Apartment Vila Miranda

Clean and affordable, with a good location and owners who are really helpful. It’s a great place to relax, and I’m coming back for my second summer visit :)

Lovely!

We gave it one star for the rooms’ appearance; everything else was a major letdown. They’re modern, but the walls are so thin you can hear someone in the hallway from the balcony. We had no privacy, and the place felt suitable only for sleeping. The shower water was cold when we tried to wash, which doesn’t feel like an acceptable standard for any accommodation, especially somewhere presented as four-star. We also found the parking frustrating: the landlady directed us under a covered area where two cars were parked behind ours, so we had to wait for the other guests to return from the beach whenever we wanted to drive anywhere. It took a lot of patience. At first, the landlady was pleasant, and we were given two rooms. One had a kitchen; the other had only a bed, fridge, and bathroom. Without access to the kitchen, I don’t know how we would have cooked. We had emailed ahead to ask about arriving early because we were leaving Slovakia before midnight, and she said that was fine. But when we arrived at 8 in the morning, exhausted from the trip, she sent us into town and told us to come back at 11 while she got the room ready. The three-floor property clearly wasn’t full, so we were surprised, but accepted it. Soon after we arrived, she asked us to cancel our Booking reservation in exchange for a €15-per-person discount. Later, strong wind slammed a door shut and broke its lock. She took the money back without a receipt or written note, and didn’t show us the note about the door repair either. We felt that was unethical. Afterward, she barely greeted us. We’d also read reviews saying she enters guests’ rooms when they’re out and switches off the air conditioning, which we find unacceptable in a serious accommodation. Google lists the property as three-star, while the business card and communications present it as four-star, which we found misleading. The reviewer’s four-star expectations included reception for at least 16 hours a day, a minibar, safe, room service, relaxation areas, wellness or a swimming pool, and a professional approach. In our view, this place met practically none of them.

The owners are genuinely kind, and the accommodation is clean and nicely decorated. There’s private parking, and the location makes it easy to get to nearby beaches, restaurants, and the market. Highly recommended.