It is with careful consideration and a heavy heart that we write this review warning others of the danger they may face if they book this apartment.
We are a family of 4, easy going, seasoned world travelers and small business owners ourselves. We support other businesses and have never written any reviews until now.
While we were out sightseeing, in broad daylight, we had $3000 USD and €1400 stolen from a pouch that was carefully tucked away in our hand luggage that was left in this apartment.
We notified the host, Airbnb, and the local police who immediately came to the scene once we noticed the robbery. The most disheartening and alarming thing is that there was no sign of forced entry; the only thing stolen was our cash. Furthermore, another tenant in the building gave a statement to the police that there had been at least 5 other similar burglaries in this building; the landlord had been made aware of these burglaries. This tenant also stated that his incident did not have signs of forced entry. It appears that residents in this building are being targeted by someone with easy access to the building.
The host assisted with calling the police, but offered no compensation other than a late checkout! After being robbed of $3000USD and €1400, you offer us a late checkout???? We had no interest in spending anymore time in this apartment. Airbnb seems to offer minimal protection against this types of scenarios. This is quite disheartening! We were traveling with two young children and we were violated. We felt afraid to stay in the unit afterwards, but it was too late to make alternate arrangements. We spent the last few hours of the night, keeping watch, and checked out immediately upon daybreak.
We want to warn other travelers about the security concerns in this building. We came to Lisbon with the idea that Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world yet our apartment was robbed. This building urgently needs enhanced security by way of cameras and/or a security guard to ensure their residents' safety. This listing should be removed from Airbnb until security is assured.
Lastly, we would like to urge our host and/or Airbnb to compensate us adequately for the money stolen from us while staying at this property.