Residencial Florescente

Though it’s nothing fancy, we like the 68-room Residêncial Florescente. It's clean, friendly and popular, with a central location on a pedestrian-only street (that's crammed with tourist-trap restaurants).

Most of the Florescente's doubles are decently sized with ample closet space, although some are quite tight (request ahead for larger rooms). Rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV and telephone, and furnishings are standard hotel fare (read: floral patterns and wall-mounted headboards). Triples come with either a double bed and a single bed or a double bed and a sofa bed.

Rooms in the front have pleasant street views. (You don't have a balcony. It's more like an iron rail in front of double doors, but it's still cute!) Note, however, that the restaurants downstairs with tables in the street stay open until about midnight. If you plan on sleeping earlier, you might want to request a room on the back, or pack earplugs.

The Florescente's interior is charming, with hallways lined with pretty tiles and skylights that let in natural light. And there's a full-sized elevator, a notable plus for a hotel of this size.

The Florescente is located down the street from the Restauradores metro stop and a five-minute walk to Rossio Square. A buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. Wi-Fi access is free and works throughout the hotel.