Pedro was the perfect host, meeting us at his lovely apartment when we arrived and explaining everything we needed to enjoy our stay. He gave us recommendations of the best places to visit or eat, and offered plenty of helpful guidance for the city of Lisbon. He even texted us more suggestions!

Yes, the apartment is up five flights of stairs but - as others have said before - that isn't a problem if you take small suitcases. Plus it had the advantage of giving you great views of the city, and raises you above street noise from this downtown property.

The House of Maps is a perfect place to stay, close to the Metro and trams, with lots of great restaurants and sights nearby. Lisbon is surprisingly cheap to visit [even the taxis are inexpensive], possibly one of the least costly cities in Europe at the moment.

All in all, our week at the House of Maps was a great experience and one we'd be happy to visit again.