Ouril Hotel Julia

We stayed in March 2019, after the hotel had recently been renovated. It's three floors, with reception and the breakfast area on the ground floor. The rooms are a good size and the bathrooms are nice. Breakfast is self-service, with bread, cold cuts, cakes and cookies, fruit, juice, and hot drinks. The beach is only a five-minute walk away. A good option if you don't need a pool.

The location and room at Julia were good, and the bed was comfortable, but I wouldn't stay again. I felt like an unwanted guest. We had booked well ahead, only to be told the hotel was overbooked. They sent us by taxi to Vila Verde for a night, somewhere in the middle of nowhere with nowhere to get food, drinks, or even water. The lift there broke with us and another couple inside. Nobody came when we repeatedly pressed the emergency button, and nobody seemed to hear us banging on the doors, so we had to force them open ourselves. The next day I was taken back by taxi. The manager called and tried to persuade me to go to another hotel, but I said no. At Julia, the shower wouldn't drain, and I pulled a slimy clump of hair bigger than my palm from it and put it in the bin. Breakfast was fine, but there was hardly anywhere to set down a plate while serving yourself. The bar was too high for me, often crowded, and the placemats and wall behind it were disgustingly dirty and never cleaned. One staff member, the small girl with the plated hair, was extremely rude. She rolled her eyes when guests spoke to her, rarely spoke to me, and often didn't even look up when I said please or thank you at reception. She was on her phone a lot and had earbuds in listening to music instead of interacting with guests. The late afternoon and evening staff, on the other hand, were lovely, welcoming, and professional.

It's in the pedestrian zone, surrounded by shops and restaurants, and the staff are really friendly. The breakfast buffet is very good too. The hotel opened in June 2018, so everything was in perfect condition when I stayed.

Everything is nearby, including bars, restaurants, and the beach. The breakfast is small but okay. The interior feels like it could belong in a hostel, and there was no hot water in the evening.