Joao very kindly let us drop our luggage at the flat much earlier than the designated 'check-in' time, so that we could go out for the day unhindered. He showed us around and asked which two of the four bedrooms we would like made up (we are two friends). It was an extremely large property with spacious rooms, except perhaps for the living room which is an irregular shape. However it had two modern sofas with a big screen modern TV with several English speaking channels, such as BBC Entertainment. There is a full bathroom and another toilet and basin next to it. When we returned to the flat that evening, we saw that the flat had been furnished almost entirely with very old, dark pieces - large wardrobes in our rooms so high that we literally couldn't reach the hanging rails (we used a spare room to lay out our clothes on the beds). Even the few pictures dotted around were old, dark and a bit creepy. The full bathroom had grubby tiles and sealant round the bath, it could really have used a makeover. The apartment also has a large paved courtyard completely enclosed, which was reached by some steps down. However, these needed sweeping and the handrail was full of cobwebs which gave the impression no-one had been down there for a long time. The beds were very comfortable, the linens and towels clean. In fact all the living space was clean, it was just the general 'that'll do' feeling that wasn't pleasant. HOWEVER, if you consider (which I didn't at the time of booking) that, when rented to its full capacity, it worked out to £11 per person per night. So when all is said and done I guess it is a bargain holiday rental and if you were there with 7 other people, possibly you would not notice the decor etc, and there would certainly be plenty of space for everyone. With a little bit of TLC this apartment would be a pleasure to stay in, and with a lot of TLC ( money!) it could be AMAZING.
There is a bus stop right outside and also the Carolina Michaelis Metro train station is across the road. But to reach the actual platforms, you have to climb 4 flights of stairs, mostly without handrails. Its the Purple line, which will includes the Airport.