The Blue House - As Portuguesas

For €250 a night, I expected far better. Damp and mould smells filled the building and got into our clothes and belongings. There was black mould on apartment windows and door frames, and the place was cold and clammy because the advertised heating wasn’t there. The kitchen wasn’t usable: the equipment, dishes, and cutlery were dirty, and the microwave had mouldy, rotten food left by previous guests. Towels and sheets were dirty too, and the pillows were so worn they should have been thrown away years ago. We also found clothing from a previous guest in the washing machine, plus remnants of a cannabis kit in the children’s bedroom. There was an extinguisher five months past its service date, and no smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. That felt especially concerning with the apartment on the third floor and an instantaneous gas boiler mounted above the cooker. Cleaning staff were smoking cannabis in the shared areas despite the no-smoking policy. The floors and furniture were dusty and dirty. Quite possibly the worst holiday accommodation we’ve ever encountered. This place should be condemned as unfit for purpose.