Any "mature" adults have hostel experience in Lisbon?

Well, I did not stay in any hostels while traveling with my college graduating daughter, but I also wanted her to meet people her own age, or at least just meet people without me. She is independent and had traveled alone in Guatemala and Peru, but I felt really uncomfortable with her going out, so we compromised and stayed in a larger hotel that had a bar downstairs where she could go and I could relax in the room. She met some interesting people and I was not spending every minute worrying since she was just downstairs.

Thanks, guess not many people here stay in hostels. Well, I found this hostel in Lisbon also has a few studio apartments in a separate location where we will stay, but we will be allowed to participate in any of their tours or activities that we want. My daughter is rather shy so I think this will help her meet some people, plus we'll have some independence & be able to sleep at night, I hope!

I am in my fifties and have never stopped staying in hostels :-) It's one of the options that I consider, and I like many of the hostels that I have stayed at in Europe. I especially consider hostels for the times that I am solo and want to extend my trip with budget options. More and more, I encounter "greypackers" in many hostels - retirees on a shoetring (aging Lonely Planeters??) Here are a few tricks to staying in hostels: read the reviews on sites like hostelworld.com or bootsandall.com. You get a real feel for the "party" places and can avoid those. See if any "private rooms" are available - many hostels have a few of these. Be careful to read the room descriptions, some have female-only dorms, or small 3-, 4-, or 6-person dorms, some have ensuites. If a private room is not available, I'll book into a small, female-only dorm, with ensuite. The women I have shared a dorm with have all been really nice and respectful of my things and space. I also have had no problems switching to a lower bunk when I've needed it. Last, but not least, I have found that the access to cooking & laundry facilities, internet, notice boards, and excursions, all add to the value of the hostelling experience for me.

Have a VERY adventuresome friend who has literally traveled around the world staying in youth hostels with her daughters and my friend is in her fifties and has not had a problem except for once in Egypt when she stayed in one that was 76 cents (yes you read that right but it was about 10 years ago) and she didn't think it was too good, go figure. She also shops at local markets for food and has found it great with good savings. I do shop local but have not stayed in a hostel yet.

"Greypackers"... I love it, but maybe we could think of a more romantic name for those of us who hide the grey!

The motto of the "greypacker": "If I don't spend my money on this, I'll just have to leave it to my kids." Back in the seventies, high in the mountains of Luzon (Philippines), at a time when men there still wore loincloths and feathered headresses, I met a woman who greatly inspired me. She was in her early sixties, very old to me at the time... A German lady who gleefully told me that, to the utmost dismay of her daughters, had bought a backpack and just left on her own! Like you Terry, I too hide the grey. My big backpack got traded a few years ago for a Rick Steves wheeled carry-on suitcase and a smaller MEC daypack. I'll stay at a 4-star hotel on the same trip that I'll include a hostel stay. I'll spend 5 times more for a private tour guide than that night's accommodation. "Greypacking" is about choices and freedom, and I proudly wear that badge!
;-)

My motto is, "Save money where you can so you can spend it where you want." I didn't respond because I will go to Portugal for the first time this fall so have no experience with Lisbon hostels. Will I stay in a hostel? It depends on the reviews and the natives. I'm now 51. I stay in hostels regularly (unless it's a business trip and someone else is paying), sometimes alone, sometimes with spouse and/or family. I'm really not picky; I don't care if I sleep in a bunk bed or have to go down the hall for a shower. A hostel is usually a good option for a single person but you can often find something better (and often cheaper) when you are traveling as a group. I review comments on hostels, google hostel reviews to get started. I rule out the hostels where reviewers use the word "dude" or "party" a lot and go for the ones that are most commonly referred to as clean and quiet.

For some reason this site won't let me edit my response above to say alternatives, not natives.

@Brad... gave me a bit of a laugh... maybe you were
calling the wild party people the natives..

Brad, now THAT'S 'going local' - if in doubt, one should ALWAYS check with the natives... Carol, lots of people in their 70s and 80s use hostels; will you be the oldest one there at any given time? Perhaps. Have you tried looking it up on TripAdvisor? If it's been reviewed there, you can get a vibe for what the atmosphere is like and maybe there will be some photos that give some clues. If all of the reviews are like, you know, like all OMG! and killer and peeps are like you know totally hooking up with each other and like you know drinking Jagermeister bombs.........then Keep Looking LOL! Most are too loud for me to get any rest in; it sounds like maybe the sleeping area is in a better location in your case, and not directly over the open-most-of-the-night bar downstairs...

However, if they are sipping limoncellos, that's Eileen's kind of place. Mine too ;-). .......not that I'm totally apposed to an occasional Jaegermeister....

Thanks all, for your wise & wonderful replies. I have committed to the Traveller's hostel in Lisbon, but we'll stay in one of their studios in another location. This is my first time in Portugal & Spain & I'm up for the adventure whatever comes my way! You've all inspired me ! Last trip to Europe was 25 years ago before baby & now that she's graduating college it just seems like something we must do now!

Absolutely! Make some wonderful memories...(you might even consider doing at least a little bit of journaling - just the basics to remind you of things later because it's sooo easy to forget)...