Casalinho da Azenha - Charm House

The price really wasn't worth it, and this is nowhere near a four-star experience. They call it a hotel, but it's just rooms, with no reception after 3 p.m. and nobody available to help or answer the phone for urgent needs. We sent messages and called the number listed on Booking.com, but after almost a full day there was still no reply. We stayed in room #5. It was extremely dirty and damp, with a mold smell; the linen was dirty and the pillows had stains. There was no hot water in the shower either. Breakfast was very limited, basically nothing to eat.

The shower took 15-20 minutes to drain before the next person could use it. The master bedroom's air conditioning wasn't working properly, and management said they could look at it the next day, which was no help since we checked out that morning. There was nobody else working at the property, but a grounds worker helped us into our room. We never got check-in instructions, and management blamed Expedia for that too. At breakfast, the coffee machine needed descaling. The only woman working there put out a thermos of coffee, but it was cold by the time we came down at 8 a.m. She wasn't pleasant. When we checked out, she said we owed not just the extra 150 euros but the entire amount again, and that Expedia would refund the original $192. She had our IDs while we talked. She called the manager who'd first emailed about the extra 150 euros, and the manager confirmed we owed the full amount and Expedia would refund us. It sounded strange, but we paid another $370.67 USD after the $192 already paid. Expedia never refunded us because nobody at the property answered their calls to confirm the checkout payment, so we had to dispute the charge with our credit card. A nightmare for one night. I'd already paid close to $192 USD through Expedia when I booked. Three weeks later, the property manager said Expedia had the wrong price and demanded another 150 euros at checkout if we wanted to keep the reservation. I asked them to honor the price, but they refused, saying Expedia had made a mistake. Expedia said the mistake was with the BnB, not them. We kept the booking because nearby places were all booked by then. For $350, my expectations were high. I hate writing negative reviews, but it was an awful experience. Until they get their act together, don't stay here.

The only real downside was weak WiFi. If you're on holiday rather than working, though, it's perfect. The place, rooms, breakfast, and hosts were all great. A car is best for getting around, but Uber is cheap and available too.

The pictures look lovely, but the rooms are damp and moldy in person.