Hotel Mar e Sol VNMF by Portugalferias

The room was clean and the price was fair. A cheap, okay place if all you need is a bed for the night.

We ended up cancelling and, after reading some other reviews, I’m glad we did. The hotel said check-in was available until 19:00, so we called to say we’d arrive at 20:00. Once there, we had to call again because we were waiting for someone to let us in, and after half an hour no one had come. The area also felt awful and unsafe to me. I’d picked the place because the photos made it look cozy and traditional.

The people running the place were kind and welcoming, even though this isn’t a five-star hotel. There’s free parking, good internet, and a lovely local-style interior. It’s well suited to digital nomads, and there’s a nice coffee spot just a minute away. I arrived after 20:00 and got checked in by calling the local mobile number, no trouble. I recommend it.

We booked because it was the cheapest place we could find in town, but I still expected a basic standard for the price. There was hair on the dirty beds, mold in the shower, and no shower door. I also had nowhere to put my things, as there weren’t any shelves. On several occasions, I and other guests struggled to get in or out because the locks were stuck. I’d choose a different hotel next time.