I share Ben and Sofia’s love for Lisbon as it is truly a great city! I chose their apartment because of its unique interior design, open space and nice views (on top of the good reviews). The apartment was luminous and the AC was good to have in this warm summer weather. It was lovely to sleep in the loft and gaze at the stars through the skylight above the bed. The neighbourhood is quiet enough to sleep with the windows open (you do hear a dog barking once in a while). The location is pretty central if you like to explore the city on foot. You get to be close (3-5 minutes’ walk) to Avenida da Liberdade (if you like high-end shopping). The building is in a typical steep (and narrow) street. It’s very tight for cars (there’s no parking in the street). We walked to Avenida da Liberdade to catch our rides or go to the metro at Avenida station, which is fine for us but may be more problematic if you have heavy luggage or difficulties walking. Steps to the apartment and to the bed (especially if you have a tendency to wake up at night) may be a little tricky for some.
I love to travel with Airbnb because I usually get to meet locals that love to share their passion about their city, and stay in amazing places that make you feel like you are sharing an authentic home. I must say this time the messages weren’t as personal as I usually get from my interactions with other Airbnb hosts. The apartment is managed by an estate manager. Check-in was pleasant and quick (no small talk about discovering Lisbon though...which I personally missed). Our early morning check out was easy as we just had to leave the keys on the table (make sure to check if the building door is open before you close the apartment door behind you with the keys inside!).
Personally, I think the apartment could be really nice but needs refreshing and attention to detail. I was surprised that the apartment wasn’t spotless clean (especially during a pandemic), cupboards weren’t tidy and many appliances need some repair (doors of cupboards, one of the shutters on the skylight, the shower head is leaking, door to the bathroom is scraping the wall, the ventilation in the bathroom is weak, a couple steps going to the bedroom are slightly wobbly...). I knew from the comments that the shower and sink weren’t practical and had a flooding issue but it is more inconvenient than I expected. The hand soap dispensers were both pretty much empty (and no shampoo). There is no space or hooks to hang clothes (all the cupboards were filled with stuff). There was one lost bag of tea in the kitchen, maybe salt and pepper, not much more. Overall, this stay didn’t meet the expectations I had after reading previous reviews and for its price. I’m sure this can be easily remedied however. :)