Four Seasons Ritz Lisbon

We just got back from the Ritz Four Seasons and it was awesome — great rooms, great service, and a breakfast that I keep thinking about.

We were a bit worried about traveling with kids but the hotel handled it well and made everyone feel welcome. Lisbon has hills everywhere, so be prepared for that — but the hotel itself was an excellent base and we had no complaints about the experience.

We spent a week in Lisbon and the Ritz Four Seasons was the right call — the gym is genuinely good, rooms are large, and the concierge actually delivered on Benfica tickets, which isn't nothing.

Room service was solid and the bar was a fun place to land after a day in the city. For anyone visiting Lisbon for longer than a few nights, having a proper gym and a bar worth sitting in matters. The concierge getting us quality football tickets was a nice touch — they clearly have real connections in the city.

Every single member of staff — from check-in to checkout — made our family feel genuinely welcome, and Kika and the concierge team went out of their way to make the trip memorable.

We're already planning to return, which tells you most of what you need to know. The rooms were peaceful and comfortable, the décor was elegant without feeling fussy, and the overall atmosphere was one of effortless calm. It's the kind of hotel where the facilities are excellent but the people are the real differentiator.

The hotel has a genuinely classic feel — calm and comfortable without being stiff — and after a day walking Lisbon's hills, it's exactly what you want to come back to.

The views from the upper floors stopped me every time — you get a real sense of how beautiful the city is spread out below you. The bar was a standout: perfect cocktails and a genuinely relaxed atmosphere that didn't feel like a hotel bar doing its best impression of a real one. Service felt seamless and natural rather than performed, which at this price point makes all the difference.

The service here impressed me not with grand gestures but with consistently warm details — complimentary treats that hit the spot, a concierge who booked me a pub table to watch a race without being asked twice.

Everyone from the doormen to housekeeping greeted me like they meant it, which sounds basic but is rarer than it should be. The Frette sheets were genuinely comfortable, the shower pressure was excellent, and the gym — well-equipped with pilates reformers — is on a high floor with real light. These are the details that justify the rate.

I'd steer people away from booking here until the construction wraps — we were woken on Monday morning by hammers and drills, and no one mentioned anything about a renovation when we checked in.

Saturday arrival was perfect — everything exactly as you'd hope. Then the weekday hit and the noise was hard to ignore. Lisbon is a wonderful city and I'm sure the hotel is great the rest of the time, but the lack of transparency about active renovation work is frustrating and feels like a breach of trust at a hotel operating at this level.

This hotel has serious pedigree — the art collection alone makes it feel like a luxury museum — but the décor is firmly 1990s renaissance revival and that's either charming or a dealbreaker depending on what you're after.

The spaces are grand and the rooms are genuinely spacious, especially the bathrooms. My balcony was a highlight — pleasant breeze, good views. The pool and sauna setup was one of my favorite parts: it felt like a high-end Greek bath rather than a hotel amenity. If you need sleek and modern, there are newer options in the center, but if you want a historic property with genuine scale and character, this delivers.

I had to call three times about the thermostat on my first day, it broke again on day two, and what struck me most was how slowly the front desk moved to fix it — not the pace you expect at this price.

The rooms are beautiful and the bed was great, but a thermostat that needs constant resetting is a maintenance failure that shouldn't be happening at a property charging these rates. The staff were friendly enough, but friendliness isn't the same as urgency, and I couldn't help thinking about newer hotels in central Lisbon that would have handled this better and faster.

I'd describe this as a magnificent historic hotel — sweeping views, a spectacular art collection, and service that was outstanding at every turn.

We dined twice in the bar and once at Varanda, and every meal landed. The buffet breakfast was genuinely one of the best we've had anywhere — not just good for a hotel breakfast, but good full stop. Our room was elegant, the bed was wonderful, and the marble bathroom felt properly grand. This is the kind of hotel that earns its reputation rather than coasting on it.

The hotel is lovely and the shower is fantastic, but paying close to £1,000 a night for a room with stained carpets and nails coming through at the bathroom threshold is hard to justify.

There's a gap between the public areas — which are genuinely impressive — and what you actually get in the room. The outdoor pool wasn't open during our stay, which was disappointing given the rate. At its best this is maybe a £200–£300-a-night room, and while I understand you're paying for the name and the service, the physical condition of the room needs to catch up to the price.