The Aeroporto station of the Metropolitano de Lisboa was closed without explanation when I arrived at Lisbon Airport. Instead of the short ride to the Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental at which I was staying, I had to figure out an alternate way to get to the hotel property — and after assessing all of my options, I decided to walk from the airport terminal to the hotel property, which consumed approximately 75 minutes.
Why I Was Not Thrilled With the Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental Hotel Property
When I finally arrived at the Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental, I thought that the exterior of the building was somewhat impressive. I would eventually find out that the interior is generally boring and dated.
After waiting at least 20 minutes for the person in front of me to finished conducting business at the front desk, I was finally given a key card to the room which I was assigned by a member of the staff who was not all that friendly and welcoming.
All of the rooms on the floor were non-smoking rooms; and yet the strong smoky odor of cigarettes permeated the hallway.
The Room
I walked into the room. In the photograph on the left is the entrance, with a closet on the right and the bathroom on the left; while in the photograph on the right is a chair and table, which are located past the bed adjacent to the window.
The bed was actually two twin beds which were together.
One nightstand had a clock radio with an alarm function; while the other nightstand had a notepad and a telephone. Both had lamps — but despite their illumination, the room felt a little dark and dingy.
The chair at the long desk in the room sunk significantly whenever I sat in it, creating an uncomfortable sitting position. This chair needs to be replaced. At least the desk was more than ample enough on which to work, which is much better than a room with no desk at all.
Even the very small flat-screen television — which was the only indication that I was in the 21st century — seemed like it was at least ten years old; but I do not watch television anyway, so that did not matter to me.
The long desk goes almost all the way to the window and is equipped with a drawer. Pamphlets, advertisements and a remote control for the aforementioned television were located in a plastic organizer attached to the wall, which was great for keeping space available on the desk — but it further cheapened the look of the room.
A press for garments was located between the end of the desk and the window with the dated multicolored striped curtains.
I noticed that no ice bucket was available in the room. If you like ice, you must ask the bartender near the lobby, as the hotel property has no ice machines. He just stared at me.
The minibar is located inside of the closet; and the glass door was convenient for a guest to be able to see what is available without opening the door, which in some hotel and resort properties will automatically trigger a charge to be added to the folio.
The closet also was equipped with five drawers, five shelves, an iron, an ironing board, a safe, a coffee station with cups and a pitcher, glasses, an extra blanket, hangers, and laundry bags.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was rather small overall — and again, rather dated — but it was equipped with a blow dryer, a magnifying mirror, and six assorted towels.
Plastic cups wrapped in clear plastic prevent them from being potentially subjected to how real glasses may be “cleaned” at some hotel and resort properties — and you may not want to drink out of glasses in a hotel room again when you find out how they may be “cleaned” by members of the housekeeping staff. I had no problem drinking out of these cups.
Because of two dispensers mounted on the wall and glass in the bathroom — which purportedly contained a multipurpose conditioning shampoo and shower gel — a small bar of soap and a shower cap were all of the amenities which were offered in the bathroom…
…but the bathroom did include a bidet.
Keeping a spare roll of toilet paper just hanging out in the open near the floor unprotected between the toilet and the bidet does not seem all that sanitary to me, as there is nothing protecting it from an accidental…er…how shall I say this…splashback.
The View
When I pulled open the multicolored curtain to see the view from the room, I noticed something unusual in hotel rooms these days…
…a notice which was adhered to one of the tinted windows that displayed the following message: “Attention! The windows in this guestroom open fully and guests with young children should exercise care.”
Hmm…I did not note whether the hotel property had a workout area or gym of some kind where this care can be properly exercised.
When I attempted to open the window, I saw that a bar was installed which prevented the window from opening more than a few inches, which was disappointing to me — but it is admittedly a necessary safety measure.
I was hoping for clear photographs of the view through the open window; but I was forced to settle with taking pictures through the glass. The reflection of the back of the curtain can be seen on the far left side of the photograph.
The tracks of the Comboios de Portugal railroad can be seen in the right center of the photograph.
The view from the room was nothing spectacular…
…but it was far from arguably the worst view from a hotel room which I have ever experienced.
I looked down to see the cars parked on Rua Laura Alves.
One thing I observed as the sun was setting in the distance is that an airplane was crossing the sky shortly after departing from the airport.
Look closely at the slightly left of the upper center of this photograph to see the tiny silhouette of the airplane.
I realized the next morning that the view was great for spotting airplanes as well as trains and automobiles.
This particular airplane sported the livery of Star Alliance.
The airplane was on its final approach prior to landing at the airport.
A train stops at the Entrecampos station of the Comboios de Portugal railroad.
Summary
My experience at the Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental hotel property is that it is a good place to stay for one night; but it felt like I was transformed back in time 30 years ago, as the design of much of the hotel property is dated and could use a refresh.
The rate was €103.00 for one night; and I paid a total of $121.39, which included all taxes and fees. Breakfast was not included in the rate; so I did not dine at all at the hotel.
The Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental hotel property is not convenient to any subway station, as you have to walk several blocks to get to your choice of four subway stations; but it is near the Entrecampos station of the Comboios de Portugal railroad.
If you are in the mood for a good workout, you can actually walk to the hotel property from the airport, which will take approximately 75 minutes. The walk is not bad; but be forewarned that if your luggage has rollers, many of the sidewalks are rough stone and not smooth concrete — and a few areas were dirt paths instead of having any sidewalk at all. Also, cars are parked on the sidewalks, so you may need to finesse a little maneuvering with your luggage. Lastly, you will need to conquer some modest hills as you get closer to the hotel property, which could render the walk tiring when the air is hot and humid without a breeze.
At 4.5 kilometers, the Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental is also not quite convenient to Old Town, which is the area by the Tagus River that is popular with tourists. This location may be better suited for a business trip involving companies located nearby.
While I would recommend staying at this hotel property — especially if you are looking to earn IHG Rewards Club points, take advantage of a special promotion, or stay here towards earning elite level status for the next year — plenty of other hotel properties are located within a couple of miles. Some offer less expensive room rates; while others offer a more updated overall ambiance. Shop around and you will likely find a better choice at which to stay than at the Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental.
Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental
Rua Laura Alves 9
Lisbon, 1069-169
Portugal
351 21 0046000
hic@grupo-continental.com
Check In: 2:00 in the afternoon
Check Out: 12:00 noon
Self parking is €16.00 per night. Although a shuttle does operate regularly between the hotel and the airport, I do not know whether or not it is complementary.
All photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
