Sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference during a hotel stay, mine at the 5-star Dom Pedro in Lisbon was when friendly sales director, Paulo Almeida, kindly organized baggage in my absence at late notice easing my stress following travel difficulties.
Not to mention long-time staff member and maître d', Carina Torres, who has worked at the hotel for the last twenty years, never failing to have a warm smile on her face when I appeared for breakfast at Bistrot Le Café and engaging me in interesting conversation.
While many luxury hotels boast of marble floors, fine artwork and embroidered silk bedsheets, it’s my long-held view that it’s the friendliness and helpful nature of personnel that makes a hotel stay memorable.
So kudos to Dom Pedro.
As for the 263-room hotel itself, with eight suites and the Presidential on upper floors, while it is only seven kilometers from Lisbon airport, it is located in the centre with wonderful views over the city, the Tagus River and the centuries-old Saint George's Castle. For the convenience of shopaholics, the hotel stands directly in front of Amoreiras Shopping Center and close to department store, El Corte Inglés.
Decor and furnishings reflect sheer elegance, as can be expected from such a prestigious group as Dom Pedro with its eight hotels and resorts totalling almost 1,500 rooms in Lisbon, Vilamoura, Lagos, Madeira and Ceará, Brazil. Such elegance in its Lisboa property encompasses a collection of impressive art work, both sculptures and paintings.
The history of the group is an interesting one which began when Pietro Saviotti, a visionary of Italian origin, fell in love with Madeira and encouraged his son, Stefano, to open the first Dom Pedro Hotel there in 1973. A second hotel on the island, Dom Pedro Garajau, soon followed, as did others in the places mentioned above. The group has even created a Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection brand.
As for my stay at Dom Pedro Lisbon, during the international Web Summit, my room was a spacious one in the ‘Tower’ category, which in addition to fine views over the city also granted me access to the VIP Lounge and the spa. Furnishings included a round table with armchairs, a suitable workspace, mini-bar, tea and coffee facilities, king size bed and large wall TV.
Dining at the hotel means a choice of either Bistro Le Café offering the traditional flavors of Portuguese cuisine or the Il Gattopardo promising an exploration of Italian flavors.
Opened in 1998 and the choice of former US President Bill Clinton, the hotel also features an Aquae spa and wellness center with the Elemis brand, the complex comprising a heated indoor pool with chromotherapy, jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath, gym, as well as an assortment of beauty treatments and massages.
Meetings and personal events take place in sixteen multipurpose rooms with a capacity up to 400 people in theatre style, with most rooms having daylight. The hotel provides private check-in for groups and a fully-equipped business center on the second floor. Facilities also include 24-hour reception, parking garage, valet parking and even a car washing service.
