The Hotel Avenida Alameda was not really a great choice. It wasn't the worst I've stayed in, it was just kind of dismal and dark without much character: not at all a good introduction to such a bright and vibrant city!
Location-wise, it's not too bad: either a fairly long walk to the historic and beautiful parts of Lisbon, or a 5-minute subway ride. While neither option is terrible, later in the trip we found accommodations for the same price that blew this place away and were in the heart of the city.
On the positive side:
* The woodsy park across the street was nice, and there happened to be a book fair going on while we were there, which was kind of interesting
* The room was long and narrow, so while the bedroom was tiny, there was a whole second sitting room, giving it the feel of a suite
* Breakfast on the rooftop deck was a very basic affair, nothing fancy, but some pretty views and good coffee
* The staff were very nice
* The room was clean and the shower was hot - always two important things!
Overall, it wasn't an awful place to stay and you got what you paid for, but there are better places than this, closer to Rossio Square for $50/night.