When I recently traveled to Portugal, I knew that I needed to do this trip on a budget. I had been debating booking this vacation for weeks, the biggest hesitation being that I had been laid off from my job in February and I didn’t know if it was responsible for me to take off on a trip. When I finally took the plunge on booking my flight, I knew I was going to try and do this trip cheaper than I normally would. And with any trip, one of the first things you ask Google is: “Where is the best place to stay in Portugal?”
Even though I’ve always been down for budget accommodations and have stayed in dozens of hostels before, I’ve kinda been more into private rooms in hostels or Airbnb’s lately versus dorm rooms. I just simply feel a little old for the dorm room lifestyle (even though I know I’m only 28). So I made it a mission to find the cutest hostels to stay in while I was there. I wanted ones that I’d feel comfortable in and weren’t huge party hostels. I was so impressed by how beautiful the hostels were I stayed in, the interior design of each was on point, and they were seriously Instagram-worthy.
I wanted to share with you the hostels I stayed in to inspire you to stop overlooking hostels on your next vacay, especially when trying to save money.
Home Hostel (Lisbon)
I absolutely fell in love with this hostel, the whole concept was built around making you feel at home. From the family pictures hanging on the walls to the cute common spaces sprinkled throughout the hostel, and the gorgeous dorm rooms with comfortable beds. Every night the owner’s Mama makes a homemade three-course Portuguese dinner that you can join for only €10. Plus, they offer different tours you can sign up with daily and the staff is incredibly helpful to help you make any plans or arrangements you need.
The Independente Hostel & Suites (Lisbon)
The Independente Hostel caught my attention in my research as it’s consistently ranked one of the best in Lisbon. The hostel offers beautiful common spaces, rooms with bunks that have your own privacy curtain, light, and outlet, plus multiple restaurants right on-site that provide awesome food. This hostel was seriously hard to leave, especially when I was jet-lagged after my flight.
For a full review of this hostel, click here.
Photo Credit: Camone Hostel
Camone Hostel (Lagos)
While looking for accommodations in Lagos, Camone definitely stood out. Not only did I want to really make sure I avoided party hostels in this party destination, but I also wanted somewhere central that wouldn’t break the bank. The staff immediately were so welcoming, and the hostel has a great rooftop terrace and the most beautiful aquatic theme design throughout the whole hostel.
The Salty Pelican (Cascais)
This place may be my favourite relaxing vacation destination. I’m not big on going somewhere just to chill and relax but The Salty Pelican made it completely do-able even for me. They had so many different active activities you could do during the day like surfing, yoga, and stand-up paddleboarding. They also had nightly dinner/activities, and the overall hostel was clean, bright, with so many awesome lounge places like these comfy beanbag chairs in the front lawn (pictured above).
For a full summary of this hostel, click here.
Nice Way Hostel (Sintra)
I was only in Sintra for one night and at this point still walking around like a zombie from being jet-lagged. However, Nice Way Hostel was perfect for my stay here. It had an amazing backyard garden to sit in with a bar, the rooms were spacious and clean, and the main floor/common area was very welcoming and cute. I felt really at home here and comfortable which can often be hard to come by in some hostels.
Overall these hostels seriously made me not want to leave! Even though you hardly spend any time in your accommodations while traveling, it’s still nice to have somewhere that you know you can come back to and have a great sleep and feel comfortable in. I’d definitely stay in all these places again!
What’s one of your favourite hostels you’ve stayed in?
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