Kind of mixed on this hotel. Convenient location, clean and modern but awkwardly designed rooms. The shower/toilet area is on the other side of the bed from the sink. It's a novelty that soon became a minor annoyance for my wife and I, especially at night, when we were trying to minimize movement and noise. And with little room for luggage, they've managed to design bonus tripping hazards into the layout.
The staff was polite but stiff, usually speaking in a corporate hush, although the young woman who checked us in projected normally in exquisite English. There was some nickel and diming and enforcement of petty rules. Drinks and snacks provided in the room turned out not to be complimentary as they were at other nice hotels in Portugal. Yet no price list was posted in the room, causing an unwelcome surprise at checkout. Another surprise: Our take-out meal in the lobby on a quiet holiday evening was interrupted by a request to eat in our rooms. There was no "for future reference" warning. We packed up our half-eaten dinner and took to our rooms, feeling like naughty children being disciplined. Later in our stay I asked if I could grab a quick glass of already opened champagne still on ice in the breakfast dining area and surely destined to be poured down the sink. But breakfast had ended so the answer was, well, you know. read more