Pousada Toca da Coruja

The staff were kind, and both the room and breakfast were nice.

I had a terrible experience at this inn about a month ago. The stairs weren't properly lit when I went out for dinner at night. I missed the last step and fell badly, fracturing my foot. I'm still immobilized a month later, dealing with pain, physical and emotional strain, losses, and limits on my normal activities. What shocked me most was how the management responded. My husband contacted the manager right after it happened, but he showed no concern and offered no help, assistance, or follow-up at all. An inn should provide basic safety for its guests and respond to an accident with responsibility and humanity. That didn't happen here. I don't recommend it.

The property is beautiful, with lots of greenery, a stream running through the grounds, and a peaceful atmosphere. Our room was excellent, with a heated bed, an attractive and effective wood-burning fireplace, and a bathroom with very hot water and a warmer for the towels. The food and drinks at breakfast were good quality, and I have no complaints about them. The coffee, juice, milk, and other items were all fresh and tasty. Still, breakfast service was a letdown. We stayed three nights, and on every morning we didn't see a staff member in the breakfast area. Breakfast only starts at 9:00, which I found very inconvenient for tourists who want to eat early and make the most of the day, and especially for guests leaving. I hadn't seen a schedule like that at any hotel, inn, resort, or other stay before. We knew there were people in the kitchen behind two doors because we could hear them, but nobody came out to clear used tables or answer questions. On our first morning, a Friday when the inn was still empty, breakfast was limited but excellent, fresh, and tasty. There was no coffee, juice, milk, or any drink set out, so we sat and waited about ten minutes. I finally knocked on the kitchen door. A very polite woman explained that they were bringing coffee, juice, and cheese bread to each table that day. That was fine, but we had no way to know until I went looking. The kitchen service wasn't efficient, and it wasn't because the place was busy. The inn was empty all three days. The worst problem was checkout, and it left my wife and me angry and disappointed. We chose this well-rated inn even though it costs a little more than average in Monte Verde, so some things felt unacceptable. We had driven from the north of Minas Gerais, a trip of nearly 12 hours, and left on Sunday. We wanted to get on the road early, around 7:00, so we wouldn't reach home too late. We knew we'd miss breakfast, and accepted that waiting until 9:00 and leaving around 10:00 wasn't an option. We got up at 6:00, packed, and reached reception at 6:40 to check out and return the keys. Nobody was there. At 6:50 a polite woman who I think worked in the kitchen said someone would help us, then went upstairs, probably to the kitchen. Between 6:50 and 7:00, I called the inn's number several times so someone might hear the phone in another room. We could hear it ringing right in front of us, then it stopped, but nobody came. I went upstairs and knocked on the kitchen door around 7:10, with no answer. At 7:20 we were still alone in the reception building. We were annoyed enough to consider leaving without checking out or handing over the keys, but that's not how we are, so we waited. Finally, at 7:30, the receptionist showed up. Sorry to say it, but he looked like he'd been sleeping somewhere, and he didn't even apologize. We had waited 40 minutes with nobody available to help, no breakfast on site, and a delay to our departure. We left feeling negative about the stay.

The green space around the inn is beautiful, and the place itself is lovely and quiet. Breakfast is delicious and served from 09:00 to 11:00. The staff are polite, the shower is hot, and the bed is comfortable. I saw a few comments about getting there, but in Monte Verde that's normal. Inns are around the town center, and many streets have an unpaved section, nothing unusual, haha.