Vila Nova Guesthouse

The room was clean, and the hotel gets 8 out of 10 from me. Its location is handy, close to Marquês de Pombal metro, and the check-in staff member was friendly and professional, explaining what I needed to know. The bedroom itself was fine, but the bathroom felt cramped and I couldn’t move around easily in the shower. Outside noise didn’t bother me, though heavy traffic sometimes made the room feel like it was shaking. The floor was uneven and creaked.

I really like the clean, simple, well-organized place. The front desk staff, apart from the night shift, could be rude, though. Still, I adore staying here and would definitely recommend it.

There was black mold throughout the room, and we got very sick. I’m still recovering a week later. We’re Canadian, don’t usually get sick from air conditioning, and had already had a cold the week before. When I spotted the mold, the host reacted defensively and was hostile instead of seeming concerned or apologetic, which told me enough. We booked through agoda and couldn’t get a refund for the second night, but I’ll take the 100-dollar loss to avoid more mold exposure. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The staff member at reception, who I think was called Carlos, was so kind and helpful. He gave us a better room after hearing it was our first visit to Portugal and that we were from Hong Kong. The guesthouse was a comfortable place to stay, and we’d happily return. Our room had plenty of space, tea and coffee, and a small balcony overlooking Praça Marquês de Pombal. The bathroom was huge and had a great rain shower with side jets, though its fluorescent green color wasn’t very attractive. Water pressure sometimes dropped, but it didn’t last long, and showers at quieter times were fine. Towels were replaced daily, and the room was clean whenever we returned. There’s also a little cafe downstairs for breakfast and coffee. Parque Eduardo VII, Av. de Liberdade, and Praça de Comércio are walkable, though you’ll get your steps in. Marquês de Pombal metro is just a two-minute walk away, with good public transport from there.