Alvalade II Guest House

The room and washroom were renovated and well equipped, the Wi-Fi was fast, check-in was easy, and communication was great. It was quiet inside too, thanks to the thick windows that kept out the airplane noise. The place is on the third floor with no elevator. That wasn’t their fault, and I actually had fun hauling my luggage up. The location worked well whether you’re visiting the city or catching a flight, since it’s close to the subway and airport. One downside: the cleaning lady was on a loud call with her mum in Brazil, and I didn’t want to be woken by it. She could have stepped outside the apartment. I felt sad for them, though, since they seemed to miss each other a lot.

The location is good, but we couldn’t use the place and had to book somewhere else, so I’m giving it one star. I wouldn’t book here under any circumstances. We accidentally chose the wrong date for our family stay and told the owners right away, just five minutes after booking. Sofia and Vitor kept the 107 EUR and sent rude, threatening messages, saying their policy didn’t require them to approve a date change. This was a booking mistake, not a change of plans. To me, it felt like theft dressed up as policy. I’m still waiting to see whether Booking will refund me. The owners were impossible to communicate with, and no one at the venue ever answered the phone. They have no business in tourism, in my view, with such poor hospitality and communication skills.

I had an early flight the next day, so this worked perfectly for a short stay. Check-in was self-service, with no staff to meet us, but the entrance was easy to find and the directions were clear. The shared bathroom was decent and had hot water, and the shared kitchen had what we needed for breakfast.

Being close to the airport makes transfers convenient. The lower outside walls are stained and could use a fresh coat of paint, but otherwise this is a great guest house.