The 7 Hotel

Figuring out how much to spend, and where and how to spend it, is almost always the presiding factor that determines the rest, and sometimes it forces you to stick to the basics. Dining out, for instance, will almost certainly be the second largest expense after lodging. A sandwich here, a snack there, a late evening drink and all of a sudden you're down to your last pennies. Lisbon has so many excellent dining options that it will be especially painful to go without them, but if that is what your budget demands, then so be it – there is a lot to see and do for free. The 7 Hotel opened for business in 2015 and alongside its traditional rooms it offers studios with kitchenettes, so that you can prepare your own meals. There is no restaurant precisely because none is necessary; located at the Rua do Ouro, linking the Terreiro do Paço and Rossio squares, there is a world of dining options in a 300-metre radius: grease holes, world cuisine, fine pastry shops, good traditional groceries, gourmet shops and wine stores where you can get anything you require for a proper meal. The view from the hotel's 37 rooms is not especially broad, but it offers a nice panorama of one of downtown's busiest streets. Due to the building Pombaline style, rooms come in varying sizes and floorplans. Studios are the smallest but also the most charming, with a sloped ceiling and a little balcony facing the street.