We stayed at this apartment for 5 weeks, April-Early May.
Location - It's located in Lapa/Estrela neighbourhood, which is a great spot for easy access to Santos neighbourhood (lots of cafes, restaurant, a great yoga studio Baraza), Campo de Orique, and an easy under 20 minute walk to Sao Bento area. The other neighbourhoods like Bica, Chiado, etc. are a 35 minute walk, but there's so much to look at along the way that it never feels far. There are two great parks a 10 minute walk away - Park Estrela, so beautiful - and Tapada Necessidades which has a park and a wonderful lookout point at sunset. Lot's of places to get groceries nearby whether it's bigger shop, or just small Mercado's. Plenty restaurants & cafés nearby, too :) The apartment itself is on a busy street, so there is certainly a lot of road noise during the day. This didn't bother as much when it was cooler and the windows were closed, but as it warmed up the last couple of weeks of our stay and we had the windows open, we found the noise to be a lot, and we're used to living in cities. Just something to keep in mind if you're looking for that quiet street, birds chirping experience. At night, sleeping is quiet and dark.
Apartment - The layout and size are wonderful! Not pictured is a long hallway joining the two bedrooms and bathroom at the back of the apartment that is full of IKEA closets. It was really nice to have everything unpacked and organized for a long stay. The bathroom is modern with lots of storage. The bedrooms are spacious, though I admit the beds are very very firm, and the pillows not great, though I suggested to the host that they purchase new pillows. There are two desks in the apartment which were really wonderful as we were working while there. The living room is very spacious, great tv set up and nice integrated shelving. Aesthetically really nice and comfortable. My comment here would be that the couch is quite saggy, and the ottoman is missing it's upholstery, so there's just a blanket draped over it at all times. I think adding a reading chair here would be really fantastic, especially if you're more than 2 people. There wouldnt be enough seating in the living room for 3 or 4 people. Lastly, the kitchen is great! Easy to use appliances, very spacious, tons of storage and decently equipped. We travel with our own knives/kitchen tools, but it looked pretty well equipped otherwise. The back of the apartment where the bedroom and kitchen are is really quiet, which is nice. Great dining table, too and feels really separate from the living room, which I like. The building/neighbours are really quiet and there's the option to take the elevator, or stairs. The apartment is decorated nicely - little decor objects throughout, lots of lamps, it felt cozy.
Cleanliness - Not fantastic. I did write to the host privately outlining what I feel needs to be addressed, and so hopefully my suggestions are addressed. The cleanliness was the major issue in the apartment. Maybe some people wouldn't care or notice, but I guess I did, especially staying for 5 weeks! The whole apartment just needs a really good cleaning - the grout in the kitchen, the sinks, all the shelves are covered in dust, the windows on the exterior are so dirty you can't see out of them when they're closed and the sun hits, the shower doesn't drain well. I took all the linens to the laundromat when we arrived because they smelled like bleach. I even washed the throw pillow cases & the blankets, because nothing felt or smelled like it had been cleaned. So, I guess you'll find it cleaner that I did! :) These are really easy fixes on the hosts part, and I think if they're addressed it's a really great apartment.
All in all, we liked the apartment. It felt comfortable, spacious, modern & new. The location worked well for us and it was a good base for working, cooking, and touring around. If the host is able to deeply clean the apartment, and replace some of the linens, pillows, etc., it could be great.