Home Lisbon Hostel

Completed my stay here a few days ago.
I found Home hostel via trip advisor as it was the best rated place in the city, and came recommended by my hostel in Madrid.
I really loved the facilities here. They have a massive TV complete with a PS3, satellite TV and large DVD collection. In addition, they have several computers available for guests´ use, and a few iPads as well. The reception, bar area and dining tables are in the same room and are a nice welcome to the property. Most of the staff were very sweet as well in my experience.
Home hostel offers a free breakfast every morning, complete with cereals, milk and yogurt, scrambled eggs, fruit, a variety of tea and some meat. In the evenings, Mama, the mother of the owner, cooks an elaborate three-​course dinner complete with wine or beer for 10 Euros. I didn´t partake but from all accounts it looked very appetising and an excellent opportunity to meet other travellers. On that note, I met some nice people here with whom I will definitely be keeping in touch. The guests are mostly younger backpackers although there´s also a few strange older folk hanging about.
I took a wonderful day trip to Sintra for 15 Euros through the hostel, which was the best decision I made while in town. We visited a castle, several amazing viewpoints near the city and a bakery among several other stops. They also packed everyone a sandwich and gave away water to those who went, a nice touch.
I also attended a nice walking tour which left from the hostel one morning which I would recommend. It´s a good introduction to the city and its elaborate history. There´s a bar crawl that leaves from the hostel in the evenings from about 11pm for thirteen euros, including a drink and a few shots at various bars. I didn´t partake on account of cost and my understanding that the tour would return around 3am — a bit too late for me!
I found the rooms well-​insulated for noise generally, though the doors close loudly every time. My bunk bed was comfortable to a point, but I really did not care for the weak lighting in the room. My air-​conditioning was also out of service, so I could not change the temperature in the room.
The showers have good water pressure but are absolutely tiny — about the size of a phone booth! The water also splashes everywhere — so keep your clothes and toiletry bag outside. One oddity was that there was no hot water in the bathroom sink. This meant I could not shave while I was there — or rather I could have but it was not ideal conditions for doing so. I asked about this at reception and was told that´s just how it is!
The hostel´s location was quite good, though it was a bit of an adventure getting there. From the intercity bus stop, I took a city bus which took about 40 minutes and I was only able to find my way with directions from several other people, including the bus driver. Home hostel´s signage is excellent and highly visible from the street. Their keycard is a blue watch, easy and convenient to keep track of on one´s wrist!
Price wise, I paid a reasonable fifteen euros per night. I believe there´s an extra charge to use a padlock or to borrow a towel if need be.
For the three nights I stayed here, I had my own bedroom to myself. There were six beds but I was the only one there. Good or bad I´m not sure, because after a night or two, I was bitten. I had checked under the sheet and on the mattress prior to sleeping on it and it looked fine. As you can imagine the bites were a bit of an inconvenience. Once I realised what had happened I went straight to the staff and asked them what they would do about it. They offered to switch my room for me and wash my laundry. I did a load of laundry that same day and several other loads the next day, which seemed to solve the problem. What irked me was their attitude that it was not in fact bed bugs but perhaps mosquitoes or spiders or something else. Doesn´t really matter — I brought it to their attention privately and as discreetly as possible so as not to upset the other guests. Going back and forth from the laundry to the reception to get coins for the machines I felt like I was hassling the staff by the end of it. I also wasted two evenings running back and forth doing laundry which I would have much rather spent listening to Fados or bar hopping with other guests. Mama was very understanding about the whole situation but I still left with a bit of sour taste in my mouth.
As much as I´d like to recommend Home, I cannot given my above experience. It´s got a great atmosphere going and very comfortable amenities, but once bitten, the experience was not a pleasant one. I´m thankful that I´m now almost healed and feeling a lot better.

I stayed here for New Years, and had a great time! The rooms, bathrooms, and showers are clean. There is 24 hour cleaning staff, so you don’t need to worry about it being dirty. Even though the hostel was nearly full, it still felt like I had lots of privacy.

The best hostel in the world! It’s hard to describe how wonderful this place is. It has an enchanting vibe that you really have to experience for yourself. Mumma’s dinners are phenomenal!

This is the best hostel I’ve ever stayed at hands down. The atmosphere is great and the people are the best and the most caring about what you would like. Diana is an expert to help you get around Lisbon as she is a native, born and raised in Lisbon as she claims. The others, João, André, the other João and super great and so generous and friendly.
Perhaps the highlight of all is Mama’s dinner… you almost get unlimited beer and wine, and a 3 course dinner meal includes the soup, the main dish and dessert, the best food I have ever had in Lisbon;I did the dinners everyday it was just too good to miss out. At the end of the dinner they give us a shot of several wines as someone makes a goodbye speech which is so touching love it.
The location is great too, you are near the metro baixa/​chiado statio, Rua Augusta, restaurants, Praça do comercio, the river, alfama, bairro alto, Rossio square, starbucks, etc.
The rooms are very comfortable and if you get a bottom bunk you get a curtain and all beds have a power outlet, small shelf and light… also huge lockers under the bed. The washrooms were so clean… the whole hostel was clean. The living room lounge and kitchen are great, they even have a small luggage room and a washing and drying machine.
The breakfast is really good too. I went to get breakfast one morning and this young lady greeted me so cheerfully that it started my morning out great.
You can also use iPads and computers for free i believe.
My favourite part was just meeting everyone and having dinner like just one big happy family. Really easy to talk and meet others.
Walking tours and pub crawls are also provided which are great.
I will definitely come back for sure.
Really sad leaving my Lisbon home.

Good location, walking distance to shops, restaurants, etc.
Bottom bunk beds have privacy curtains.
Clean.
Large bathrooms.
Cozy entertainment room.
Group dinner cooked and served by Mama herself.

Não só é um dos melhores hostels de Lisboa, como tem um conjunto de iniciativas inovadoras que tornam a cidade de Lisboa mais fascinante para quem a visita. E não se pode dizer que as iniciativas é só para visitantes porque eu própria já fui ao «Mamma’s dinner» e adorei o conceito (já explico…) que torna a experiência de estar longe de casa o mais próximo possível. O «Mamma’s dinner» é a ideia de ter um jantar caseiro num espaço acolhedor e com um grupo de «irmãos por um dia» que partilham as magníficas iguarias caseiras.
Também tem visitas guiadas aos bairros mais típicos e à noite lisboeta que já me disseram que normalmente terminam bem animadas.