Lisbon Poets Hostel

Lisbon Poets Hostel is a small, charming, and cozy place with a superb location. Indeed, it is the location which overrides all other reasons to be staying at Poets. It is within walking distance of everywhere in old Lisbon -- or connected to the most central of transport hubs. Despite this, being on a quiet lane in an elevated part of the city, the hostel is free of road noise. There are three little restaurants in the same lane, all serving great house wine and cheap but stylish meals.

The Location

Lisbon Poets is located in the heart of the atmospheric old town. It is nearly equidistant from the major city square of Rossio and Baixa-Chiado, the stylish shopping district -- a five-minute walk from each. Both of these places are on Metro lines, Tram, and Bus networks with most of the city.

This part of Lisbon is hilly, so from Rossio it is an uphill climb over an unending flight of steps, and the first lane left where the steps finish. May not be convenient if you are carrying heavy baggage. You could however take the paid public elevator near Rossio called Santa Justa and exit at Carmo Square, just a couple of minutes from the hotel. This will eliminate the climb. Bus numbers 44, 45, and 91 (the Aero-Bus) from the airport will drop you off directly at Rossio.

Baixa-Chiado will bring you to the elevated part -- and the inclines are gentle on way to the hostel. Just ask for Carmo Square, walk through it, taking the rightward lane sloping downwards (Calcada Do Carmo). Lisbon Poet's is on the second lane to the left (Rua do Duque). Look for door number 41, past three little restaurants. It bears a small sign saying "Lisbon Poets." Car parking is available both near Rossio and off-Carmo.

Rooms and Bathrooms

Dorms, all mixed for the sexes, vary between three- to six-seaters, with some double bed room as well. Steel bunk beds are the norm. Some of the dorms have en-suite bathrooms, some have shared ones. The door locks are secure, with keys from the reception. For a deposit, you get a locker/drawer underneath your bed and it is quite adequate for valuables, laptops, and cameras. The beds are made for you everyday, with crisp white sheets and themed orange duvets. The heating in the rooms is efficient, and each bunk comes with its own private reading light.

The bathrooms are superb -- immaculately clean, with quality hand soap, hand towels, and even bright bath mats. They are all "complete bathrooms" -- WC, showers, and wash basins in one complete unit so one can ready for the day quite comfortably (but be bogged down if one of your dorm mates is a slow coach!). Hot showers are excellent, with shower cubicles everywhere. Some of the bathrooms, including the shared one on the reception floor, have proper bath-tubs as well. You can rent towels from the reception.

Common Spaces

Most of the common areas are on the first floor near the reception. The kitchen is smartly equipped, with all gadgets -- cooking range, fridge, toaster, microwave. Tea/coffee and slices of bread are always available. One is welcome to cook as you please, provided one cleans up. There is no formal dining table, so use the kitchen table or one of the lounge areas. Breakfast is basic but filling -- muesli/cornflakes with milk, toast, and beverages.

The lounge is a real gem -- a character-filled, blue-tiled room with a window that opens onto the street. There are shelves lined with books, colourful beanbags, and a great DVD player and a collection of music CDs -- very conducive for a convivial social interaction with other travelers in the evenings, or just a mid-morning lounge about. There is the occasional contributory hostel dinner with wine, but we did not experience this first hand.

A basic mini bar is maintained by the hostel, so beer or wine are never very far away. There are many travel books, pamphlets, and magazines in sundry languages. The free internet and a quiet sitting area is on the floor above as well. An old typewriter on a separate table sets the mood -- it is after all a Poets Hostel!

Summary

The hostel is vertically oriented, so a steep flight of steps takes you to the reception, and then onto two more floors for the rooms. This makes the feeling of space a little cramped. You need to battle steps to come to the common areas. One dorm is actually at street level, and the entrance is from the street. This is not really a problem, except for the nippy cold coming from the common areas to the room and vice versa for a few seconds. The Reception is well equipped with maps, time tables of trains/buses and the like, and our experience was that the staff were both knowledgeable and helpful. Perhaps the small size of the hostels aids this ease and informality, as well as does the vibrant decor. But above all, it scores supreme because of its location.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
January 2008