Central Apartment in Lisbon

Rated on: 18.06.2024 Length of stay: 1 month

We are from the US and stayed here for 5 weeks with our 2 little boys, ages 3 and 4. The apartment is old and beautiful with tons of personality. The location is unbeatable. The neighborhood is safe and friendly. However, communication with the landlord was very poor and slow (if he even responded). Additionally, the amenities provided were severely lacking. All of the dining chairs were broken, glass coffee pot completely cracked, and the couch severely stained with almost broken arms. There were no extra sheets or towels, and there were no flat sheets (top sheets) provided. So we slept directly under a duvet with a cover. After we got the AC working (took a week to get the landlord to have someone come fix it, despite asking several times and being told several times it was scheduled but no one came), it worked very well, except in the dining area where it never worked. Amazing natural light, but there were no curtains or rugs to soak up the noise. More than half of the pots and pans were unusable because they didn't work on the convection stove. And the washing machine started leaking large quantities of water the last week we were there. Again, we were told many days in a row that it would be fixed, but it never was (big issue if you don't have extra towels). We ended up buying rugs, towels, sheets, shower mat, and floor bath mat as well as other necessities to make the apartment quieter and darker for sleeping. The vacuum cleaner didn't work well at all. So I ended up sweeping daily instead. There's no railing on the steps up to the loft or in the loft itself, which we knew before we got there. But we have toddlers, so that space was entirely unusable for us. There were other small things that added up, but we just dealt with them. Overall, I recommend this apartment and would stay here again because it's structurally good and in the best area for feeling safe, getting places, and having all things you want or need close by. Just know that if you need something fixed, it probably won't happen without a lot of follow-up and diligence on your part. And you may have to make a big IKEA run on your own dime to get the basic amenities you need.

Neighborhood
Friendly, convenient, family-oriented, lots of hills, sometimes noisy but mostly quiet, and a 15-minute walk to anything you need. Easy to build a routine around if you're staying for a while.

Recommended places nearby
Dear Breakfast, The Mill, Hello Kristoff, The Neighborhood, Uva Livre, Black Sheep, Royal Vessel, and Santelmo.

DONNA M.