Concierge.com's insider take:

Lisbon's Four Seasons may come as a surprise to the chain's fans. The ten-story, 1959 marble cube of a building, crowning one of Lisbon's seven hills, looks like a version of Eastern Bloc architecture at its most block-headed, and the swish 1950s interior doesn't conform to any accepted rendition of contempo chic. But anyone who appreciates genuinely quirky retro will lap up the Jean Cocteau meets Jackie O. glamour, starting with 282 epic-sized guestrooms that flaunt a dizzying mix of luxe references (everything from Louis XVI to a dash of Deco, swagged curtains to heated towel racks). The hotel really comes into its own, though, in the sweeping public lounges that double as galleries of Portuguese Modernist art; among the most eye-popping pieces are the neon-colored, Picasso-like tapestries of centauros by José de Almada Negreiros. Less of an acquired taste, especially in a city where service can seriously flag, is the impeccably efficient staff and an intrepid concierge desk that will do anything legal to snag that dinner reservation. Other big pluses: a new, state-of-the-art multi-sensory spa (try the nectar and papaya wrap for a fruity, organic glow) and the Varanda Restaurant's snaking lunch buffet, where you can sample every classic egg-based Portuguese convent dessert while watching the local power brokers make deals.