Holiday Inn Express Lisbon Alfragide

I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Lisbon - Alfragide, and unfortunately, the experience was overshadowed by a pervasive and unpleasant odor. The room had a strong, lingering scent of stale bacteria embedded in the carpet. It is incredibly disappointing to see a global brand like IHG struggle with basic environmental controls. After looking into guest feedback, it’s clear that travelers have been reporting "terrible" and musty smells at this property for nearly nine years. I find it baffling that management has failed to get their cleaning, maintenance, and refurbishment cycles in order after nearly a decade of documented complaints. A biological odor of this nature indicates a failure in deep-cleaning protocols or a refusal to replace aging, moisture-trapping materials. While the staff remain professional and the location is convenient, the hygiene standards are simply not up to par for a professional stay.

My wife and I had to find a hotel to stay in Lisbon after the one we booked became unlivable during our stay. We chose this property as a last resort, and when we got there late that night, the staff was very welcoming and seemed happy to have us. The rooms were very comfortable and clean, and because it's a little further away from downtown Lisbon, it was very quiet and peaceful. Though most of the staff was kind and helpful, an incident that occurred during our checkout left a very bad lasting impression with us. On the morning of our checkout, I went down to the lobby around 6:15am with all of our luggage. I was not sure if breakfast was open yet and went towards the cafeteria to take a look. A staff member named Fabio came out of his office and asked me very sternly and bluntly "Can I help you?" to which I asked him what time does breakfast open. He looked at me coldly and simply replied "7." He continued to stare at me as if I was not a guest but someone who did not belong at the hotel (keep in mind that I had my luggage with me). It made me feel really uncomfortable and I decided to go back upstairs to my room where my wife was finishing getting ready. When we came back downstairs a few minutes later to check out, he was very unkind, cold, and did not ask me how my stay was or thank me for choosing their hotel. Once the checkout process was over he immediately went back into his office. Considering how warm and professional the rest of the staff was, and that I am an Asian man, I'm sure Fabio acted the way he did because of my race.

Convenient location to public transportation (right outside the door)! Rooms very clean, very comfortable, and quite. The breakfast was AWESOME! A different variety each morning & plenty to choose from. A great value and friendly staff!