Selina Secret Garden Lisbon: A Detailed Review

As a city set on seven hills, visitors to Lisbon fall in love with its stunning scenery. Choosing from the many hostels dotting Lisbon’s cobblestone streets isn’t easy, and you’ve likely stumbled upon this post because you’re wanting a firsthand Selina Secret Garden Lisbon review.

I spent two weeks staying in a dorm room at Selina and working at their cowork space. I’ll be sharing my uninfluenced opinion here with you—I didn’t receive any money or benefits for writing this. In fact, Selina doesn’t even know I’m writing this review on them.

Accessibility Note: Selina Secret Garden Lisbon is wheelchair accessible, although you’ll have to pass through a cobblestone side road to arrive. For more advice on accessibility, check out our post on Wheelchair Accessibility in Lisbon.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Google’s Rating vs. My Opinion

Google rates Selina Secret Garden Lisbon as a 4-star hotel. Shall we “LOL” together?

Let me start with this—Selina is a hostel. It’s a really nice hostel with far more amenities than average. It also has a classier vibe than typical hostels and offers some private rooms that could compete at the lower 4-star level.

However, at the end of the day, Selina is a boutique hostel chain. In my opinion, it deserves the highest rating a hostel can get. But it’s nowhere near a 4-star hotel.

Selina Secret Garden Lisbon Location

Selina Secret Garden is located west of downtown. When you first glance at a map, it might seem like it’s a bit far from the main attractions. Don’t be fooled by this—it still very much has a historical feel, surrounded by cobblestone streets, narrow winding roads, adorable cafes, and gawk-worthy architecture.

The hostel is also located a short walk to the Time Out Market and waterfront boardwalk. Walking to Lisbon’s main plaza, the Praça do Comércio, will take you around 20 minutes. I highly recommend this walk if you’re able to manage small hills—you’ll walk through some of the most charming parts of Lisbon.

However, if taking the tram is more your style, there are tram stops a stone’s throw away from the hostel.

Speaking of hills, Selina Secret Garden Lisbon is set at the top of a rather steep hill. Parking is tricky around the area, so this hostel is ideal for people who are comfortable with getting some exercise as they explore.

Hostel Setup

A small cobblestone private driveway leads to Selina from the main road at the top of a hill. Upon entering you’ll be greeted by friendly staff members.

There’s a pool, restaurant, and cowork space on the ground floor. An elevator leads up to various floors to get to the rooms. On the top floor, there’s a rooftop bar that offers beautiful views over the city.

Overall, I thought the hostel was easy to maneuver around.

Rooms at Selina Secret Garden Lisbon

You have the option to choose between dorm rooms and private rooms for your stay at Selina. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Dorm Rooms

Selina Secret Garden Lisbon offers the following types of dorm rooms:

• 6 beds
• 8 beds
• 10 beds

The best part about the dorm rooms at Selina Lisbon is the private curtains and a small locker (you need to bring your own lock) built into the side of the wall by your bed.

The bunk beds are sturdy so you won’t feel your roommate rolling around if you’re sleeping on a lower bunk.

All dorm rooms come with sheets and a large personal locker outside your bed (you need to bring your own lock). Some also have an en-suite bathroom. If the bathroom in your room is occupied, there are plenty of other communal bathrooms you can use.

Towels and blankets are available for rent. You’ll need to ask the front desk for details.

Private Rooms

In good ‘ole Selina style, you’ll have some nice private room options to choose from. They’re not cheap, but they’re stylish, comfy, and most importantly, yours and yours alone.

The Micro: An ultra-tiny room with a full-size bed and barely enough floor space to put your luggage. It’s the most economical option on this list and perfect for those wanting privacy without an extra-big price tag. You’ll need to share a nearby bathroom. It can hold up to two people. It comes with towels and free toiletries.

The Standard: A more spacious option than The Micro for up to two travelers sharing a full-size bed. You’ll have a private bathroom. It comes with towels and free toiletries.

The Suite: A spacious and beautifully designed room with a private bathroom and Selina’s premium in-room amenities. It comes with towels and free toiletries.

The Suite+: Treat yourself to luxury with this comfortable getaway room. You’ll have a king or queen-size bed, a table, sofas, chairs, and a private bathroom. Some Suite + rooms even come with a balcony. Towels and toiletries are included.

A Note on Selina Pricing

Selina operates on a flexible pricing schedule. The following factors determine the price of your room:

• How far in advance you book. The farther ahead you book, the cheaper your room will cost.
• The number of nights you stay. The longer you stay, the cheaper the price per night will be.
• Refundable vs. non-refundable rate. The non-refundable rate is cheaper than the refundable rate.
• Whether you book with or without breakfast. Selina’s breakfasts are seriously amazing, so I recommend booking with breakfast included!
• Whether they’re running any promotions. Promotions happen often, so keep your eye out for them.
• Whether you’re traveling during a holiday or special event.

At the end of the day, you’re more likely to get a good deal on your room (and encounter availability) if you aim to make your reservation as soon as you know your travel dates. It’s pretty amazing speaking with fellow travelers and learning just how much they paid for their last-minute stay!

Amenities

A Selina Secret Garden Lisbon review wouldn’t be complete without covering the extras it offers.

Selina does a lot of things right, and providing a plethora of amenities is one of them. Here’s what you’ll get to enjoy by staying at Selina Secret Garden Lisbon:

• Excellent WiFi
• Free social activities
• Restaurant with top notch food
• Swimming pool
• Activities center
• Movie room
• Cowork
• Massage room
• Coin laundry machines on site

As a bonus, you can even bring your dog! (Just as long as you book a private room).

Selina Secret Garden Lisbon Cowork

The cowork space at Selina Secret Garden Lisbon is one of the best Selina cowork spaces I’ve worked at. It has a tastefully designed open floor plan with a combination of long tables and smaller ones.

A kitchen at the back of the cowork space offers free coffee, tea, water, fruit, and usually cookies or some other kind of snack. There’s also a fridge and microwave, so you can bring your own food.

You can switch back and forth between working inside or on the large outdoor patio. If you’re staying long-term, Selina can even arrange a mail service for you.

Every week, Selina hosts cowork networking events so you can get to know your fellow nomadic workmates.

Are you thinking about purchasing a colive package? If so, make sure to check out my Selina Coliving Review. I’ll show you when Selina’s coliving is a deal and when it’ll drain your money.

Important: The cowork space isn’t included with your room price. You’ll need to book and pay for this separately. There usually isn’t an issue with availability if you book it upon your arrival.

Safety

As a solo female traveler, safety was never a concern for me at Selina Secret Garden Lisbon. The hostel sits off a main road that’s well lit in the evening. In typical Selina fashion, you’ll be given a wristband to wear during your stay so employees know you belong there.

The walk between Selina and downtown is also very safe. In fact, Lisbon as a whole is extremely safe, assuming you take normal precautions.

Cleanliness

I found cleaning practices to be excellent at this Selina Secret Garden Lisbon, which isn’t the case at every Selina I’ve stayed at. The fact that the beds and facilities are newer helped to give it an overall clean feeling too.

Selina Secret Garden Lisbon Review: The Good

• Fast, reliable WiFi
• Walking distance to downtown
• Tram stops nearby
• Amazing food at their restaurant
• Dorm beds have a curtain for privacy
• You can do your laundry on site
• Lots of outdoor communal spaces

Selina Secret Garden Lisbon Review: The Not So Good

• Located on top of a hill (this could be a plus, depending on how much exercise you like to do)
• No option to book a women’s only dorm room
• 6-bed dorms are the smallest shared room option

Wrap Up

I hope this Selina Secret Garden Lisbon review helped shed some light on whether or not it’s a good fit for you. I recommend it without hesitation for people looking for a slightly more upscale hostel experience.

Do you have questions about staying at Selina in Lisbon? Leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help. Alternatively, if you’ve already stayed there, I’d love to hear about your experience.