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Story and photography by Manos Angelakis
Corinthia Hotel Lisboa Lisbon has its share of luxury hotels. It also has properties that boast of offering 5-star accommodations and services, yet they are often 3-star hotels with delusions of grandeur. The Corinthia Lisbon is a modern, true 5-star luxury hotel with 518 rooms and suites. It is located about 10 minutes from the airport (depending on traffic), in Lisbon’s business and financial center. It is a superb leisure hotel and a convenient base to explore the city and the nearby towns. I arrived late in the day at the hotel, after the end of SISAB – Lisbon’s major agro and alimentary products fair. On arrival I was greeted at the entrance and whisked to the 24th floor executive center, where a quick registration took place and my room key was waiting for me. My suitcase was picked up from the car and when I arrived in the room, it was already there. Anyone arriving after a long flight and forced to sit in their hotel room waiting for their luggage will appreciate what a luxury this small effort is. This is one of the marks of a well managed 5-star property.
The evening I arrived, the coffee table was set with plates of fruit, cheese and other appetizers plus a bottle of Port, and every evening a new set of “goodies” was laid out. Three complimentary bottles of Voss mineral water were in the living room as well. The bedroom had a king-sized bed with a down comforter and high count cotton sheets. There were two Turkish terry bathrobes and appropriately sized Room service is available 24-hours a day and tea- and coffee- making facilities are available in all rooms. On the same floor, there is suite 2311, a deluxe master suite unofficially known as the Alain Delon Suite, since the actor was the first person to occupy the space when the hotel re-opened in 2004, after the property’s acquisition by Corinthia and a complete refurbishment. The Presidential Suite is also on the On the ground floor there are two dinning rooms, Típico and Sete Colinas, separated by the hotel’s kitchen, the domain of Chef Gyula Harangi, the Executive Chef of Corinthia Lisbon. He is affable, young and dynamic and in charge of all the food requirements of the property from dinning rooms, to room service, to conferences and I experienced the food at Típico Restaurant on a week when Northern Portuguese cuisine was fêted. This was ethnic food at its best. Fish and seafood, pork and goat are the main elements of Northern cookery, and what I had was fresh and expertly prepared. The very simple, charcoal grilled fish dish I requested one evening came Across the back lobby from the restaurants, there’s a well-stocked bar (that makes a perfect espresso which I very much appreciated), with doors that in the summer open onto a wooden deck on the back garden set on the shadow of the hotel’s tower. The Terrace Garden, an oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Lisbon’s financial district, is a perfect setting for a summer lunch of Portuguese fare. A bubbling brook comes down from the grassy hillock that starts on the avenue behind the hotel. And, if all that great food starts to impinge on your waistline… not to worry! The MALO Spa is there to take care of your well being. Approximately 32,200 sq. feet (3,000 sq. meters) of space is occupied by the spa, the closest thing I have found in the Iberian Peninsula to the best Swiss medical spas. In an Two swimming pools – one heated with a retractable roof so it will function year-round; a Roman spa, aquabeds, jacuzzi, sauna (dry heat), hammam (wet heat), Swiss and Scottish showers, massage, aromatherapy, facials and many other healing and relaxing modalities are available in 13 treatment rooms. There is also a hairdressing salon. The spa’s experienced therapists will invigorate and tone your skin, balance your energy and bring deep relaxation by banishing fatigue and stress. When I had my massage and facial treatment, I became so lost in time that I never realized that over two and a half hours had passed, and I almost missed my meeting with the General Manager. And talking about the General Manager… Roderick Micallef, seemingly effortlessly orchestrates the operation of the entire hotel. Assisted by an excellent team of young and dynamic department heads, he has a deep understanding of what a true 5-star hotel needs to maintain quality and sophistication; concepts that a modern luxury property has to constantly adhere to. The Corinthia is also an outstanding business hotel; a great business address in Lisbon. It has The hotel has extensive conference facilities with 15 flexible meeting and presentation rooms in the conference center. Access to the conference facilities is either from the hotel lobby or a private entrance from the garden behind the hotel. Additionally there are 2 beautifully appointed boardrooms at the executive club level. There is Wi-Fi access in the entire hotel, including the conference area; if you do not carry your own laptop, a number of desktops are available at the business center. I deeply enjoyed my brief stay at the Corinthia Lisbon and I believe that when any of my readers takes advantage of the hotel’s facilities, they will have a great time as well.
© April 2011 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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I had one of the 5-senses suites on the 23
distressing moments.
slippers. A handy clothes press and valet completed the furnishings. A very large closet separates the bedroom from the bathroom; it also contains a safe and extra pillows and blankets. The bathroom in all the suites has BVLGARI amenities and fresh flowers, a nice touch. Every evening at turn-down time, chocolate covered strawberries or coconut truffles were placed by 
the bed... and I gleefully downed the bonbons.
same floor, a lovely, beautifully furnished suite with a formal dinning room, living room, one or two bedrooms (depending on the guest’s requirements), three bathrooms and a full kitchen where cooks from the hotel can prepare food, or pre-cooked food from the main kitchens can be brought up or, if needed, an outside chef can work to prepare food based on religious or other dietary requirements.
corporate meetings, and private functions such as weddings. In the garden in back of the hotel, Chef Harangi maintains fresh herb and aromatics plantings for his kitchen.
properly cooked; all it required was a squeeze of lemon and it was just right. The more elaborate traditional dishes, including seafood in cataplana (a hand-hammered copper utensil shaped like a football), and the more refined internationaly inspired dishes were also outstanding. The restaurant’s wine list is brilliant, with many top Portuguese wines from the Duro, Alentejo and the Quintas near Lisbon, as well as international wines from good wineries in other parts of the world. The restaurant’s maitre‘d has a very good understanding of food and wine pairings, and his suggestions were 
always right on target. 
atmosphere of total tranquility, the spa is there to revitalize and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit. 
360 superior rooms, 82 club suites and one junior suite on the first 19 floors, and 33 executive rooms, 16 executive club suites, 19 executive sky suites, five 5-senses suites, one master suite and one presidential suite from the 20