GuestHouse by Trip2Portugal

We stayed four nights, and they didn't clean the room or change our towels once. The building felt abandoned and dirty, and our room was smaller than it appeared in the photos. Since they knew we were arriving late at night, it would've been nice to have basics like bottled water, coffee capsules, or tea, but none were there. They also had a printed notice saying they'd take 50 euros from the deposit if we had excess trash.

It was a nice, quiet place, and the best we could find within our budget.

There's ongoing construction next door, and it disrupts guests. The access code problem has also been mentioned by previous guests, so it doesn't seem to be an isolated issue. The admin, Mario, sent the response below. I found the tone dismissive and condescending, with what felt like an age bias. Instead of taking the concern seriously, he questioned whether we should have chosen this place and suggested we book a hotel with 24-hour reception and a reliable transfer. He also said the guesthouse wouldn't change its procedures, that people who expect problems tend to have them, and that Lisbon is an old city with many buildings under renovation. His message read: Hi Suzana I sense a lot of insecurity about your trip and I ask: 1- When you read the comments about the Guesthouse, did you see any mention of the codes not working? 2- Don't you think that, by your choice, arriving in a country whose language you don't even know at 11 PM is a bit complicated for a retired couple (as you describe yourselves)? 3- Instead of worrying about how to safely arrive at the place you booked, you're asking if the codes work? As a host and tour operator, I think you made the wrong choice and I think you should rethink your stay. Choose a hotel with 24-hour reception, choose a reliable transfer service, and make sure things go well and you have a positive stay. The Guesthouse you booked will not change its procedures and will continue to work this way, and my experience tells me that people who anticipate many problems will end up having them, and given your lack of confidence, I think you should choose another place. Finally, Lisbon is a very old city and is permanently undergoing renovations; yes, we have a building next door that is being renovated, like thousands of other buildings in Lisbon. Best regards Mário | Trip2portugal

This is the sort of place to pick if you want a bizarre stay. It isn't an Airbnb, but more like a hostel made up mostly of studio apartments opening onto a central hall. The hall smelled strongly of sewage, and the rooms were heavily perfumed. We arrived to find no towels, then had to wait 24 hours for them. Calling was pointless because nobody answered. Getting a reply to our Booking.com messages took repeated pleas and ages, and when they did respond, they denied the problem. Even after cleaning on the third day, the smell remained, but they told us there was no odor and they'd already taken out the trash. Then on day three, water came pouring through the bathroom ceiling. It wasn't a huge problem only because we were leaving anyway. If you're undocumented and have no other option, maybe this is the place for you.