This apartment is beautiful and perfectly located, and has outstanding hosts to boot. The pictures don’t lie: lots of windows, skylights, and modern decor in a loft-like setting, with a wonderful deck, and views of the ancient castle to boot. All the appliances worked, including the air conditioning, which was needed because of a mini-heatwave during our stay. And having an elevator to go to the 5th floor, especially after a long day of walking, was a great thing indeed! The only thing we didn’t fully appreciate from the photos is that the ceiling is quite low for both beds, so whomever is on the outside edge has to duck their heads down getting in and out. Also note that the middle bedroom doesn’t have a door to close; it’s all open to the living room. This would be a fine situation for parents with a child or friends, or for a single couple like us, but people who wish for more privacy in a shared space may not care for this set-up.
The location really can’t be beat, but we didn’t realize how ideal it was until we started exploring the city. The famed 28 trolley is but a block away in one direction, the Rossio subway station is literally across the street, while the Rossio Train Station, which one takes to get to Sintra, was less than a 10 minute walk. And we were so happy to discover on our last day that the 15E tram, which one takes to get to the Belem neighborhood, was also right across the street! The benefit of this is that one gets on at the first stop, pretty much guaranteeing a seat for a 30-45 minute ride. You can get also get a seat with the 28 trolley by waiting in line (we waited 45 minutes) for an empty seat. If you don’t want to wait for a seat, you can go to the side of the line and get on the trolley with hardly a wait. Just tell the friendly metro person working the line that you don’t mind standing. The neighborhoods of Alfama, Baixa, Principe Real, Graca, and Barrio Alto are all close by, easily walkable (though one needs to know that in general you will encounter hills to climb to get to most places in Lisbon).
We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Nuno would be picking us up from the airport upon our arrival, and sure enough, he came and got us and our luggage, which was a wonderful way to meet one of the hosts while not having to deal with getting transportation. He showed us around the apartment (still being cleaned because we arrived early) but we were able to drop off our luggage and go exploring. During our stay, we couldn’t figure out how to get the a/c to work so contacted the hosts and their responses were immediate and helpful.
All in all this was a most memorable vacation for us, greatly enhanced by the space and hosting of Nuno and Chiho.