Hotel Valverde Lisboa Hotel & Garden

The staff were kind and flexible. We had two early mornings, and they offered to pack cold breakfasts for us to take along. Our room had an amazing view of the pool and restaurant, and the bed was comfortable and clean. My husband and I stayed two nights for our honeymoon, and the hotel itself is absolutely stunning. The air conditioning in our room had a problem, which they told us about at check-in. The hotel was full, so we couldn’t move to another room. Luckily it wasn’t terribly hot, and we slept with the windows open, though Lisbon is a big city and there was a fair amount of noise. We still managed to sleep. I wish I’d asked for some kind of compensation, but it slipped my mind. We’d stay again for the location and service.

We spent eight nights here with our young daughter. The location is great, the hotel is well furnished, and our suite was lovely and luxurious. Still, compared with other RC hotels, this one was a bit of a letdown, mainly because of the service. The bathtub started leaking on the second night, and one day our room hadn’t been cleaned even though we’d been out for over four hours. When I tried to ask housekeeping for fresh towels, the person didn’t understand English, which is fair enough in Portugal, and couldn’t follow our miming or Google Translate either. Breakfast service was a mixed bag, with each staff member seeming colder than the last. One waiter was a bright spot: he brought menus, explained things, and made an effort to serve us without acting like he’d rather be somewhere else. The concierge and front desk greeted us warmly each day, but checkout changed that. We’d booked a tour through the hotel, and the difference between the cash and credit card price was only revealed at checkout. The card price was higher, so cash is better to have. We had also been careful not to go over the tour time, yet only at checkout were we told we’d be charged for an extra hour. When we challenged it, the front desk person stopped being friendly and understanding. In the end, they begrudgingly didn’t scam us. Great hotel, poor service.

The restaurant area has a lovely old Hollywood charm and is a quiet oasis for brunch and the like. The rooms were cozy, spotless, and beautifully cared for, and the staff were attentive and professional. We’ve just come back from three nights at Valverde, and it was a very pleasant stay. I’d definitely return.

It was almost empty when we were there at 7 PM, but it still took a long time for our orders and dishes to arrive. The staff are friendly, and I think the service will improve with time. Beautiful restaurant!