suec1

We will be in Lisbon for 2 nights in Oct. - I have found two hotels that look good to me - one is the Sofitel located on the Liberdade avenue and the other is a hotel at the south end of the Baixa area. Which would you advise? - we will want to visit Belem and Sintra and want to be in an area with side walk cafes and decent restaurants. I am thinking the Sofitel area might be super busy / touristy but am worried the other are might be a deserted in the evenings. Is the waterfront pleasant for strolling in the evening? Thanks for any input!

chapla

The Sofitel is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in! Request a room in the back-they overlook a lovely little park.I loved the Hermes toiletries and the fresh flowers!

munich_madl

I've been to Lisbon twice. I would opt to stay in the Baixa area. Lots going on, even at night, small, nice restaurants. However, it is hilly. Avenue Liberdade is a broad avenue. You didn't mention where the hotel in Baixa is located. If you want to go to Belem by tram, the quaint and touristy 15E takes you from Praca Comercio directly there and if you go to Sintra, the Rossio station is not too far. You can also walk from Sofitel to Rossio station.

lobo_mau

Pick Baixa. There are some reasons to it.

suec1

lobo mau......the reasons are?????

Sher

I am not lobo mau but I will give you some reasons for staying in a central area.
You say you will be in Lisbon for two days. You probably have many places you would like to visit in that time.

By staying in the Baixa (one suggestion) you will have all the transportation options that Lisbon has to offer at your fingertips. No need to even look for a taxi, they are waiting in a line around Rossio.

You will have many cafes open at your fingertips. There are many places open late to dine or have a glass of wine and people watch.

You will be very close to the river and can stroll there anytime you choose.

You have a wide range of accomodations available from budget B&B's to luxury hotels.

In three trips to Lisbon I have stayed twice in Baixa and once in Chiado (now that is hilly).

I hope you enjoy your trip no matter where you lay your head.

adrienne

Please listen to Sher. I wish she had given me this advice. I stayed in the outer reaches in Lisbon and it was a big mistake. I missed out on all the nightlife and cafes and it took a while on the bus each day to get to the sights. There were almost no restaurants in the area. I hated where I stayed and consequently did not come home with a good opinion of Lisbon although I loved the rest of the towns in Portugal I visited.

Stay in Baixa!!

lobo_mau

Thank you Sher.
You said it better than I could have done. I wish to add a few notes. The main pedestrian street (Rua Augusta) is in Baixa, you may easily walk to Rossio (main Square), to Santa Justa elevator, to the Cathedral, to Alfama (the true heart of Lisbon), to Castle, to Chiado or to Bairro Alto. The main departmen store have easy access from Baixa (Armazens do Chiado). Baixa-Chiado metro station has access to 2 lines. From there, you may go everywhere in Lisbon. Tramway #18 crosses Baixa. Trams to Belem area depart from Figueira sq in Baixa. The archway in Commerce sqare is being filled with outside coffes (for now only the north-eastern corner). The car traffic in Commerce sqare was severely restricted making easier the access to the river bank. If you wish to take a ferry boat to the other side of the river, the Chiado location is more convenient.
Liberdade Avenue is interesting, but only in the very southern point (the former Passeio Publico), from there to north it has a lot less human presence to offer after say 9 pm. Baixa has human activity up to midnight and Chiado/Bairro Alto all night long.

lobo_mau

Correction: "If you wish to take a ferry boat to the other side of the river, the Baixa location is more convenient"

Weekender

The Sofitel is hardly in the outer reaches of Lisbon.

valtor

We stayed in Baixa, near Rossio and we consider this a very good location. As Lobo_mau said, you have tram 18 there to go to the castle, Rossio train station for Sintra or Cascais, Pl. Fiuiera is there, Pl. Commerce is very close.. A lot of restaurants and shops every where. Our hotel was on a pedestrian street (Rua de San Antoa, if I remember well), the people walked there till late in the night, even it was winter.

Have a nice stay in beautiful Lisbon!

suec1

weekender - yeah, I was thinking the area around the Sofitel mmight not be a charming? and on a very busy avenue but not what would be called the outer reaches of Lisbon. But the majority of posters seem to be suggesting the Baixa area so unless I hear some "cheers" the the Liberdad area, I am thinking I will go for the Baixa area hotel.

adrienne

Let me clarify...I did not say the Sofitel is in the outer reaches of Lisbon nor did I say that I stayed at the Sofitel. I said that I stayed in the outer reaches and gave my comments on why you should stay in Baixa. But do whatever you want.

chapla

On both my visits to Lisbon I stayed at the Sofitel.It was minutes away from the downtown hub and the walk was delghtful .I walked down the middle of the Libetade Ave with its prety tiled and tree-lined boulevard.Across the street were some prety high end stores and restaurants.I thought it was a wonderful area to get away from the very noisy downtown area-some of it not so nice/sleazy........ and only minutes away -what a difference!
As I mentioned before the Sofitel rooms in the back overlook a lovely park and a street lined with little shops and cafes.
After a day of sightseeing the Sofitel is a wonderful high end place to rest!

suec1

Thank you Chapla for giving some details about the Sofitel area - it sounds very pleasant. Maybe I will just see which hotel I can get a better deal at and let that make the decision for me!

Weekender

Suec1

I stayed at the Sofitel last year and was most pleased with both the hotel and the location. The Avenue Liberdade is a tree lined street, divided by a parklike median with some of the finest stores in Lisbon located on the avenue. The Sofitel has a very good restaurant, comfortable lounge bar and very nicely done rooms. I will agree that Baixa is more lively but don't discount the Sofitel for comfort and convenience.

iris1745

This is the hotel we have used in the city center. www.hotelavenidapalace.pt

lobo_mau

Iris, that is THE hotel of Lisbon. Expensive and difficult to book. Historical, end of (19th) century building.

iris1745

lobo_man; Perhaps you are right, but however it happened, our first visit to Lisbon we had a cornor room looking out over part of the city square. We had a car and a parking space. Loved the hotel and the people. We found it easy to book on-line.

lobo_mau

My name is Mau, Lobo Mau.
Avenida Palace has a long list of distinguished guests, including Mr Marconi in his 1st trip to Lisbon and many crowned european figures. Before the air flight era, it offered a direct connection to Rossio station and the distinguished guests didn't need to show up in the street, after arrival. During 2nd world war, when Lisbon was a nest of spies, it is believed to be the headquarters of German intelligence. The Brits met somewhere else (I don't remember where), but they all knew each other, and participate in the same events.
Now, it has a Starbucks 20 meters away (in the Rossio station building) offering Americans a taste from home. Unfortunatelly, the surrounding buildings are beautiful, but the whole Restauradores square (the southern end of Av Liberdade) needs an urgent refurbishment.
The Av Liberdade has some human activity in the southern end, but it is more and more alone when going north. There is some concerns of authorities to promote activity along the street and there is a lot more of outside coffees and street shoping spread along the street.