Pitstop Number One: My Story Hotel Ouro, Lisbon, Portugal

What are some of the things you are concerned with when you are a solo female traveller? Especially when you are travelling alone for the first time in Europe? I believe that Safety is the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind. Secondly accessibility and convenience. Budget is also a key factor when it comes to deciding a place to stay in a new city. For me, cleanliness is also vital. Anything that comes in addition to the above is an added bonus.

With these in mind, I descended on TripAdvisor to find an ideal place to stay in Lisbon. Lisbon was after all my first stop on my European tour. Since I was reaching Lisbon after a long day of flying from Bangalore, I was not too keen on shared dorms in hostels. That is when ‘My Story Hotel Ouro’ caught my eye. It fit my budget and I immediately booked a room here for 3 nights.

My Story Hotel Ouro Review

My Story Hotel Ouro definitely did not disappoint. I had prearranged for transportation from the airport to the hotel. The first thing the driver told me was that the hotel was located in a nice locality and that it was walking distance from the river. He asked me to go for a walk along the riverside. But it was not till I reached the hotel, my mind was put at ease.

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Location of My Story Hotel Ouro

My Story Hotel Ouro is a chic boutique hotel situated between Praca Do Commercio and Rossi square. Both take around 5 minutes of walking from the hotel in opposite directions. Anyone who has been to Lisbon knows the importance of these two places. Both are centrally located and is close to many tourist spots in the city. The metro, train and tram stations are all within walking distance from the hotel. Also, all sightseeing tours start from either Rossio square or Praca Do Commercio.

Rooms at My Story Hotel Ouro

As soon as I checked into my room, I was delighted. The interiors were gorgeous and I had a Queen size bed all for myself. The room and the bathroom were clean and well designed. It was designed in subtle colours and that added to the beauty of the room. It was also well equipped with various additional amenities like a Flatscreen Tv (which I never used), a safe to keep your valuables, a well-equipped mini bar, a hairdryer and many other amenities. The bathroom was stocked with clean towels and other toiletries. Free Wi-Fi is also available.

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My_Story_Hotel_Ouro_Lisbon_Portugal_Room

What I loved about the room:

However, there were two things I loved most about the room. One was the view from the balcony attached to the room. It opened right into the street and you could see the Tagus river from the balcony. It was like stepping back in time with its Portuguese themed tiles and 18th-century building. The second was the poem by Fernando Pessoa about the Tagus river that was written inside the shower. A poem inside the shower, you may ask. Yes, it was a first even for me and I had fun reading it over and over again when I was in the shower. I loved it. Do read it here .

The Tagus is more beautiful than the river that flows through my village,
But the Tagus is not more beautiful than the river that flows through my village
Because the Tagus is not the river that flows through my village.

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In spite of being on a busy street, the room was sound proof and I slept soundly on all my nights there. Also as expected, the room was small, which was typical of most hotels in Europe.

Food at My Story Hotel Ouro

Another aspect of every good hotel is the food. In addition to the breakfast which was included in my room package, I also had dinner on my first night there. The food was delicious and I had quite a few vegetarian options to choose from and it was decently priced. The continental breakfast had a good variety of dishes to choose from. Even if you don’t feel like eating at the hotel, you have multiple other restaurants and pubs to choose from, since it is close to the city center. You can also find some good clubs in the near vicinity.

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My_Story_Hotel_Ouro_Lisbon_Portugal_Breakfast

My_Story_Hotel_Ouro_Lisbon_Portugal_Breakfast

In addition to all this, the staff of the hotel were very accommodating and friendly. They were always ready to help and gave me good insights on places to see, how to get to the bus station and whatever other queries I had. They made sure that my stay was comfortable and they were helpful from the moment I made the reservation. Kudos to them. As a solo traveller, these small things matter a lot in making your stay enjoyable.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a decently priced, centrally located good 3-star hotel in Lisbon, then I would definitely recommend ‘My Story Hotel Ouro’. You can find more details here. My Story Hotel Ouro, Lisbon

Tip of the Day: Santa Jus Elevator is just 2 minutes by walk from the hotel. Go here to see one of the best views of Lisbon.

Disclaimer: I was offered a discounted price to stay at ‘My Story Hotel Ouro’. All opinions are my own. However please rest assured that I will not give a hotel such a high recommendation if I did not love it.

Find my recommendations for guide books on Portugal.

Guidebooks for PORTUGAL

Traveling to Portugal and need more guidance on which books to read? These are our Portugal travel recommendations for you to read before you go.

• Fodor’s Guide to Portugal
• Lonely Planet’s Guide to Portugal
• DK Eyewitness Guide to Portugal

Recommended: Vegetarian food in Portugal