Residencial Faria Guimarães

The strangest part was having only a room key. We had to hand it to the owner when leaving, then ring the bell to get back in. Although the listing says reception is open 24 hours, it was just one unfriendly woman running things, so getting in late seemed to depend on luck. The room had AC but no control for it, though at least there was a fan. The toilet seat looked close to falling off, the blanket was heavily stained even if I think it had been washed, and there were hairs on the sheets. The whole place smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. I wouldn't recommend it.

The location is good, about a 15-20 minute walk to the center. The rooms were okay, but poorly insulated. It's beside a busy road, with thin windows, so you hear every passing car. The staff were unfriendly and unprofessional, especially the woman. They seem to work as a couple.

The shower backed up with water and smelled of sewer gas within 20 seconds of turning it on this morning. Reception was told about it, and I have a video. They also keep your keys when you leave the building. You can't set the AC below 24 Celsius, which is still much too warm for me. The hotel is on a busy road with traffic noise all night; earplugs were the only reason I got any sleep. Worst hotel so far on my two-month trip through Europe.

We stayed four nights in a double room and thought it was great. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom modern, and the location fantastic. The receptionist also gave us some good local tips. We did have to leave our keys at reception and ring the bell to get back in, but that wasn't a problem for us. It actually meant one less thing to worry about while we were out. Honestly, I don't know why the reviews are so low.