I will be in Lisbon for a week in April, my first time in Portugal. The last four nights have to be at a hotel near the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. It's a Novotel. Two full days will be in a meeting room. I need to decide if it is worth my while to stay at more centrally located hotel for the first three nights and then move hotels or opt for staying at the Novotel the whole week and use the metro more.

My instinct is that it is not worth the trouble of moving but I might change my mind if I learn that this is an undesirable area to stay for some reason (apart from the obvious lack of centrality). What is the neighbourhood around the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian like?

If your budget will stretch to a bit more than a Novotel try Le Meridien. Very central and great views.http://www.lemeridien.com/portugal/l...l_pt1604.shtml

hope this helps

Hi Gavin.

This area is only a few minutes walk from either the Metro at Praça de Espanha or S. Sebastião (A few stops to downtown - five minutes or so). It is a very nice area with the Museum -
http://museu.gulbenkian.pt/mainb.asp...up&lang=pt
- well worth visiting and presents decent classical concerts if that is your thing and good restaurants. A few blocks over is Avenida da Republica on which are more restaurants etc. Close by to Praça de Espanha is Parque Eduardo VII which is lovely and affords good views over the older part of Lisbon.

Should it be me I wouldn't worry and stay in that area. Of course lots to do in Lisbon as can be seen in my thread here:
<b>What to do in and around Lisbon</b>

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34740328

But as for the hotel I do not know it.
Any Q's feel free to email, I've lived in Lisbon almost a decade and know almost as much as &quot;<b>Lobo Mau</b>&quot;

Matt

Matt, beleive me, I'm learning a lot with you

Thanks Matt. That is exactly the information I was looking for.

Flybob: Le Meridian looks lovely but way out of my league budget wise!

Thar is a more residential zone around the CG museum. I have had some friends who came to Lisbon and they stayed at Hotel Mundial, downtown, and got great rates. It's a nice hotel, not luxurious but very confortable.