I stayed in the same hotel in Lisbon for 6 nights. Now this hotel had pros and cons:
First of all, the pros:
(1) The avearage for all 6 nights was maybe $35 per night, for my own room with a bed, sink, etc.
(2) The hotel was on a great street with cafes and resturants-a short walk from the main downtown areas of Lisbon
(3) There was free continental breakfast
Cons:
(1) I had to share a bathroom
(2) I am convinced this room was the worst room in the hotel (and this was like living on the worst street in Detroit). The bed was uncomfotable (Two twin-size beds), the paint was peeling, the furnshings looked like they we're rejects from a thrift store, and there was plenty of big collections of dust in ther room. The tv was small and didn't have a remote control. The key was an old-fashioned actual key, and the lock to the room was finicky, so difficult to open at times.
(3) To get to my room, you had to climb to the third floor, up a steep staircase, plus all the lights we're motion activated (supposidly), so often times, you had to climb in the dark, (and even during the day it was dark in the staircase)
(4) Shared bathroom.
(5) The continental breakfast consisted of corn flakes, bread and muffins in wrappers. To drink was coffee and warm milk (also for the corn flakes). The only vitamin C would have been in the jelly for the bread and muffins.
After 6 days, I was sort of glad to get out of there. I ate breakfast there for 5 of the 6 days, which meant cornflakes for each of those days, which is 4 days of corn flakes too many. Plus the dust and uncomfortable bed we're grating on me.
Now as I mentioned, in Sintra, I was able to secure a room for $21 dollars a night. At first, I grabbed it, not noticing until later that this was a shared room of 4 bunks (although I wanted my own room, I had already changed my airline tickets to leave today, Thurs, so I decided to stick with it).
Upon leaving the train station in Sintra, I walked up a hill looking for the hotel, and a confused, hot state(since I had everything with me, I had my leather jacket on as usual), going down different streets, etc). Eventually, I found out, and was greeted by a cheerful, attractive Australian women in her 30's named Anna. Anna gave me some info about Sintra, and we discussed her prior vacation, how she went to Irelend, England, and explored the Portugues coast. She was so friendly. She also showed me the room: It was a large 4 person room, complete with private bathroom, kitchenette, dining area-and that I was the only one reserved for the room that night. So I did what I always do when I have my own room, washed my clothes in the sink, put them throughout the room to dry, put my laptop computer on the table, etc.
Looking at the castles and walking around Sintra, I was gleeful, another gorgeous day here in a fabulous, very green, very quaint, town of castles and forts, and I scored a huge room by myself for $21.00 per night.
After dinner and glass of wine (not too late, maybe about 8:30-9:00 pm), I decided to go back to the room to rest. I was tired, and didn't get much sleep the night before. So I went back to my room, again washed some clothes in the sink, and put them out to dry. After about 1/2 an hour, I see a grey haired men right outside the window, and then fumbling with the lock. The lock HERE was difficult to, so I opened the door, I found out he was in this room as well-so I hurridly grabbed all my crap from around the room and brought it closer to my bed, disappointed with myself for assuming I would have the room to myself (although I believe that is what Anna told me).
I was going to bring this up with Anna, but in the end, this morning, once again, she was so sweet and offered me a cup of coffee, that I decided I just couldn't. After all, I booked a shared room, so in the end I guess I couldn't complain.
