Villa Da Madalena

The location is good, and from outside Villa Madalena looks modern and new. Inside was a different story. We stayed four nights, and I was ready to leave almost as soon as I walked in. Our room was spacious, but dated, especially the bathroom. The tub and shower had stains and lime marks, and the soap dispensers were rusty. The bed was extremely old and hard, with individual wires poking through the mattress. We left the balcony door slightly open on the first night and ended up with 20 mosquitos biting us. There was no mosquito protection. After that we kept the windows shut and sometimes ran the AC to get the air feeling a bit fresher. Housekeeping was poor. We were given one tiny roll of toilet paper, and no replacement for the first two days, so we took one from a public bathroom. After 11, there didn’t seem to be anyone around. We had to hang a sign on the door handle to request cleaning, which I expected to happen by default. Even with the sign up every day, they seemed to do little beyond the toilet and making the bed. Once, they tossed the pillows onto my suitcase. We weren’t told how to request cleaning or indicate which towels to replace, and only found out about the sign after a chance meeting with a cleaner. They also don’t provide beach or swimming towels, unlike other hotels we stayed at in the Azores. Our sheets had several blood stains from mosquito bites, but weren’t changed. The staff generally seemed distant and uninterested in talking with guests. That was the opposite of the very friendly, engaging service we’d had at other Azores hotels. Breakfast was another disappointment. The bread was cheap and dry, and the old toaster either did nothing or burnt it. The ham looked like the same six rolls stayed in the fridge each day, and I didn’t see anyone eat any. Eggs and bacon were available, but seemed to be cooked only once in the morning. Arrive later and the scrambled eggs were hard and dry, while the bacon was greasy. We mostly stuck to bread and butter. The coffee was decent, but there was very little milk. We expected more from a hotel and were heavily disappointed. I wouldn’t stay at Villa Madalena if you care about a clean room and even a decent breakfast. I’d only recommend it to someone with no expectations.

We arrived at 11:17, and the cleaning ladies had already taken our luggage and started cleaning the rooms, saying they had other clients. That really wasn’t nice, especially since checkout was stated as 12:00. Breakfast was very poor: sweet yogurt only, the worst ham, very cheap bread, no vegetables, and watery coffee that tasted like coffee in Germany. I don’t understand the 9.3 breakfast score on the booking platform. The quality was about as low as it could be, and you’re expected to be happy with it.

The location is probably the best thing about this accommodation. The apartment was fairly clean, but the bathrooms at least need some upgrades. Parking spaces are available too.

The rooms are a decent size and kept reasonably clean, but there was no espresso coffee. A nearby warehouse is so noisy that sleeping with the windows open wasn’t possible.