Roaming Numeral

In Lisbon, there’s no shortage of hotels of all shapes and sizes. I was a little overwhelmed by my choices, and when recommended the H10 Duque de Loulé, I found myself booking the hotel almost entirely due to its stunning balcony and blue-tiled interior.

Since this hotel was my first stop after a long plane ride, I was pleased to be met at the street by a doorman who helped me with my luggage and guided me to the check in desk. My room was not yet ready, but I was treated to a welcome drink and some tasty treats while I waited. What a warm welcome to the city!

The hotels interior decorations were clearly inspired by the famous blue and white Azulejo, and the two colors dominated the space. The lobby and common areas even had several tile illustrations to admire while sat in comfortable blue cushioned chairs.

The hotel was able to store my luggage for me while I went up to their beautiful Limão Rooftop Bar to decompress from my travels. (And you guessed it- it’s blue and white!) You may remember this bar in my Lisbon food and drink roundup here!

It was such a delight to lounge on the rooftop with a glass of complimentary champagne, admiring the view. I was the only visitor to the bar in the early afternoon, but it can get pretty crowded in the evenings and admittance is on a first come first serve basis.

The bar was conveniently close to my bed, so it was worth the wait, but maybe a little out of the way for non-guests. I did love the live music that performed at the bar on every night of my visit, though!

Speaking of my bed, once I was able to enter my room I was happy to find that the two twin sized beds I had booked were actually separated from each other (rather than within touching distance as twin beds in European hotels so often are).

The bathroom had a fun pop of black and white checked floors, but the room otherwise continued the ubiquitous blue and white patterns from the rest of the hotel.

The rooms are a little on the smaller side- not excessively so, but enough that two adults with their luggage had to do some shuffling once we unpacked.

I was most impressed with the service in this hotel- I had booked the lowest category of room and the price was super reasonable for me, but I felt like I was treated like a luxury guest every time I interacted with the staff. No matter the time of day, they were always incredibly kind and attentive- traits that I noticed to be common with the Portuguese people I met throughout my trip.

The hotel did have some drawbacks- while it states that it is located in the city center (and I suppose it is for a given value of “center”), I found myself constantly booking Ubers to get to popular tourist destinations from the hotel. It was technically possible to walk to these locations, but a 30 minute walk vs a $5 Uber was no contest at all. (These prices may have changed significantly since my last visit, though).

Overall, this hotel is an excellent pick for visitors who are interested in staying close to the attractions of Lisbon, but without having to deal with hordes of fellow tourists. Location may be everything, but peace and relaxation have their place too!