We were in Lisbon over Easter weekend and we had a really difficult time finding an available hotel. After much searching for alternatives, we stumbled upon Residentas Áurea, a luxury apartment building in the Baixa district. Residentas Áurea offers the following apartment options: studio, classic 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom duplex, 1 bedroom loft, and premium 1 bedroom.
The building was locked with a coded entry system that was a little finicky but we got used to it. There is a lobby area but it is not staffed by anyone. The hallway was oddly gray and completely flat. The doors were basically flush with the walls and we couldn’t always tell what was an apartment entrance and what was a closet door. The hallways were not inviting at all but thankfully the apartment itself was warm and comfortable.
We had a premium 1 bedroom apartment with a double bed in the bedroom and two sofa beds in the living room. The bedroom was small but comfortable. The sectional couch was so big that it actually seemed more like a bed that turned into a couch than a couch that turned into a bed. It was comfortable and the boys slept well there but it wasn’t ideal to have them sleeping in the living room. For one thing, it just made the apartment feel cramped that they were sleeping there and all their stuff was thrown in corners of the living room. For another, this was the only time during the trip where we really relaxed at night and watched TV and it was sort of awkward that we had to all sit on their beds to do so.
The main living space was one large area encompassing the kitchen, dining area, and living room. We didn’t cook at all while we were there but it was nice to have a refrigerator and glasses and dishes.
The bathroom was small but modern and clean. For some reason in Portugal they don’t like shower doors and think a quarter glass wall is enough to keep the water in the shower. It is not. There was tons of water on the bathroom floor after we showered and you could see where the walls had water damage in the bathroom and even the hallway.
The best part of the apartment by far was the windows. They were huge and when you opened them up it felt like you were a part of the city. On the flip side, they were really well designed so that when they were closed, you didn’t hear much city noise at all. But we spent a lot of our time just hanging out the windows, enjoying the views and watching the trolleys go by. It was a really unique experience for our kids to stay in the heart of a city and get to connect with it like this.
We thought the location was great. Lisbon is huge and no matter where you stay, you are not going to be able to walk everywhere. But this location was walkable to a lot of places and convenient to public transportation. We were just up the street from Commerce Square and within easy walking distance to lots of restaurants and shops.
In general, it is more our style to stay in hotels and resorts on trips like this, especially when we are moving around every few days. Short of a week-long trip to the beach or the mountains where we have rented a house, I’m just not going to cook on vacation (especially in a foreign country where the foods, brands, appliances, etc. are all unfamiliar.) That’s just not vacation to me. So while it is nice to have a kitchen for the convenience of snacking or bringing back meals, it is not a necessity for me. That being said, with no hotels available, this apartment worked out well for us. It was nicely furnished, clean, comfortable, modern and well-equipped. The location was great and we liked being in the heart of the city. I would recommend Residentas Áurea to anyone looking for a short-term apartment rental in Lisbon.
