Portas do Céu Apartments

Such a convenient base for tram no. 28 and the observatory, and the staff were very kind. I stayed for 5 nights and 6 days, and they replaced the towels midway through the stay, which I really appreciated. For a longer visit, there wasn't enough toilet paper and some other amenities. Extras cost money, so having a bit more ready would help. Still, I'd recommend this accommodation.

The front desk staff were so helpful, and they even let us check in early. Our apartment was huge by European rental standards, with two bedrooms, a good sized shower and bathroom, and a kitchen stocked with everything you'd need. Alfama is a great spot, near Sao Jorge castle and other landmarks, with good restaurants all over. Five stars from top to bottom.

I didn't feel safe giving Portos De Ceu my biometric information through its online portal because its data security and biometrics practices didn't seem up to standard. There was no indication of these requirements when I booked. When I asked for a refund, they refused and told me I'd have to submit my biometrics or lose the money. After I'd checked in and all my belongings were in the flat, they told me I owed a 12 euro city tax. Their payment site said we had up to 48 hours to pay. In the middle of a busy workday, they messaged my personal number on WhatsApp and threatened to change the code remotely within an hour and lock me out. Within 10 minutes, they had changed it. I paid the 12 euro fee on a 250 euro booking to regain access. This was terrible customer service. I won't use them again and wouldn't recommend them to anyone who expects to be treated with respect.

The old center location was okay, though the hills made getting around with a child difficult, so we used taxis all the time. There are nice restaurants in the area, as you can see on my profile. But I won't stay here again. I should've checked the Google reviews first. The customer experience was terrible, with no flexibility at all. Our apartment still wasn't ready at 5 p.m. A woman at the desk said I should have entered the right check-in time, even though that field was optional. When we checked out, we were told we could leave our bags in the luggage room, but nobody could open it until 9:30. Once we got our luggage in, they said the room was full and left us outside with two suitcases and a sleeping baby, repeating “sorry.” During our seven-day stay, our towels were changed once. And if towels get dirty, you have to pay 45€.