Golly gosh - this is a beautiful apartment. Brilliant value.
Stylish and spacious and spotlessly clean. And blessedly quiet.
But also a bit scary.
I am a Londoner and I have traveled all over the world on my own and I am rarely frightened. There are three doors to this Airbnb each with a different code: a gate into the patio, a front door into the building and a door to the apartment. This was unnerving.
I got in no problem and shut the door behind me. I was checking everything out when the door automatically locked behind me with four loud cracks. I could not figure out how to open it. I messaged the owner but didn't get a response. I had never seen a door/lock like it and felt helpless.
A simple manual (nothing fancy) would have been so helpful and reassuring.
I pressed randomly and a light came on and eventually the 4 (yes 4) deadbolts unlocked.
I hadn't realized how important a manual is to me as a traveler coming into someone's home or rental. Making me feel safe and at home.
I didn't meet the owner - only Renan who didn't respond when I needed him and when he did come he laughed off my concerns and dismissed the idea of a manual.
I asked him why the door had 4 deadbolts and he said it was to make me feel safe. When I told him it made me feel the opposite of safe he just shrugged and basically ignored me.
I found other guests panicking at the front gate trying to figure out how to get out.
There's a button but you have to press it fairly hard for it to release the catch.
While I never felt threatened the immediate area isn't so salubrious and one young guest was offered cocaine on every other corner nearby.
It is unusual for an Airbnb to be so 'empty' ... to have nothing to welcome guests - no milk, not a single pod for the nespresso machine either. And no manual.
There are many machines ... some not so easy to find like the special pole for the bedroom window, the clothes rack and the kettle. All would benefit from instructions.
There was shampoo and soap in the bathroom but no laundry soap for the washing machine. Enough for one load would have been a nice touch.
A manual could include a few local suggestions: where to buy groceries or get a coffee i.e. which directions to go in. There's a wholefood shop around a couple of corners which has the best tinned sardines I have ever had in my life!
OK so the bedroom. The bed is super comfy and huge. The room worked great for me - one person but the ceiling slope is fairly steep and right over the bed so I pity the person sleeping on the other side of the bed who needs to get up in the night to pee ... I'm only 5'6" and I had to crouch to get around the bed to get to my clothes on the other side.
The bathroom is gorgeous and I particularly appreciated the bath at the end of a long day walking. There's tons of hot water and the shower also has loads of pressure. This is really unusual. Unfortunately every surface is slippery and there are no grab bars or any kind of safety feature. If you are staying on your own make sure you have your phone on you if you take a bath or shower. Just in case.
I chose this apartment because I needed to be dropped off and picked up from the front door of the Airbnb but my taxi couldn't access the front door because the road was blocked off due to construction. My taxi driver parked illegally and kindly carried my bags most of the way down the street. I had to lug them over 30 metres of deep builder's sand as did everyone else. I would have so appreciated to be have been advised of this ahead of time.
Lastly, why aren't there a few chairs, benches, a table or two in the patio. With so many apartments it would have been a nice touch.
I loved Lisbon ... I loved having a quiet space to retreat to. I just wish it hadn't been so stressful.