Pousada Atibaia

Awesome.

My wife booked three nights so we could get away from the crowds in São Paulo. We arrived at 1 p.m., but they wouldn’t let us in before 4, not even into the outdoor areas. When we came back, we got the keys and remotes and went down to our room. It was supposed to be a top room, but it wasn’t. There was no parking space by the chalet, and the way down was steep and dangerous because slippery moss had grown on the concrete. Then came the nightmare inside. The door only opened if you forced it, and the room was full of mosquitoes. I used up an entire can of Baygon. The room was moldy, and the ceiling fan dropped dirt onto anyone on the bed. The intercom didn’t work. The bathroom was filthy, with lots of cobwebs on the ceiling. The shower wouldn’t heat up and smelled like burning. The mirror had toothpaste marks and splashes on it. The single bed had a hollow in the middle, almost like a spot to keep a baby from rolling onto the floor. The sheets were stained and the bath towels were dingy yellow instead of white. The curtain in the double room looked like it had lined a pigsty. It should have been white, but had brown and red stains, maybe from the millions of dead mosquitoes on it. And that wasn’t all. The pool area was poorly used and had no upkeep. Tiles were missing from the pool floor, and the edges were broken and stained. The water slide was dangerous: there were wasp nests under the stairs and lots of rust on the metal frames. There wasn’t enough water on the slide, so the kids got stuck in the middle because it was rough instead of smooth. The courts were dirty and neglected. The children’s playground looked like a corral, dusty and filthy, with only one piece of equipment. I didn’t let my daughter play there because there were no monitors and I didn’t know what might be hiding in the ball pit, from a scorpion to snakes or spiders. We couldn’t go on the horseback ride, which was scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon. The monitor told us it had been moved earlier because the sun was too hot for the animals. Since we arrived at 11:20, she wouldn’t let us go, saying she’d already taken the reins off the horse. The manager hadn’t authorized that, and wasn’t even on the premises. For the price, I’d give it zero. The place has potential but is completely neglected. We booked three nights and left after two. I’ll never go back and wouldn’t recommend it even to an enemy!

It’s a huge place, but the staff and general upkeep just aren’t there. The same person at reception also cleans rooms, handles the kitchen and does everything else. When my husband, my two underage daughters and I arrived around 1:30 p.m., they wouldn’t let us in until 4, even though we were right on Avenida Fernão Dias. Completely absurd. The grounds are amazing, but feel abandoned. The animals seem to be cared for, though. The rules list hours for horseback riding, but they don’t stick to them. My daughter even cried because she couldn’t ride! The indoor play area was a horror show, just dirty. The outdoor playground is tiny, though its equipment is decent. There are steep slopes everywhere, and access to the chalets is awful. They hardly feel like chalets. The pool edges were really dirty. I don’t think there was chlorine, which suited me because my daughters are allergic to it, but the pool still needs washing. They should set aside even one day a month for maintenance. The water slide is unbelievable, it looks ready to fall down, rusty all over outside, with a wasp nest under the stairs. We stayed in a room with a barbecue, but the door stuck, the floor was old, the bedroom window was badly rusted, and the curtain was filthy. The fan had years of dirt on it. I slept with the light on because I was so horrified. The TV barely worked, and the phone to reception was just for show, it didn’t work. Such a shame for a huge place that’s been left to fall apart. The bathroom was awful too. The window was falling apart, and when I turned on the shower, it smelled burnt. The shower itself was disgusting, the holes looked full of mud, and the water sprayed everywhere except on the person trying to shower. The bath towels were stained, and the sheets and blanket were dingy. The mattress had a hollow in the middle, and I could feel the springs shifting as I lay down. The chalet walls looked as if a filthy animal, covered in mud and feces, had rubbed against them. The soccer courts were abandoned too. They probably have ticks. The chalet hygiene was terrible. I don’t recommend it!

We loved the live music by the pool in the evening, along with the snacks, and everyone looked after us really well. I enjoyed the outdoor pool and breakfast too. The heated pool was a bit dirty and the water was cold, so we couldn’t enjoy it at night. We didn’t have time to use the games area. My fiancé and I stayed one night. The grounds are spacious, and I especially loved the greenery. I needed exactly that, some rest, fresh air and time in nature. Our room was simple but quite clean, with a good flow of warm water in the shower. Mosquitoes were the only trouble. The nightly rate felt a little high, though that may have been because it was Carnival. We plan to return. It’s a lovely place to relax and be close to nature. Thanks so much for the warm welcome. 🥰