Estrela dos Anjos

The night receptionist was especially welcoming and supportive. The hotel also felt clean and safe, and housekeeping was very good. It was a good stay for the price, with metro stations, restaurants, and bus stops all easy to reach.

The room was so tight that there was space for only one person to walk around the bed. It also wasn't very clean, and we saw a cockroach, though they did clean it every day. We think the old building may be the reason. The welcoming staff don't speak English, but they let us into the room two hours early, which was nice. The price is very low, so you sort of expect some things.

When I checked out, the receptionist was asleep at the front desk and snoring loudly. It was a shocking lack of professionalism and care. My stay had already left me concerned about the payment: they asked for my passport and a check-in form when I arrived, then said payment had to be in cash. I paid what they asked, but they gave me no receipt, saying I could request one by email. When I later asked, they said there was no record of my stay. That seems dishonest and like tax evasion to me. Get all receipts during check-in so you don't have to deal with this sort of behavior. Terrible experience. I'd give zero stars if I could.

The Nepalese restaurant across from the hotel was amazing. We got takeaway on our last day and ate in the room because we were exhausted after walking all day. There's also a cute cafe about five minutes away, I think it's called Padaria Portuguesa. We kept going back for breakfast because the pastries were lovely. The room we stayed in had been renovated recently. It's small, but enough space for me and my son, and the price was really good. The building looks old and there are stairs to climb, so pack light. Metro, tram, and bus stops are a five-minute walk away, and the city centre takes about 15-20 minutes on foot.