Essenza Hotel

We booked three nights, but after the first one it was impossible for us to stay. Strong bass vibrations kept us from sleeping, and the rooms aren’t soundproofed. The sliding balcony doors didn’t close or seal properly, so outside noise came straight in. There’s no warning on the hotel website that the area gets noisy at night. The hotel restaurant played very loud music until around 11:00 pm, followed by beach parties outside until about 2:00 am. We called reception during the night. They acknowledged the noise and offered a room a little farther from the beach party, but it was just as loud. Since all the rooms face the beachfront and have the same inadequate windows, there wasn’t a real alternative. We wanted a peaceful, relaxing holiday, and this was anything but. The next morning we asked to cancel the remaining two nights and get a refund. Reception said they couldn’t help and sent us to WhatsApp contacts. After a delay, we were told over WhatsApp that the hotel wasn’t responsible for outside parties and nothing could be done. They also said no other guests had complained. In my view, that’s absurd for a hotel advertised as a five-star “exclusive seaside retreat.” It feels closer to a three-star place, and the staff handled the situation rudely, without taking responsibility. The staff are incredibly young, clueless, unhelpful, and unprofessional, and there was no hotel manager on site. We received a summary of our stay clearly stating that the hotel owes us 5,780 reais, but we’ve never received an invoice or a refund for the unused nights. The hotel keeps saying it has no control over the nightly parties, yet it didn’t warn us about the noise beforehand and couldn’t offer any workable solution. It’s hard to believe this is a five-star hotel for what you get. In my opinion, it’s a scam and the place urgently needs renovation. This was a very unpleasant experience, and I wouldn’t recommend it, especially to anyone looking for peace and comfort. We recommend a nearby hotel, Apenunga.