Novotel Lisboa — Hotel in Lisbon

Our recent stay at the Novotel Lisboa, intended to be a comfortable and convenient base for exploring the vibrant city, regrettably devolved into an exercise in frustration and discomfort. What began with the promise of a pleasant experience quickly soured, primarily due to a non-functioning air conditioning system and a bewildering hotel policy that effectively stripped us of control over our in-room environment. This cascade of issues not only compromised our comfort but also significantly disrupted our meticulously planned itinerary, forcing us to miss valuable sightseeing opportunities.||||Upon arrival, the initial impression of the Novotel Lisboa was largely positive. The lobby appeared modern, and the check-in process was relatively swift, setting a hopeful tone for our stay. We were assigned a room on one of the upper floors, and as we settled in, the typical routine of adjusting the room's climate began. However, it quickly became apparent that something was amiss. Despite repeated attempts to lower the temperature using the wall-mounted control panel, the air in the room remained stubbornly stagnant and warm. The unit hummed, indicating it was powered on, but there was no discernible change in temperature, nor any cool air circulating. Given the warm weather, a functioning air conditioner was not merely a luxury but a fundamental necessity for a comfortable night's sleep and a refreshing retreat after a day of exploration.||||Our growing discomfort prompted us to contact the front desk. We explained the situation, expecting a quick resolution or perhaps a technician to be dispatched. What followed, however, was a revelation that left us utterly dumbfounded and deeply frustrated. The front desk representative, after a brief pause, informed us with a rather matter-of-fact tone that the remote panel in our room was, in fact, "just for show." We were told that the air conditioning system was centrally controlled, and the temperature was regulated by the hotel, not by individual guests. This policy, we were informed, was in place to maintain energy efficiency. For seasoned travelers who have stayed in countless hotels across the globe, this was an unprecedented and frankly unbelievable piece of information. The idea that a modern hotel would install a seemingly functional control panel that served no purpose other than aesthetic deception was baffling and immediately undermined our trust.||||The initial shock quickly morphed into exasperation. We reiterated that the room was uncomfortably warm and that the central control, whatever its setting, was clearly not providing adequate cooling. The conversation became a tiresome back-and-forth, with the hotel staff seemingly unwilling or unable to provide a solution beyond stating their policy. We explained that we couldn't possibly endure several nights in a stuffy room, especially after long days out. The escalation process was tedious and time-consuming, involving multiple calls and a visit from a staff member who confirmed our observation but offered no immediate fix. Each interaction chipped away at our patience and precious vacation time. The concept of a guest having no control over their room's temperature, particularly when the default setting was clearly insufficient, felt entirely antithetical to the very notion of hospitality and comfort that a hotel is supposed to provide.||||After considerable persistence and a significant amount of wasted time, the hotel finally offered a room change. While appreciative of the eventual offer, the process itself added another layer of inconvenience to an already trying situation. We had to pack up all our belongings, wait for the new room to be prepared, and then unpack everything again. This seemingly simple act, under normal circumstances, is a minor inconvenience. However, when it's forced upon you due to a hotel's operational shortcomings and an obscure policy, it becomes a major disruption. The time spent on this forced relocation – the calls, the waiting, the packing, the moving, the unpacking – consumed a significant portion of our morning.||||The most regrettable consequence of this entire ordeal was the direct impact on our planned activities for the day. We had meticulously researched and scheduled specific museum visits and historical tours for that morning, all of which required timely departures. Because of the prolonged hassle of escalating the AC issue, the drawn-out discussions with the front desk, and the subsequent packing and unpacking required for the room change, we completely missed our scheduled slots. The frustration of being unable to enjoy the very experiences we had traveled to Lisbon for, all due to a fundamental failure in hotel service, was immense. It felt as though a significant portion of our precious vacation day had been stolen, replaced instead with administrative headaches and physical labor.||||In retrospect, our stay at Novotel Lisboa was deeply disappointing. The non-functioning air conditioning, compounded by the bewildering and uncommunicated policy of central temperature control, created an environment of discomfort and helplessness. A hotel stay should offer a sanctuary of relaxation and convenience; instead, we found ourselves battling for basic comfort and losing valuable vacation time in the process. While the staff eventually facilitated a room change, the journey to that resolution was unnecessarily arduous and highlighted a significant gap in customer service and transparency regarding crucial room amenities. For a hotel of its standing, the expectation of a truly functional and controllable in-room climate is not unreasonable.||||In conclusion, while the Novotel Lisboa may boast a convenient location, the fundamental issues with room comfort and the perplexing air conditioning policy overshadowed any potential positives. The experience left us feeling undervalued as guests and significantly impacted our ability to enjoy our trip as planned. We would strongly advise prospective guests to inquire about the air conditioning system and its operational policies before booking, to avoid a similar experience of discomfort and disrupted plans. Our stay was a stark reminder that sometimes, even in seemingly reputable establishments, the basics of guest comfort can be surprisingly overlooked or...

I absolutely loved the hotel and have nothing negative to say about it. The only thing I didn’t like was the hotel’s location, which is far from the center of Lisbon. There’s nothing around the hotel, just other hotels and residential buildings. Even walking to the nearest grocery store takes about 12 minutes, and I didn’t find many restaurants nearby, so I had to walk quite a bit for lunch and dinner. If you want to be in the center of Lisbon with walkable access to all major sights, this hotel is not for you! Keep that in mind! Otherwise, the hotel is great! It’s updated, modern, and spotlessly clean. The front desk staff are nice, friendly, and professional. My check-in was very fast and easy. I had pre-arrival requests for a room on a high floor with a nice city view, and they kept that room for me. I also got 2 extra hours for a late check-out at no charge. I stayed at the hotel for only a few days, so I didn’t use the housekeeping service, but when I called the front desk to ask for fresh towels, the housekeeper brought them right away. My Superior Single Room with a queen-size bed looked exactly like the photos on the official hotel website. The room was very spacious, nicely designed, and perfectly clean. All the furniture was in perfect condition. I felt super comfortable in that room! I also need to mention that the room was quite soundproof - I barely heard any noise from the hallway. The Queen Bed was super comfortable. I loved having a sofa, which was soft and comfy as well. If I had to mention anything negative, it would be the closet size, which could be bigger. The closet in my room didn’t have enough space to fit all the clothes I had. I appreciated the electric plugs in the room - they were all over. I loved the bathroom design, and all the bathroom amenities were of the highest quality and worked perfectly, including the great shower water pressure and a new, strong, modern hair dryer. The Wi-Fi was very fast. I paid €139 per night, which feels somewhat reasonable given the hotel’s high quality. However, to be honest, it still feels overpriced, especially considering the inconvenient location far from the city center. I go to Lisbon every year and am familiar with hotel prices around town, so based on my experience, the rate I paid should be at least half of what I actually paid. I wanted to extend my stay by 2 extra nights, but the hotel was fully booked, so I had to move to another one. In general, it was hard to find a hotel in the city center for my extra dates, so I believe a big event was going on that week, which could explain the high hotel rates. To sum up, I absolutely recommend this hotel! Just be aware of the location and avoid it if you want to be in the...

We were a group of four adults, two 3yr old children and one 1yr old baby and we booked two 3-bed rooms for 5 days. The first impression of the hotel was okayish, meaning the entrace and checkin. But then we realized, that the booking of this hotel was a major mistake. And here is why:

Our rooms were totally used, very little daylight and looked dirty, stains on the carpet, on the sheets, everywhere. Even the walls were dirty and the window was like milky glass. There is one double bed and an old couch converted into a „bed“. But it was actually a grey metal frame with 10cm thick layer of something like a foam mattress on it, it was very uncomfortable. The room is promoted as a Triple Bed Room for more than 200€ per night. Luckily we paid 147€ per night „only“, because it’s not even worth half of the price.

The Hotel is located exactly below the approach/departure path of the aircrafts flying in and out of lisbon airport. Roughly every 5min you are disturbed by loud engines from early morning until midnight or even later. Absolutely horrible.

The terrace at the pool was closed, all day long, except for the breakfast. They say, it is due to staff shortage. When the breakfast buffet closes, weekdays at 10:30, you get kicked from the terrace. This was actually the only nice place, which the hotel could offer. So you cannot sit outside, not for having a coffee in the afternoon nor dinner or just a drink in the evening.

For breakfast, they try to offer a standard buffet, nothing special. We had to wait 15min on average in a queue, before we were allowed to enter, because you have to get seated. Even if you see 10 free tables and nobody was there to welcome you, you were pleased later on to wait until somebody comes and guides you to your table. On top of that, they had a lack of dishes, cutlery and glasses. On one day, the kids could not eat their cereals and yoghurts, because they had not enough spoons. And we were not the only ones, you could see people getting upset and arguing with the staff, that this is not acceptable. After 20min of waiting, we organzied some on our own. Another situation: The bread basket was seldomly refilled. When I asked to please refill, I got the answer, that this is not a problem, and that I should take the toast in the meantime… It was just unpleasant and lousy.

Overall it was a big misere… I cannot recommend this hotel, not at all. It was a dirty, half closed and old hotel hosted by some unflexible, frustrated, unmotivated and...