HI Lisboa – Pousada de Juventude - Hostel

I stayed there in July 2025 and was bitten badly by bed bugs. They moved me to another room but didn’t help with the move or apologize. When I asked for a refund, they told me to email them. I sent the email and a reminder, but by November I still hadn’t received a refund. I was in so much pain from the bites and wish I’d never stayed there.

The location works well, with Blue, red, and yellow Metro lines nearby, plus buses, supermarkets, and shops. The room, though, was tiny for two people: two beds, a little table and one chair, with hardly any space between them. There’s no air conditioning, so we had to leave the windows open all night to keep it from getting too warm. Breakfast only runs from 8:30 to 10, which made it hard to grab something before an early day trip. Also, despite what the website says, there’s no communal kitchen or shared living space. Decent hostel, but with some drawbacks.

Caroline at reception was really helpful and attentive to guests, and did a good job. It’s a cosy hostel close to the city center, nothing fancy, but good enough for the price. With staff like that, I can recommend it.

I left after the very first night, once I saw the bed bugs with my own eyes and had already been bitten. The experience was traumatic, and more than 4 weeks later I’m still dealing with the bites. Management refused a refund and said the bugs were brought in through luggage because of increased tourist activity, rather than being caused by poor hygiene at the hostel. I wish I’d checked Google reviews before trusting Agoda’s 7.5 rating. Please avoid this place if you want a safe, peaceful stay in Lisbon. Trip: August 2025.