Lugares Com História

The keypad for entering the apartment broke when we needed to get out to catch a flight. We waited more than 30 minutes for someone to come and let us in with a key. The number we were told to call went unanswered after five attempts; someone said they’d arrive in five minutes, but they didn’t. I then called another 15 times and still got no answer. The service was horrible. Avoid this place like the plague.

Óbidos is a must-see, and a great base for trips to places such as Tomar and Peniche. The town is a small village on a hill, completely enclosed by city walls. Walking its streets and getting a little lost is lovely, especially when evening shows you another side of the place. Have dinner at one of the restaurants down there, such as Jamon Jamon or Nova Casa de Ramiro, then stay overnight and enjoy Portuguese sweets with your morning coffee at a café. The apartments are on one street near the main gate, quite a way up the hill. Backpacks are easier to carry, though suitcases are manageable too. Guests at Lugares com Historia can use the pool in the central area. There’s a beautiful castle at the town’s north end, though it isn’t really open to tourists because there’s a hotel there. If you want to visit it, book a stay. Very nice place in a must-see spot on the Portuguese map.

We stayed in Stone. Getting in with the code was easy, and not having keys to keep track of was handy. The apartment was spotless, simply and beautifully decorated, and the spa tub was amazing. We appreciated the bathrobes, good bedding, and proper double bed with no gap down the middle. The location is ideal for exploring, and close enough to the taxi drop-off that dragging luggage over the cobbles wasn’t too bad. The washer works well. There was no detergent, but we left a box of capsules, so it might still be there. Dealing with the host was weird and left a bad taste, which is a shame because the apartment itself is wonderful. The host was aggressive and rude about the tourist tax, even threatening to lock us out. They asked us to transfer 4E by bank transfer. I’m American, and US banks charge $15-25 for an international transfer. My husband’s bank in Dubai needs at least 48 hours to set up a new payee. I explained that and asked whether they’d take PayPal or cash. The host repeated the bank transfer request and said we wouldn’t get the entry code without sending a receipt. It felt aggressive. I explained again that I couldn’t make that transfer and asked about cash or PayPal. They agreed to cash, saying “the cleaning lady will pick it up.” We left cash and a note on the table, then went to breakfast. At the end of breakfast, we got an angry email saying the cleaning lady had come by while we were out and threatening to disable our code unless we transferred the money by noon. It was 10:45AM. I sent a photo of the cash and note on the table. The host replied that the cleaning lady doesn’t enter rented apartments. That’s fine, but they could have said to leave the money outside or be there to pay her. At that point, I thought, really? Threatening us over 4 euros at a property costing over $100 a night, when I’d said from the start that I was happy to pay? The apartment above also needs a rug. Guests walking around were loud enough that at 12:30AM I had to go upstairs and ask them to walk more quietly.

The owner was the worst part, rude and obnoxious. The bed was stiff, there were no pillows, and the house smelled of sewer with mice inside. Terrible experience. Don't stay here, I can't recommend it.