Casa Praiana

The place is quiet and right by the beach, and it’s good value for the money. The inside is clean and the service is great, though you wouldn’t guess that from the entrance. A few things need attention: breakfast quality, the pool tiles, since some are broken and could hurt kids, and the pool noodles, which are in terrible shape and cheap to replace. The pool could also be cleaner.

Some rooms have no windows, but they do have air conditioning, and the rooms are clean. The breakfast selection is limited, though there’s enough to eat. The owners could be friendlier. There’s a sign and a rule against smoking by the pool, but some guests ignore it, and the owner doesn’t say anything.

I picked this pousada based on the Google reviews, and I’ve stayed at other places in Itanhaém without ever having a problem like this. Never again. The facilities are old, and the service was awful. At night, there was no water in the shower, tub, or sink in my luxury suite. When I complained in the morning, the owner said he’d forgotten to turn on the pump. Water finally came back at 11:00, then ran out again at 14:00. He said I must have used it all. This is absurd. He charged 300,00 for the room, saying it cost more because of the water, yet there wasn’t even water in the room. The room was next to the dining area, too, so at 08:00 there was horrible noise. I smoked in the room, and the owner said the law meant I couldn’t smoke there. That’s not true, you just can’t smoke outside in the hotel’s shared areas. I paid for the room, so why couldn’t I smoke inside it? I went away to have fun and ended up stressed out because of the owner. He banged on the door so hard it nearly came down, then told my husband and me to leave his pousada immediately or he’d call the police over the cigarette. He said he’d have to put the mattress out in the sun, and nearly said he’d need to repaint the walls because of the smell. What a ridiculous reaction. Just clean properly and leave the room open for two hours, and the smell goes away. Smokers, don’t even go near this pousada. He hates cigarettes.

Adalberto, the owner, and his staff are nice and always willing to help. The pousada is well located, right across from the sea. The apartments are very basic, though, with little comfort, just one or two beds and a small table. The bath towels are small, more like face towels, and already a bit rough. Breakfast is basic too: cake, bread, powdered juice, coffee, and milk. Outside breakfast hours, the only thing available is bottled water, which you have to pay for. If you get hungry at night and don’t have a biscuit in your backpack, there’s no restaurant or snack bar nearby.