We honestly wish we didn’t have to write this review. It's not to say that our stay at this apartment was all negative. However, we have stayed at many Airbnbs and have never had an experience like this. What transpired during our stay and the way our host Gonçalo treated us in the end in order to save a little money, should at least be documented for any person choosing to stay here in the future.
First and foremost, the apartment was infested with cockroaches. Our host was not the person present helping us deal with the cockroach infestation, rather Gonçalo had a concierge working at the Blue House, called Tony, helping us during our stay. While Tony was kind and resourceful, the amount of problems and communication that was required during our trip was overwhelming and took time away from our actual vacation.
Furthermore, the host denied issues that my partner and I had in the apartment, including issues with the wifi connection (we could only be connected near the router, therefore, we couldn’t use the wi-fi from the bedroom and it kept cutting out), the constant noise from neighbours inside the building, and the plumbing sounds that were directly passing by the bedroom walls. Gonçalo also denied our timeline and the gravity of the situation, especially with the cockroaches, which we had documented with pictures and videos. It is not acceptable to rent an apartment that has a cockroach problem. If we had known that there was a cockroach problem in the apartment (which the host confessed had happened a year prior), we would have absolutely never rented this place.
To note, as well, there are also only two small windows in this apartment, which is tantamount to a basement/first floor apartment in terms of lighting. And, as well, be aware that the stone streets are only for local circulation and taxis, so if you want to reach the apartment by Uber (a much more affordable and reliable option), you cannot, plus walking there is quite challenging with suitcases.
In the end, we asked for a full refund and Gonçalo denied this. Instead, the host only counter-proposed with a one night refund. So we decided to compromise on a three night refund given the timeline and how the events unfolded with the cockroaches. Gonçalo declined this, as well. So we were forced to bring Airbnb mediation into the fold and we are relieved to say that we won the maximum allotted for Airbnbs Refund and Rebooking Policy.
Our biggest disappointment was that, while we understand that sometimes things can happen, and not everyone is going to get the perfect vacation stay, ultimately it was Gonçalo’s avariciousness that took it over the top. We were aggrieved and had a very difficult time in his apartment–that he wasn’t even present to manage himself. And for the trouble and trauma that this situation has impacted both my partner and I, and not to mention, it having ruined what should have been a comfortable vacation in Lisbon, he shouldn’t have been so defensive along the way and fight us till the end in order to protect his product and save money. That’s not the sign of a superhost, but rather one that is subpar.