Be Lisbon Residence Laranjeiras

A nice, cheap place to stay!

The metro was only steps away, and having a Lidl right downstairs made it easy to grab food and get straight out to see the city. Our room was the main bedroom, with a double bed, its own bathroom, and a lovely big balcony. Everything felt spotless and new, and Fernando gave us a warm welcome. My partner and I stayed here two and a half years ago while we were students. There was a short wait to check in, but we had a wonderful stay. I'm sure we'll come back to Lisbon one day and stay here again.

There was no reception, and the staff were hard to reach both at arrival and checkout. We were told to email our arrival time in advance and that check-in ran from 2 PM to 8 PM. I said we'd arrive at 4 PM, but they replied that we could check in at 5 PM or 6 PM. I wasn't sure what the slash meant, and staff didn't show up until after 6 PM, so we waited nearly two hours. Three calls from another group arriving from abroad at the same time were needed before anyone answered. I later learned many guests had been upset about the same arrival-day problem. The staff barely spoke English, which made it hard to sort things out. The other group also had the wrong reservation, and two tall people ended up sharing a cramped double bed. I first wondered if racism or sexism was involved, but the Western male group checking in at the same time seemed to have an even harder time, so that seemed unlikely. They only gave us the apartment entrance and pool floor codes after we asked. I wonder how guests who didn't ask managed. There was also a separate city tax of 6 euros. We didn't see staff again for three days, and when I emailed several times at checkout to ask about the key, nobody replied, so I left it on the desk. The room was small, and one of the women's bathrooms wouldn't lock. The living room and kitchen were spacious, and the beds were decent. People often showered late with music on. Since the other guests were noisy too, I came back late and didn't notice them showering, cooking, or doing laundry. I'm writing this because the ratings are so high.

The pool was closed for maintenance during our stay, and getting to the livelier parts of town meant taking the metro. Luckily, the station is right outside the building. The student residence was well looked after, and the staff were welcoming and friendly.