Hotel Mare

What happened was frightening and far more aggressive than anything I’ve seen in hospitality. I’m a driver in tourist transport, and I have a physical disability. We brought 18 tourists from Chile to Maré Hotel in Nazaré. The hotel is on a very narrow street, with a small setback and just one space marked for hotel parking. We stopped there so the passengers could get their backpacks from the trunk. A taxi behind us honked because a local woman with shopping bags needed to get out. Two people in Maré Hotel uniforms, a man who appeared to be the concierge and a woman around 50, had been outside smoking. They came over and aggressively ordered us to move. The man approached one passenger as if he might attack him. I asked him to wait while the passengers collected their things. That passenger felt disrespected and said he wouldn’t stay there or recommend the hotel to the rest of his group. I had dropped them in front of the hotel, and six of them started walking away. The man angrily slapped the “Hotel Private Parking” sign. I stayed behind in the parking spot to organize my things before leaving, moving a little slowly because of my disability. The man returned to my car and began photographing my license plate. I was afraid he might hurt me, so I started filming. Then the woman with him reached into my car and tried to hit me. My phone fell from my hand while I was recording. What followed was hard to describe, and made me feel he had no ability to treat or respect someone without financial gain being involved. He had failed to serve the six Chilean tourists, as well as another group of twelve tourists he didn’t know about, and went into a rage as he moved toward my car. The only evidence I managed to recover shows the details for people to judge for themselves. I can’t reply directly to your message, so I’m responding here. The staff clearly lacked courtesy. We weren’t holding up a hotel guest. It was a local woman in a taxi, and our tourist clients kindly helped her, while your concierge chose to be rude. He didn’t even ask whether the person was a tourist looking for information about your services. He went straight to physically confronting a tourist, which was intimidating and unnecessary. It seems that in your view someone who has paid deserves more respect than someone who hasn’t, or than a driver with a physical disability. That says a lot about the people at Maré Hotel and how they’re trained to treat people on the sidewalk, with threats and physical aggression. I’ve filed a complaint in your official Livro de Reclamações and am preparing a press statement. Expect to hear more soon.

The staff were really nice and helpful, and the rooms were clean and spacious. We even got a balcony with a sea view without asking for one. But breakfast was a huge disappointment. It was so meager I didn’t look forward to it: the only hot dish was overcooked scrambled eggs, with toast. There were just two kinds of sliced ham, some with little bones that could crack a tooth. The bread seemed stale, there weren’t any vegetables, and the fruit was bitter and dry. The location is the hotel’s main advantage, close to the beach, cable car, and most restaurants. The downside is the noise. Cars, motorcycles, and party music from the street kept going. Closing the windows dulled it, but didn’t block it, so a room facing the back street might suit you better if you want to keep your windows open. Noise inside wasn’t much better. The doors and walls felt paper thin, and we could hear the corridor and neighboring rooms. Showers were especially loud, enough to wake you in the morning. Great location for a considerable price, but the awful breakfast lets it down.

The staff were pleasant, and breakfast was okay, but this was a very substandard hotel. The bathrooms were terrible, amenities were minimal, and the area was noisy, though the whole city is noisy. I wouldn’t stay here again or come back.

You’re just a minute from the beach, with the main tourist spots easy to reach. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the rooms were clean and looked after, though plainly furnished without a particular theme. Since there are bars and restaurants nearby, their noise can carry into the room until early morning. I’m from NYC, so I’m pretty used to that.