You never need an excuse to visit Lisbon.
I have had a long standing love affair with this city.
The passion for this city has grown even more in recent months thank to the Luxury Hostels project through which I have managed to explore the city’s amazing range of very cool, boutique hostels.
I loved Oasis Lisbon and the new Equity Point Hostel on my previous trip.
This time around I had the pleasure of discovering Lisbon Poets Hostel, (review coming up soon ) one of the hostels that started the revolution of luxury hostelling in the city and then one of the city’s brightest, coolest new stars- the very chic, cool Stay Inn Hostel
My visit and review of Stay Inn was a happy coincidence.
My friend and fellow blogger Bianca Bauza aka Nomadbiba had visited only a few weeks before and had been raving about cool this place was.
So, naturally I was curious.
Another cool hostel in Lisbon? That too right in the Bairro Alto district and just 500 meters from Chiado Metro Station.
Great. I followed her advice and booked myself in for a few nights.
I land in the afternoon after a few hours train journey from Porto. At the entrance I have a warm welcome from Ricardo and Mark, the two brothers who founded and run the Stay Inn Hostel.
Stay Inn Hostel- stunning interior decor and very comfortable
First impressions of walking into the living room of the hostel were wow!
The interior décor is very chic and more in line of what you would expect in a boutique hotel. Parquet floors, floor to ceiling windows, comfy leather sofas that you just sink into plus quirky features like a the plasma screen TV sitting on a old trunk plus lots of bright light and colours-create a happy ambience.
Communal dining/ internet surfing area
The communal area is linked to a nice enclosed dining area where you can enjoy dinner with friends and fellow hostel guests or during the day surf the internet on your laptop using the hostel’s excellent free wireless connection or use one of the communal desktops.
My double room at Stay Inn Hostel, Lisbom
The rooms itself are very comfortable and again, in line with what you would expect from a boutique hotel. Beds have nice mattresses and fluffy pillows- perfect for a great nights sleep after a long day on the tiles of Lisbon. I stayed in one of their premium double rooms. This did not have the option of private bathroom but they do have rooms with ensuite options.
The shared bathroom was just outside of my room- bathroom was complete with toilet and shower to share with one of the other double rooms in the corridor so during my stay , I practically had the bathroom to myself.
Stay Inn Hostel- Simple but good breakfast, free Cappuchino and free fruit-yay!
The other cool space is the kitchen. In the morning you get a simple continental breakfast of fresh rustic morning rolls ( excellent , proper rolls) with cheese, ham and jam.
Decent concentrated orange juice available.
The coup de grace however is the Nescafe coffee machine where you can help yourself to unlimited espressos, mochas and cappuchinos all day. I have to admit they were pretty tasty and good. There are excellent cooking facilities with all the amenities you could expect. The huge fridge also handily dispenses ice, chilled water on demand. FYI- there is a supermarket just across the road from the hostel.
Other cool things they offer that deserve a mention- they do a laundry, wash and dry service for as little as 2 euros. Bargain!
So, overall a small but very cosy hostel with everything you could want. Guests come here for 2 days and on average end up staying a week.
It’s a great hostel to chill out in.
Ricardo makes it clear that his hostel is not a party hostel but a place to relax and take it easy.
With the Bairro Alto on his doorstep, the party is just a hop skip and jump away so in that respect it’s not too much of a drawback.
While chilling in the lounge, I got chatting to a few of the guests. Being such a small place, it’s easy to talk and strike up conversations.
The pricepoint is brilliant- for November, low season you can get a double room for as little as 40 euros a night or a room in the 5 bed dorms for as little as 19 euros. Prices are pretty consistent throughout the year so it is brilliant value for money for what you get in terms of location, facilities and the hospitality.
Ricardo and his team really are attentive and have lots of great tips for guests.
Lisbon is blessed with many great hostels but Stay Inn is up right there with the best and is a great home away from home in Lisbon.
Highly recommend.
