Hostel Lisbon Calling
Hostel Lisbon Calling is arguably one of the most characterful places to stay in the Portuguese capital. It is located inside a beautiful, restored 18th-century apartment building in the Cais do Sodré district. Staying here feels less like a typical hostel and more like visiting a well-traveled friend’s sprawling, historic home.
The building itself is a piece of history, featuring original high ceilings, intricate wooden floors, and tall windows that flood the rooms with soft, Atlantic light. The design is a clever mix of “homey” and functional; there is a communal living room that feels like a private library, complete with mismatched furniture and stacks of books. It is designed to encourage spontaneous chats and shared breakfasts.
One of the coolest features is its direct connection to the city’s pulse. It is situated right in the heart of Cais do Sodré, steps away from the famous Pink Street and the bustling Time Out Market. Whether you are hunting for the best pastéis de nata or looking to catch a ferry across the Tagus, you are perfectly positioned.
Getting around is effortless, as it sits right across from the main train and metro station. Within walking distance, you can wander up to the Santa Justa Lift or explore the winding streets of the Bairro Alto neighborhood. It is the ultimate spot if you want to soak in the authentic, slightly gritty, and endlessly charming atmosphere of old-school Lisbon.
Expert reviews
“This fashionable, unsigned backpacker favourite near Santa Catarina features original frescoes, azulejos and hardwood floors – all lovingly restored by friendly Portuguese owners. The bright, spacious dorms and a brick-vaulted kitchen are easy on the eyes.”
What guests liked
- Nice hostel
- Friendly staff
- Perfect location
- Free Wifi
Location
Recent guest reviews
9 October 2025
It was an interesting and homely stay with flexibility to check in late.
Uniqueness.
2 October 2025
Nice location & helpful team member
Location and helpful team member - Susana
15 September 2025
Superb hotel, even better location!
We stayed in the double room with the attached bathroom it was called frescos - and everything was absolutely super.
The location is fantastic honestly for tourists - especially if you have limited days in Lisbon. The staff both Carolina and Susannah were amazing - and went out of their way to help us! With laundry and even recommendations around the area.
Wish we could’ve stayed longer in Lisbon, and with them.
31 August 2025
great stay, good location
great location, clear instructions easy to find, very clean and nice.
only issue was the wifi did not work in my room. had to sit in the hallway to use and the building does not get great data.
1 August 2025
Honestly, not bad!
The hostel exceeded our expectations. The location is perfect from the center and to the sea. The rooms are on the 3rd floor and facing the street so we were worried that there would be traffic noises but to our surprise the windows were very thick which blocked the noises and we were able to sleep during the night. We did not use the kitchen a lot but there was enough material for people who cook. There is an elevator to go to the 3rd floor.
There was just one bathroom and toilet which made it difficult sometimes. There wasn't much hanging space in the rooms. The beds were not that comfortable.
23 June 2025
Good stay. Good value
Great location. Very large spacious room.
The bed was super hard. There was a nail sticking up in front of the bathroom that was a bit dangerous in the night.
22 June 2025
Place you love to come back to.
Location is perfect. 3 minutes from the station Cais do Sodre and Time-Out Market. Walking distance from Praca de Comercio, Alfama. Surrounded by lots of tasty places, but not overcrowded. Very well connected to the whole city by the metro line. Our room was outstanding. Big, stylish and merry. Very pleasant kitchen with everything you could need to make sandwitches - or cook, or simply sit and drink last evening wine glass :). Hosts deserve a separate chapter: they obviously like what they do. They are cheerful, smiling and helpful. You feel that they care.
3 June 2025
Great location and friendly staff
Great location , friendly staff and clean
Bed wasn't that comfortable and pillows were small and thin , need better pillows and a proper blanket
2 June 2025
Great host and amazing location
Large room to accomodate me and my daughter. Great staff. Amazing location!
Nightlife can be disruptive overnight (bring ear plugs!)
25 May 2025
It was pleasant and easy to move around however the the check in and directions were difficult.
I really liked how central it was.
The photos and the actual property looked different. The communal area wasn’t very big at all.
22 April 2025
Bargain for an amazing location right near the train, Tkme Out market and Pink Street.
One small flight of stairs, a lift then a small flight down. Stay in the fresco room it’s huge! Sara is charming, sent us a Google Map of the area. I didn’t see another employee until check out day 3 days after but could contact them if needed.
Comfortable double bed, two single beds, beautiful view of the clock tower on the church across from Time Out Market. Nicer and more private than many hotels at a very reasonable cost.
Like most older buildings noise can be heard from other rooms. We had mild weather and didn’t need heat or air conditioning so can’t attest to that. The Fresco room is amazing and private.
13 April 2025
Would stay again for mid budget travellers
Very Central, walkable, super easy to metro, groceries, night life. Keeping expenses down, even kitchen was useful to us... our room had spectular view on 3rd floor.
28 December 2024
Great location close to everything in charming hostel with friendly staff. TV hung
Loved the share kitchen and the room with a couch and private ensuite. Staff were very friendly and had some great conversations with them and fellow travellers at breakfast and lunch. Learnt so much more here about Portugal than staying in private accommodation.
Loved everything, but in some nights had noisy neighbours. I also missed having a t.v to relax in the evening after a long day walking, but luckily I had a great book to read.
30 October 2024
Great place, good location
Quirky place, location was perfect. Close to pink street and Timeout market. Room was very spacious which I loved.
Only niggle was that it stated there would be things for breakfast on our shelf in the fridge in the morning - I could see each room had an allocated shelf but there wasn’t anything on either day. Would have appreciated coffee with milk but that’s it! Nothing else to complain about.
21 October 2024
An eclectic style apt.in the Baixa district.
I liked the location, the decor of the room, the spaciousness and its ambiance.
The thinness of the door allowed one to hear the slightest sound from the adjacent room.
30 September 2024
A lovely room right in the heart of things. Good transport routes and close to attractions.
Great location, loads of lovely restaurants within walking distance
Nothing
6 September 2024
Hostel with loads of charm and character.
The hostel has lots of character.
Washing machine was out of order
4 September 2024
This is such a great hostel with private room options.
Pros: At city center. Communicative staff. Maria provided so many recommendations, each one we tried was amazing! Private room and bathroom, these were so cute and unique. You still get the hostel experience without having to share the room. Great price!
Cons: Hearing the people walking on the floor above.
2 September 2024
This is Portuguese, authentic, very clean, beautiful place with excellent location, would recommend
Perfect location, clean and big room
29 August 2024
great place but next time a different room
clean, totally friendly and supportive host, big fridge and kitchen, great area where everything is within walking distance
i´d deffenitly come back and stay there but not in this specific blue room. the room is located next to the entrance and also has a connecting door to the stairway. so you hear people entering the hostel and also people on the stairway. specially on the weekend there are many young people coming home drunk in the middle of the night.
12 August 2024
Clean and great location
Very clean, good access to the kitchen, close to the station which takes you to Cascais and hosts will always WhatsApp you to make sure you’re ok
No air con and wobbly door handle in the shared bathroom
2 August 2024
Great! Would stay again.
Staff was excellent and the room was very nice. The common areas were lovely. My family and I felt at home. Walking distance to all we wanted to see.
25 July 2024
Absolutely stunningly perfect!
Just stunning room, beautiful beautiful would recommend anyone to stay here
Nothing!
20 July 2024
A great hotel in the city center with a Portuguese vibe in an old building.
Excellent location - the central part of the city, you can walk to both places of interest and the embankment. There is a supermarket and many restaurants nearby. Friendly staff. Very colorful hotel, Portuguese style, great to feel the vibe of the city. The kitchen is very well equipped - there is a place to prepare food, all the necessary dishes, a refrigerator, a stove, a coffee maker, a toaster, a dishwasher, a washing machine, etc. Nice common area to have dinner and chat. Big beautiful room, vintage furniture, everything is done with taste. The hotel has authentic paintings and tiles on the walls. Really enjoyed staying at this hotel.
The only negative is the windows facing the courtyard, where you could hear the noise from the nearby air conditioner until night.
16 July 2024
Such a fun atmosphere, there was a disco ball in the bathroom! Highly recommend staying here :)
We LOVED this accommodation, the room was very cool with all of the antique furniture and lights. We loved the disco ball and pictures in the bathroom. The host was lovely and very communicative. We will definitely be back!
The location was wonderful! The bed was comfortable and we loved the quiet.
The wifi didn't work very well in the room.
9 July 2024
Great for city break
Great location - near train/metro station, Pink Street and city center. Everything was clean and please is very cozy :)
We could hear every noise from the corridor and staircase.
8 July 2024
Delightful, friendly, and convenient hostel.
Great location in the old city, super convenient to walk out the door and be in the middle of everything. Fun and funky decor in a beautifully renovated older building. The mattress was one of the most comfortable I've ever slept on. Vera was very helpful :)
On a football/soccer Saturday night it got pretty noisy in the street, but otherwise it was a fairly quiet location. Bathroom could have used a few more hooks not in the shower area.
6 July 2024
It was a great stay!
The decorations are adorable, the property is spacious, and the location is excellent. It is well insulated so the sound from outside doesn’t carry.
There could have been more attention paid to cleanliness. There were spots on my towel and sheets and the floor had dirt in some areas.
5 July 2024
Lisbon Calling gave us a very peaceful, easy, effortless, and comfortable stay in Lisbon :)
1) Great location
2) Very quiet
3) Very clean
4) Very helpful staff
5) Nice spacious room
26 June 2024
Quirky centrally located accommodation
Fabulous quirky spot to stay. We had family room which was huge for the two of us and a funky en-suite. Good lounge and kitchen facilities available. Excellent location.
If you want the windows open at night the street noise will keep you awake. But there’s a fan in the room.
15 June 2024
Lovely Quirky place.
Cool quirky Lisbon-style furniture.
Great shower pressure.
Elevator in building was great.
Central location in Chiado. Many eateries nearby and near tram stops.
Room was extra large.
Arrived at 8am and had to wait till 10am for check in. Staff directed me to either have breakfast at a nearby cafe or to store my luggage in lockers in another place nearby
13 June 2024
A wonderful and charming base for exploring Lisboa!
Superb accommodation with a lot of creative character! Our room overlooked the Praça de São Paulo, and was massive(!), quiet, full of natural light and beautifully charming decor. Shared bathroom was clean and tidy. Self check in process was easy - We met the lovely hostess the following day and she sent us a superb list of recommendations for things to do, places to eat etc. Staying here, you are mere meters from Pink Street and Time Out Market. Commerce Square and all forms of public transport are within easy walking proximity. An excellent base for exploring Lisboa!
11 June 2024
Charming and well located
The room was great and the location was perfect. The character and special touches throughout the property made this place very cool
The distance it took to walk to the bathroom and that there was only one. We didn’t have too many issues, but more bathrooms would have been preferred
9 June 2024
Love the property and interior unfortunately the energy of the area did not jive with us.
Large room. Great big windows looking down on the street. Large washroom with rainfall shower. Comfortable large bed. Kitchen area if needed. Lots of character and high ceiling.
Be aware of the party location very close to “Pink Street”. The street below does not get quiet until 5:30 am. Extremely loud people and vehicles.
19 May 2024
Artisticly designed ,cosy and homely feeling place!
Super welcome, cosy and unique place to stay in central Lisbon. Designated in very special and artistic way! We really loved this place and hope one day stay there again!special huge thanks for tour hospitality, great tips and help with our trip!
Few small things to improve but still everything was great.
Shampoo/ bath soap in a shower could be nice.
Not transferable window curtains for better sleeping for not morning persons😉
Bottle of water even for extra charge.
27 April 2024
a lovely place for budget minded travelers
This is a lovely place for budget minded travelers in Lisbon. Nice comfy bed and very clean. Very good communication with the staff as I arrived very late.
Hotel facilities
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Designated smoking area
Kitchen
- - Shared kitchen
Services
- - Shared lounge/TV area
- - Daily housekeeping (additional charge)
Entertainment & family services
- - Board games/puzzles
Miscellaneous
- - Key access
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Thermometers for guests provided by property
Reception services
- - Invoice provided

More photos

13 October 2025
Beautiful stay in Lisbon