Will be in Lisbon February 2004 for 6 days. Looking for a quite hotel near the center. Price range US$90 to 120 for a double. Have looked at several online sites, including expedia and orbitz, but it is confusing and very time consuming with so many hotels. Will appreciate any suggestions based on personal experience.

Not a hotel but a Residencial: Estrela do Saldanha (e-mail [email protected]) Avda de la Republica 17. Centrally located at Metro Saldanha (Duque de Avila exit): clean, comfortable, economical; and co-owner/manager Carlos Ferreira speaks English. I have stayed there several times.

Try the Metropole on Rossio square. We had a room with balcony overlooking the square with a view onto the St. George castle for about $110. My daughter was just there and took a room without balcony and view for about $90. Nice Place. very central, nice bar/meeting room, ok breakfast. large rooms. Nothing not to like. I'd certainly stay there again.

The Lisboa Tejo is very centrally located, recently remodeled, friendly staff and nice rooms. There isn't a restaurant but a nice breakfast room in the basement and plenty of places to eat nearby. Location can't be beat. A step out the front door and you're on the tram to Belam, or the trolley to the Alfama. The metro is in the square just around the corner and the train to Sintra is a feet away.
http://www.evidenciahoteis.com/1024/uk/intro.htm

The VIP Eden Aparthotel may be in that price range. It offers studios and 1 bedroom accomodations. Being a family of 4 the 1 bedroom was a perfect choice for us.

Dear LAL,

We just returned from our fourth trip to Portugal.

Our stays have included the Avenida Palace, Lisboa Plaza, Hotel Metropole, and the VIP Eden in Lisbon.

In your price range, I would recommend the VIP Eden over the Hotel Metropole.

The Hotel Metropole's rooms are larger than those at the VIP Eden and are furnished with typical Portugese-styled furniture. However, the bathrooms at the Metropole are very dated, and you only get views of the Castle from the more expensiive Rossio-facing rooms. Also, the breakfast served at the Metropole was the most spartan of any we have had anywhere in Portugal

The VIP Eden has very modern, functional rooms with marble bathrooms. We stayed in a studio, and it has a small kitchen in a separate room that was brand new. We only used it for heating drinks in the microwave, and for storing beverages in the small frig. However, it was a nice convenience. They also provide a fold-up clothes drying rack that was a nice "touch" for longer stays.

The breakfast buffet was very generous, cost 5 euros per person, and was served in their glass-enclosed rooftop bar,which has a "killer" view of the castle.

The 'Restaurados' metro stop was 10 meters from the front entrance and the Rossio, with its train station, only a half-block away.

Check out both web-sites and I think you will find the VIP Eden to be much less expensive than the Metropole.

We booked through the Utell web site and got very good rates--80 euro per night, without breakfast.

The Metropole's pricing have been going up and up due to its popularity because of Rick Steves books.

Another alternative would be the Residencial Florescente. It is about 1 block off Restaurados, on a "pedestrian only street" that has lots of bars and cafes. We met a couple on this last trip who said they loved the place, and the suites go for about $65 euros per night with breakfast. We will probably try this residencial on our next late fall trip to Lisbon.

Just returned yesterday from Lisbon, stayed at the Janelas Verdes Inn. A great hotel, extremely friendly staff, good breakfast. It is away from the city center, right next door to Lisbon's best museum, as quiet as you can expect to get in Lisbon. Everything you'll want to see is easily acessible by bus and train. They're easy to use and cheap. I paid 127 Euros a night for 7 nights but it was worth the expense.