Casa da Igrexa

The pool looked so inviting, and the views were spectacular. Our rooms were very clean, and the hosts were incredibly kind. We had a great stay and will definitely come back one day.

It’s a nice house for groups and kids, but we stayed three days and found it filthy and overcrowded. Dust was everywhere, from the bedrooms and living room to the home theater, and the industrial kitchen wasn’t clean either. The house has potential, but it badly needs a deep clean. There was dirt all over.

We did have clean sheets, but that was about the only thing that felt ready. The foosball table was covered in dead flies, and the advertised clay oven was full of junk that we’d have needed to clear out to use. There was old broken stuff all over, plus pans so thick we couldn’t use them and broken doorknobs that wouldn’t close. The house is large and works for big groups, in a very quiet area, and we spent a weekend there as a family. But it was filthy: dead bugs, cobwebs, and loads of dust under the beds and in every corner. When we told the owner, he just thanked us, apologized and said he’d tell the cleaning company. It gave me the impression he already knew what condition the place was in. We weren’t inspecting every little detail. There’s no excuse for offering accommodation in that state. It felt as though the house had been shut all winter and hurriedly opened before the season, though that can’t have been right.

The place might be worth a couple of days if the owner puts money into repairs, but right now I’d avoid it. It’s a shame, because the house itself is nice and I initially enjoyed being there. It’s just so neglected now, and I can’t recommend it. The living room is dark and has no windows, just a small door to the outside, and the little area with two sofas feels like it’s everywhere in the house. The home theater is no use: the movies show in an impossible pink tint whatever tones or contrast you try, and the equipment is outdated and dirty. Games like table football, air hockey and darts were broken, incomplete or falling apart. There’s grime on the floors, furniture and hidden corners, and something broken in every room. Kitchen supplies are sparse or useless: blunt knives, juicers that don’t work, and a dishwasher that’s really just a glass washer. The shower tray in my room filled with water and drained very slowly. Gel, shampoo, hand soap and dishwashing detergent were in empty, dirty bottles. The fireplace is decorative, and the heating only works when it feels like it, so it gets cold at this time of year. It could be the setting for a remake of This House Is a Ruin.