Boutique Hotel Marina S Roque

We lost confidence in the hotel and eventually left, paying another £500 of our own money for a beautiful four star hotel near the beach. That was money we'd planned to spend on meals and trips. What shocked me was how both the hotel and the company played down what happened, as if being locked out twice and having no out of hours contact wasn't a valid complaint. I understand Hotel Marina Sao Roque is a budget hotel, but surely guests should be able to get into their hotel at night. Mistakes happen, but how they're handled matters. The trouble started on arrival. Our plane was delayed, and I'd emailed ahead to say we'd be late, though I thought the holiday company would have told them too. There was no one at reception, and nobody answered the emergency number. Our transfer driver was about to leave, but I begged him to stay. He kindly found us another hotel, and the holiday company reimbursed the cost of that first night. Then on the third night, our key card wouldn't open the building after hours, and once again nobody answered the emergency number. When we returned to Sao Roque the next morning, staff didn't apologize or show any empathy. They just said again that it wasn't their fault. I'm usually resilient, but it was upsetting, especially with my teenage son with me. Portugal is very safe, but I felt guilty walking him around the streets in the early hours. We'd booked because the listing made it look like a traditional Portuguese hotel, and we were excited to stay at the Sao Roque. The experience was beyond terrible.

The bed was comfortable, the rooms quiet, and the staff very friendly. The location was great, too. A few things brought the stay down: the breakfast machine coffee was awful instant coffee, and the TV reception was terrible. The lobby was dark with all the lights off, which felt unwelcoming, as if they were trying to save money. The elevators are locked between the lobby and rooms from midnight to 7am, so early checkouts mean carrying your bags down the stairs and using a side door.

We got a fair rate for our few days in Lagos since I was on a budget, and the stay impressed me. The room was clean every day, the reception and other staff were great, and we slept comfortably each night.

I paid 700 Euros for five nights, and the stay was really unpleasant. The breakfast was the same sparse selection each day, cheap supermarket food that tasted as if it might have been expired for a while. The room had no fridge or coffee maker, and only very basic bathroom supplies. The place felt outdated and overpriced. When I asked how I could cool a bottle of wine without a fridge, someone who wouldn't give his name just said, “I run this place,” then told me, “No, go buy drinks at the hotel bar.” That's how guests are treated here. I suspect the good reviews for this “3 star hotel” are paid for. It was worse than a roadside motel.