Livramento Residence

Paulo was the best part of my stay at Livramento Residence. We did everything through WhatsApp since I arrived late and there’s no reception, but he’d already welcomed me by message months before my trip. He sent an island map and a four-day sightseeing plan that worked well alongside my own itinerary, and later arranged my airport taxi online. For the owner’s help alone, I’d give the place 10 out of 10. I stayed eight nights while visiting Sao Miguel island, for about 950 euros. My room felt dated and a little neglected, and it wasn’t as clean as it could have been. I saw other rooms while they were being cleaned, and their furniture looked newer, so I may just have been unlucky and got a room that’s due for renovation, I’m guessing. I’d rate it five stars if I’d paid a little less for that room, or if it had newer furniture or had already been renewed. The area itself isn’t especially interesting, so you’ll need to travel around the island for sightseeing. I recommend renting a car to get around more easily than by public transport. There’s a medium-sized grocery store very close by, and a bus stop nearby too. I used the bus once. Entry to the property and my room was by keypad code. My room had a fridge, toaster, plates, and cutlery. There’s also a large shared kitchen with more appliances, tables, and chairs. You can make a simple meal in your room or cook and eat in the shared kitchen. Six parking spaces are available free if there’s room, and you can also park free by the school not far away.

The location made getting around the island easy, and there was plenty of parking, unlike at hotels in Ponta Delgada. Rooms are spacious and clean, with a small kitchen for breakfast or lunch, plus a shared kitchen for dinner or a hot lunch. The owners are friendly and accommodating, and the service is excellent. It can get quite hot in the rooms, at least compared with what I’m used to in Norway. AC would be welcome, but the fans provided worked, and I can imagine installing air conditioning might not be worth the cost. It’s unusually humid and hot here right now, but still livable without AC. If you’re used to humidity, it shouldn’t bother you. We worried a bit about bugs at first. We left food on the counter for maybe half an hour, and came back to find ants all over it. That’s how it is across the island, though, not a problem with the hotel. Once we put bread, crackers, and sweets in the fridge, the ants went away. You’ll want to empty the trash often too.

The apartment was a disaster, and the owner’s dismissive response made the whole experience worse. Cockroaches were in every room, the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room. They were flying around and even jumping on us while we slept. We found them on our clothes, food, and in our bags. Every night felt like a horror movie. There was a hole in the window screen that let them in. The room was cleaned and the screen fixed, but the infestation continued. We contacted the owner and Booking.com straight away. The owner initially responded, then brushed off our concerns, saying cockroaches were normal in São Miguel in summer and that we were the first to complain. When we asked for a better fix, the owner gave up and offered to refund the rest of our stay. There were no other places available at short notice, so we had to remain there. We asked for the legally required plague control certificate, but the owner refused to provide it, saying they didn’t have to. Booking.com refunded a small amount, but our vacation was ruined, and we slept surrounded by cockroaches every night. The apartment was under-equipped too, with one fan in the living room, a tiny parking lot, and no stove in the kitchen. There were no towel hangers in the shower, and the lobby felt like a hot, airless sauna decorated with cheap plastic plants. I wouldn’t recommend staying here. You’ll regret it.

We had booked for two, then a friend decided to join us. The listing allowed up to three people, and since we’d already paid, we didn’t change the booking. We only wanted our friend to come inside with us while we looked for a room for him, but the owner wouldn’t let him in and kept rudely threatening to call the police. I didn’t like his attitude or the way he handled it.