Porto Antigo 1 Apartments

Our private rental was cozy and nice, and we had a really good stay. The hotel could use a little TLC, but that didn't bother us. Staff across reception, housekeeping, security and the restaurant were friendly and helpful. The pool area is lovely, and I think there were two private beach areas nearby, though I may be mistaken. It's close to both the beach and Santa Maria's main street. The beach is a bit rocky, so be careful in the water when the waves get too big.

The mosquito problem completely took over our stay. We killed at least 20 through the night, despite keeping the screened windows shut and the air conditioning on. We used Picaridin before bed, but all of us were bitten repeatedly and are still itchy. Traveling with young children, we spent much of the night trying to protect them instead of sleeping. The property needs to deal with this so other guests don't go through the same thing, and until it does, I wouldn't return. It's a shame because we started off happy: the location was excellent, and our spacious room faced the pool. There were also a broken bedroom fan and rough, worn towels, which I could have overlooked. The mosquito issue drowned everything else out.

The Wi-Fi came and went, and the service felt very middle of the road. Staff weren't rude, but they weren't especially kind or focused on hospitality either. We felt safe, though reports of theft made us lock up our things ourselves or keep them on us. The location, pool and beach area were all good, and breakfast was pleasant with a decent choice. The air conditioning worked well. Rooms are dated, which wasn't a major issue at this price, and old furniture doesn't bother me. The broken shower head, rust, dirty floors and fresh towels only every four days were harder to excuse.

We actually left halfway through our holiday to try the other place we'd booked, but after just one day we came back here. It was so much better. The staff were kind, polite and helpful, and the location sits perfectly between the beach and the city center. I don't often write reviews, but really appreciate this place. Thank you.