The One Palácio da Anunciada — Hotel in Lisbon

A Disappointing Experience at a So-Called "5-Star" Hotel

I recently stayed at this hotel, booking my room through Chase Travel, with high expectations given its 5-star rating. Unfortunately, the experience was far from what one would expect from such a prestigious establishment, leaving me thoroughly disappointed.

The hotel itself is fine—adequate, but certainly not what I would consider 5-star quality. There’s a clear disconnect between how the hotel perceives itself and the reality. The room I was assigned, while acceptable at first glance, showed numerous signs of neglect: water staining, water damage, peeling wood veneer, and paint splatters on the floor. These are all telltale signs of a property that isn’t being maintained to the standards one would expect at this price point.

However, the real issue began when I realized that the room I was given was not the room I had reserved. I had booked a "Grand Garden Deluxe" room, but instead, I was placed in a room facing the street. After a night of enduring relentless street noise and being woken up by construction sounds in the morning, I discovered the mistake.

When I brought this to the staff’s attention, their response was underwhelming, to say the least. They claimed that the room type I had booked "no longer exists" but offered to move me to a garden-facing room. This made little sense—if the room type no longer exists, how was my reservation confirmed? Furthermore, no apology was offered, and by that point, we had already unpacked. In my experience with true 5-star properties, they would have offered to have housekeeping pack and unpack for me as a gesture of goodwill—an opportunity to make things right, even if the issue wasn’t entirely their fault. After all, isn’t that what hospitality is about?

The situation deteriorated further when I spoke to the front desk, who had to call someone else to discuss the issue. They informed me that they needed the third-party agency (Chase Travel) to reach out to them to see if anything could be done. Upon returning to my room, I contacted my credit card company, which then attempted to reach out to the hotel. The hotel promptly shifted the blame to the third-party booking company, refusing to offer any refunds or even a simple gesture of goodwill.

Let’s keep in mind that it’s the hotels that engage with third-party booking sites to ensure maximum capacity. It’s a crucial part of their business model, so it baffles me why they wouldn’t work harder to ensure that their guests, regardless of how they booked, have a positive experience. The credit card company, at least, offered me some complimentary points—a small, but appreciated, gesture of goodwill. It’s a pity that the hotel, which should be setting the standard for hospitality, did not do the same.

At over 700 euros per night, I expected much more—both in terms of the physical environment and the service provided. Mistakes happen, but the measure of a true 5-star hotel is how they handle those mistakes. In this case, they failed miserably.

In conclusion, this hotel might want to re-evaluate how it presents itself because the reality is far from what it promises. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone expecting a genuine 5-star experience. Save your money and your expectations for somewhere that truly delivers on...

We chose this hotel mainly because they had a pool right in the center of Lisbon.

If you're looking for something comparable to a Ritz, St Regis, Belmond, or Four Seasons, etc... this isn't it. While we enjoyed our stay and having the pool (which directly faces the sun from morning until night) and being in a central location there was some misses at this hotel for the high price, especially in Lisbon. I probably would not stay again as the value isn't there.

First, the pool bar was closed and guests were asked to go to the garden bar to get drinks (not terrible but a bit inconvenient). When ordering drinks for the pool, each bartender first said, "i don't think we have the right pool cups". they would then go to the back and come back with the right plastic glass...why even say that to guests as this suggests they're being an inconvenience when really the pool bar being closed with a full pool is inconvenient.

Next, I would stay away from the garden facing rooms on the 3rd floor. They are above the restaurant and all night you hear the chairs (until midnight) then again at 6am. While we were happy that the hotel did move our rooms and upgrade us to a much quieter suite, it's not what I would expect for a recently opened hotel. Noise should be taken into consideration when designing a hotel at this caliber. They also gave us a voucher for the inconvenience (which is nice and very much appreciated). However, we wanted to order and take it to the pool. The wait staff said we have to sit at the garden tables to use the voucher. Which doesn't really make sense and doesn't make a difference where we sit to eat the food and I've never experienced this at any other 5* hotels.

Now for the breakfast, it was good. It is not buffet, not even the fruit, meat, pastries, or cheeses - everything had to be ordered and served to the table which lead to a lot of food waste. The H10 Duque de Loule which is a 4*+, I would say has a similar breakfast with many more options available as a buffet and then anything hot is made to order. The H10 Duque de Lolue is far superior for their breakfast.

Then finally, while checking out and paying the final bill, they have an option to tip on the payment machine. NEVER have I EVER seen this at any 5* hotel, let alone any hotel at all. This is extremely misguided and should not happen. Guests tip doormen, bellmen, wait staff, housekeeping, etc as they go. This seemed really inappropriate for a 5* hotel.

This hotel does fall short of what I would expect of a 5* hotel if comparing to some other 5* hotels we are familiar with.

If you're not fussed about having a pool or plan on driving around (or a 25 min walk to the south part of Av. Liberdade), I would highly recommend the H10 Duque de Loule instead without question - its significantly cheaper, has a better breakfast, comparable service, beautiful rooms. Everything is amazing each and every time we stay at Duque de Loule.

I really wanted to love this hotel but sadly nothing really stood out for us given the...

The One Palacio da Anunciada may well be the perfect city hotel. Tucked unassumingly into a thoroughly and beautifully rehabilitated palace on the the R. das Portas de Santo Antão, the hotel manages convenient proximity to the grand shopping boulevard of Ave. da Liberdade (think: Lisbon’s Champs Élysée), the Rossio train station, and the bustling Praça dos Restauradores in the Baixa, while still retaining a quiet and calm away from the crowds.

There’s no loud branding here, no grand porte cochére. Just a quiet and a unassuming entrance that leads to a round marble table filled with flowers and a wide staircase that suggests some of the opulence found upstairs.

The magic of The One’s stunning renovation is reserved for guests: first, the spectacular “secret” garden on the second floor, with a 100-year-old tree casting shade on patio tables arranged around a central fountain, and the glamorous pool overlooking it all on the third floor. Enjoy breakfast here, or an evening cocktail; it is the perfect retreat from the din of the city and a true luxury for guests.

Second: the guest rooms, from basic rooms to suites, are just right in all the ways that matter: expansive spaces, with high ceilings, wide plank flooring, plush carpeting, and ample storage found in built-in closets; excellent though still romantic lighting, from hidden LEDs in the ceiling, floor lamps, and table lamps; separate toilet and shower; luxurious linens and plush mattress; and soothing interior design created by shades of beige and taupe, and accented by large blue-and-white platters mounted over the bed (instead of the typical drab art found in so many luxury hotels).

The staff don’t let the chic and sophisticated design outshine them. Each staff member was helpful without being obsequious, attentive without being too doting. From checkin, where the staff unloaded our packed car and brought our bags to our room while we ran an errand, to arranging restaurant reservations when nearly every restaurant was booked (it was Holy Week), we were delighted by the staff’s eagerness to help.

We did not eat dinner at the hotel, but breakfast—served in a grand room off the garden or within the garden itself—was a nice departure from typical hotel breakfasts: even the grandest buffet can’t compare with the quality of cooked-to-order service, so the hotel offers an extensive menu, including freshly-squeezed orange juice, for one price (or included with the room, depending on your package). After a week of travel and one buffet after another, we reveled in the luxury of relaxing in the garden each morning as wait staff brought us anything we wished.

The One Palacio da Anunciada is an ideal European city hotel: modern amenities and design in a spectacularly rehabbed historical palace; warm and understanding service; a central location but tucked into a quiet street; and the charm of a boutique hotel. Strongly...