Hotels Overview

If you've arrived without accommodations, stop by the airport tourist information desk or the downtown tourist office. The staff at either location can provide you with a list of hotels and pensões. Though it's not a complete list, it will get you started in your search.

Even in the city's hotels, consider inspecting a room before taking it: street noise can be a problem, and, conversely, quieter rooms at the back don't always have great views (or, indeed, any views). Also, some hotels charge the same rate for each of their rooms, so by checking out a couple you might be able to get a better room for the same price. This is especially true of the older hotels and inns, where no two rooms are exactly alike. And, if rooms for nonsmokers are unavailable, stale smoke can permeate one room, yet be totally absent in its clone down the hall.

Lisbon hosts trade fairs and conventions and is busy year-round, so it's best to secure a room in advance of your trip. Peak periods are Easter-June and September-November; budget pensões are particularly busy in summer. Despite the high year-round occupancy, substantial discounts -- sometimes 30%-40% -- abound from November through February.