Holiday Inn Express Lisbon – Av. Liberdade Review

Holiday Inn Express Lisbon – Av. Liberdade Review

The Holiday Inn Express (HIX) chain has become my budget go-to hotel.  Outside of the USA, they offer updated properties in good locations.  I was pleasantly surprised by the HIX Brisbane.

I needed a room for just my first night in Lisbon where I could arrive tired from my flight and get some sleep.  The Intercontinental Lisbon was twice as much as the HIX and farther from the city center.  Hilton just has a DoubleTree as their sole property and it is also located a bit farther out.  There is no Hyatt.

There are a ton of great guest houses/boutique hotels in Lisbon.  For my second night (once my mom arrived), I stayed at one of those (Casa do Barão).  For a bit more cost you get a much better experience.  I would suggest finding one of these properties for most people.  But if you just need a place to crash and are looking for a worldwide chain, the Holiday Inn Express Lisbon is a fine choice.

Location

The Holiday Inn Express Lisbon is located two blocks up from the Marquês de Pombal metro station.  The subway from the airport takes about 30 minutes and costs €1.50.  The better option for most people would be an Uber for €9 (the airport is close to town).

The Av. Liberdade is located two blocks down and is the main tree lined boulevard that cuts through the city and terminates at the heart of the downtown area.  The main neighborhoods of the city are located within walking distance or a short Uber or metro ride.

Check In

The small lobby is located off of R. Alexandre Herculano.  There are two entrances on the street; one with a short flight of stairs and one with a ramp.  I arrived around 6:00pm and my IHG status was acknowledged.

I was assigned a room on the 6th (top) floor.  The hotel has an outdoor atrium in the core with a network of metal catwalks.  I would assume it is mainly for use as a fire escape as I never saw any guests using it.

Room

I was assigned room 611.

As is typical of HIX properties, the room was small and space well used.  As you enter, the bathroom is on the left and bed straight ahead.  The mattress is thin and offers little support.

There is a small couch that faces the desk and tiny TV.

There is a mini fridge in each room.  The window opens; which I was thankful for because at night the AC turned off and could not be turned back on.  Not much of a view but being on the 6th floor at least allowed me to be above the fray of the street.

Back towards the bathroom was a built in closet with coffee/tea set up.

Opposite the closet is a mirror, and to my surprise, a hair dryer.

Bathroom

The bathroom has a shower stall, toilet and single sink.

The towels are large and thick.  The only bath product is a wall mounted soap.  There is one by the sink and another in the shower.  An all in one product for hair, hands and body.  Environmentally friendly though very basic.

A nice touch is one blue LED light over the door.  It adds a pop of color and can be used at night to not wake your roommate or blind you when getting up to use the bathroom.  There is a frosted glass panel in the door that some might argue reduces privacy.

Breakfast

Breakfast (included) is served until 10:30am in the basement (floor -1).  It is typical a HIX breakfast: breads and a few sliced meats, cereal, pancakes, scrambled eggs, yogurt, fruit and juice.

Overall I would not go out of my way to stay at the Holiday Inn Express Lisbon; however if you are looking to earn/spend some IHG points and need a clean, modern hotel, it is a fine choice with easy access to the metro and the city.

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