Geraldo's place was an absolute dream to stay in. It has all the advantages of staying in a hotel, with the convenience (and better value!) of an Airbnb! Checking in and out was extremely smooth, because there is a service desk in the lobby of the apartment building (and the women who worked there were lovely; always friendly and welcoming, and happy to offer advice and tips, even though we weren't hotel guests). The apartment was spacious, clean and comfortable (the air conditioning in particular was most welcome in the Lisbon heat!) The small kitchen includes a fridge, tiny freezer, sink, hob, microwave, kettle and Nespresso machine. The hotel next door includes a few restaurants, a café, and a pool and gym. The daily rate for the pool/gym is expensive, as is normally the case with hotel gyms (€30 per day!), but the service desk recommended that we talk to the gym manager, and we were able to negotiate that we would pay €95 (one month's member ship for one person) for the two of us to use the gym/pool for two weeks. Whilst we never met Geraldo, he always responded extremely promptly to any questions, and made us feel very welcome.
The location is excellent; the neighbourhood is quiet and safe (no noise or danger at night), with plenty of restaurants and bars (particularly great rooftop bars) within an easy walk. Rato—a transportation hub with trams, buses and Metro station—is a 6 minute walk away, as is the Pingo Doce supermarket, which had all we needed. Ubers are also cheap and plentiful, and often the easiest way to get around. I highly recommend catching the 24E tram from Rato and riding it to the Praça Luís Camões; it is a lovely journey, and *far* less crowded than the more popular and touristy 28 tram. Also, if you are looking for convenience and value, I recommend downloading TheFork app; this offers exhaustive restaurant listings across Lisbon and often has exclusive discounts when you book through the app (for example, 30% off the Rendez Vous bistro in the Altis Hotel right next door to the Airbnb!) However, do look up the restaurants online, as one or two of the ones we booked were distinctly less pleasant than their photos made them seem; however, the majority were excellent.
Our particular favourite spots within walking distance of the apartment were Jobim (super funky and welcoming tiny bar with tapas), Copenhagen Coffee Lab and Bakery (superb coffee and pastries; nothing could beat sitting out in the beautiful Praca des Flores with a silky-smooth iced latte and a freshly baked cardamon pastry), Pastelaria Alcoa (as well as the legendary pastel des natas, a whole world of award-winning pastries), and the beautiful Botanic Garden. For great live jazz and late nights, Pensão Amor is superb. If you really want to treat yourself, the best restaurants we tried were Local (this was such a special experience: book in advance, as it seats only 10, and you are watching and talking to the chefs as they prepare the exquisite tasting menu), Oz Gazeteiros (€35 for a five-course tasting menu, €30 for wine pairings; one of the most imaginative and breathtakingly-delicious meals of our lives), and Taberna da Rua das Flores (delightful old tiny restaurant; no bookings, so often long queues for dinner, but rarely more than 10-20 minutes wait for a table at lunch). We also booked the 'Mystic and Romantic Sintra' day trip through Airbnb Experiences, which was one of the highlights of our trip.
Overall, we had a truly wonderful time in Lisbon, and this Airbnb was ideal for a relaxing and luxurious vacation. I highly recommend it!