Apartamento Mãe de Deus

We had the best view from our room on the fourth floor. The price was reasonable, and the location was perfect, within walking distance of the city centre and with easy access to the highway for other cities. The person who handed over the keys was always available if we needed anything, and easy to communicate with when we had questions. Highly recommend.

The room was meant to have a sea view, and we paid extra for it, but there was no view. Looking at the building, I don't see how any of the apartments could actually overlook the sea. Inside, the place smelled strongly of mold, especially the bed, which we couldn't even use. There was mold on the ceiling, stained curtains, and hair in both the shower and on the bed. The building itself looked run down, and we couldn't get in when we arrived. We'd booked through a travel company that had supposedly vetted the place. They told me to call on the day with our arrival time. When I called, the person who answered barely spoke, seemed short with me, and didn't say who he was or what company he worked for. I told him we'd arrive at 7pm. The only company sign was on the neighboring building, which was locked too, with no instructions and no one there. We arrived a little early, but at 7pm nobody had shown up. I tried the number I had and both numbers posted on the building, but got no answer. After repeatedly calling and trying to find a way in, someone finally arrived at 7:40 and said he worked for the company. Journee was horrified when we told them and immediately found us another place. I also attached photos of the mold. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place.

We enjoyed our week in the apartment. It was clean and beautiful, and Mariana, our host, was always kind and helpful. There was a welcome basket of regional products, and when we arrived, the shower door needed repair. They fixed it right away. The water problem on our final day is why I'm giving four stars. We found a note from the water supplier under the door saying the water had been cut because "Green vacation" hadn't paid the previous month's bill. Whether that was true or not, it didn't reflect well on "Green vacation". It took all day to sort out, and we still had no water when we got back at 7pm. We called Mariana again, and she resolved it within 30 minutes, so the water was back around 7:30pm. She also left an apology basket with cookies, coffee, and a bottle of wine, which was very kind. Thanks again, Mariana, for being so nice. I'd still recommend the place. Without the water issue, it would have been a well-deserved five stars.

The street was busy and very noisy, and the room got very hot. There was no window in the bathroom. We were promised a washing machine, but it was broken and unusable, and it wasn't replaced during our stay.