Pousada Estalagem Casa Grande

My experience with the pousada has been awful so far. I paid a deposit for a tentative reservation, but then had to cancel it. They still haven’t returned my money.

The reception and pizzeria staff were always polite and helpful. I have no complaints about them. The place has real potential as a good option in Ubatuba, with its convenient location, rustic atmosphere, and very good pizzeria. But it needs more hands-on management, investment, and attention to detail. For the price, the service should be better. This was my second stay, and unfortunately it fell well short of the first. I came back partly because breakfast had been so complete last time, but this time the same menu was served two days in a row. The bread was hard, the coffee watery, the fruit wilted, and there were even ants on a cake. Cleaning also needs work, especially outside and near the rooms. Cats wander around, and I found their droppings nearby. The pool was dirty, with leaves floating in it, so I didn’t feel like getting in. I hope management takes this as constructive feedback, because the place could be great, but it needs a lot of improvement.

We lost money, time, gas, and most of all, had a lot of stress. We’d booked through Booking in October for four nights over New Year’s in December, and had paid in full with no refund if we cancelled. That was fine. But when we got to the beach, the pousada messaged us on WhatsApp to say we couldn’t stay because of an error: one “spot” had been sold to four other people. What should have been a vacation turned into a mess. We had to pay R$500 out of pocket for another hotel that night, and the next day they “arranged” another pousada for us on a different beach. The secretary called the owner to sort it out, but he hung up and stopped answering calls. It was a horrible experience.

The service was awful over the phone and in person. I had an unexpected issue and needed to cancel, but was told that wasn’t possible. I moved things around with my business partner to make it there on the right date, then arrived to find a disappointment: it was dirty, nothing like the listing or Google photos, and seriously lacking in facilities. Breakfast was hard bread and burnt cheese bread. We switched to another pousada on the second day, even though we hadn’t cancelled. Who deserves to stay somewhere they don’t feel comfortable? Think carefully before going.