Maçarico Beach Hotel

The room was passable, though its cheap-looking, dated decor and odd glass wall between the bedroom and bathroom fell short of what I’d expect from a four-star hotel. The spa facilities were much worse. The rooftop pool was small, dirty, and outdated, and there were visible dirt marks around the jacuzzi’s waterline. You also have to wear swimming caps in those areas, which felt strange. The sauna never got properly hot, the steam room smelled so bad I couldn’t sit in it, and the shower room had no showers. There was a hanging cold-plunge bucket, but even that didn’t seem very cold. The gym was tiny, with maybe three pieces of equipment, and calling it a gym feels generous. Every amenity was damaged or unusable. Kids were everywhere too, so the spa areas didn’t feel relaxing at all.

The location was perfect, parking was easy, and the staff were helpful and pleasant. We only stayed one day, so we didn’t get to use the pool or spa, though they looked nice. Our basic room had great ocean views, and breakfast was included. It was very nice, served in a pleasant dining area.

We paid 130 euros for a shabby room, and I wouldn’t say it was worth the price. There were chips in the furniture, the shower flooded the bathroom, and the damage from previous leaks was obvious on the bottoms of the cupboards by the sink. Our terrace and view were hemmed in by ugly concrete buildings and a gas bottle, so we could hardly see the sky. We hadn’t booked a room with a view, but still didn’t expect that for 130 euros. I’d have been disappointed even at 60 euros. I think it’s wrong for hotels to charge so much for spa facilities while failing to maintain the rooms. We live in Portugal and have travelled extensively around the country, staying in many hotels and apartments. We love the country and its people. We were here for a nearby 70th birthday party. My wife sent the hotel this feedback because they asked for it, but they ignored her and never replied. We stayed recently, and got no response to our feedback. This expensive hotel just wasn’t worth it.

The hotel is clean and nice, right across from the beach. In our room, though, there was no fridge or coffee-making spot, even though we’d been told there was one in the closet. The rooms at the back have balconies, but they’re so tiny there’s only room for one chair. In my opinion, this is barely a three-star hotel, not a four-star one.