The Haus - Santa Barbara II

The location was great, quiet but still just a 20 minute walk into the busy area. There’s a lovely wine bar downstairs, little supermarkets within a minute for basics, and other places to eat. I’d recommend it. We were four adults and a toddler in the tidy, modern two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. It had everything we needed, and the host was very responsive. We paid for early check-in, but there was a system glitch and the payment was refunded, which meant we left our previous place early. They did let us leave our luggage, which helped a lot. The shower in the ensuite bedroom was very small.

We chose The Haus Santa Bárbara II for 25 May because of the online photos and reviews, but the stay was disappointing. Access was a struggle: the narrow stairway had no reception or Wi-Fi, so opening the door through the app was difficult. The app instructions about a room key were misleading, which added to the confusion. There was no hot water when we arrived. Trying to explain the problem felt confrontational, as if they already knew about it. Someone came hours later to fix it, leaving us stuck in the room until evening. They offered to move us to another unit the next day, but that meant packing again and returning the following afternoon, disrupting our plans. Breakfast was included, but the first day we got only a sandwich with stale lettuce. We asked them to stop sending breakfast and refund it. They said they would, but never followed through. In WhatsApp messages they also promised to refund one night and cancel the breakfast charges. Yet when we contacted them about the booking, their replies showed no awareness of those credits, despite our WhatsApp exchange. The place felt poorly managed. The breakfasts were subpar, and maintenance problems marred the stay. With no reception or staff on site, dealing with issues was a burden. I wouldn’t recommend it for a hassle-free visit to Lisbon.

We were booked at Santa Barbara I, not II, but I’ll leave a review anyway. The room was great, clean and nicely laid out, and the metro is within walking distance. We loved our stay. I didn’t like having no human contact during check-in. Everything is electronic, including opening the room door, which requires a phone with WiFi. We needed to make a request and sent a message electronically; they responded quickly and took care of it, which I appreciated. But for someone who isn’t tech-savvy or doesn’t have electronic access, it would be difficult. This is true of a lot of places now.

I stayed in a one bedroom apartment in April and had a great experience. It’s in a great location, nicely decorated, and the service was impeccable. The staff were super friendly and helpful. I’m often in Lisbon, and this will definitely be my go-to for future trips.