Staying at Carlota's apartment was a great experience! She was waiting for us when we arrived late around 10 pm. Our taxi driver got lost and thankfully we had her number handy. She gave the taxi driver instructions. She showed us around and also gave us a few suggestions on places to see and where to eat.
The apartment is in a great location. Close to trams, tuk tuks, and look out points. There is a market right next door and places to eat in walking distance.
You need to go up a few steps to get into the apartment. It's not difficult. (We had two large luggages and were able to manage). She has balconies looking out into alfama & the team passes right in front of apartment. (Makes for great pictures!) the apartment is somewhat small & "cozy" perfect for 2-3 people. It is in an older area so there is no AC but we got good air flow from the window/balconies. You have to turn on the gas to get hot water but the water gets really hot! So that was not a problem.
The only thing I didn't like was the location of the toilet. It sits oddly in front of the sink. And the tub was very narrow (I don't like touching the curtain when I shower).
Aside from that everything else worked nicely. She had nice sheets and towels for us to use. The tv and wifi worked perfectly. The view and location made this place the best place to stay if you want to be in the older part of alfama. Not many tourists... I felt more like a local! Oh, and since we're from the states we didn't have a working phone to call for a taxi when we were leaving. We emailed Carlota and she had a taxi pick us up in the morning! That saved us a lot of headache. Lovely little apartment in Alfama. Thank you Carlota!