of what has been said. I arrived Friday night and stayed until Monday.

Check-in was nice, and staff was friendly and helpful. Made a recognition of my status, and handled the check-in perfectly. The associate at check-in told me about the lounge, free breakfast as a platinum in the restaurant and even told me that I should use the computer in the lounge instead of the in-room internet as the lounge computer was free to use.

The lounge was open on the weekend, though they only had some pastries in the morning and snack food in the evening for food. Perhaps the selection is better during the week? I only saw non-alcoholic drinks.

I only ate breakfast in the restaurant one day. It was a buffet. It was fine, neither bad not exceptionally good.

The room was very nice. The bed was soft, and there was ample space to stretch out and a nice desk area for working (though I was on vacation so I didn't do any work). Bathroom was a decent size, though the tub was rather small for a soak.

The hotel itself is an average Marriott property. It is clean and efficient, but not dazzling and luxurious.

The location was my biggest problem. As a first-time tourist to Lisbon, I found the location far removed and quiet. The nearest metro station is about 10-15 minute walk away, though you have a choice of going to either the University stop on the Yellow line or the Zoo stop on the blue line. The blue line goes right to the centre of town. I would have preferred to have been closer.

The location is very close to the university and a large medical centre. Most of the guests at the hotel seemed to be either conference attendees or people working / visiting the medical centre based on the conversations I overheard in the elevators and lounge. Lots of stuff on doctors and drugs.

You can take the Aeroshuttle from the airport to the hotel. I left from Oriente station, and it was easy to get to by taking a train from Sete Rios train station about a 15 minute walk away.

I probably wouldn't stay there again if in Lisbon unless I was working near the hotel. Otherwise, I'd get a place closer to the centre. If in the area though, it is a fine hotel to stay at.

Cheers,
Greg

P.S. edited to add: Computer in the lounge is free, but does not have a printer. However, they will print out your boarding pass in the Business lounge on the ground floor for free, I was told. I was leaving by train, so didn't get to test that.

Nice update.
Re hotel location and its being far from city center. All that is correct.
My experience has been to use buses and subway to go to city center. All took about 45 to 50 minutes day/night.
Note that there are at least 3 buses stop right in front of the hotel (one bus-stop on the hotel side of road in the direction of the medical center; the other on opposite side of road in front of Catholic University (alight on way back to hotel). All quite convenient. One can also buy day pass for all public transportation (buses, subway, trams, elevators etc....).

Just adding to Greg's accurate post about the Lisbon Marriott...

While the Aeroshuttle is an option at 3.50 Euros, a taxi from the airport is usually no more than 10 Euros (on weekends, when it's higher and including the 1.60 Euro per bag surcharge, and tip).

That said, Lisbon taxi drivers are famous for gouging people to or from (usually from) the airport, especially Americans.

This warning was all over the travel forums. When I hopped into a cab from the airport, I simply pointed at the meter with a smile. The driver acknowledged immediately. It took about 15 minutes from airport to hotel by cab.

Any recent updated to this thread? Is the concierge lounge still closed on weekends?

It may be worth noting that the hotel was not always a Marriott and perhaps even today might not be recognized by some people in Lisbon. I have stayed there and would not return. Bland experience, and not located near much.

I was there over Christmas when the place was empty. Instead of upgrading me (i.e. as a Plat Prem) they asked me to purchase and upgraded room. Not cool at all.

Not on my list of top Marriott visits.

The buses are doable but they are not the most frequent running buses especially after 9pm.

I stayed in this property in at the beg. of 2009, for 1 night(Sat to Sun).

At time of check in they upgraded me to a Executive room and granted Concierge lounge access.
At that time the lounge was opened on weekends.

Stayed here at Easter 2010 (~5months ago); Exec lounge was open and had a nice terrace with a pleasant view over a green valley. Negative was the lack of any hot food at breakfast and quite a limited choice that wasn't refilled (so getting there at 8am meant a lot of choice, by 10am there wasn't much variety). Evening nibbles/apetizers were however plentiful, Portuguese, hot and tasty. As a platinum I was upgraded to an exec room whilst staying on a cheap (ish) 3 for 2 rate for 4 nights over the whole Easter break.

As others have mentioned, the hotel isn't that close to the city centre, there is a nearby bus stop (2mins) or the metro station is a 20minute walk away (quite easy to find once you know the way), but the buses from the city centre didn't go to the hotel - you would probably need to change at least once from any of the tourist locations.

If I went back to Lisbon for tourist purposes I wouldn't stay here and would try somewhere closer to the centre - primarily as it takes almost an hour to get from the hotel to the main sights, and since if you get to the sights early in the morning you get a little more peace and quiet this meant earlier starts than if we were right in the middle of everything.

PS: Taxi from the airport also tried to rip us off getting here by double counting the airport surcharge, as we arrived late at night. As such if I did come again I'd get the hotel car (even though more expensive) to avoid the hassle the doorman helped us sort that out particular issue successfully.