The Lift Apartments by Ridan Hotels

The room was on the small side, though that seemed expected for Europe. The cleaning staff were in early, around 8 a.m., and hummed tunes through the day until late afternoon, so sleeping in wasn't really an option. Still, the place felt safe and was well located, and the room was clean. Reception is just behind the apartments inside the lift hotel. The receptionist was fantastic, carried my luggage and walked me to the apartment's front entrance.

We booked two months ahead, and the main problem for us was arriving by car. There's no parking at the hotel, and they suggested a lot more than half a mile away. Carrying bags that far through busy central Lisbon is difficult. They say you can drop luggage at the front, but stopping there blocks the main road and police and other drivers beep at you. The room was dirty and had broken things, and staff wouldn't help resolve any issues. It felt like all they cared about was the bottom line. I tried to get a refund, but they refused, even with Chase Sapphire on the line. The service was horrible. Avoid this place. Want better service? Go to the Corinthia.

The room had a broken shower and sofa bed, plus both dead and live ants. My fiancée was there with a group for a bachelorette party, and their stay was awful. They tried to put up with it, but it was uncomfortable. Customer service still refused to refund the nights they'd stayed. When the group messaged the hotel, they were told, “but I promise this part won’t affect your sleep”. I've never seen service that unprofessional. Avoid.

We booked despite being nervous about the negative Google reviews, and ended up very happy with our spacious two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor. It easily fit our three adult kids, had a narrow balcony over the pedestrian street, and a lovely view up toward the church on the hill. Since it was just before Christmas, we also got to enjoy the frequent light show set to music. The location was fabulous for walking to lots of areas, shops and restaurants. There was amazing ice cream next door, Castro pasteis de nata around the corner, and the cutest glove shop from 1925 across the street. The apartment had a well-equipped, good-sized kitchen with a coffee maker and pods, dishwasher, oven and microwave, though no toaster. Staff pointed us to a great little grocery store a couple of blocks away. The hotel breakfast was just okay, so we bought fruit and yogurt and ate in the room. The beds were comfortable but a little hard, and shower pressure was just okay, which felt typical of an older building in the historic part of town. Staff were super friendly and helpful, and the room was spotless with fresh towels each day. Getting from reception to the apartment took only two minutes, though it would help if the confirmation email made that clear. We usually took the stairs because the elevator was very slow, but that wasn't a big deal for us. Great value for our family, and highly recommended if you don't mind the stairs or slow elevator.