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We stayed for one month in the apartment. It was a big and nice apartment in a great location (right in the center of Alfama, only a few minutes walk from amazing viewpoints over Lisbon, bars, and restaurants). Diana was very nice and helpful in communication. One time, we had a problem with the WiFi, and Diana arranged a technician to come quickly to fix the issue. However, and I'm aware this has nothing to do with Diana or the apartment itself, we had several big cockroaches during the whole stay (every few days) and a lot of baby cockroaches (almost every day) in the apartment's bathroom and kitchen area. Besides that, we enjoyed our stay.

During the European Heatwave of June 2025, we were torn between keeping the windows open to let the air in (which includes the stench of garbage and piss from the streets below). There are many vagrants smoking crack, weed, and cigarettes right below the balcony and bedroom windows. In the listing, it says "mobile airconditioner" but it is just a standard desk fan in addition to the two wall mounted fans. Needless to say, it was extremely hot in the apartment both in the day and night times. Other than that, it was a decent apartment if you can get over these things.

The place was dirty upon arrival and needed to be cleaned (washing dirty sheets, trash under furniture etc.) black mold can be found in multiple places (mattress, bathroom, kitchenette). The kitchenette is sufficient for small-scale cooking, but is missing some crucial items (butter knives etc). The appartment itself though is pretty good - decently sized, with little traffic noice, stays cool during the summer, smells nice, has a great shower and includes two TVs. The host communicates well.

The host responded to all our reports of problems or inquiries very fast. However some problem could not be fixed while renters were at the property, especially plumbing problems in and around the bathroom. There was a strong odor coming from the drain pipes.

Modest apartment, sparsely decorated, low budget bedroom furnishings, no ac, no screens on windows. 2 oscillating fans (provided upon request). Decent kitchen but had random, secondhand, cookware. The owner, bless her heart, was responsive to requests and tried to make our stay pleasant. After a plumbing incident occurred (at no fault of hers or ours), damaging the flooring and doors, we requested a termination of agreement as repairs would not be completed during our stay. The price for the location was very good but the unit and its furnishings need improvements.

The owner is kind and willing. The house faces an internal courtyard, it is dark but quite warm in the winter we stayed and it is close to metro, train station and public transport stops. The house was unacceptable it took us three days and three people to clean it and bring it to a decent condition. The main light in the room was out of order, broken drawer, mold on both windows, dirt behind the oven in the kitchen……

Die Wohnung ist in einem nicht optimalen Zustand, ein Fenster schließt nicht seit der Übergabe im Februar und das Problem wurde bis zur Abreise nicht behoben. Weiterhin ist das Zimmer zur Straße aufgrund der nächtlichen Aktivitäten und des Clubs unten drunter sehr lärmintensiv. Ansonsten ist die Lage gut

Tiny apartment and no a/c, but otherwise nice enough. Neighborhood nothing special, but within walking distance of Sofia center.

The apartment is very well located. Overall, it is pleasant to live in. But we were very unhappy with the cleanliness, which was really bad. The kitchen was very dirty, the shower curtain was also dirty, and there were lots of cockroaches. Communication was also difficult: we waited 3 weeks to get a duplicate key (out of the 5-week rental) and even on the day of departure, we almost missed our plane because we had no news to check out.

Wohnung in sehr schöner Lage :)

Za tu cenu adekvátní, ale příště jen jako nouzové řešení. Turnikety jako na internátě a velmi nepříjemní recepční nebo security nebo jaká to.byla pozice hned vedle turniketů. Ale jak říkám za tu cenu adi cajk nicméně já si tedy raději priplatim, když bude možnost neprupadat si jako, že jsem ubytován za trest.

The apartment was as clean as the last guests left it, so the rooms were alright, but the common areas were not. I threw out some things in the kitchen that had a due date from 2021… But overall, everything was livable—until the toilet stopped working! We couldn’t flush anymore. We texted the host, but she didn’t reply at first. Later, she gave me a number to call, and I had to organize the repair myself, which didn’t work because the person never answered. After a week without a working toilet, I managed to fix it temporarily… then it broke again. Once more, the host didn’t respond or seem to care. She also told me she would bring a new kettle but never showed up. When the dishwasher broke, she ignored my messages on Flatinos and WhatsApp for several days and she never fixed it. One night, when I was home alone, someone banged on the door around 9 PM. It turned out to be a new tenant, but we hadn’t been told anyone was coming, so we didn’t know we were supposed to let him in. You can imagine I was a bit scared there. The area around the apartment is really nice, though. There are lots of cafes, and both metro and tram stations are really close.

The flat was well furnished and we enjoyed our stay. Location was good and easily could taxi into Lisbon centre in about 10-15 mins. We did encounter a few problems with the flat, as it had recently been refurbished, but I believe these issues were addressed after we left.

good flat, good separated spaces

The landlord is fantastic, he is helpful and friendly. However the location is awful. The Hallways and the stairs are dark an in a very bad state of repair. At least they could pain the walls and provide good lighting. It is okay for a short stays.

Flat was dirty and required full cleaning upon arrival. Easy to get the key and in a very calm / easy to access neighborhood

The reviews I have read on the flatio about this apartment were very flattering, which was the reason why I made the booking. However, the apartment appeared to be below my expectations. Apparently, there was an installation of a water heater the day before, and the floors were covered in some kind of construction dust. The host seemed to have tried to clean the mess, but it made the sink in the kitchen just dirtier. When I reported this case to Flatio, the host contacted me and sent his house keeper for an additional cleaning. I wish it had been done before I arrive. The dishwasher did not seem to work due to lack of salt or any other reasons, and the only solution I got was being sent the user guide. The bathroom smelled terrible of mold and canalization, even though I could not spot it, but I needed to keep the windows open all the time to make the smell bearable. When booking this apartment, please bear in mind that it is situated just in five minutes ride from the airport. It can be convenient, but the sound pollution is devastating. The airplanes are getting to land literally just above your head, and fly constantly from 5 am to 1 am. Totally do not recommend it if you are not a huge fan of airplanes or a photographer. As for positive aspects, the host was flexible on the arrival time and the neighborhood was safe.

I lived here for a month and a half and it’s an ok place, def somewhere you can like live but not great. The place is dirty (with dirty walls, roofs, bathroom, and furniture), it smells weird sometimes, beds are mounted on wooden planks, and it’s designed as a tourist place where it’s an apartment converted into multiple tiny rooms each with a key to it. It’s in the heart of the mainstream clubbing and bar scene in Budapest, so you will hear club music and drunk people entering and leaving clubs throughout the entire night. For similar reasons, the area isn’t the safest or cleanest - definitely not a picturesque neighborhood. The apartment building where this place is located is quite dated (with lights not working throughout the building) and dirty as well, and (probably because of the nearby clubs) you wake up to used condoms in your stairs every day… I mean I was able to live here for a month and a half without anything happening, but I also was sure to not leave the house alone after certain hours if I didn’t want to feel unsafe. Never really contacted the owners because all of these things are just intrinsic to the place itself and they couldn’t change anything. I would half recommend this place, but definitely would not recommend if you care about cleanliness, feeling safe, and looking for a more chill Budapest experience.

The location of the apartment is excellent. Initially, the owners were quite friendly, but later I discovered they were asking for additional cash payments outside of the official contract—for cleaning and utilities. I was later informed that such payments were not permitted, which made me feel misled and taken advantage of. When I requested an emergency checkout two days early, they still insisted on charging me for the unused days without asking for the reason or attempting to reach a fair compromise. The apartment itself is not as luxurious as the photos suggest. Several amenities were missing, doors didn’t close properly, and both the fridge and washing machine were extremely noisy. Air conditioning was only available in the living room, with none in the bedrooms. Most rooms lacked windows. In summary, while this apartment may work for short-term stays due to its location, be cautious: the rooms are very small, the actual condition differs significantly from the pictures, and you should carefully review the contract before agreeing to any additional payments, or feel obliged to pay...

The duration in the housing was not bad, the accommodation is more or less well equipped. So I could recommend the housing

Contact with the owner is very good. Room is big, it is very cold in it, heater was not working. The apartment needs to be refreshed, my room was dirty, the bedding was dirty too, luckily I had my own. The kitchen cabinets assigned to my room were not cleaned either. The condition of the apartment is poor, renovation would definitely be useful when it comes to the common areas - kitchen and bathroom. The apartment is located in a convenient location, tram, metro, shopping center are close. For this price, the apartment should be in a different condition.

The apartment is in a great location with plenty of shops for food items and restaurants. The apartment is also close to one of the local bus stations where you can pick up the local bus and FlixBus. The apartment was nice but needed work. The beds were comfortable but the pillows were not. They seemed to be very old and should be thrown away as they were uncomfortable. The bedrooms needed work from painting to getting new baseboards. There seemed to be plenty of water damage in one of the bedrooms and the other bedroom appeared to have mold on the walls. Unfortunately, the pictures do not show this needed work. I would not have rented home where its apparent the apartment needed to be painted and patched up. The bathroom shower was amazing. Excellent water pressure. Both bathrooms appeared to have been updated. The second bathroom had a shower and tub but no shower curtain. Both toilet seats were loose. Upon arrival one of the toilet seats was broken so they fixed t the next day but it was a different color and not very secure but it worked. The kitchen area is nice and also appears to be updated. The stove, refrigerator, toaster and microwave all worked well. Dishwasher and laundry washing machine worked fine. Another pot or two would have been nice. The apartment has a very nice balcony but the table and chairs could be replaced with newer and more comfortable chairs. We only sat out once in my two month stay because they were uncomfortable. The management company were wonderful and were responsive to any questions or concerns in a timely manner. Everyone who replied and responded to me were extremely caring. This apartment has a lot of potential and I hope the owner takes the time to paint, re-plaster, and fix baseboards because I would stay there again if a little more love went into the work that is needed, including new pillows.

I am very torn about writing this review, as there were some VERY good things (the management company!) but also some very bad (the house we'd rate, at best, as "has potential"). Let me start with compliments. Hello Vacations is AMAZING! I would rent any property managed by them with full confidence that they'd take good care of us. They deserve their positive reviews. The house was very clean upon arrival. They left ample fluffy/soft oversized towels (more than I've ever seen in other properties!). They left an ample supply of guest soaps, shampoos and body washes - enough to last our entire month stay. They were always quick to communicate and SO friendly! They tried as best they could to resolve issues they could control. For instance, the stove didn't have a proper lighter to light it and there were no pot holders for cooking. Within 24 hours, Hello Vacations delivered pot holders and a proper lighter. Overall the house a great build with a good layout, but there are some things I think future guests should be aware of (and why we rate this property as mediocre at best; but all things that could be resolved, should the owners put a bit more effort into the accommodations for guest comfort). Only one bedroom had curtains hanging (the twin room). In the master bedroom, the curtain rod was off the wall completely and propped up in the closet (with wall repair needed to hang it again). The master also had terrible bed with a mattress that sinks in the middle, so not good for a couple who doesn't want to roll into the each other all night. Those two things made that room unusable as a bedroom for us. We chose the other room with a double bed, which also did not have curtains. But at least there was still a rod on the wall with folded curtains stored in the closet; so we were able to hang a curtain to provide privacy. But strange to arrive at a costly rental where neither of the double bedrooms had curtains hung (especially when the houses are SO compacted together giving no chance for privacy without curtains). While the mattress in the bedroom we used wasn't sunken in like the one in the master, it has to be the MOST uncomfortable mattress I've ever slept on. We booked this property for a month, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that after a month on that horrible mattress with coils digging into our backs, I can barely walk without pain. My back and shoulders are a wreck. That mattress should be disposed of and never inflicted on another guest; especially not a guest who is staying for any length of time. The twin beds in the third bedroom were not any better, or we would have slept on those. But we did not expect to pay this much for a rental where the beds are of the lowest quality imaginable. They're not even good enough for a nap, much less a full night's sleep. It's our 3rd rental in Portugal, and we've never had such bad mattresses. The house is also VERY damp and has a great deal of mould. Mould under the sink and other places. But worse, because the house was SO damp, we didn't realise until the day we moved out that all of our luggage that we stored in the master bedroom next to the wall were ALL covered in mould! I was in shock. Every morning you wake up to the windows covered in condensation and it takes hours for the moisture to go away to even see out of the windows again. It was too cold and stormy during our stay to have the windows open to try to air it out. So the owners should have dehumidifiers throughout the house. It's not healthy to be living with that kind of moisture and mould. And now our suitcases are damaged from being stored next to damp walls that caused mould growth. Also, guests should be aware that the furniture throughout the house is VERY cheap. Plastic and wooden chairs that are miserably uncomfortable in the kitchen/dining room, a cheap couch that feels more like Uni furniture than luxury home furniture. We took the house for a month as we were working remotely and there was not a single chair that could be comfortably sat in for any length of time. This also added to the back and leg pain caused by the mattresses. The outdoor furniture, while ample, is old and all plastic. The kind of furniture you see sold very cheaply at the exit of Aldi or Lidl. Not comfortable at all whilst relaxing at the pool. They creaked so much under our average weight, that we worried they might break. As the weather was SO bad we didn't sit outside much, but if future guests are coming to lounge by the pool for hours on end, be aware that you won't be comfortable. Also much of the cookware should be replaced. All of the nonstick cookware is scratched up SO much that it's not safe to cook with. Studies are out about the toxicity of cooking on damaged/scratched non-stick pans, so it left us with very little to actually cook with. These are issues that could easily be resolved if the owners invested just a little bit of money with a visit to Ikea to furnish the accommodations with guest comfort in mind. It's a good house and deserves to be more comfortable than it is. I should also mention that the patio doors do not lock. And the large metal shuttered doors are VERY hard to open and close (certainly not something you can do easily every night for safety). Those shutters don't lock properly anyway, so a determined thief could get in with very little effort. Luckily we had no break in's during our stay (and felt safe in the neighbourhood); but not being able to properly lock the sliding doors to the backyard is not a safe stay or fair to guests. The doors are old and probably need replacing (I'm guessing they are beyond fixing). Also be aware there are is no heater or air conditioner in the large main common room. It was cold during our stay and we had to wrap up in blankets during the day and night. The owners have a small space heater that we used in that room, but it's a weird one that has a huge bright panel light that emits heat and it's VERY uncomfortable to your eyes if it's placed anywhere in eyesight. But to get any heat from it directly you need to have it facing you, so whilst watching TV, we had to have it near us and then pile up blankets and pillows to keep from being blinded by it. Not a comfortable way to relax at night, and it certainly doesn't heat the entire room, only about the 2-3 feet directly in front of it if you're close enough to feel the heat from the bright bulbs. I can't imagine being in that room during the hot summer with nothing but a stand fan. There are heater/air con units in the walls in the 3 bedrooms, so you can sleep in heat or air conditioning. But with the high level of moisture in the house, be aware that if using heat, it will be like sleeping in a sauna. The sheets were wet and never really dried during our entire stay because of the moisture/humidity problem. Also be aware that the showers are very strange. They have a weird misty like spray that ends up soaking the entire bathroom floors in front of them. Thankfully they left ample towels as we had to cover the floor to sop up the water and keep from slipping. Due to the moisture problem, the bathrooms never fully dried (and neither did the towels). I also question why the owners haven't given any of the bathrooms proper shelving. We barely had anywhere to put toothbrushes; I can't imagine how women would manage with makeup and hair styling products. You'd have to store them on the floor! Nor are they any hooks to hang clothes, etc in the bathrooms. The other thing that I feel is misleading in the ads for this place, is that they show a close up picture of a 2nd floor balcony/patio. I'm a writer and I choose my locations based on where I feel I'd be inspired to write. I had intended to use that raised balcony the entire trip, only to discover it's locked off in a part of the house not made available to guests. I mentioned it to Hello Vacations, and they said the overhead picture of the house was just to show the layout of the property. That's fine, and the wide overhead shot shows that, but then why ALSO show a picture that is a close up of the 2nd floor balcony if that's not available to guests? I had hopes with being SO close to the ocean that the raised balcony would give me views of the ocean. Due to the houses and resorts all built up around, I suspect there'd be no views on any of the rooftops in the neighborhood. But still, a disappointment to have advertised an amenity in a photo that isn't accessible. The ad also stated laundry, but we discovered that was locked in the garage and not intended to be used by guests. I pointed out the ad stating laundry washer, and Hello Vacations made sure to get me a key for the garage. Future guests should note that if you DO use the washer, be sure to pull the drainage hose out of the garage and fully extend it into the driveway, as the garage does not have a proper drain for the washer; and if the hose is left in the garage, you'll come back to find the garage flooded. Be sure you pull it ALL the way out because the hose is VERY old and has cracks, so drainage water squirts out from it in several places. I found that as long as you pull it all the way out into the driveway, it'll drain properly. We also arrived to discover a high amount of dog hair embedded in all of the couches. We have asthma and are allergic to animals, so that was problematic. Hello Vacations came to see it and apologized profusely, unclear why there was so much dog hair embedded into the fabric of the couches; far more than we could remove with a fabric lint roller. I suspect with the house being SO clean at arrival that their crew vacuumed the couch, but this needs some serious attention as it's completely embedded in the fabric. So, while I believe this rental deserves a lower rating due to the lack of comfort and cheap furnishings (that seem to convey an owner who sees this rental not as the luxury property it COULD be, but instead a cheaply outfitted party house for the drunken stag/hen do short term guests looking to party), we believe these shortcomings have nothing to do with Hello Vacations and their servicing the property as a manager. They assured me that they've encouraged the owner to make improvements, but as managers they can't force an owner to invest in those improvements. It's rather tragic to us that a house with SO much potential ended up being a home we did not enjoy or feel was worth the money, due to the choices made by the owners in terms of what's provided in the accommodation for guests. Sad really, as the house is in a great location and has a lot of positives for someone looking to rent in Albufeira. I should note, because it was important to us and we found ourselves quite disappointed to discover the reality upon staying here: the beach is NOT easily accessible. Google maps will show you that it's a quick walk to a stairway down to the closest beach. That stairway (as of March 2025) is under construction and not accessible. A local informed us that without that entry, the nearest beach is a good 30 minute walk away (if you walk briskly!), due to the resorts/hotels blocking off access. We imagined ourselves walking the beach every morning. In our month here, we only saw an Albufeira beach once due to it not being easy to get to. And while the neighbourhood is quiet overall, if (like me) you are looking for peace and quiet, you should know that there are dogs in all of the adjoining properties that literally bark like mad from morning until late at night. Street noise was non-existent, but dog noise was incessant and tiring. These are all things I wish I had known in advance, as I would have chosen a different property. But if you're looking for a home base during your holiday and don't mind the things I've detailed above, then by all means consider this property, as it's a good location, walking distance from the strip and grocery stores; a little off the main path so not dealing with drunken tourists on your street; upscale neighbourhood with beautiful homes; a spacious house with a lot of light that has great potential; no lack of hot water for showers; a great coffee maker; a pool that is serviced weekly by a crew that also does a great job cleaning the yard. We even survived Storm Marinho here (which caused damage to other homes on the block but we slept safely with the shutters all closed). My hope is that the owners will read this and decide their lovely house deserves better than they've provided for guests. It could be such a great place. My last comment is more about Albufeira for those who may be new to the area: Having never visited the Algarves before, we chose it because it seemed central for us to explore where in the Algarves we'd like to eventually live. What we discovered is Albufeira lacks any of the charm of the other coastal towns; it's a party town that is built with massive numbers of buildings all crammed together for the party tourists. Ubers were plenty, so that was good. But it has nothing of the charm of Tavira or Lagos. During our stay, we visited Lagos and were heartbroken we didn't choose that instead. But if you're coming to party and be out in "hen do" mode in search of endless pubs, restaurants and bars/clubs, then Albufeira might be exactly what you want. But if you, like me, are hoping for relaxation and being surrounded by Algarve charm and natural beauty with ample peace and quiet, Albufeira is not it. It lacks any charm that I've come to love about the Algarves and the coastal cities of Portugal and Spain. All in all, not a stay we'd ever want to do again. BUT, Hello Vacations is most DEFINITELY a company we'd be very happy to rent through again, as I think they'd be very helpful in making sure that next time we chose a better accommodations more suited to our needs in a more ideal location. Hello Vacations is 10+. The rest, though, was meh, at best.

The condition of the property was bad. The condo is outdated, and it needed urgent repairs. It was very cold some days inside, and two electrical portable oil heaters were not enough to have normal temperature inside. It was a very bad smell from the kitchen sink. The managing company HostWise and owners of the property ignored most of our requests. For example, they didn't want to give us a key from a mailbox for a very long time. They gave it to us only after our threat to cancel our rental. They sent us monthly invoices for 2024 only after many of our requests for invoices, but ignored our multiple requests for getting invoices for January and February 2025 completely!