Lux Fatima Hotel

The location is very close to Fatima, an easy walk, and felt very safe. That’s a real plus if you’re coming for the mass. But this hotel fell short of the others on our tour, especially since we’d paid for an upgrade to superior hotels. Breakfast offered a lot of choices, though supplies were low across the selections. At least the coffee was very good and there was plenty of it.

At Hotel Lux Fátima, I was disappointed to find that laundry wasn’t available during my stay. It was advertised throughout the hotel, and I had called reception ahead of time and confirmed it, but they still refused the service. What happened didn’t match either the information displayed or what I’d been told.

The first impression was promising: the lobby was bright and clean, and the receptionists were smiling and kind while our tour guide was there. It was described as a four star hotel, perhaps it once was, and I expected the room to match. Instead, it was dusty, dirty, and badly run down. There was dust everywhere, exposed wiring, damaged wall sections, and a cracked, dirty shower. One curtain opened onto a blank wall; the other covered a sliding door that wouldn’t close or lock, and mosquitoes got into the room. There was also a locked door in our area, and we had no idea where it led or who could access it. When we asked reception to help, the friendly manner was gone. We were told the hotel was full and nothing could be done. They didn’t call housekeeping or offer another shower or any other solution. Luckily, someone else in our tour group had a larger room where we could stay, so we didn’t have to put up with the mosquitoes and decay. I can’t comment on breakfast. After seeing the housekeeping, I wasn’t comfortable with their food safety.

The property itself is nice and breakfast was fine, but management was terrible. I have diabetes and need to keep a particular medication refrigerated. I chose this hotel because a fridge was included when I booked, and most hotels in Fatima where we’d stayed before had one too. In the room, the fridge was behind a door as part of a kitchen. After I asked several times for access, staff assured me the door would be opened immediately, but that didn’t happen. It was finally opened after two days, and then I found the fridge didn’t work. I had to leave a day early because of this, but the hotel refused to refund my last night, even though the fridge was faulty. Expedia tried to negotiate. One receptionist said they would refund me if I’d booked directly, but not through Expedia. If you get room 642, be aware of this issue, especially if you need the fridge.