This is a comfy and well-equipped flat in a good location for an authentic Lisbon experience.
Pros:
- Gets great light and airflow from the windows on opposite sides of the flat. Beautiful view of the sunset over Estrela.
- Walking distance to lots of great cafes and restaurants. But just far enough from the mayhem of Bairro Alto to be quiet most nights.
- Great location for exploring São Bento, Principe Real, Estrela, Lapa, Bairro Alto, and Av. da Liberdade.
- Very comfortable bed and pillows (although would be small for 2 people, I think)
- Very well-equipped (e.g. nice towels, lighting, hair dryer, kitchen utensils, coffee machine, soap and shampoo, hot water)
- Lisbon Collection is well-organized and they take a team-based approach to making sure you have a pleasant stay.
Cons:
- Although the flat is reasonably close to the metro (10 minute walk from the Rato stop on the yellow line), and there are lots of bus options...it's still takes a long time to get to/from certain parts of the city (e.g. Alfama, Graca, LX Factory). This has as much to do with the inefficiency of Lisbon's public transportation than anything else, but just be aware that it will take 45+ minutes to get some places. And like anywhere else in Lisbon, you'll need to traverse some hills, so bring comfortable walking shoes. This is unavoidable no matter where you stay.
- Wifi is not very fast by Portugal standards (only 7mbps down / 1mbps up) and the connection is spotty at times. I had to disconnect and reconnect my wifi connection multiple times. However, it wasn't an issue for me most days and I was able to have Skype calls for work. Just be aware that if you need super fast wifi, this probably isn't the place for you. For comparison, my new place in Cascais has a 75/10mbps connection (more than 10 times faster).
All in all, I really enjoyed my time here and I'd gladly stay here or at another flat hosted by Lisbon Collection.