Garoupas Inn

The staff were nice, breakfast was generous, and the hotel is right by the sea. But the balcony is so tiny it’s hard to enjoy, and the place is quite far from the center of ponta delgada. For the price, you can find a much better apartment, even for less. The photos are misleading, the rooms are very small, the towels smell, and the sheets didn’t feel fresh. The walls are so thin you hear everything. I can’t understand the high rating. We booked through booking, so maybe another option is different, but this was our experience.

We were there for a week and liked our comfortable room and the friendly service. The staff treated us like family without getting in our way. Breakfast was lovely, with something different each day, including freshly cooked bacon and scrambled eggs. The owner was happy to share local knowledge and tips for excursions, and laundry is available for a reasonable fee. I’d recommend booking a sea-view room. There was quite a bit of noise from guests shutting doors and from the kitchen before and during breakfast. Parking is a bit of a walk away. São Roque wasn’t as nice an area as I’d imagined, but it worked well as a base for exploring the island.

The owners and staff, Mike, Elaine, Steven, Luisa and Noellia, are the heart of Garoupas Inn. They go out of their way to make every guest’s stay top notch. We had two wonderful weeks there and only wished we’d booked all three weeks we spent in Sao Miguel. The inn is ideally located for exploring the island. Our room was spotless and comfortable, and the ocean-side balcony had stunning views of the Atlantic. Breakfast was special, with lots of choices, eggs made to order, and different sweets each day. We can’t recommend this hotel enough.

Even during fiesta week, we slept well with the patio door closed. Our room had a lovely sea view, and breakfast was lovely too. The people here couldn’t do enough for you, especially Noelia, who’s a gem. Such a lovely place, highly recommended.