Mar Búzios Experience House

The place has everything it needs to be great, but somehow it manages to be terrible. We arrived Sunday and spent an hour waiting while they searched for our room key. Inside, there were dirty cloths, a wet floor, a toilet seat tied on with wire, mold everywhere, rusty light fixtures, air conditioning that barely worked, and no shower screen door. The TV only worked online, but the Wi-Fi didn't. That same night I went to reception to ask for a fan, and was surprised to find all the lights in the inn had been turned off. We had to use our phone torches to find our way. Breakfast was poor, with little variety, and what was there clearly wasn't fresh. They burned incense to keep mosquitoes away, so smoke was drifting over the food. We complained about the room and were offered a change, but only if we waited outside while they prepared the other one. The pool was dirty, and the outdoor areas need maintenance. During our three days, we saw and heard other guests complaining, asking to switch rooms or to see a room before booking. Be careful, because they change the inn's name on rental platforms, and we got caught by that trick. We spent money on a stay that wasn't remotely worth it. I won't be back.

We managed to enjoy what we could, but the whole stay was marked by neglect, and the place needs better maintenance and organization. I later saw other reviews and realized our experience wasn't isolated. We booked impulsively during a livestream, paid over WhatsApp, and got a receipt showing everything included. Our Sunday check-in after the holiday was confirmed for 2 p.m., but they said our reservation wasn't in the system and blamed us for not asking for an email confirmation. Nobody had told us we needed one, and keeping the booking record was the inn's responsibility. While they tried to sort it out, they suggested we look around Cachoeira Inn. It looked lovely in the photos, but was cramped and dirty, with a green pool. The view was the only good part. Back at reception, they offered an “upgrade” to a bigger room with a sea view, but said it would take an hour to clean. We went into town. Parking was tiny and chaotic: another car blocked ours, and when we returned we could barely find a space. The curtains didn't cover all the windows, so the room felt exposed. We asked for a minibar because there wasn't one. A staff member brought one, but by the next day it wasn't working. When we asked them to remove it, they said it had “burned out” because we'd plugged it into the wrong outlet. There was no label showing which outlet to use, and nobody explained anything when they delivered it. They blamed us for something we couldn't have known. The bathroom tap dripped constantly and soaked the floor. Instead of sending someone to fix or dry it, they just handed us a mat. We paid for two nights and got no room service. The rose petals on the bed were artificial and obviously reused, which felt unhygienic. Our package included day use and access to the “love grotto,” but we didn't dare use it when even the main areas were dirty. Breakfast was weak and disorganized. They first said it started at 8, then told us at 8 that it wouldn't be ready until 8:30. When we came back a few minutes later, food was already scattered around and items were missing. The juice was watery, the cold cuts were sliced into tiny pieces to make them go further, and they only replenished things when we asked. The package was also sold as “half board.” We understood that to mean two meals per couple, but in practice it meant one meal per person. On Monday I tried to confirm lunch at Cachoeira Inn. The owner said it would probably be possible and that she'd get back to me, but she never did. We couldn't find her and nobody answered the phone, so we went there ourselves. We ordered around 2:30 p.m. and waited over an hour without any update. Only then did the owner message to say lunch would be at Mar Búzios, something nobody had told us beforehand. A couple who arrived after us got served first. When my meal finally came, it was wrong. I'd asked for rice à piamontese with prime meat, but got chopped meat with potatoes and plain rice. After I complained and waited longer, they brought the rice à piamontese but didn't correct the rest of the dish. We ate it anyway because we were hungry and had already waited so long.

The view is truly lovely, and they offered us a room at Mar Búzios without charge after we asked for an upgrade. But the filth, poor upkeep, and lack of respect for guests made the experience awful. The pools were so dirty you couldn't see the bottom. We've stayed in much simpler places that felt far more welcoming simply because they were clean. The place has potential, but cleanliness and care are nowhere to be found, even in the pools. My boyfriend and I got this stay as a gift from our employer and arrived excited, since we'd seen the ads and wanted to visit for a long time. The disappointment started right away. We were first put in a room at Cachoeira Inn that was shut in, had no window, and smelled so strongly of mold that sleeping was impossible. We went to reception to ask for a better room and were even willing to pay for an upgrade. They then offered a room at Mar Búzios, another inn in the same group nearby, saying we could use both properties' facilities. The new room looked promising from outside because of the view, but inside it was filthy and unhealthy. The bathroom tiles were completely dirty, the window had a badly fitted grille and grime all over it, and there was a strong sewer smell. The soap dish looked like it had never been cleaned. There wasn't even a TV. They didn't give us a room key because they didn't know where it was. The air conditioner only worked at full blast, or we had to switch it on and off at the unit itself because the remote didn't work. The receptionist said she'd get a key and batteries for the remote, but hours went by with nothing fixed. When we returned to reception, the same employee was sitting there and offered no update. She said she still didn't know where the key was and would try to sort it out, but did nothing. We would have had to sleep and go out with the room unlocked and no security. We didn't dare eat there because of the dirt, so we went out for dinner and left our things in the unlocked room. At breakfast, the cutlery was dirty too. Our package included half board and an hour at the fire grotto, but we didn't have the nerve to eat there or get in the water given how filthy everything was. We were given two reservations and left after the first day. We want at least the second day refunded to the person who gave us the gift. They don't deliver what they promise on social media, and the place is nowhere near the movie-mansion image they advertise. If you're thinking of staying at either inn, stay away.

The one good thing was how close it was to the beach. The rest of the stay was disappointing, and I won't repeat it. The pool was filthy, and everyone who came near it changed their mind about getting in. The price was surprisingly high, but the inn doesn't deliver even 10% of what it promises in its livestreams. I felt foolish for not reading the many negative reviews before booking. I want to add that my experience was tied to management, and from what I saw they were changing managers the day I left. I was taken to a room with lots of mosquitoes, an old TV that only got regular broadcast channels, and a window that leaked water. It rained in the morning and the room flooded. I had paid for a complete all-inclusive stay, but right away they said dinner would be at another “partner” inn. The food there was salty and came in tiny portions, and they also wanted to charge separately for drinks. I refused and messaged Patricia, the person who had checked me in. She read the messages and never replied. My package was also supposed to include a bartender in the afternoon, but there wasn't one. The fridge with the drinks was locked, and when we asked for something, there was barely anything available.