As lover of Airbnb I have stayed in several places around the world. I enjoy the unique experience that comes with Airbnb, different than just a hotel.
I thought for a long time about if/how I wanted to write this review. I was unsure of how much I wanted to share. But after receiving a message from the host team to leave a 5 star review so they can achieve more business, I have decided to be honest so other guest can read what our experience was like.
First, the best feature of Pedro and Rúben’s place is the location. We enjoyed the proximity to the city and watching the bustling nightlife from our balcony. The flat was the perfect distance to all the sights and the night life on the street was really a blast to watch. We felt we truly got a taste of the night culture in Lisbon.
Check in and communication was our biggest form of discomfort. As stated in the listing, check in is in person. Three weeks before check in I began receiving messages to begin planning. If I did not respond within 24hrs I received another message of “hello, are you there?” I pride myself on strong communication skills but this felt overwhelming, especially because the trip was still three weeks out and I work a full time job in the states with a time zone difference…
Our flight into Lisbon was set to arrive at 7:45pm. I was alerted if we arrive after 9pm there is a 40€ late check in fee. I wish this was in the listing as this was nearly as much as a one night stay in the flat.
On check in day our flight was delayed. I updated the group chat outside of the Airbnb app to let them know we would be arriving late. I felt obligated to update them every step of the way, again overwhelmed.
We arrive by 10pm. Check in was fine. One of Pedro and Rúben’s employees met us and she was lovely. She showed us around and gave us some tips.
Upon checkout I received a message, outside of Airbnb, asking me to leave a 5 star public review and use email to share any area of feedback. This really left me feeling unsettled. During our stay I found myself looking back at the glowing reviews thinking “how is no one else experiencing what we are?” After receiving the message I now understand.
I am someone who values reviews and hearing from others. When I travel I spend time reading lots of reviews before booking. I feel it is important for the reviews to reflect the entire experience so travelers are able to pick a place to best suite their style and needs. I felt mislead by the reviews on Pedro and Rúben’s place.
Overall, if you enjoy a “hands on host” (not sure that is the right terminology since we never actually met the hosts in person…) this place does have a lot of offer in location and value. We enjoyed the beautiful and quick walk down to sights and LOVED watching the night life from our balcony.