I think I've narrowed down my hotel choices for my December Lisbon visit to either Hotel Mundial or Hotel Britania.

Can anyone give me their own personal opinions to help me make the final decision, i.e. proximity to sights, room size, service etc.?

Thanks.

I have stayed at Hotel Mundial in Baixa. There are two wings, the new and the old. I stayed in the new wing. My room was quite nice, with a very spacious bathroom (with bidet). I had an excellent view of Castelo Sao Jorge. The maid service was excellent. I think there are two restaurants in the hotel (My husband and I did not eat there, except for the included breakfast, which is served in the rooftop dining room.) The rooftop breakfast room has unbelievable views of old Lisboa and the Tagus. You will even see gulls flying around the windows. The best thing about Mundial is its location, within walking distance of many sites and restaurants. There is also a grocery nearby for items like Coke or bottled water. The area is very safe, even at night.

I know nothing of the Hotel Britania. If you want to eat a nice meal, please frequent my friend's restaurant, STASHA, in the Bairro Alto, at 29 Rua das Gaveas. It is an informal little bistro with delicious food. Many gay people come here for dinner, so the food HAS to be good!! You also must have a coffee at Cafe Basileira in Chiado. It is the place to be seen. You should also go to the fashion showroom/bar/disco of Fatima Lopes in Bairro Alto. It is very fun. Sometimes my ex-husband throws parties there. Ciao.

We were quite pleased with the Britania.
Our room was spacious (with a large foyer) and extremely comfortable.
Breakfast was fine. The hotel's a block off Avenida da Liberdade on a 1 way street (our cab driver didn't know this and turned the wrong way).

ThinGorjus: Thanks for all your suggestions. Somewhere I read that one should request a room in the back! Is noise an issue at the Mundial? Sounds like location is key!

Suzy: How's the Britania's location?

Is the best way to get around (i.e. to Alfama area and perhaps Belem) by taxi or what? Do taxis try to rip you off like in Madrid or is it different in Lisbon? We will have a car but that will probably just get in the way until we leave Lisbon and head to the Algarve??? Or should we just delay rental til then? If we want to go to Sintra and maybe Obidos too, is a car the best way to do this?

If we delay car rental, what's the best way to get from the airport to the hotel?

If Britania is a block off of Liberdade, it should be in a good location. As for a car, I don't think you need one in Lisboa. The streets are very tiny and parking can be a problem. Public transportation is very good. If you want to go to Sintra (which I recommend) just take the train from Rossio station, which is at Praca Restauradores. A taxi to Belem from Baixa is under $5. I have never had a taxi driver rip me off in Lisboa. I can honestly say that I have had drivers who refused to accept a tip. (The only other place this has happened was from rickshaw drivers in Delhi.) However, take a map with you because some drivers can "take the long way 'round," if you know what I mean. But, this can happen anywhere in the world.

Yes, requesting a room "at the back" of Mundial will probably insure a view of Castelo Sao Jorge. I don't think it has anything to do with noise. The problem with noise at Mundial is not from traffic, but from garbage trucks who come at 3 AM.

PS Don't forget to visit the Gulbenkian Museum, which has a world-class art and antiques collection. The Sevres alone is worth a trip out of your way.

Is a taxi the best way to get to the hotel? What's the customary percentage for tipping? Is it similar to here in the USA?

I would wait to get the rental car until you leave Lisbon. You can take a taxi or the tram to Belem. Taxis were available at the airport either on a prepaid basis or a meter basis. TG is correct about the train from Rossio to Sintra. Once in Sintra, you can buy an all-day bus pass that travels the National Palace-Pena Palace-Castelo route. Not sure about Obidos as we had our car by the time we went there. We tipped our taxi driver 2 Euros--one for each of the 2 suitcases he helped with. TG..was this appropriate?

My ex-husband's friend, Eduardo, collected my current husband and me at the airport, so I can't comment on taxis and tipping with luggage. My ex-husband told me to round up for the tip. I gave the driver in Sintra a nice tip for driving me and my current husband, Keith, to Pena Palace. My ex yelled at me because he said it was too much. He told me not to overtip because the drivers get used to large tips and then get hostile if someone gives them little or no tip. Tipping is not expected in Portugal. Even at nice restaurants, the waiters looked surprised at tips over 10%. When we all went to a cafe, my ex-husband never tipped for a cha or coffee. He would only tip for a meal. Keith and I were horrified. We are not cheap people.

We took a shuttle from the airport to our hotel. It went down Avenida da Liberdade with stops along the way. (There was an information desk inside the small Lisbon airport where we got directions.) The shuttle stopped right in front of the airport entrance.

We did a lot of walking from the Britania Hotel. There's a lot of traffic on the avenida so we didn't find it all that pleasant to walk. Also, Lisbon is hilly.

There's a very helpful tourist information office on the avenida.

Yes, the tourist office on Av. Liberdade is very helpful. Keith and I booked a tour of Alcobaca (and the tomb of Ines de Castro), Batalha, and Fatima at the office. It was very reasonable. I think you should visit Fatima. It is very eerie and the devotion that some people exhibit is unbelievable. At one of the souvenir shops we spotted a Blessed Virgin lamp with blue sequined shade that looked like it came from a brothel in Tijuana. You can also purchase an Infant of Prague coatrack, if you so please.

My place in Lisbon is "As Janelas Verdes".
Did anyone stay there?