Hotel Florença

The front facing rooms are noisy, so it’s better to book one at the back. The hotel is close to several restaurants and a mall. It’s a very nice hostel, with good breakfast and service, though the price is high compared with three-star hotels. I hope they make it more reasonable.

The location is good, but the rooms were shocking. There was no hot water, and the air conditioning barely worked. The food was very poor and cold, and there was no service to speak of. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone.

The room was spacious, but the upkeep was terrible. There was no safe, the water pressure was very low, and hot water only dripped, so I felt lucky to get any. The air conditioner was so noisy it woke me up, which is hard to do. For two days they forgot to replenish the soap, and one day I came back to find no towel. Reception said the cleaning lady wouldn’t come until morning. I went looking around myself, found an empty room, and took towels and soap so I could shower. The corridor sometimes smelled like a public urinal, not pleasant after a day of meetings. There was no iron for guests either. Again, they said I’d have to wait until morning for the laundry person, so I skipped that and improvised. Breakfast was simple, as expected from a three-star hotel, but the kitchen had a different surprise each day. Once the poached eggs were a bit green, another day there were no plates, and on other days something else was missing. The location was good, but this was one of the poorest places I’ve stayed. It turned into a real adventure. Stay away.

The staff provide an acceptable level of service, but there’s a clear need for better on-site management. The small details matter. The main entrance’s automatic doors had been shut for several days, and management didn’t sort them out quickly enough, leaving guests to use the service entrance. There are plenty of good things here. It isn’t crowded because there aren’t too many rooms, and the rooms are comfortable, with what looks like a Roman or Italian style. There’s a gym readily available, and the building feels cozy and almost like home, with the essentials for a good hotel stay. It’s also right across from Belas Shopping Mall, just a three-minute walk from shops and a cinema. Breakfast didn’t impress me, and it could be much better to match the hotel’s quality and location. I haven’t tried lunch or dinner. The TV channel selection, Wi-Fi, mini-bar, room service, and in-room dining all need prompt improvement to justify the accommodation price and help the hotel stand out among similarly sized places. My rating could have been higher. It was an acceptable stay.