We recently (November 21-26 ) stayed at the My Story Hotel Rossio on Praça Dom Pedro IV (Rossio Square). The location was perfect. Easy access to transportation, restaurants, etc. Easy walking distance to lots of attractions, including the Santa Justa elevator and Rua Augusta to Praça do Comercio, to name just a few. The staff could not have been friendlier, more professional or helpful, even going to great lengths to get us reservations for a Fado dinner at the last minute. Staying there put us at the doorstep of the wonderful Christmas market, with all its magic, lights, and the Santa train. The delicious, varied, and bountiful breakfast was served daily in a lovely, elegant room. They even had pastel de Nata each morning! Our stay would have been perfect if the room had been as "well equipped" as described in Rick's Portugal book. Yes, it did have nice big bath sheets, and two little balconies with views to the ornate façade of the main train station and nearby Praça de Figueira. Unfortunately, the steel gray painted cement bathroom floor and walls did little to add any charm. Nor were the large wood "towel hooks" very functional. There was minimal space on a very narrow ledge along the bathroom sink for toiletries. But the worst for me was the closet storage. It consisted of 2 side by side cabinet spaces, set so high I had to stand on the one flimsy chair to reach (I'm 5'2" tall), and then stretch farther to hook or unhook clothes hangers. I ended up leaving most of my clothes in packing cubes for the 5 days we stayed there. And for the icing on the cake: the shower!. I couldn't get the floor to ceiling glass door to seal shut the first time, and had to mop up a flood all over the floor. After that I learned to have the water temperature preset, so I could keep my hands dry to close the shower door effectively. What fun! So thankful for the wonderful staff who made all the difference. BTW, I'm certain all the shortcomings can be easily remedied with some thoughtful re-design improvements.
ua Au