The good:
- it looks just like the photos -- very stylish with a lot of character
- the bed is pretty comfortable (my partner thought it was a tiny bit too hard, but I didn't mind it)
- the location is great. It felt safe and there were several nearby cafes and attractions.
- the hosts offered advice
- the kitchen seemed decently stocked; we didn't use it though so I can't be sure (more on that below)
- free bottle of wine (we're not heavy drinkers, but it was a nice gesture) - the wifi worked fine
The not so good:- Overall, it was like trying to sleep in a display area of a furniture store instead of an actual home. Things looked good, but weren't particularly comfortable or useful. We wouldn't stay here again.
- It was extremely humid and damp. Our towels never fully dried the entire time we were there.- I lived in New York City for 20+ years and am really used to street noise, but even for me, the street noise was very noticeable and disrupted my sleep.
- The metal stairs to go up to the loft were very squeaky and unpleasant underfoot. You wouldn't want to go up and down them barefoot.
- The layout of the bathroom is such that you have to walk through the shower part to get to the toilet. It means you can't wear socks in the bathroom, since the floor is always wet. So you can't go barefoot on the stairs, but can't wear socks if you want to use the toilet.
- There was an unpleasant sewer odor coming from one spot in the kitchen that made us not want to really cook in there. (Thankfully Cafe Heim up the street is great for breakfast.)
- It was an interesting choice to fill the magazine racks with Architectural Digest instead of information about Lisbon, such as info on the metro. Very stylish, but not particularly USEFUL.
- The check in system is terrible. The door uses only a physical key, and someone must meet you to give you the key, and this means that if you have a horrible flight like we did, and arrive late at night, you'll get charged a substantial fee. They're within their rights to have a policy like this, but it really stung; it felt like we were being punished for having bad luck and started our visit to Lisbon on a very sour note.
- This is minor, but what is up with ALL the art featuring women with their eyes obscured or missing? Three paintings and a stone planter, all different art styles, same basic theme.