Alma do Pico

The on-site Italian restaurant is good, and the staff are friendly. The grounds are nicely wooded, with a view of pico and an ocean view from the pool area. We had a pleasant stay and no major complaints. Our room, 5L, opened onto the road, so it felt less private than some others. There were always little crawling bugs to squash, but the white walls and floor made them easy to spot. Breakfast got boring after three days. There was enough bread, meat and cheese, but some hard-boiled eggs, yogurt or cereal would have helped.

The place was clean and quiet, which seems like the minimum for a hotel. The rooms are comfortable enough, but feel bare, and the porch chairs are unbelievably uncomfortable. The so-called free breakfast was a joke: a few rolls, margarine, juice, one slice each of cheese and highly processed lunch meat, for two people. Maybe it cost two Euros to put together, if that. Extra Keurig coffee capsules cost 25 cents each. There’s no phone, which isn’t a big deal, and no air conditioning. When it’s hot and muggy, which happens often, you’re left with a very loud fan. If you arrive Tuesday or Wednesday, don’t expect dinner at the on-site restaurant, since it’s closed those days. Anywhere else means a drive or taxi. How does a restaurant succeed opening only five days a week? I guess they assume people aren’t hungry the other two days. It’s a particularly poor policy that seems to disregard hotel guests. The food itself is good, but no more than that. This place takes itself far too seriously for somewhere that lacks basic amenities. It’s a bed for the night, a bathroom and a porch. And the owners’ supposed commitment to the environment feels like total garbage. If they really cared, they wouldn’t put Keurig coffee makers in every room with capsules that aren’t recyclable.

The service was very good, and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The area is lovely, and both the pool and restaurant look nice. Breakfast arrived in a really nice basket. It’s simple, but that was fine. My room was clean but needed some work. The toilet kept running, and compared with the other cabin my friends had, mine felt less put together. Their room had soft pillows, nice lamps and a bed throw. I only found out about the pillows when I left, but mine were rock hard, and my room was missing those other touches. I did feel it was a little overpriced. I might have felt differently if I’d had the other cabin.

We had a great stay. Each cabin gives you privacy and a quiet place to relax, and the property is really pretty. We’d read reviews beforehand that made us unsure, mentioning timed showers and no mosquito nets, for example. Neither turned out to be true, or the place has made positive changes: our shower was completely normal and there was mosquito netting. Everything was very clean. The young couple who own it were super friendly and gave us a very detailed island map that helped us find some hidden gems. There’s a nice restaurant too. We visited five islands, and this was one of our favourite places to stay in the Azores.