Warning: picked a $35 hostel over a $50 one in Lisbon and it nearly ruined my trip

I was in Lisbon last month and had to choose between a hostel in Alfama for $35 a night and one near the train station for $50. I went cheap because I wanted to save for food and tours. Big mistake. The cheap hostel had no AC and the August heat was brutal, plus the shared bathroom had a broken lock that just swung open. I ended up spending $15 a night on a fan from a shop and lost sleep worrying about my stuff. The $50 one had AC, lockers in the room, and breakfast included which would have saved me $10 a day anyway. Has anyone else found that paying a little more up front actually saved them money in the end?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane_wilson24d ago

yo did you check reviews before booking? i split a room in barcelona last summer and went with the cheaper one too, ended up in a place where the wifi didnt work and the ac was just a loud fan. worst part was i had to buy a padlock and earplugs just to sleep. next time i just pay the extra upfront, it saves the headache and usually the "extras" like breakfast or lockers cover the difference anyway. for me, $15 more a night is worth it if i dont have to stress about my backpack or getting good rest. live and learn i guess.

ericb6624d ago

Yeah I get what you're saying @shane_wilson and you're not wrong about checking reviews, but I actually see this whole thing differently. I've been in that exact spot more than once and sometimes the cheap option works out fine if you know what to look for. The real problem here wasn't just the price, it was that the person didn't think about the season. August in Lisbon is brutal, you gotta factor in AC regardless of price. I've stayed in $30 hostels in October that were great because the weather didn't make AC a dealbreaker. And that bathroom lock thing? That's just bad luck honestly, happens at expensive places too. So yeah, sometimes paying more saves you, but I've also overpaid for hostels that were still noisy and gross. It's more about knowing what matters to you in that moment than just assuming the higher price fixes everything.