Pousada Art e Flora Garden

The inn is small, cozy, and beautifully decorated, and the rooms were very clean. The bathroom had grab bars, and that shower was so good I didn’t want to get out. Katia, the owner, looked after us really well and gave me all the support I needed for my mother. I loved spending the weekend with her. It was a shame we went during cold weather and couldn’t make use of the pool.

The inn itself was comfortable and lovely, and we’d even been thinking of coming back after staying there on Saturday, October 5, 2024, for a vow renewal. But I can’t recommend its event buffet. The owners’ response to complaints from the couple and guests seemed unfair, including suggestions that people were lying or conspiring. The groom came by our table during the party and asked if we were being served. We weren’t. I stayed seated with my husband the whole time, so the claim that guests missed food because they weren’t at their tables doesn’t fit our experience. There were several servers, but they mostly brought drinks and rarely food. We got a tiny cup of bean broth, a few savory snacks that weren’t enough, and very small servings of pasta. I didn’t see any trays of snacks, and the other tables looked short on food too, so the claim that snacks were left over didn’t match what I saw. We did order a giant 16-slice pizza after the party, and some was left because my husband and the children had gone to sleep before it arrived. That part is true. Still, the buffet food was insufficient. I recommend staying at the inn, but not hiring its buffet for events. People trust providers with important occasions like weddings, vow renewals, and birthdays. It’s upsetting to be left without the service you booked and then treated as if you’re making things up.

I live in Rio and hadn’t known the place before attending the vow renewal on Saturday. I can’t recommend it for events, though I can’t speak to the inn itself since I didn’t stay there. At our table there was no tray of snacks and nobody checked whether we were being served. Only Marcio asked, and we told him we weren’t. I don’t drink alcohol, but I had nonalcoholic drinks at the lovely bar. The bartenders told me they weren’t offered water or food during the event and had to pay to eat. They said they only got a tub of pasta and four snacks at the end. The six snacks I ate were tasty, as were the mini serving of pasta and little cup of broth, but six snacks over a five-hour event is absurd. I saw comments blaming the 80 guests and the hosts for the poor service. If the business thinks the snacks were served generously, that could be checked with photos or by talking to guests and vendors. Claims that there were trays at the tables and snacks left over don’t match what I saw. I’ve been a business owner all my life and worked with the public. When customers complain, look into what happened. They should put the amount of food in future contracts so clients know what they’re choosing. Maybe they’re not used to hosting events, or maybe they provide poor service and don’t accept criticism. That could explain why I only see reviews about the inn, not events.

I held my vow renewal here on Saturday, and the buffet service was a huge disappointment. I noticed that servers weren’t bringing snacks around as I greeted people at the tables. I told the owner, but nothing changed. My husband raised it too, then complained again, and my sister-in-law also tried. We were told the food was being served, but several guests said the owner hadn’t gone table to table asking about it, and the snack trays she said she put out weren’t there. At two large tables, one had just ten snacks for nine people. The buffet included broth, a tiny pasta serving, and snacks, but the snack quantity was ridiculously small and the contract didn’t make that clear. People who stayed seated said they weren’t served enough. Guests dancing or standing had even less chance. I was on the dance floor and managed to eat three snacks while walking around. I’m a bariatric patient, so I wasn’t hungry at the time, but that’s not the point. The outside items I brought, beer, cake, sweets, and dessert, were served well. The problem was the selective service of the buffet food. I was even told I hadn’t booked dinner, so with a cocktail service, guests should apparently expect to leave hungry unless they pay for dinner. For a five-hour event, they seem to count about five or six snacks per guest. I booked for 60 people, then asked to increase it to 80 and was told that was possible. It seems the food quantity wasn’t increased. Half the guests spent the time dancing and didn’t eat, but even the roughly 40 people seated couldn’t be served properly. If everyone had sat down, it would have been worse. I wish I’d known during the party, because I would have ordered more snacks so guests who’d traveled a long way wouldn’t leave without eating. I’ve hired buffets in Rio for children’s parties and other events, and this has never happened to me. The next morning I came by to pick up my things and was told there was nothing outstanding. I then noticed the juices I’d brought for the event and the cake I’d brought for breakfast on the inn’s breakfast table. It didn’t bother me then because I still didn’t know how bad the food situation had been. Afterward, I spoke with guests who stayed at the inn and were seated for most of the party, then messaged others I knew had been sitting down. That’s when I found out how many had been disappointed. My party is over, and there’s nothing I can do now except share this so others don’t have the same experience. A vow renewal is something we celebrate every ten years, so getting such bad feedback from guests after booking the service was painful. I booked a month ahead and didn’t notice the lack of event reviews until later. I don’t recommend this place as an event venue.