The room was nice. The chef is a good cook and the yoga instructor is knowledgeable and friendly. When the host remembered my birthday after berating me over WhatsApp during it (see below) she put up a banner in the evening and gave me a flask as a gift. However, this was after complaining and crying on my birthday, and spending the remainder of it at A&E with the guest attacked by a dog. The owner/host is hostile and unfriendly, and it is clear everything outside of the group retreats works on their schedule alone, and you very much feel like a spare part. The location is remote, and difficult to access without a car. This wasn't advised until asked, and the conditions of the road are poor so my rental car got damaged. Building/repair/decorating work was ongoing for my stay, including the day of my birthday. If you dare to arrive prior to check in (note it's a remote location, so it's difficult to align it with travel that isn't really considered by host), the host will not be happy. I had to do two check ins as a result. Nothing offered on arrival bar water. No biscuits, tea/coffee set out until you got the tour which again, is done on the hosts schedule, not the guests, so your plans need to be flexible to work with hers. Actually, everything works on this chill, vague schedule until it doesn't work for the host, and then she got hostile. I spent my stay avoiding her, the workmen, dodging an overpriced surf lesson arranged, taking a guest to hospital who got bitten by a dog, and arguing with the host over WhatsApp on my birthday because I couldn't do a surf lesson because my disability was causing issues on the day that made it unsafe to go in the OCEAN. The stay ended up making my medical condition worse and honestly if it wasn't for her staff and locals in the community, I probably would have been hospitalized. The worst place I've stayed in Portugal so far. Also please empty your bin. The flies are everywhere, the rooms, kitchen, it's insane. I had to just accept that I would be surrounded by them, which isn't something any other accommodations during my trip had an issue with.
NatalieVor 4 Monaten