Aurea Once Upon a House

This isn't a hotel, but a group of rental apartments, and the managers were either incompetent or neglectful in our experience. Expedia booking was the worst. No one contacted us with instructions for entering the building or our room. There was no front desk, just an empty table with two phones and what I assume was an intercom. The numbers on the signs outside and on the desk were both disconnected. We went to the actual hotel next door and tried three more numbers, with no luck. Expedia eventually got someone on the line, but we still couldn't get the code for our room. I'd warn people traveling to Lisbon away from this property. Give your business to the Meriprime Gold hotel next door instead. They have staff there in person and seem much more professional.

Our family of four booked this apartment four months before our Lisbon trip, paid a month in advance for two nights in August, and arranged to check in at 10pm. A flight delay pushed our arrival to 11pm, still within the host's stated check-in availability until 11.30pm. But the host didn't respond. We reached a locked door with no instructions and no answer, and were left on the street at midnight with nowhere to go. The next day, the host cancelled the whole booking and hasn't refunded us. Communication was terrible, and the check-in times weren't honored. Avoid it and request a refund.

The price was excellent and the location was great. Everything else was fine, but the towels we'd requested for showering weren't there. With that taken care of, I'd have given it 5 stars. I definitely recommend it.

The location is perfect, with public transport close by for getting around the city, including 28e, 15e, the elevator, and Metro. The apartment was beautiful, cozy, and carefully maintained, and the staff were extremely helpful!