Pousada Marlin Praia do Forte

A real horror movie. The room smelled so awful it gave me a headache. There wasn't even a light in the bathroom, and the shower looked like it might electrocute you because it was falling apart. The kitchen cutlery was filthy, and the fridge was extremely dirty. The pool was just as bad, with green water. I don't know how the health inspectors haven't shut the place down.

The location was the one good thing: it's two blocks from the Praia do Forte waterfront, close to Lojas Americanas, a grocery store, snack bars, restaurants, and other shops. The rest of the stay was terrible. The owner was a big part of the problem. He spent the day drinking with friends outside the pousada, playing loud music late into the night. He talked loudly on the phone, arguing and swearing, without any consideration for guests trying to rest. The reception was also left completely unattended at one point, with the front door open and nobody there, so anyone could have come in and stolen guests' things. Our room was ready when we arrived, but the old beds were uncomfortable, the pillows could be better, and the lighting was poor. The outlets were all old two-pin models. Wi-Fi barely worked, even though our room was beside reception, and the TV only got three channels. The electrical setup seemed unsafe. The ceiling fan worked, but it was caked in dust. I didn't use the air conditioner, though it seemed to work; I didn't check the filters, but I can imagine they weren't in good shape. When it rained, water started leaking through the ceiling fan, which was dangerous. The bathroom was very dirty and dim, with a filthy sink, a faulty tap that only gave a thin trickle, a dirty shower, an old patched-up flush, and cobwebs everywhere. Breakfast was okay for the room rate, but arrived half an hour late and could have been a little better. The pool was unusable because it was so dirty, and the outdoor area was full of debris. I wouldn't recommend staying here. It needs a lot of maintenance, and it seemed like the owner treated the pousada as extra income without making any effort to improve it. Such a shame, since the location is good.

The location was the only thing worth saving. Our room had air conditioning, but it didn't cool properly, and the mattresses were old and practically flat. The toilet was broken and the shower was awful. We kept running out of water, even when we just needed to brush our teeth. The water that did come through looked like orange juice from all the rust, and the smell of it was unbearable. It stained all our clothes. Wi-Fi stopped working on the third day and stayed down until we left. That's only some of what we went through during our stay.

The location is the only thing that makes this place worthwhile. Inside, it was old, dirty, and full of mold and damp patches, with worn-out beds. There were electrical wires lying near puddles of water. The water supply kept cutting out, too. I can't recommend it.