Lisbon - best area to stay? Hotel, airbnb recommendations please!

[Houseplantmad]

We're going at half term - just DH and me as both DCs at uni now (we both work in schools so restricted to half term). We've never been before and I want a mixture of city visit but some relaxation. Which area should we stay please and any recommendations of actual places to stay.

I stayed in Chiado. Really liked the area. Felt very buzzy and central, in walking distance of most of the sights and shops and restaurants. I can't find the exact apartment I stayed in but I'm sure it was booked via booking.com. I just went for somewhere with a high rating and it was exactly as described. Such a great city.

I took day trips to Sintra and Belem and stayed within the city centre-ish area the other couple of days.

www.booking.com/hotel/pt/graca-house-vista-panoramica-sobre-a-cidade-lisboa1.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-1DCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaBWIAQGYAQm4ARfIAQzYAQPoAQGIAgGoAgO4ApDO8ooGwAIB0gIkMjc4YzE2NzAtMDA5YS00MmJjLTgwNjktY2E5ZGZhNzcwMzM32AIE4AIB&sid=836806908890e1936962bd6126395820&aid=304142

We are just back from a weekend here. It was amazing! The view was to die for. Not in the centre of town but 5 min (flat) walk to the 28 tram which takes you everywhere, plus buses. Walk down hill to Martim Moniz for the metro. Some lovely local restaurants - Via Graca across the road for one - and view points. We did a tuk tuk tour.

We stayed in Alfama, which was lovely, lots of nice shops and places to eat/drink. We were able to walk to lots of areas or take a tram. We absolutely LOVED Lisbon and visited the sights of the city, Belem, had a day in Sintra and went to the Parque das Nacoes. We just got an Airbnb. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that exact apartment as we had a bad drain smell in the bathroom, but the area was fab.

We also stayed in Chiado in an apartment booked via booking . com and loved the area, easy walking everywhere and loads of gorgeous bars / cafes / restaurants. We loved lisbon and would love to go back

We also stayed in the Alfama area in an airbnb (it was called 'Alfama Amazing Scenic View River & City'), it was a lovely place to stay. Very central so we could walk everywhere but very 'neighbourhoody' with nice simple restaurants nearby.

Chiado and Alfama are good areas, yes. They are very close to transport and to the centre, for shops and views.
Definitely go to Belém (day trip is fine) and Sintra (you may need two days to see it all), where you can relax a bit between site visits.
If you are staying for a week, take the train to Cascais. You get a nice view of the river/coast, and then can relax around Cascais, even on the beach, weather permitting.
Also try Parque das Nações, towards the North-East. There's a shopping centre, many restaurants, and a big aquarium (Oceanario), if you like that sort of thing.

Avoid Bairro Alto to stay, as that's mainly night life and can become noisy.

You can check Parque Eduardo VII (Edward VII), which has a huge greenhouse (Estufa Fria, or "Cold Greenhouse") - great for nature if it rains, and then Gulbenkian Foundation, with a lovely park with lots of art and a couple of Museums.
If you like woodland walks, try Monsanto.

It's easy to travel by bus, tram or train. In the city a taxi can cost as low as 5 euros, if transport is more complicated, and there's Uber too.