Lux Fátima Park

Our two-bedroom apartment worked really well for a family stay. There was lots of room, plenty of closets, a comfortable sofa, and a table. Having several bottles of water there was a thoughtful touch. The kitchen was fully equipped in general, though it could use more utensils. The beds, unfortunately, weren’t comfortable.

Being so close to Fatima sanctuary may matter enough to overlook the rest, but I wouldn’t expect a great stay here. We arrived an hour before check-in; the welcome felt poor, none of the bars were open, and we weren’t allowed into the pool. After we complained that this wasn’t the standard of service for a four star hotel, they let us check in and use the pool. The room was okay, more like a three star standard, but the shower was blocked, and we had to go to reception because the room phone didn’t work. The underground parking is handy, though around 10 spaces were occupied by mattresses, which seemed like a fire hazard to me. Breakfast was as bland as it gets.

The staff were polite and very helpful, but there were a lot of details that could be improved. Breakfast felt chaotic, and the eggs and bacon were in broken warmers and hardly replenished, so I didn’t get any. The entrance was also hard to find when we walked from the bus station. We headed to a door between shops with hotel signs, but it was locked. In the room, the duvets had no covers, just a sheet, leaving the duvet exposed. That felt unhygienic, and some had visible stains. It would’ve been useful to have cups in the bathroom and somewhere in the room to dry swimwear after using the pool.

The location and breakfast were great, and we had a great stay. We booked a suite, which was nice, though the second bedroom had an odd, barracks-like setup. The pool also didn’t seem to be filtered properly.