Pousada da Pedra Rifaina

The place is genuinely beautiful, the food is excellent, and the staff are very polite. Still, several things made the stay harder. It took a long time to clear dishes from the tables, and cats ended up climbing up to eat leftovers from plates other guests had left behind. We also weren’t properly told how the pool towels worked, which led to an embarrassing situation. I brought a small cake, under 1 kg, to freeze for my son’s first birthday since we’d only eat it a few days later. They said it wasn’t possible, even though there was room in the same freezer for his little meal containers, and I saw there was plenty of space for the cake too. Room cleaning also left a lot to be desired. The place has potential, but better organization and attention to details would make a big difference for guests.

The room facing the lagoon had a beautiful view, and even the cat there was very well behaved. The staff’s care and attention were admirable, and the service was excellent. Kaoma deserves a 1000, and Vinícius, the bartender, was exceptional too. It’s a wonderful, elegant place with great service and attentive employees. If you get the chance, go see it. I highly recommend it.

We paid R$ 1,000.00 per night for a couple, including breakfast, over a long holiday. We chose a room in the family wing because we were traveling with our 1.5-year-old daughter, but it was fairly small, with little open space. We expected that wing to be quieter. Instead, the rooms are attached to the restaurant, so there was noise and the smell of food came in through the bathroom window. The worst part was the neighboring ranch, which was noisy until late at night and even into the morning. It was unbearable, and we left a day before our paid reservation ended. The inn’s location and facilities are very good, and breakfast was also very good, but if you have small children and are only offered a room in the family area, I don’t recommend it.

Our stay at Pousada da Pedra de Rifaina was extremely frustrating. We paid almost a thousand reais for a tiny room, about 5 by 3 square meters, with no windows and clear signs it hadn’t been cleaned properly. The air conditioner was so noisy that we needed earplugs to sleep, while dealing with both the heat and the noise. The value for money was very poor. We asked to cancel on Saturday and were told there would be no refund, even though I was prevented from using the facilities simply because I didn’t have a key. We ended up cutting our stay short and left after breakfast the next morning. We chose the inn because, when booking, we were told it had a pier for boats. After we had paid, with no cancellation option, we were told there was no ramp to launch our jet ski. We had to go into town and use a public ramp, then ride over to the inn. That left our room key in the car in town. When we returned, the manager, Sra. Diana, refused to let us use any services, saying we couldn’t access the inn’s system without the key. We explained what had happened and offered to pay in advance for what we planned to consume, but she still refused. In an ironic tone, she suggested we go back to town for the key and said it was our responsibility to ask about the ramp, rather than the inn’s responsibility to tell us beforehand. I found that abusive and completely inconsiderate. The administration showed no common sense or flexibility, even though a temporary ticket or access code could have easily solved the problem. The location and facilities are very good, and breakfast was also very good, but this experience was deeply disappointing. I hope the inn reviews its customer service and makes its pre-booking information clearer, so other guests don’t go through the same thing.