This was not only the first stop of a two-week trip—it was also our very first visit to Portugal, a country we had long looked forward to experiencing. Sadly, the distressing events during our stay severely impacted our impression of Portugal and left my wife emotionally shaken for the remainder of our travels. What should have been a joyful introduction became a deeply unsettling experience, to the point that we now feel reluctant to return.
1. Misleading Advertising and Accessibility Issues
The hotel listing clearly stated that elevator access was available. However, upon arrival, we were assigned a room that required climbing two flights of stairs. We were traveling with two 25kg suitcases, and this misrepresentation caused immediate physical strain and frustration. When we requested a room change, the front desk staff informed us that no alternatives were available. This misleading claim broke our trust in the hotel from the outset.
2. Severe Safety Breach
On 17 September, we left our room early with the cleaning sign clearly displayed. Upon returning around 5 PM, we found the floor-to-ceiling window wide open, facing an accessible back balcony. The room was in a mess, and we were alarmed by the possibility of a break-in. We immediately contacted the front desk staff, Fabio, who visited the room and struggled to lock the window. He offered no explanation for the condition of the room and casually claimed that “no one could have entered,” without checking CCTV footage or advising us to inspect our belongings. There was no concern for our safety, no urgency, no accountability. He simply promised maintenance would fix the window the next day.
We were so concerned that we filed a written incident report at the front desk—clearly stating what had happened. But even that wasn’t enough.
On 18 September, we returned to the room to find the window wide open again. Though the room had been cleaned, the security risk remained unresolved. We contacted the front desk again, and Denise arrived but was also unable to secure the window. Her response was disturbingly indifferent: she repeatedly stated that there was “nothing she could do” because the manager and maintenance staff were off-duty. She even suggested that we stay in the room all night to prevent a break-in. We were left feeling unsafe and helpless. We considered relocating to another hotel, but due to limited availability, we had no choice but to endure another sleepless night.
To make matters worse, while we were at the front desk that same evening, another guest reported that the electrical box in her room had burnt out and requested a room change. Denise gave her the same dismissive response: “There’s nothing I can do.” This pattern of neglect raises serious concerns about the hotel’s commitment to guest safety.
3. Unprofessional Conduct and Staff Dishonesty
On 19 September, we requested to speak with the hotel manager, Andreia, upon returning from breakfast. She arrived with a defensive attitude, claiming the window had been opened for ventilation and that her staff had found no issue. I explained that both Fabio and Denise had failed to secure the window and that we had spent three nights in a room with compromised security. I reminded her of the written report we had submitted. She refused to acknowledge it.
Andreia repeatedly interrupted me, refused to listen, showed me an extremely rude attitude and ultimately said, “If you have to go, just go! I am not talking to you anymore.” This level of disrespect and hostility from a hotel manager is appalling. She refused to provide her business card directly and told us to retrieve it from the front desk.
What was even more disturbing was that, in front of Andreia, the staff began lying outright. They claimed they had cleaned the room and found no issue with the window—statements that directly contradicted what we had witnessed and what they had told us earlier. It was clear they were trying to protect themselves rather than tell the truth. Watching hotel staff lie in front of their manager, while she accepted their version without question, was deeply insulting and unacceptable.
4. Deliberate Delay and Missed Transportation
Andreia was fully aware that we had a scheduled transportation to catch. Yet she deliberately dragged the conversation by locking herself in the staff room, refusing to resolve the issue efficiently or respectfully. Her stalling tactics left us with no time to bargain or escalate the matter further, and as a result, we missed our transportation. This added further stress and financial burden to an already traumatic experience.
This was not merely a case of poor service—it was a complete breakdown of basic hospitality, safety standards, and professional conduct. We felt vulnerable, dismissed, and disrespected throughout our stay. The emotional toll on my wife was significant, and the experience cast a shadow over the rest of our trip. As first-time visitors to Portugal, this experience has unfortunately discouraged us from considering a return in the future.
