"As a long-standing Accor member who has stayed across the group’s portfolio, from Raffles to ibis Styles, and with family members who work for the Accor brand, I was particularly disappointed by my experience at Novotel Lisboa.
My stay was already affected by significant travel disruption following a cancelled flight, but unfortunately the hotel experience added considerably to the frustration.
During my stay, I made 43 calls to Reception across two separate occasions without receiving an answer. I ultimately had to physically attend Reception to obtain assistance. I was subsequently told that the Reception telephone had been left on silent. My concern was not that I expected the calls to be answered “more quickly”, as the hotel later suggested — I was told the telephone was not ringing through to Reception at all. I found this particularly concerning given the importance of guests being able to contact Reception in an urgent situation.
I also experienced several room-service issues, including cold food, incorrect drinks and missing items. Housekeeping then attempted to enter my room at approximately 10am despite the stated 12pm checkout, despite me having already contacted Reception regarding my circumstances.
What was equally disappointing was the handling of my complaint afterwards. I initially raised everything directly with the hotel and gave them an opportunity to resolve it. After receiving responses that did not properly address my concerns, I formally escalated the matter to Accor Customer Care on 18 September 2026, under complaint reference 25874194.
Accor advised me that my concerns had been shared with the hotel’s leadership team and that I would be contacted directly. This did not happen. I had to chase again on 23 September, and only received a substantive response on 24 September. In total, I spent around two weeks repeatedly following up to obtain answers to issues I had already clearly documented.
The hotel ultimately offered 2,000 ALL Reward points as a goodwill gesture, which I have accepted. However, accepting the gesture does not change my experience or mean I consider the matter satisfactorily handled.
Having stayed at Accor properties ranging from Raffles to ibis Styles, I can honestly say I have never experienced this level of service or complaint handling within the group. My family also has connections to the Accor brand, which makes the experience particularly disappointing.
I have no confidence in returning to Novotel Lisboa and would not choose to stay here again. I will be sharing my experience honestly so that prospective guests can make an informed decision."
