Pestana Gramacho Residences

Booking through Love Holidays (ref:********) was a complete disaster. My reservation had been cancelled without notice when I arrived, and I waited more than four hours for a room. What they gave me was completely different. The staff were rude, room service was almost nonexistent, and for the last three days my room stank because a dead rat had been left inside. I tried to reach Love Holidays from the first day and got no answer. At checkout, the hotel staff brushed off my complaints with “OK goodbye.” Under the UK Package Travel Regulations 2018, Love Holidays is legally responsible for making sure accommodation meets basic safety and hygiene standards. They failed completely. I’ll never book with them again, and I strongly warn others to avoid the company.

The complex looks nice and seems ideal for relaxing, which makes it a pity that the rooms are so poorly insulated for noise. They’re spacious and well equipped, but the sofa bed was the worst I’ve ever seen. Asking a kid to sleep on it is a shame. The internet TV kept losing its Wi-Fi connection, too. I won’t return.

For three nights in a row, my room had no running water at all: no shower, sink or even a working toilet flush. Twice I had to use the swimming pool late at night just to wash. That’s unacceptable for a hotel in this category. The room also went three days without cleaning. Only after I went to reception myself did they take away the garbage and bring fresh towels. I sent the hotel several written messages, but never got a reply. The poor communication and basic service failures made the stay extremely unpleasant. This was far below what I expect from the Pestana brand. I can’t recommend the property unless serious improvements are made.

Getting there is a bit awkward since it’s off the main roads, though the location itself is okay. The rooms were basic and clean, but they weren’t cleaned every day. Breakfast had little variety and wasn’t good quality, especially the very bad coffee from the machine. Service was minimal too, with used plates left out and tables not prepared. Cigarette ends stayed outside for days, and the litter on the grass was easy for everyone passing to see. Definitely not worth the money. We won’t be back.