Hi Setubal Pousada de Juventude - Hostel

After years of backpacking, this was the worst place I've stayed. The hostel was clean, but it shares its space with a youth association, offices, and cafes, so there aren't proper common areas and it loses that hostel feel. There was no air conditioning at night, and the rooms got stuffy. Staff seemed reluctant to offer sightseeing ideas, and there were no maps, so I had to work out what to do by myself. The welcome was awful. When I arrived at noon, no one was at the desk, so the cleaners asked the receptionist to come up. She said rooms weren't available until 6, then told me she was eating lunch and couldn't help. I came back later, and her manager was much nicer, confirmed a room was ready, and checked me in straight away. Then the same staff member who'd refused to help brought me a toasted cheese sandwich. It felt so unprofessional. Reception staff didn't speak good English and looked unhappy whenever I asked for help, even though the hostel was empty. Why work at a hostel if you're going to be rude to guests? I planned to stay the whole week, but left because of the staff's attitude. It's a shame to get this kind of welcome in Portugal when visiting a less popular destination off the beaten track. Setubal is a really great spot. Hostels in Portugal are usually outstanding, and this was my first bad experience. Management should hire more enthusiastic English-speaking staff who can showcase this beautiful country and maintain the standard set elsewhere in Portugal.

The beds had nice linen, and I slept well. The location is fairly central, within easy walking distance of the old town, restaurants, and the ferry terminal to troia. There are only single beds, which could be a problem for couples. There was an aircon unit in the room but no way to operate it, so I slept with the window open. That seemed to attract a lot of mosquitoes.

This feels more like a hostel than a hotel. I booked a private room, but the facilities are hostel-style. The free breakfast was small but nice, while the shared bathrooms were pretty uncomfortable.

I had a private room for a reasonable price, and the staff were nice and ready to help. The only irritating part was sharing a floor with a bunch of loud Dutch high-school kids.