Pousada Santa Maria

The room was in very poor shape during the short time we stayed: the linens were dirty and looked neglected. We arrived in Aparecida along the Caminho da Fé and tried to talk things through with the owner after some family problems, but he treated us badly, was disrespectful, and spoke to us in a very rude way. We paid what we owed and left the inn straight away. I’ve never posted here before, but I wouldn’t wish that humiliation on anyone, so think carefully before staying.

We were meant to stay two nights, but there was no way we could remain there. The place isn’t cheap, and the breakfast wasn’t good. I was with my wife, son, my 70-year-old mother and my 70-year-old mother-in-law. The room had a TV, but there were no channels to watch. When I asked them to fix it, they said the TV doesn’t work when the city is full. How does that make sense if the signal comes by satellite? I spoke to the owner, Gustavo, and he, or someone pretending to be him, just ignored us. The staff were rude too. It was an awful experience, so think carefully before going to Pousada SANTA MARIA.

Our friends had booked with us, a couple with two children, but their reservation was canceled two days before arrival without anyone contacting them. We only found out when we got there. Inside our room we found four huge cockroaches. We asked to change rooms or at least get some insect spray, but nothing was done except a staff member coming in and crushing one of them. The bathroom was badly stained and dirty, including around the drains. The linens were poor, and breakfast was disappointing too: soft biscuits and soggy toast. We went down at 8:00, but they refused to make more eggs, even though breakfast runs until 9h, saying they’d already made more than 70. After complaining, or perhaps by coincidence, I couldn’t leave a review on booking.

The worst part was reporting all this and having nothing done. I’ve since seen this wasn’t the first time, so their standard reply feels dismissive. The bedding was dirty and clearly hadn’t been changed after the previous guest. There was dental floss on the floor, the TV didn’t work, and the bathroom looked like it had only been tidied instead of washed. I asked for clean bedding for three beds and got one sheet. I also asked them to fix the TV, but they didn’t. Another guest had the same bedding issue. They knew from the start that we had a 4-month-old baby with us. This is outrageous. Dirt can cause illness.