Hotel São Miguel

We had booked a week in July 2025 through Booking.com on December 15, 2024, and paid €1,930.60 upfront. Everything was confirmed, with only the €30 tourist tax due at the hotel. At check-in, the receptionist said we had not paid and demanded the full amount again. We showed him the official payment proof, but he refused to check us in unless we paid a second time. I emailed the confirmation to the hotel’s official address myself, and that was ignored too. He called it insufficient proof, would not contact Booking.com, and kept pressuring us without explaining or trying to work it out. He said the hotel had tried charging the full €1,930.60 to my prepaid MasterCard the day before we arrived. I only put money on that card when needed, so the charge failed. Even after seeing the proof, he made several more attempts to charge it again. He still made no effort to reach Booking.com or resolve things professionally. We had paid in full and followed the right steps, but he treated us as though we were avoiding payment. We eventually contacted Booking.com ourselves. The receptionist apologized only after they contacted the hotel directly. By then the damage was done, and the apology felt forced and insincere. Without Booking.com stepping in, we would have been refused access to our rooms. His rude, dismissive manner was disgraceful. There was no empathy, willingness to help, or professionalism. It was a terrible experience, completely unacceptable, and no traveler deserves that stress. If I return to Ponta Delgada, I will not stay here again. If you expect basic respect and peace of mind, avoid this hotel and book somewhere else.