Pousada Maktub

Eduardo and Vanessa were wonderful hosts, polite and helpful, with great tips around town and a recommendation for an excellent guide, Ilton. The pousada has a modern, cozy feel throughout. Breakfast was very good, with scrambled eggs, tapioca, and something different each day. I was surprised by how comfortable the bed and pillows were, and the room was impeccable, with a great bathroom and fresh-smelling linens. Getting up for our outings was the hard part, haha. Highly recommend!

I felt completely misled by the photos. The place looked new and well maintained in them, but the reality was totally different. Hygiene and service were among the worst I’ve come across, and I travel all over Brazil for work. There was a rat nest on a column supporting the roof, with rats moving around freely. At breakfast, I saw a cockroach on the table. In the room I found two huge spiders, including one on the bed. The pousada feels almost like a prison. You have to call the people in charge to get in or out, and they usually take a long time to answer. Once, nobody showed up at all. The Wi-Fi simply doesn’t work. Worst of all was the owner, Eduardo. He was extremely arrogant and rude, treating guests with total disrespect, as though he were doing us a favor. I raised the problems politely and was treated badly. I tried to negotiate a partial refund so I could stay somewhere else, but he refused, leaving me stuck there. I admit I should have checked the reviews and complaints more carefully before booking. The place is empty, and I’m practically the only one here. I hope sharing this helps someone else avoid the same experience.

My stay at Pousada Maktub was one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I’ve had. The place seemed more focused on rules and fees than on guests’ comfort, and I found it completely lacking in hospitality. The policies felt excessive and inflexible, and the attached documents show the internal rules. They charge a R$ 60,00 “fine” for any makeup or blood stain on towels, even though laundry is part of running a hotel. Room cleaning only happens if you leave the key at reception. Towels are changed only every three days unless you pay extra, and you’re not allowed to bring your own drinks without paying a corkage fee. It made the stay uncomfortable and restrictive. The owner’s hostile manner was the worst part. To him, we’re just money. We arrived in the morning for a scheduled outing and asked to leave our bags and have a black coffee. We were told that would require paying for an extra night. We had to leave the bags in the lounge “at our own risk” and get coffee at a bakery he recommended instead. When Wi-Fi failed to connect one of our devices, the owner refused to restart the router and simply pretended not to hear my request. There was also what felt like bad faith around the booking platform: the owner asked us to cancel our official reservation on booking and pay him directly “off the books.” The people of Chapada das Mesas are incredibly kind, and the place itself is beautiful. The only unpleasant part of each day was arriving back at or leaving the hotel, never knowing what bad news might be waiting. I definitely don’t recommend it. Get away from this place.

This was my third stay at Pousada Maktub, and each visit has been even better. You can see the ongoing effort to improve the services and facilities. The pool area is pleasant, well equipped, and kept in immaculate condition, while the rest of the property is comfortable, clean, organized, and well cared for. Seu Eduardo is the real standout: attentive, polite, helpful, and careful with every detail, making guests feel at home. I recommend it without hesitation. It’s the kind of stay that makes you want to come back.