Pousada Tayluz

The inn’s location on Google is misleading. It’s actually at the top of a hill, the last place at the end of two long, steep slopes. I’m glad we came by car. After a day out, climbing that hill on foot in the sun would be miserable. If you’re elderly or use a wheelchair, forget it. The room smelled moldy, the bathroom had no window, and the single bed was very hard. Breakfast was reasonable, but I couldn’t relax about eating anything because if some parts of the property aren’t looked after, who knows how food is handled? The pool was dirty and under maintenance when we arrived. It was reopened the next day but was still filthy, with green algae along the sides that clearly hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. The plaster-like interior was coming away from the apartment ceilings. There were lots of insects, ants, and cockroaches, suggesting poor pest control. There are three Wi-Fi networks, but none was any good. Videos wouldn’t load. Parking is uncovered, in an open sandy lot next door, and there’s no gate or chain at night, so the cars are left unwatched and as vulnerable as they would be on the street. The ride service to the beaches is presented as a favor even though we paid for it. It only runs at certain times, in a very dirty, poorly maintained Doblo. I do want to praise Rafael at reception. He was helpful, attentive, willing to assist, and hospitable. The ground-floor room we stayed in for a few days had AC, a minibar, an LED TV, and a good shower. Those were my impressions.

The staff at the pousada were really attentive and helpful, and the breakfast was tasty. The place sits high on a street, with a great view over almost the whole city. The room was comfortable and had a nice view, though the bathroom smelled bad and the air conditioner leaked water into the room. There’s a good pool for days when you decide to stay in. They also offer transfers to and from the beaches, as well as to the bus station.

The view from up above the city is lovely, though the area’s growth and urban sprawl have taken away from it. Communication and booking the room were difficult, and the price felt a little high for what we got. The rooms are good, with a soft bed and NASA-style pillow, but the extra bed for the third guest was very hard. On the last day, I came back from the beach hoping to shower, but the whole hotel had no water. At least the woman in the lounge gave me some water that had run off the ice cubes, and didn’t charge me for it.

The staff were the best part of our stay. They were kind, helpful, and tried to assist with both the pousada’s problems and advice about things to do. Breakfast was simple but really tasty, fresh, and well organized. The view in the online photos looked amazing, but the facilities didn’t live up to it. Heavy rain on our first day brought water into the room, so we were moved to another one. The toilet there kept making noise, and the TV kept losing its signal and telling us to contact the provider. We also had to pay the full amount in advance by bank deposit, which felt strange. There were few places available, so we took a chance, but we never got a receipt. We left a day early after several problems, and they refused to refund the amount we’d paid 15 days ahead. That upset me, since surely we would have had to pay if we’d stayed an extra day. Given the whole experience, I wouldn’t have chosen this pousada. I was disappointed to pay so much and not get what the online listing showed.