Angra Beach Hotel

The value for the price is good, and getting to the center is easy with Uber even though the location itself isn't ideal. A few things in the room didn't work, but they fixed them straight away.

The noise was awful: our room sat right below the top-floor restaurant, and we heard chairs scraping at night and again at 6 in the morning. Even earplugs and a pillow over my head didn't block it. After traveling to more than 15 countries, this was the worst hotel we've stayed in. The room was tiny and dirty, with stained grey sheets and towels, itchy brown blankets, plastic curtains, and ants everywhere, including the bed, bathroom, floors, and walls. There was mold in the bathroom too. The microwave didn't work, so I tried heating pasta for 22 minutes and it was still cold. We went downstairs to ask the front desk to heat it, then the next day another agent said he had only done us a favor and that the broken microwave wasn't his fault. That was unprofessional. One front desk employee spoke English and was really friendly, though he seemed to be the only good one. The car service employees downstairs were also always friendly when we returned. The room was advertised for four, with one queen and two twin beds, but there was hardly space, just a tiny table and two folding chairs. The website photos didn't match what we got. There were odd mirrors all over that made me feel like someone might be watching. The patio furniture was badly damaged and didn't look like it belonged outside. We got the room through our interval program, which we carefully checked, and regretted it. Everything in the room costs extra, including the snacks and drinks in the fridge, so don't assume anything is included. Breakfast was the same basic spread every day, though there was fresh fruit and cheese bread on weekends. The beach shuttle to “ilha da jiboa” was nice, but you have to book ahead. The beach it took us to was small, rocky, dirty, and underwhelming, with dead fish by the water swing. Nobody greeted or guided us, explained how to get kayaks or order food, or told us about the boat trip. We just followed everyone else and could have ended up at the first drop-off beach. The restaurant prices were ridiculous, even higher than restaurants in NYC. The shuttle also left the hotel 20-30 minutes late while waiting for late passengers, which was inconvenient and unprofessional. Nobody spoke English or explained the trip, so we followed the others again. The room was extremely basic and nowhere near worth the price. There are places on Airbnb that are 10 times better. Don't be taken in by the fake reviews or the luxury presentation.

The rooftop terrace could use more chairs and some rules against loud music, since it shouldn't turn into a party spot and everyone should be able to enjoy it. The rest of the stay was good for the price: breakfast and the evening buffet were both decent, and the hotel offered a useful beach pickup and drop-off service. Service was great, especially from the garage staff, who were always ready to help. The room and bedroom were good, but the toilet area was very small and poorly laid out.

They charge luxury prices, but this place felt awful to me, with nothing luxurious about it. The private beach is small, and Angra has hundreds of other beaches and islands that seem more worth exploring. The pool was small too, and I never saw anyone using it. Our “two apartment” booking turned out to be a room inside another room, and the rooms themselves are small. Reception is up a narrow flight of stairs from what looks like a strange garage on the ground floor. There’s only one little elevator for guests and staff, and I often saw it carrying bags, trash, and equipment. The facilities felt mediocre overall. For what you get, the hotel is very overpriced and came across to me as a scam.