The Bar

According to Wikipedia, a Bar is “a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks - beer, wine, liquor and cocktails - for consumption on the premises”.

Well, it’s much more than that isn’t it?

A Bar is where people meet, to talk, to discuss, to celebrate, to cry, but mostly to share their mood, feelings and opinions, with friends or family and sometimes with the Bartender, that “friend/ shrink” that listens to us when no one else does.

That’s why the Bar is a very important part of a hotel, and it can`t be seen by managers as “every hotel has one so we must have one too” or a “cost center”. When we are too busy selling rooms we sometimes forget what to do when the customer is already in the hotel.

A Bar can complete the character of a hotel or be the character itself, it can be its heart and soul. It is very important to create the perfect ambiance where people can feel calmed and relaxed, after a sightseeing day, but at the same time an ambiance where people can feel vibrant to start a party night.

The Bartender is a key element, his knowledge, his patience will provide the client with the confidence and tranquility of a good service. 

That’s why it is important to invest and promote it, to organize events which add value to the client’s stay. Musical events mainly, but there others that can be exploited, like sports events played on a big TV screen.

So, in the end it’s only a matter of vision and determination to grant the clients with experiences they won’t forget.

Book Directly!!!

One of the questions that everyone asks before booking the hotel is “Where should I book it?” well, our answer is easy, book directly!!

In the past, there weren’t too many alternatives, in fact, the Travel Agents were the only alternative, but now, if you have an internet connection, everything is simpler and faster, the problem is choosing between all the existing options.

There are thousands of Websites which allow you to make the booking. In some, you can book a flight, hotel, car or even a restaurant and, of course, order a bouquet of roses or a bottle of Champagne, but most of them only permit the room booking.

In this decision, the customer normally excludes the hotel's Website mostly because the rate found on the hotel’s website is higher, but also because the customer is still not confident enough to leave the "comfort area" and prefers to book on big brands like Booking, Expedia, or Tripadvisor.

This is slightly changing, and although the hotels need to do much better, there are also good reasons to book through the hotel’s website:

- Inexistence of the possibility of fraud
- Direct communication makes it easy to arrange special requests
- Better rates
- Exclusive amenities

At the Avenida Palace, the Guests that book through the official website are entitled to a series of exclusive benefits, such as:

- Room upgrade, upon availability.
- Early check-in and late check-out free of charge, upon availability.
- Complimentary Bottle of Mineral Water in the Room, throughout the stay.
- 20% discount on Bar spendings.
- Discounts on Extra nights.
- Fresh Fruit Cup on arrival.
- A special surprise for children aged 3 years and over.

No matter what option you take, always take a look at the hotel’s website, you just might be surprised.

Reasons to fall in love with Lisbon

A recent article by Javier Martin del Barrio, in the newspaper El País, lists several reasons for falling in love with Lisbon.

Music, bars, monuments, historic sites, the famous Tram 28 and even the climb to the Pilar 7 of 25 de Abril bridge, nothing is forgotten.

“Pilar 7 Experience” is the first stop as Lisbon’s most recent tourist attraction is mentioned for the incredible views of the city and the river Tejo and the possibility to “climb to heaven”.

“Like the one in S. Francisco, but better” is like Tram 28 is presented, the journalist’s favorite route starts in Estrela all the way to St. George’s Castle through Graça district, not skipping a visit to Vila Berta.

A walk from Parque Eduardo VII through the river Tejo is another suggestion, starting by a small stroll thru the gardens then down the Avenida da Liberdade, crossing the Rossio area to the Praça do Comércio, all of this during the morning.

The Oceanário also makes the list and it is considered “beautiful, fun and didactic”. One of the main reasons to fall in love with Lisbon is, of course, Fado “to enjoy the real Fado song performed by the best Fado singers” one must visit Mesa de Frades.

Finally “if you are a tourist but want to get away from the traditional route, take a taxi and go to Bairro Padre Cruz” and there you will find a unique street art collection, where 30 of the best street art performers painted the façades of this neighborhood.

Travelers look for new experiences

Innovation is always trendy in the tourism world and the standard city tour is no longer enough for the tourist who eagers for new experiences. 

TripAdvisor released a report about travel trends in 2018 on the segment Experiences, Tours, and Activities. This information was based on the reservations made in 2017 and it shows that although tourists are still interested in monuments and important sights, they are looking for local alternative experiences.

The interest in new experiences such as cultural, gastronomic tours, cooking lessons and historic and patrimonial experiences had an incredible growth, showing that travelers are expanding horizons.

Travelers are looking more and more for authenticity and they search for local culture, balancing their itineraries, mixing traditional tours with local experiences. It is clear that travelers will still visit Belém Tower, but they will reserve some time for a gastronomic tour through Alfama.

As it is normal when demand increases the offer follows and so, last year guides and tourism operators created more than 30 thousand new experiences worldwide.

One of the most annoying situations when traveling to a popular destination is the immense queues and that is why the product “skip-the-line” was the most popular in 2017.

As the name implies, this is a product that allows you to access, without queues, to some of the world’s most visit sights, making you save precious time, and improving the experience tremendously.

Portuguese Christmas Traditions

Christmas is just around the corner and it is time to go through some of Portugal’s Christmas traditions, some of them still very up-to-date.

In this month’s edition of Lisbon’s Agenda Cultural, Tomás Collares Pereira presents some of the Portuguese Christmas Traditions.

In a time when most of us struggle through the shopping list, the “fights” at the shopping mall or the constant advertising bombing all to make sure that Christmas has all it should have, there are still some traditions that survived the standardization that is taking place in our society.

In the list below you will find traditions that no longer take place and other that are more recent, enjoy:

The Christmas Turkey
Brought to Europe by the Spanish and the English it was introduced to the Portuguese in the early 20th century and it was only available to the richest due to the rationing caused by the war.

Christmas Lights
Always associated with this festivity the electric lighting allowed a more elaborate decoration of the city, which is by itself a reason for a visit to the city center, as it happened in 2004 when, in association with a local bank, the Comércio Square assembled a Christmas tree that was, informally, considered the highest in Europe.

The Circus
Christmas is not Christmas without a visit to the Circus and this tradition started early. During the second half of the 19th century, the Theatro-Circo located in Lisbon offered various circus spectacles, but the true circus house in Lisbon is Coliseu dos Recreios, which opened in 1889 and hosts Circus spectacles almost every Christmas.

Traffic
One must think that Christmas traffic is an event of the modern times but you couldn’t be more wrong. In the old days, the Downtown area was the center of Lisbon shopping and it was always very busy at this time of the year.

Traffic Policeman
Here’s a tradition lost in time. With the arrival of the automobile and in consequence its complicated relation with pedestrians, it was necessary to find someone to control traffic. The Traffic Policeman, wearing white gloves and hat/helmet so they can be easily seen, was not well accepted by the drivers in those days. Pedestrians felt safer and for that, and also due to the low incomes, on Christmas they offered gifts to the Traffic Policeman.

Santa Claus
Santa Claus had its origin on St. Nicolau, a bishop that besides his miracles anonymously offered presents to the needed. Although it is common to associate Santa Claus with the Coca-Cola commercials, he has been presented with red clothing in the 19th century. In Portugal, for instance, the tradition of Baby Jesus and a little shoe to receive gifts, prevailed over Santa Claus.

Apps for those who like to travel

There’s no way to go around technology, especially if you’re traveling. Here's a small guide for the best Apps to use when you’re away from home.

There are thousands and thousands of Apps throughout the app stores and, sometimes, it’s hard to find the correct one. “Expresso” has made it easy for us and selected the 5 that you really can’t miss.

Here Maps 
We start with the obvious maps, no matter where you are, in downtown Lisbon or in the Circus in Rome, Here Maps is available in the major platforms and it has an unbeatable feature which allows you to download the maps you need in advance so, you don’t have to pay later when you’re using roaming. Calmly, at home, select the map or maps you need, install them and from that moment you’ll have access to several navigation tools, for walking courses or for driving by car or motorcycle.

Bravolol
When travelling one of the most common problems is to deal with the local language and, sometimes,
the difference between a happy trip and an all lot of trouble is a simple word. Bravolol includes the most used sentences in 13 languages, allowing also to play the sentences so that you can say it in a perfect way.

Tripcase
Everyone dreams with an assistant, not all of us can afford one but fortunately we have Tripcase. Tripcase is an app that organizes and plans your entire trip. In one single place you can gather all the information regarding your journey, plain tickets, hotel reservations or car hire, you can “pack” everything in this digital bag. Best of all, the information is not static and with the help of internet you can receive updates on your flight schedule, changes of boarding gate, call an Uber, receive recommendations for dinner, promotions and even weather forecasts.

Snapchat
You probably already have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account, which is fine, keep them their
important too. But Snapchat has one feature that beats the others, it allows you to create your stories (snaps) and share them with your friends and family. And since the content is only live for a limited period it is easy to control exactly what you shared.

Currency
Not a big problem for Europeans who travel inside of the European Union but currency can be an issue if you find yourself in Canada or Japan. The app Currency includes currencies for 150 countries and allows you to do conversions between several currencies and get the most updated quotation.

Tips to avoid jet lag

How many times did you suffer from jet lag? Too many? Rafael Ruiz, of Delta Air Lines gives us 6 tips to avoid it.

Traveling is most people’s favorite hobby and it’s hard to hide the excitement when one boards an airplane and travel to any new place. But not all is roses, jet lag passengers may suffer when traveling to remote destinations, and this makes the experience a bit less exciting.

Here are 6 tips to overcome the lag related to the differences between time zones.

1 - Set your clock to the destination time before the flight. 
This is probably the most important thing to do before boarding, it helps keeping your mind in tune with the city you are visiting and focus on what you have to do when you land, instead of what you feel like doing in the current time zone.

2 - Stay awake on daytime flights and sleep on nocturnal flights. 
Although it may seem obvious, it is important to try to stay awake during the day and sleep at night, by keeping the daily rhythms will be easier to feel refreshed upon arrival.

3 - Drink plenty of water, and avoid coffee.
Water keeps you hydrated and alert, you may feel tempted to drink coffee, but water is more effective and helps you to keep away the fatigue that comes with jet lag.

4 - Avoid heavy foods, especially at lunch.
Heavy food, especially at lunch, can lead to a break in the afternoon and cause your biological clock to become even more out of sync, instead of having lunch eat a snack if you want to keep your energy levels high.

5 - Take your tennis shoes in the bag.
Exercise is always the best way to keep your energy levels high when you land, keeping you alert during the day, while allowing you to see the city better and still helping you to sleep when it's time. This is especially useful for business travelers, who need to ensure the energy at the right time for those important meetings.

6 - Turn off your phone at night 
When adjusting to a new time zone, it is essential to get a good night's sleep. If you have friends, family or colleagues sending you messages and emails that wake you up, your sleep will be disturbed all night and you will feel tired and dizzy. When it's time to sleep, turn off your phone, tablet, and laptop.

5 reasons to visit Portugal

Portugal is probably one of the most sought destinations across Europe at the moment. The reasons vary and here are a couple more. 

The debate has started: Will mass tourism ruin our country? Are we growing too fast? Will the infrastructures hold? Will cities like Lisbon loose its uniqueness and its identity?

Well, these are all good questions worth a long debate but, as for now, Portugal is probably one of the best destinations in Europe and it keeps flourishing every day, with new restaurants, new stores, new hotels, new attractions and it will not stop.

Although we have more than 900 years of history, it looks like Portugal was just found and, unfortunately, many people think this is not a good thing, because they are afraid it will spoil it.

Not at all our opinion, tourism is the engine that drives our economy and we, as Portuguese, should embrace tourism and make every visit to our beautiful country an unforgettable one.

Every day there are new reasons to visit Portugal, you have all heard about Portuguese cuisine, our sun, our history, our neighborhoods and our hospitality.

Today will give you 5 more reasons.

1. Portugal is a developed country in terms of digital technology and communications, taking 6th place among 61 economies. 
2.  According to the Globe Peace Index 2017, Portugal is Europe’s most peaceful country and 3rd in the all world.
3. Over 60% of all Portuguese speak a foreign language.
4. In a report made by the World Health Organization, Portugal comes in 12th among 191 countries.
5. We have one of the world’s best internet coverage. According to the World Economic Forum report about global competitiveness, Portugal ranks 13th place, in a list of 138 countries.

We almost forgot one of the most important reasons, the Hotel Avenida Palace. See you soon!

Restaurants in Lisbon

Before diving into the unknown, which might be Lisbon’s restaurant offers, stop by our concierge desk, he will help you decide and most importantly will help you avoid the worst ones.  

A recent scandal hit a couple of restaurants in Lisbon’s downtown. Apparently, they were picking clients on the street, showing a menu with some prices but, once the clients were seated they would immediately try to sell different items, way overpriced, but hidden on the bottom of the menu.

Obviously, the clients followed the waiter’s recommendations, but in the end of the meal, the bill come bearing bad news: 140€ for a swordfish dish, 250€ for a mixed shellfish platter or 15€ for bread and these are just some of the examples.

After being confronted with that rip-off, clients asked for the menu and realized that the prices were really there, they just didn’t check them, as they followed the waiter’s recommendations.

So, our first recommendation for today is: always check on the menu what you’re going to eat, be picky, make the waiter point it out for you, “couvert”(yes you have to pay for it), dessert and of course wine, you can take recommendations but please check the list and its prices.

Our second recommendation is: if you’re staying in a hotel listen to the Front Desk staff, they will help you avoid some of these troubles. In our case, guests can always find support in our Concierge Desk.

These are skilled employees that know by experience the restaurants they are recommending and they try to match your wishes to the offer available in the city.

Further down, you will find some of our Head Concierge’s suggestions, other references are also available on our APP.

Largo
Established in one of the most iconic areas of Lisbon, the square do Teatro S. Carlos, in Chiado, space mixes aspects of the original construction of the cloisters, with modern, bold design in a combination of architectural concepts absolutely unique.

As Velhas
Located near the Avenida da Liberdade, this typical Portuguese restaurant, offers a comfort and family atmosphere, and a menu that emphasizes all the best that Portuguese cuisine has to offer.

Monte Mar 
Monte Mar Lisboa was created in an elegant and urban-chic atmosphere that Monte Mar Lisboa, presenting fresh fish, shellfish, and all the traditional Monte Mar Cascais cuisine. The hake fillets with cockle rice, our signature dish, has a simple name but is very rich in flavor. Since Monte Mar Lisboa is not just a fish and seafood restaurant, if you prefer a more traditional option, choose "iscas", a delicious and tender liver dish served in a skillet.  

Cervejaria Ramiro
The tradition of well-serving seafood
Founded on the 7th of April of 1956, Cervejaria Ramiro is known nationally and abroad for its excellent quality of seafood, for its level of service and for the price-quality relationship.

Mar ao Carmo
Located in the well know Chiado district, more exactly in Carmo Square, is a seafood restaurant in a modern and elegant space, with neutral tones, which invites you to sit down and enjoy a pleasant relaxed meal.

Sacramento
The Sacramento is a relaxed venue, located in the heart of Chiado's historic district, in the former Confeitaria Nacional, once stables of the old Palace of the Counts of Valadares. With its traditional Portuguese cuisine with a touch of innovation and a careful presentation, the Sacramento promises to delight its customers.

Gambrinus
Situated in the heart of Lisbon, Gambrinus is a reference point in Lisbon’s Cuisine. Over the past 78 years, national and international personalities, artists and politicians have met to enjoy these meeting places.
The Restaurant has maintained a comfortable environment, with high-quality products and service of excellence, since the remodeling done in 1964 by the architect Maurício de Vasconcelos.

Fado

The origin of fado is controversial, and there are those who relate it to the chanting of the muslims who remained in Lisbon after the 12th century’s Christian reconquest and those who associate it to the songs of the sailors involved in the portuguese discoveries that started in the 14th century.

However, the most likely hypothesis is that fado, with an urban matrix resultant of the different cultures existing in Lisbon, was born and imposed itself in the mid-19th century, from the fusion of a kind of popular songs ("modinhas") with others of afro-brazilian origin ("lundum").

Initially associated with the populace and with those who frequented the alleys, taverns and brothels of the capital’s old historical neighborhoods, fado was fast accepted by the higher socio-economic classes and even by the nobles, who introduced it in aristocratic salons, making it more melodic, literary and artistic.

Despite the impulse given by the radio broadcast, theatre, cinema and by the "casas de fado” (fado houses) born in the meantime, it was only in the 50s of the last century that fado surpassed boundaries and was projected worldwide, thanks to the greatest fado singer ever: Amália Rodrigues.

It is, in general, a sad song that expresses the nostalgia, melancholy and saudade (longing, missing) of the Portuguese people. It speaks of love, jealousy, pain and of the misfortunes of fate, and it may also be sometimes associated with bullfighting, religious themes, bucolic themes, etc.. Nowadays, it is almost always sung at night, by a man or a woman, the latter standing out in black clothing and with the traditional shawl. It is accompanied by Portuguese guitar (a 12 string instrument, with a pear-shaped box) and viola.

Classified by UNESCO, in 2011, as World Intangible Cultural Heritage, fado is the greatest Portuguese musical symbol, and, especially, the song of the city of Lisbon.

Graça District

Located on the highest hill of Lisbon, the Graça District, is one of the oldest and most beautiful districts in the city.

Right next to the iconic Castle of St. George, where around the birth of our nation a huge olive grove was located, Graça is known for the superb view that two well-known viewpoints provide, the Miradouro da Graça and Miradouro da Senhora do Monte.

Graça is one of Lisbon’s most beautiful and oldest districts that saw its number of inhabitants increase after the devastating earthquake of 1755, these new inhabitants built simple residences, and also imposing Palaces.

Throughout the years, Graça suffered several changes. At the time of the extinction of the religious orders, the Convent was transformed into Military barracks, the Church of Largo de Santa Marinha was demolished and most of the convent lands were expropriated and sold to individuals.

In the beginning of the XX century and with the industrialization of districts such as Beato and Xabregas, Graça welcomes new inhabitants, workers who decided to live here, creating a new type of communities known as “Vilas”. This sort of working-class villages were built with aesthetic sense and urbanistic criteria that survived until the current days.

It’s here in this historical district that one feels the genuine atmosphere of Lisbon and its people, those who were born and raised in this neighborhood live in perfect harmony with the recent residents, including many foreigners.

Today, Graça is a very rich and diverse neighborhood, with wide streets, viewpoints and a combination of simple resident buildings and the most imposing palace.
Graça is a district that appeals not only to locals but especially to tourists that visit it for its soul, historical value, and location.

The best travel Apps

Travel planning has changed a lot in the last couple of years, now a smartphone it's all you need to plan your dream trip.

Remember the hours you wasted in front of a PC, looking for a cheap flight, or the best available rate for a hotel room? Remember when you had to carry a backpack just to store the local map and the stupidly expensive 300 pages city guide? Well, do you remember?

Fear not, those days are over, in 2017 all you need to plan, execute and light up your trips is a smartphone. Easy, no? Not so fast, the smartphone is not enough, you need to choose the right Apps, and that is what we're going to tell you.

Once you have chosen your destination, the next step is to book a flight, preferably a cheap one, so Hopper should be one of the first Apps to use. Hopper alerts you, through a notification, to the best time to book a flight.

Most of the options allow you to book a flight, hotel and rent a car, and one of the best is Momondo. Another good option, especially for the ones that haven’t decide where to go and are looking for low rates, is the Skyscanner, just choose “Anywhere” and you’ll receive suggestions for several cities.

To book hotels, Hotel Tonight promises the best last minute deals, but if you wish to “live like a local” Airbnb is still the most searched option, featuring now the possibility of reserving experiences in several cities.

You’re all set to go, now you have to organize yourself, Apps like Tripit or Worldmate, are great to organize your reservations. Just by sending the confirmation e-mails for all the reservations, you’ll receive the complete organized schedule that you can share with your friends.

So, you decided where to go, how about trying to learn words of the language you’re going to find? Duolingo is an app that is simultaneous a game, and the progress is made by passing through several levels of learning, and once you’re there the globally famous Google Translate, will help to understand the street signs or the menu option in a restaurant, just point the camera to the word and the app will translate it into 90 languages.

You know how easy it is to get lost in big cities and so if you’re using public transportations Citymapper is your best friend. This is an app that includes all the information regarding buses,
metro, trains, boats, bicycle routes and even services like Uber, gathering real-time departure schedules and eventual delays.

To help you with restaurants suggestions and reservations we have Foodspotting, this app has a different approach, here you choose the local specialty you want to try and the app will give you the best options based on the users’ recommendations. To pay the bill use XE Currency, which converts any currency in the world and it can be used offline.

Last but not least, you have to document the trip and so let’s avoid the Instagram cliché, LiveTrekker will mark in red the route you take, allowing you to add photos, videos, audio and texts along the way, creating a multimedia diary that can be shared with friends.

Ready to start?

Source - Expresso

Goodbye 2016, hello 2017

As usual, at the end of each year, we all make a retrospective about the year that finishes and make plans for the year ahead.

This was an incredible year for Portugal in terms of tourism growth, 10% is the estimated number, with over 48 million room nights. Although Lisbon and Algarve are still the most relevant destinations, other regions such as North, Madeira, and Açores, presented also a sustainable raise.

In 2017, the expectations are to keep on growing, and for that, 56 new flight routes will be available, including new routes to the United States and direct flights to China. On top of that, there are already confirmed 42 international congresses, including another edition of the Web Summit in November.

2017 is also the year in which we celebrate the 100th-anniversary apparition of Our Lady of Fátima to three shepherd children, an event that motivated the visit of Pope Francis to Fátima in May.

One thing is certain, in 2017 Lisbon we’ll continue to grow in terms of visitors and events, and will confirm its status of one of the most relevant Europe’s destinations.

Lisbon Story Centre – City Memories

Probably all Lisbon’s visits should start here, Lisboa Story Centre is the way to introduce the city.

Open in 2012, the Lisboa Story Centre is an innovative space dedicated to the history of the Portuguese capital, inspired by the wide array of facts and events that have shaped the city.

Located in the East Wing of the Terreiro do Paço and covering an area of around 2,200 square-meters, Lisboa Story Center has been designed as an interactive Visitor Attraction, featuring state-of-the-art technology, transporting visitors on a fascinating journey through time, using a mixture of elaborate sets, multimedia and sensory experiences, the Centre stages dramatic recreations of Lisbon's most important historical events, within the zone between the Baixa Pombalina and the Terreiro do Paço, exploring the myths and realities of this ancient city.

Comprising in 6 public areas and presented in a playful and interactive manner, while respecting the rich historical tapestry of this magnificent city, the Centre offers visitors an approximately 60-minute journey across time and space.

Find out all about Lisboa Story Center here.

International Women’s Day

On March 8th, the International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women.

The idea of establishing the International Women's Day comes with the arrival of the twentieth century, in the context of the Second Industrial Revolution and the First World War, when there was the incorporation of women workers in the industry, as well as their right to vote, and inspired by this spirit, the German socialist leader Clara Zebrino proposed to the Second International Conference of socialist Women in Copenhagen in 1910, the institution of the International Women's Day.

There are two events linked to International Women's Day, the first is connected to a workers' demonstration of New York textile sector held on March 8th, 1857, when workers in protest against poor working conditions, occupied a factory, a demonstration that was, according to some records, suppressed with extreme violence.

The other event, which some historians contest, is that a fire occurred at a factory on the same day in New York, and the absence of a consensus on these events generated myths about these happenings.

Top 5 – Blog Posts of 2015

At the end of each year before we look to what’s ahead, it’s time to look back and see what we have done.

2015 was a busy year, Lisbon was acknowledged has one of the most important destinations in Europe and because of that, it was constantly on the spotlight, breaking the record of tourists received in one year.

It was in fact a big challenge but the city was able to deliver and presented, to all of those that visited us in 2015, a diverse number of events, either cultural or sport related, that combine with Lisbon’s natural beauty and the already existing cultural offer, made the majority of all our visitors eager to return.

In our blog we try to combine useful information about the city and the hotel and as a balance we leave you with this year’s Top 5 Blog Post with received more views from our followers.

1 - Lisbon’s new secret garden
These days it seems like there’s always something new popping up in Lisbon, new restaurants, new view points, but today we’re going to talk about a new garden that just opened in Graça.

2 - Lisbon is the second city with the best hotels in Europe
Cleanliness, service and room quality were the aspects that weighed more in this election. The Portuguese capital received a score of 82.7 %, just behind Edinburgh.

3 - 5 Apps to use when visiting Lisbon
When you are visiting a new city having the right Apps on your smartphone can highly improve your experience, and in Lisbon it’s no different.

4 - Lisbon’s new beach
For a couple of years now Lisbon is trying to “reconnect” with the river, the Lisbon’s beach it’s a huge step.

5 - Top 5 – Lisbon Museums
Lisbon has some of Europe’s best museums, with unique, private and public collections, that are an important part of the Portuguese history.

Guest Reviews

Guest reviews are one of the most important tools a hotel could have. Used the right way it will, for sure, help to provide a better service.

In the Hotel Avenida Palace, we value all reviews and try to reply in time to all. The biggest player in terms of reviews is, of course, TripAdvisor. With over 65 million visitors, TripAdvisor holds the higher part of online reviews but it is not the only one, Expedia, Booking or Google+, all have a share of our attention.

Another important “channel” to get reviews is the Customer Satisfaction Survey available in the room. Recent numbers stated that around 15% of guests fill it, a number that will, certainly, increase in the next years.

At the Hotel Avenida Palace we monitor all reviews in a daily basis and use them to learn, to teach and to improve the quality of our service.

These are some of the recent reviews left by our Dear Guests:

“A very good stay of two nights in your beautiful hotel. Every contact with your employees was first rate. Thank you. À bientôt.”
Monsieur Barrand – France

“Prezados Srs. Agradeço a atenção e lembrança do meu aniversário, recebendo as honras deste hotel representado pelo espumante que foi oferecido em meu quarto. Obrigado.”
Exmo. Senhor Milton Amaral – Brazil

“We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay and were made to feel very cared for by all the staff. We would gladly recommend this hotel to anyone wishing to visit Lisbon. Thank you”
Mr. & Mrs. Almond – England

“Would definitely recommend your beautiful hotel”
Mrs. Dufour – USA

“Un très beau séjour dans votre hôtel. Mille fois merci !"
Monsieur et Madame Balmas – Switzerland

“The hotel is exactly to our taste – beautiful traditional décor, excellent “old style” service and we plan to return at the end of April after our stay in the French West Indies and the Atlantic crossing by ship.”
Monsieur et Madame Goderum – France

“One of the best hotel experiences – rivals the Saint Regis Rome. Top marks, we’ll share this with TripAdvisor which was how we found this hotel. Many Thanks”
Mrs. Ibsen - USA

5 Apps to use when visiting Lisbon

When you are visiting a new city having the right Apps on your smartphone can highly improve your experience, and in Lisbon it’s no different.

The “Observador” as put together an article where they reveal the most significant Apps when visiting Lisbon and Oporto and from those we have selected the ones that really matter in Lisbon.

The list includes Apps for planning your routes, apps that will “take you back in time” or apps that
will simply help you to choose the best restaurant.

Soon, the Avenida Palace’s App will be part of this list, but for now these are the most important ones:

• Lisbon Travel Guide

This app is a time saver, before you go out to visit the city. It allows you to plan routes, according to the maps available, it sets pins on the places where you want to go so that you don’t miss out on them, and it helps you to decide where you can have dinner or take a break for shopping.

• Rewind Cities Lisbon

"A magical and entertaining journey into the city’s past" is the invitation that Rewind Cities Lisbon offers you. Based on an augmented reality concept, this app allows you to view the city's past superimposed over the real picture you see on your smartphone. It's a unique experience to know the history of where you are.

• PortugalBy

Here you can see Lisbon through the lens of professional photographers. The application works as a photo file from different parts of the country, and it is possible to know where they were taken so you can enter the scene that captivated you the most. In addition, you can identify the images captured in the surroundings of your current location, so that you can get a move on and discover other places.

• Zomato

This is an App that helps you to look for the type of restaurant you want to go and on the area you prefer. You can also follow foodies who you think may be good gastronomic advisors

• Lisbon map and walks

Here's a guide that will be your companion through the streets of Lisbon. Let yourself be led by the guidelines of this application, the goal is to know which street you’re at and what it has to offer. At the same time, you can take pictures of your stroll and share them with friends.

Friday the 13th- where it all began

Every year there are from one to three Fridays 13th. These days are shrouded in mystery, misfortune and fears. Its origin lays in France and in the day on which the Order of the Templars was destroyed.

Around the number 13 shadows and distrust are rooted in several cultures. Thirteen were the disciples of Jesus Christ, being the traitor Judas the last. In Revelation, the number thirteen represents the beast and the Antichrist. Kabbalah, which is an esoteric branch with connections to Judaism, lists thirteen evil spirits. And even in the midst of the Nordic skepticism arises the character Loki, the God of fire and treat, who often appears in the scriptures as the "thirteenth guest".

Likewise Friday has obscure meanings. The Christian tradition believes that Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday. Some Bible scholars believe that Eve instigated Adam to sin when she offered him the apple on the sixth day of the week and also tells the story on which Abel was murdered by his brother Cain on Friday.

But, where lays the source of the supreme misfortune of combining a Friday with the number 13? The story is told by the Spanish newspaper ABC.

“To understand the origin of these fears, we have to return to France and to a Friday, 13 October 1307. The day had just began when King Philip IV began a persecution of the Templar Knights. By the hands of Pope Clement V, all the members of the Order were sentenced to the cross for sacrilege, heresy, sodomy and worship of pagan idols. In addition, the Knights were accused of homosexual relations with each other, a particularly humiliating charge for the time.”

The reasons were not true and unfounded, but for the King this persecution was necessary, for economic reasons, since the Order was too wealthy and powerful.

Through torture the Inquisition obtained the confessions they wanted, which were later retracted by the majority of the accused. Some were condemned to the fire, while others were imprisoned for life.
Before being thrown into the fire the Knights Templar Grand-Master, Jacobo de Molay added: "God knows that we were condemned to death with great injustice. Soon it will come a great calamity for those who condemned us without respect for the true justice. God will take responsibility for the retaliations for our death. “And under this curse lived King Philip IV and Pope Clement V, who died only a year later.

Good luck…

Source: O Observador

Top 5 New Year’s inspirational quotes.

With the arrival of a New Year come new resolutions, new journeys and new visions. 

We grasp this opportunity to make new promises and use this symbolic date as a reason to change whatever we think is wrong or needs improvement.

We gathered 5 inspirational quotes, which may help you accomplish those changes and make 2015 all that you want it to be.

1 - Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.

Benjamin Franklin

2 - Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Helen Keller

3 - Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!

Audrey Hepburn

4 - Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

Francis of Assisi

5 - Believe you can and you're halfway there.

Theodore Roosevelt

Happy 2015!