Eclectic Kim Review: H10 Duque de Loulé

A stay at the H10 Duque de Loulé hotel served as a perfect location for a lovely stay in Lisbon, Portugal

My first introduction to the H10 brand was my stay in Venice, Italy. There, I absolutely loved the room I booked, the hotel itself and how close to everything I wanted to see, it was.

The same happened with H10 Duque de Loulé in Lisbon, Portugal. I greatly appreciated how easy it was to drive in from Faro, the proximity of the hotel to everything I wanted to see in Lisbon through a short Uber ride and how close it was to the airport.

Stay

I loved the details of my room, as my view was delicious. I mean, I booked my two window, facing the street room for a reason. It offered gorgeous decor, a hot and steamy shower and – most importantly – aesthetics. I wanted to spend just one more day there.

But maybe, that the beauty of a room like that – you spent just enough time there to not get tired of it.

The bathroom was designed beautifully. And I loved the toiletry bag.

Unlike one guy that came down while I was checking in to yell at the staff that his air conditioner didn’t work as well as he wanted it to and that his view from his room was a wall.

The staff member listened to him rant and then – with a swift European curtness said: “you got the room you booked and paid for.”

Frankly, I lived for the shade. Cold as ice but hey, I understand it. However, it was when he said he was going to complain to Priceline and wanted to speak to the manager that I almost started laughing out loud.

When in doubt, just book direct on the hotel website. Unless you book through the American Express Travel website, which is – different. Similar to purchasing a house, you have to weigh your key desires with how much you’re willing to pay for them. Don’t get mad. Just learn how to work the system.

Also, if you’re gunning for an upgrade, be mindful to book the room that you’ll be satisfied with. So, that the upgrade will simply be a happy bonus vs something you’re counting on and get disappointed over.

But stuttering and saying “I’mma call Priceline! Where is your manager!?!” to a stone faced European? Then, bragging that you booked the room in February and complaining about how they didn’t give you an upgrade when you booked through a 3rd party website? Stay #blessed, bro. Because yelling will get you no where fast.

Meanwhile, this was my view from my balcony….

Limao, The Rooftop Restaurant

After a pretty heavy day in Lisbon and Sintra, it was lovely to come back to the hotel and take a nightcap and snack at Limao, the rooftop bar.

My attentive server swiftly served me a blanket for the rather chilly evening, as I gazed over the rooftops of Lisbon. The Niepoort NV Dry White Port he suggested went well with the “ALHEIRA DE MIRANDELA” CROQUETTES IN TOMATO AND BASIL JAM.

Parking

Driving from the Southern coastal region of Portugal to Lisbon was a treat. However, what was not a treat was getting off of the A2 and onto the city streets of Lisbon. That was an experience in accelerated anxiety. Driving in Lisbon is not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, a few circles of the block later, and I’d parked close enough to H10 Duque de Loulé to check in and rest for the night.

Luckily for me, parking is unpaid after 7pm. I just had to move the car to the hotel’s underground parking lot before 9am in order not to worry about paying for parking in the morning.

If you drive to Lisbon from Faro or the Algrave region, you’re almost better served by driving your car straight to the airport and then taking an Uber from the airport, to your hotel of choice. Driving in Lisbon is pretty unnecessary.

However, if you do chose to use a car in Lisbon and park at H10 Duque de Loulé, park in front of the hotel with your hazards on, check in and then get the parking map. Because it is confusing as all hell. Technically, it’s on a street that is below the hotel. But, again – save yourself the insanity of figuring it out yourself and just use the map.