My stay at this hotel was the single worst hotel experience I have ever had in Lisbon. I have frequented many 4 and 5-star establishments in the area, and my decision to try something new here was a massive mistake. The lack of basic hospitality, unprofessional conduct, and aggressive staff behavior made for a deeply uncomfortable stay. I strongly advise future travelers to avoid this hotel; you will find much better service and accommodation elsewhere for the price. The poor service began immediately upon arrival. Despite staff being present in the lobby, I was not greeted. I approached the front desk, and after I initiated the conversation, the check-in agent, Rita, asked abruptly, "how can I help." The process was handled with zero professionalism. I handed her my ID card, which she copied, and then threw it back onto the desk rather than handing it to me. There was no offer of assistance with my luggage; I had to specifically ask for help. From the moment I walked in, I felt the staff were looking at me strangely, which made me instantly uncomfortable.
The most disturbing incident involved the night staff member, Marcos. A family member (my cousin) came to the hotel to meet me so we could go out for the evening. Marcos immediately told her she could only stay in the building for 30 minutes, a rule I was completely unaware of at the time. I asked her to come up to my room as it is rude to leave a guest waiting downstairs. Shortly after, Marcos called my room phone and aggressively insisted that my cousin—whom he repeatedly referred to as "my colleague"—had to leave the premises, or he would charge me an additional fee. He was clearly insinuating something inappropriate and was judging my cousin, who was wearing a long red dress. When I clarified that she was my cousin and was only waiting for me to get ready, he continued to insist on the charge and would not let me speak. I finally managed to tell him I had finished getting dressed and would see him downstairs in a few minutes.
Once downstairs, I spoke to Marcos about his rude phone call and the inappropriate use of the word "colleague." He immediately raised his voice at me, insisting on the 30-minute rule and stating that two people could not be in a single-person room at any time. I questioned him about this additional fee: if the hotel room was strictly for a single person, as he claimed, why and how could he charge me for a second person to stay, even though my cousin wasn't sleeping there? His manner was aggressive, and he would not allow me to get a word in. I took his name and stated I would speak to his manager.
The following morning at check-out, I spoke to Rita, who is Marcos’s manager, to explain the incident. She was equally rude and aggressive. She repeatedly interrupted me and insisted that Marcos was "rightened" and that he was simply following hotel rules regarding visitors at night. I stressed that nobody was sleeping in the room and that my cousin was simply waiting for me to finish getting ready, but she kept interrupting and was impossible to reason with. While she eventually offered a perfunctory apology for Marcos using the term "colleague," she was adamant that his overall approach was correct. I pointed out that imposing a strict time limit on a guest getting ready, threatening an extra charge, and speaking so aggressively over the phone is utterly unacceptable regardless of the rules. The entire conversation was a frustrating waste of time and only reinforced the hotel's complete failure in customer service.
The room itself was also severely disappointing. The bathroom had a pungent smell, and the air conditioning was broken, only offering heat or off—nothing in between. The room fixtures were falling apart, with the headboard of the bed practically broken. Furthermore, the shower/bath was incredibly difficult to enter because the glass door was installed improperly and could not open outwards. The only "fine" aspect was the breakfast, althou
