The Bordalo Palace has all the luxury of a 4-star hotel in that the rooms are spacious with high ceilings, balconies, and exquisite furnishings, and AC that works! (not a given in Europe). In other ways, it has all the warmth of a B&B. There aren’t a large number of guest suites and the breakfast area is cozy with folksy décor and place settings that look like they came out of your aunt’s china cabinet. But what really sets this place apart is the personalized service, which is hard to find in our QR-code dominated world. The front desk staff - Caterina and Isra – act like a concierge – they don’t just hand you a key and tell you how to get to your room – they provide assistance with your luggage (which you may very well need because there’s no elevator (another rarity in Europe), they give you a map, point out local attractions, give you advice on where to eat and shop, even instructions on how to use Lisbon’s celebrated public transportation system! If a problem arises, they put on their on their thinking caps and troubleshoot! On my first day, I accidentally left my key at the hotel and Caterina promptly called me and came up with a brilliant solution! The ladies who staffed the breakfast area constantly re-stocked the delectable items on the buffet and asked us if there was anything we needed. The icing on the cake literally) was that I found 2 pasteles de nata garnished with fresh raspberries and handwritten notes. Looking forward to my next stay!