During my 48 hours in Lisbon, I stayed at the Fontecruz Hotel on Avenida da Liberdade, a rather large boutique hotel part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The Autograph Collection is essentially Marriott’s range of quirkier properties aiming at a slightly different audience. They have hotels all around the world, which all offer different experiences. Based on a sample of my handwriting, I was matched with the Fontecruz in Lisbon. The analysis was pretty spot on and promised a feast for the eyes and the palate. Since I had already been to Lisbon, I knew I was in for a treat.
The Fontecruz is a nice hotel, in a very central location, but it is a textbook case of style over substance. There are black rooms and white rooms – after a quick read through Trip Advisor, I knew to ask for a white room as the black ones are apparently so dark you can’t even read in them. Seeing as I had to take photos for the blog, asking for a white room was a no brainer. There is something very soothing about white rooms, no visual clutter and an overall feeling of purity. We were given a rather vast suite in the “special” building, overlooking a small cobbled street at the back of the hotel, which was lovely. I would however recommend asking for a room on a higher floor (we were on the first floor and could have participated in every single conversation taking place in the street). The bed was extremely comfortable and absolutely massive, which is a great big “plus” in my book… Sadly, this was balanced out by a great big “minus” when I realised the bathroom was one of those poorly designed ones with sliding glass doors. Nothing says romance like seeing your partner on the toilet. To this day, I still don’t understand why hotel designers insist on making bathrooms with glass doors. Ever heard of private time? Anyway, enough of the toilet talk.
The bar / restaurant is a lovely place to hang out during the day and early evening, as it is airy and quiet. It is also the breakfast lounge in the morning and for this I would definitely recommend ordering breakfast in your room as it sadly is at its noisiest in the morning. Seeing as the hotel is all about style, you will have guessed that the bar is pretty good looking, decorated in a modern Portuguese style, with mismatched azulejos, vintage plates on the wall and upcycled crates.
Overall, we had a pleasant stay at the Fontecruz and I think we were victims of our expectations. Because of its “boutique” label, we were expecting more of a personal touch, better service and warmth. Really, you need to go to the Fontecruz without thinking about its “boutique” status and think of it as a functional hotel with better decor, this way you will be able to enjoy its prime location, complimentary wi-fi and comfortable beds!
Traduction – Le Fontecruz Lisbonne n’est pas un hôtel de charme comme le décrit le site de Marriott, c’est un hôtel agréable et fonctionnel, idéalement situé Avenida da Liberdade, au coeur de la ville.
Mademoiselle Robot was a guest of Autograph Collection at the Fontecruz Lisbon for two nights
Rates from €135 per night