You enter the building, perhaps wondering, "Am I in the right place?" The stairs are steep and narrow as you ascend to the highest doorway. When you open the door, the fairy-tale feeling only intensifies as you climb the steepest flight of stairs. And then you're there, in a skylit aerie that has a thoughtful supply of everything a solo-traveler or couple could need for a stay in Lisbon. (All praise Nespresso machines.)
Mind your head, because the celings are low. But who cares? Pop open a skylight and poke your head out. Smell what's cooking in the African restaurant across the alley. Catch a fragment of conversation across the plaza. Behold the buildings' weathered pastel facades.
Is the city a bit noisy? No worries. Close the skylights and turn on the AC. Ahh, the calm.
Best of all, step out onto the balcony with a view to half of Lisbon. It's magical. So magical it's where I proposed to my wife.