VIP Diplomatico Hotel

Best of all, if you're coming to Lisbon by car, this hotel has a free car park! Once there, we used the nearby metro, and often the bus. They go everywhere direct, even Belem & Parque dos nacoes. No need to walk down the steep hill to Marques de Pombal - lots of buses stop further along the street on the same level. In fact you can walk from Bairro Alto without almost ever having to go up and down hills - a rarity in Lisbon. In terms of restaurants there isn't a huge choice in the area, but there are lots of classy shops and a huge mall about five minutes away. Good size room, with enormous entrance hall with wardrobe/dressing area. Bathroom disappointing. Only thing that was not really four star. Good value buffet breakfast - lots to eat. Staff are boring and stuffy - but we met that everywhere in Lisbon; never a hello or goodbye. Dour, sour people. Great city though.

Me and 2 nephews stayed in the VIP for 6 nights. It was just great. The location is very good, especially if you travel to/from the inner city and outside town. Praca M. Pombal is very near and from there you can go all over with the metro and plenty of busses. Furthermore the hotel is clean and I tell you the staff is very friendly and helpful!! The rooms are very spacious which makes the stay comfortable. Breakfast is good. The only negative point is that the hotel does not have a swimming pool. But other than that we realy enjoyed our stay in the VIP Diplomatico in Lisboa. Rgds John Z , Amsterdam, Holland

We booked the Diplomatico because it seemed to be quite a bargain -- 4-star property for 79 euros (double room). However, we did not realize that breakfast was not included, and at 6.5 euros/person, it seemed too pricey for us (despite being labelled a "sumptuous buffet"). So we went out for breakfast at local cafes for about half that amount. If you add the 13 euros for breakfast to the 79, the actual rate comes to 92 (close to $120, at the exchange rate when we were there last week). So it was not such a bargain, after all. It is, however, a very nice hotel. Ample-size rooms, tea and coffee making facilities (a rarity in the hotels we stayed in all around Portugal), cable TV with several English-speaking channels, and generally a pleasant place. We had a leak on the bathroom floor, and management fixed it very quickly. The walk from the metro to the hotel is a steep uphill 2 blocks (long blocks), and at present, there is major construction going on at the Marques de Pombal circle nearby. So the location was not ideal for my middle-aged legs. More hardy souls may not care about this issue.

original room allocated was very poor . bad state of decoration small and with a stale damp smell. we immediately requested a transfer and this was granted without arguement or extra cost. the new room on the same flloor was completely satisfactory clean larger and with all the usual stuff satelite tv, decent bathroom mini bar kettle and safe. breakfasts were excellent and housekeeping was good and staff were polite and helpful. the location is not ideal for the main city centre and the immediate district is not good for shops and restaurants. however the city centre is only about a 10 minute walk in downhill but 15-20 minutes back uphill. again the hotel is only 2 minutes walk fromthe very efficient and cheap metro. the hotel is above all very good value for money and we would be happy to return.

I though the location was excellent. 100 M to a metro stop is convenient in my book. The accommodations were consistent with that of a 3 or 4 star european hotel. That said, I thought the employees were extremely stuffy, bordering on rude. All older men who gave the impression that anyone under 50 should be mistrusted. I witnessed a young lady attempting to book a room ignored by a member of the staff, to the point where he wouldn't even look at her. Additionally, I was stared at, and followed out to the street upon checkout because a member of the staff thought I was attempting to leave with properly paying. I have stayed at 4 star hotels all across Europe (as well as others in Lisbon), and have never been treated like that.

Location : It is not closed to Metro. You've to walk for ~100M from the station (up the slope). Better take bus no. 2 or no. 9. Condition : The room is a bit old (in fact the whole building). The safe box is accessed with a key (not passcode) that cost you 1.5 Euro a day. The only hotel charged for this I've ever stayed. Room size is OK with a balcony but nothing worth seeing. The AC and water heater are really good (at least to me). They stopped replenish food after 9:30 even though the breakfast last until 10.

we were three people staing at this hotel. for 5 nights in september 2003. we buy a deal through Travelocity. we where anxious what kind of rooms we will get and other services and the area the hotel is situated. we where surprises to find a very nice hotel, not too big, in a quite area close to the heart of the city. good , helpful staff comfort rooms equiped with all we needs especialy with kettle, tea, coffe and fresh cakes every day.

stayed at this hotel for 2 nights with a dance ensemble in july 2003...very nice place...loved the soap and shampoo dispensers in the washrooms...room 804 was the party room :)

It was a memorable experience visiting Portugal for the first time and staying at the Diplomatico Hotel in Lisbon. The service was outstanding, and the meals were superb! All of the hotel personnel were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I'm planning a return trip in Feb. of '04.I would appreciate very much if someone could please translate the following which I noticed while walking through a park and noticed a "Menorah tile" in a rose garden: ROSAS DA GALILEIAESTAS ROSAS DAS MONTANHAS DO NORTE DA TERRA SANTASAO OFFRECIDAS PELO POVODE ISRAEL, AOS LISBOANSCOMO SIMBOLO DE AMIZADE E SIMPATIA LISBOA 17 OUTUBRO 1989I have four pictures of this tile that I want to send to some Jewish friends. I would appreciate very much your help in translating, "Roses of Galilee"! Thank you!Betty Jozwicke-mail bjozwick@msn.com

My husband & I stayed at this hotel for 6 nights. The service was excellent, as was the hotel staff's knowledge of English. The room was quite large, especially by Eurpoean standards. There was an entrance area with a large cupboard & minibar, where you could lay your luggage out. The bathroom was quite spacious, as was the bedroom area, with extra large twin beds & room for two chairs. The A/C worked well. The hotel was VERY clean. Breakfast was delicious with a good variety of food, such as eggs, bacon & pastries. My husband came down with a cold for two days of our stay, & hotel staff was very accommodating in providing us with Tylenol & cancelling our reservations in another city. This hotel is a great value!!