Just Like Home - Santa Shopia — Hotel in Caminha

We recently stayed at two properties through the Feels, Like Home agency during our vacation in Moledo, Portugal. Our experience was a tale of two very different stays.

Our first accommodation was fantastic—everything was in perfect condition, the communication with the agency was seamless, and we had an amazing time. Unfortunately, our positive experience came to an abrupt end when we moved to our second property: the Santa Sofia house.

Upon arrival at Santa Sofia, we were warned by the previous guests that the house was dirty and had many issues. Sadly, they were right. The door handles were broken, bathroom facilities were either non-functional or in such poor condition that they were barely usable. Each day, something else broke down, and to make matters worse, we were ultimately blamed for these issues. Despite notifying the agency of all the problems during our stay, we were still denied the return of our deposit. There was no handover or inspection protocol, so we had no documentation to support our claims.

Most troubling of all, a significant portion of our group fell ill with a stomach virus, which we strongly suspect was related to the house’s poor hygiene. Santa Sofia, while ideally located, is in dire need of a thorough renovation. In its current state, it is far from suitable for rental, especially at the price we paid. The condition of the house is not comparable to the other properties offered by the agency—it's unhygienic, disorganized, and clearly showing its age.

The staff member assigned to us was kind and tried her best to assist us, but it became apparent that the interests of the property owner were prioritized over guest satisfaction. We don’t place the blame on the individual staff but rather on the agency’s overall philosophy, which failed to ensure a pleasant stay during what turned into a disastrous week of our vacation.

In conclusion, we cannot recommend renting the Santa Sofia house. While the location is beautiful and the property has potential after a significant renovation, it is currently unfit for rental. Save yourself the trouble and avoid this place until major...

Our group rented three houses through the agency "Just Like Home" for our vacation. For two of the properties, everything was perfect—the agency was very responsive, and the homes were exactly as expected. However, our experience with the third house, "Santa Sophia," was deeply disappointing. When we arrived, the house was in terrible condition. It had clearly not been properly cleaned. One of the bathrooms was unusable, and the kitchen was such a mess that I spent five hours cleaning it. To make matters worse, we discovered bedbugs, which was later confirmed by a doctor. While the house itself is in a beautiful location, it is unfortunately very poorly maintained. Every day, something new broke down, and we ended up spending much of our time either communicating with the agency or trying to fix things ourselves. Regrettably, we had to leave the house early due to the unbearable conditions. Adding to our frustration, there was no proper inspection of the property when we left, and the owners later claimed that we had caused damage and left the house in poor condition, which was simply not true. The agency, which had previously been responsive, stopped communicating with us when it came to our deposit, and we are now being denied a refund. It feels as though the agency is prioritizing the interests of the owners over those of the renters. Based on our experience, we strongly advise against booking through "Just Like Home" or renting the property...

We stayed with a group of friends for a week in August 2024. The house was from the beginning on in a very poor state. All the rooms were quiet dusty and filled with a lot of old stuff. We tried to make the best out of it but things like flooding the bathroom as the sink didnt work properly made it hard to feel at home. poor communication on top with the agency. it should be in a better state for the price but I guess reinventing in some renovations and new furniture or at least some moskitonet at the windows as it was almost impossible to sleep, is a concept they dont follow. It felt like they just want to make as much money...