Pensão Lourenço

We paid for the booking in advance and messaged the owner through booking about arriving late because of bad weather. There was no reply. When we got there late that evening, the hotel was closed and nobody answered the door. We called several times before Paula at reception picked up. She spoke only Portuguese, and we couldn’t understand each other. I texted in English and Portuguese, but got no answer. My friend and I were two young women traveling alone, left stranded in the village, so we had to pay for another room nearby. The owner cancelled our booking during the night, which also meant we couldn’t leave a review on booking.com. I’d give zero stars if I could. This was horrendous.

After a long, hard day, I felt lucky to have found this place. It’s about 1 km from the station, but well worth it for a quiet, restful night. Dona Paula is a really kind and friendly host. We could only communicate in Portuguese, which I barely speak, but her warm welcome came through. The room was in great condition, and I slept well.

The building is old, and the inside looks as if work is still going on. The shared bathrooms weren’t available. There was a lot of damp, little heating in the rooms, and only a small oil heater. By the end of the day, the water was lukewarm.

A basic, small guesthouse with clean, pleasant rooms. The woman at reception was friendly and helpful, though she only speaks Portuguese. Still, this is Portugal, and it was a good place to stay.