Pousada Maria José & Marcelo

The restaurant and poolside service were excellent, and the lunch was quite good. The hotel’s location right by the sea was fantastic. But the reception staff didn’t have much warmth or enthusiasm. Breakfast was disappointing, with some poor quality food, and there weren’t any afternoon snacks to choose from. The pool wasn’t heated, and with the chilly afternoon weather I couldn’t enjoy either it or the sea. The sauna only came on at 5 PM, when most guests had already left the pool area, so access in the afternoon was limited. I also had the worst milkshake I’ve ever tasted. The internet was very poor throughout my stay, which was frustrating since I needed it for work and leisure. Those things left me with mixed feelings about the hotel.

The room was the biggest problem for me. The facilities felt extremely outdated and neglected, with old sockets, toilet fittings and lamps. The sauna also seemed like a scam to me, it was dirty and felt dangerous. They should tear it down. There needs to be a better way to deal with pests too, as I found a cockroach in the room. The breakfast buffet was large but felt cheap, with lots of bread and cake and no good quality fruit like mango or pineapple. There were no croissants, Nutella or dulce de leche either. It seemed designed to fill you up with inexpensive items. On the plus side, the suite bed was really comfortable and the linen was high quality. The staff were attentive and looked after guests well. The location is perfect, right on the beach, with great views, a nice swimming beach, good cabanas and plenty of loungers and chairs. Lunch and dinner had a solid selection. Despite the beautiful setting, I wouldn’t stay again because of these issues.

The staff were rude and seemed unprepared, and the service was very bad. They forgot to bring our food many times when we ordered, and even though we asked while it was still within the proper time, they didn’t clean the room. There were also extra charges on the final bill. Breakfast was poor. I wouldn’t recommend staying here, it’s much too expensive for the quality.

We had a great five-night stay, thanks in large part to the attentive staff who were always ready to help. Big thanks to Gabriel, who looked after us the whole time. The hotel’s outdoor areas and amenities were even better than the already very nice hotel itself. It’s very close to the beach, and Arraial’s center is a four-minute drive away. The rooms are spacious, though they could be a bit more modern. That was a small point in an otherwise amazing stay.