Quinta de Santana - Queimadas

We booked 3 nights but left after just one. The worst part was the lack of privacy. Our room opened onto a covered terrace through a glass door that anyone could access, and the front door wasn’t locked even at night. The bathroom door led to a shared hallway and didn’t lock either. It was advertised as a private bathroom only because the other room wasn’t rented at the time. The room smelled strongly of mold and the sheets felt damp. The bathroom hadn’t been cleaned well, and the bed was so uncomfortable that the metal wires poked into my back.

The owner seemed focused on making money from you, and had many, many stories to tell. After I posted my review on booking.com, he sent me a 3 page letter, even though I’d never met him before my vacation. The rooms were hot, stuffy, and very humid, with a mildew smell. Cleanliness was poor. The bathrooms weren’t cleaned well, the tub stayed dirty for days, and the blankets smelled dirty, as if they hadn’t been washed between guests. The room floors weren’t very clean either.

The room had no windows, just a sliding glass door onto a covered terrace, with another sliding glass door from there to the garden. I’d suggest adding an insect screen to keep mosquitoes and bugs out. The rooms are on the ground floor. The host was very nice, easy to reach, and communicated well. The garden is like a small, well-kept park or forest, and the location is quiet but close to the thermal pools, with easy parking. We never heard dogs barking at night. The bed was comfortable, though a little small for a couple, basically a wide single, but we fit fine. The bathroom was spacious. The host also offered us local liquors for a symbolic price, with tasty and unique flavors.

We had a great stay. The host was welcoming, and the garden was spacious and beautiful!