1877 Estrela Palace Hotel

The unusable sofa bed was a real problem for us, since one of us usually sleeps with our baby. Only the evening team dealt with it well. That contrast sums up much of the stay: housekeeping kept the room spotless, and breakfast was full and lovely on the first morning, but after that buffet items were missing every day. Staff said there was no more, although we saw food kept behind the bar. When we asked for it, it suddenly appeared; it never went back out for later guests. I even took a photo. Saying it was being saved for later guests didn't fit what we saw. In 50 days of travel, this has never happened to us elsewhere, and it felt disrespectful and unprofessional, especially with an already limited breakfast. The two evening employees were the best part of the stay and the reason this rating isn't lower. The young woman with long brown hair and no glasses had spent three months in South Africa, spoke excellent English, and was warm, calm, professional, and helpful. She explained things clearly and apologized for the broken sofa bed, saying management hadn't known. The black-haired evening employee on the 22nd, who was from the Azores Islands, also spoke perfect English and was friendly, patient, and respectful, with excellent recommendations and service like a 5-star hotel. They made our first impression amazing and should be the standard across the hotel. Daytime service was a different story. The blonde employee never smiled and seemed annoyed or bothered, making us feel like we were disturbing her. The employee with glasses could be kind and smile, but only when the blonde wasn't with her; together, their mood turned negative. Several times nobody was at reception, and we had to call the hotel from our phone in Europe to get someone to come. That makes no sense for a hotel. We'd been travelling for 50 days and had stayed in boutique, luxury, and standard hotels, but nowhere else felt like two different hotels in one building. The place has real potential thanks to the evening staff and housekeeping. With better training, or the outstanding evening employees on the day shift, it could be a 4- or 5-star stay.