HI Santa Cruz - Pousada de Juventude - Hostel

We asked for a quiet room and got one overlooking a square where restaurants served food and drink until the early hours, with people making a terrible noise. Parking is limited to 14 cars, so you may have to hunt for a street spot, and don't count on finding one. The lift broke during our stay. There were no signs, so we had to work out how to get down to the lobby. Older guests had to use a fire staircase, and nobody apologized. The hotel is at least 300m from the beach, despite the impression of a beachfront hotel, and there are no rooms with a real sea view. Breakfast was tasteless and less than basic for an add-on costing over €15. Skip it if you stay here. The WiFi on the 3rd floor had no usable bandwidth. I don't think this place deserves 3 stars.

The breakfast was fine, and the staff were very friendly and HELPFUL, full marks to them. The hotel could easily be so much better, though. It's bare minimum: no safe or fridge in the room, no water provided, and the balcony had no table or chairs. The air conditioning didn't work, and the towels were minimum standard. They proudly say it was fully renovated in 2004. Hmm...

For nearly €100 per night, this didn't meet expectations. It was advertised as beachfront, and the photo was taken from the hotel in the direction of the beach. The hotel was perfectly clean and the staff attentive, but the furnishings were dated. The airco was great, though there was no wifi in the room. Breakfast was relatively tasteless, and covid made the process complicated. A few changes could have kept people from waiting in line for so long.

For the price, it's a decent hotel. Close to the beach and right in the town center.