Avenue 41 Guest House

My stay at Avenue 41 Guest House ended up being my worst memory of Faro, and I can’t recommend it. I was left outside the entrance for 50 minutes in freezing rain and gale-force wind because the entry code didn’t work. I got no reply to my messages through Booking.com or WhatsApp during the stated service hours, even after sending a video of the keypad failing. When I called, the staff member first suggested I’d made a user error because other guests had got in. He eventually agreed to come, but took another 23 minutes. The management later blamed the weather for the code problem, although their first reaction was to blame me. No useful compensation, such as a late checkout for the time I spent waiting in the rain, was offered until after I’d checked out. My flight was delayed by two hours, so I reached Faro at 19:00. Reception had first messaged at 15:56 and called at 18:44 while I was on the plane and unable to answer. I replied at 19:49, still within their office hours. Later, the staff member complained he’d been trying to reach me “all day,” which the timestamps don’t support. The WhatsApp last-seen time showed 19:47, and my message was ignored. My Booking.com and WhatsApp messages are still unread. The night inside wasn’t any better. The AC’s “Heat” setting made a loud grinding noise that kept me awake, then street noise took over in the morning. I got no rest. At checkout, the manager apologized and asked how I was. When I said I’d caught a cold, he paused and said, “Well... that’s not a direct cause, but I’m sorry.” I don’t agree, since I was healthy before the stay. I spent the next six days of my Portugal trip with a fever, sore throat and exhaustion, and was still unwell after getting home.

The room was basic and small, but clean. The man at reception was helpful with suggestions for places to go, and the marina is about a 15-minute walk away. I’d recommend staying here.

The room was clean, but very small, and you could hear everything through the thin walls, which made sleeping difficult. Room 25 is beside the kitchen, where people ignored the 23:00 curfew, so I’d avoid it if you book here. The shower was so hot and cramped that we both got burned once; its soap dispenser didn’t work, and there was nowhere to put our own toiletries. The location was okay. My boyfriend and I stayed one night, which was more than enough. When we arrived, the door was locked and we hadn’t been given any instructions. We rang the bell twice, then called to be let in, but were repeatedly told we hadn’t rung it. The receptionist handed me the wrong luggage when we were ready to check in, then kept telling me not to worry when she no longer knew which bag it was.

The rooms were clean and nice, and the staff were very friendly. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the marina. Sound insulation is basically nonexistent, so keep that in mind, and I didn’t find the bed comfortable.