Boa Nova Guesthouse

There’s a shared terrace with a nice view, and the shared kitchen came in handy for making a simple meal. I was surprised to learn the guesthouse used to be a missionaries' house, and even more surprised by the life-size pope statue inside. The location is central, but the rooms stayed peaceful. We had a spacious room with everything we needed, and the woman who checked us in was kind and helpful. Her little pup was adorable, too. There’s air conditioning, and opening the windows and balcony doors in the evening can also help with the heat.

The people were nice and the room was okay, but the check-in hours are a serious problem. You can only check in from 3-7 pm. Arrive after 7 and nobody will let you in, so you may have to book another hotel, and they won't refund you. Overnight there were extremely loud sounds coming from what seemed like everywhere, which was kind of scary, and the bathroom smelled a bit. It’s a guesthouse, not really a hotel: there’s no room cleaning, check-in desk, breakfast, or other hotel amenities.

My mother and I were left looking for another room at the last minute after the guesthouse turned down my request to check in at 9 pm. Check-in was only from 3-7 pm, though they mentioned you could request a different time. I asked them to wait two hours or arrange self check-in, but they said neither was possible. I tried calling at least three numbers listed on Booking or Google and no one answered. We got no refund for that night. I had also asked to check in the next morning, rather than wait until the regular 3 pm start, but they rejected that too, even though the room was free and we’d paid for the previous night. I’ve never had this problem at a hotel or guesthouse before. I wouldn’t return because of this check-in policy.

We’ve just arrived back in South Africa after our time in Portugal. What a lovely country, with such nice people! Maria, the staff, and Flash!! the puppy were all super nice and helpful. The stay was comfortable, clean, quiet, and really well organized. It was also a great base for exploring Lisbon. Thanks, Maria, and thanks, Portugal!