Santos Tiny Studio by Homing

I couldn’t even get into the apartment I’d paid for, and after spending about four hours in Lisbon trying, I needed somewhere else to stay. At first there was no clear communication about getting into the building or checking in. I’d spoken to a man about leaving my luggage earlier, then talked to a woman about my day, but it turned out the luggage storage was at another location, so I never left my bags. At check-in they said I couldn’t enter because I hadn’t filled in a form they’d never sent me. I completed it and paid the fee, then waited a very long time for the entry code. After I got the code and key, the key wouldn’t open the door. Three women coming into the building tried too and couldn’t get it open. I asked the host to send someone, since other people had also tried and failed, but they said nobody was at the property and didn’t say anyone could come. Instead, they told me to wiggle the key or use more force. I asked for a refund. They initially said their policy wouldn’t allow it, but didn’t tell me I could contact Expedia to request approval for a cancellation. Expedia said the property needed to answer the phone to discuss it. I kept updating the host over WhatsApp, and they said they couldn’t call back while the line was busy but would respond when it cleared. They never answered, stopped replying to my messages, and Expedia couldn’t help. I reported both the check-in fee and room charge to my bank. The whole experience was horrible, including another two hours spent trying to get inside. There are plenty of places in Lisbon, so I’d stay somewhere else.