There were seven us us traveling together. We are leaving for lisbon on a flight that requires a transfer. We are flying Iberia and 6 of the group are given seats on the continuing flight and the 7th person is denied boarding of the flight (there were empty seats on the flight per the other 6 who witnessed the empty seats). Iberia did nothing to assist other then give vouchers for transport, meals, and boarding for the night in Madrid but meanwhile the family is on their way to Lisbon. What to do? I call Francisco, I tell him the situation. I am the one who made the bookings and so I am the one he expects to see at the property. I am the only one of 7 with a phone that works. Francisco says that he will meet the family at the airport in Lisbon. “What are their names so I can write a board.” I give him the names and he meets the family at the airport in less time then it took me to get assistance from Iberia Airlines.
This is service above the bar. Francisco and I never met but I thanked him profusely and tried to compensate him for his assistance but he refused. “This is the Portuguese way” he said. Then one of the group left a pair of shoes and Francisco once again came to the rescue and mailed the shoes to our next location in Barcelona. Truly the service that Francisco gave to our extended family was the Portuguese way and above and beyond expectations.
Regarding the property, it is as pictured, there is noise from planes (we were seldom aware of it during the day) that fly overhead but we were aware of the noise in the evening. I believe that the planes do not fly all night into the airport. We were only aware of the landings.
We enjoyed the neighborhood a great deal, there is a Market (Mercado) that is excellent, I think we ate dinner their 4 times out of 7, it could have been 5. The entire family was delighted with the options for food. We thank Francisco for his assistance in and out of the apartment, his thoughtfulness and a clean and well-equipped environment to unwind and rejuvenate in, and his recommendation to the Mercado!