Palace Hotel e SPA - Termas de Sao Miguel — Hotel in Fornos de Algodres

When you arrive at the Palace Hotel, you can really appreciate the vision of whoever built it. The building is terrific, with its position at the very top of a winding mountain road, above the tiny village of Fornos de Algodres. Every room has a balcony with a stellar view and the new architecture, with its clean lines really impress. Needless to say we were excited to check in.||But check in was where our experience began to turn for the worse. The lady at reception explained that we were unable to use the pool unless we paid an additional charge. In a hotel that was booked on hotels.com, clearly stating that there was a swimming pool but without any sign that it was something you had to pay extra for - in spite of this option being available to advertisers there - we felt a little bit cheated. But the price they offered us on the day was not too bad - 5 euros per room per night. So it was a minor disappointment, more than anything.||||We went up to our room. Second floor, dead centre, lovely decor, big comfy bed, etc. Then we began to see the lacking in attention to detail AGAIN. ||||The hotel has king size beds. But only double or queen size sheets. So, as such, they aren't tucked in and thus come away from the bed as you sleep. There were no toiletries in the bathroom on the first day, so on morning two, I had to use the cheap and pretty dreadful shower gel to wash my hair, etc. There was a hair dryer provided, but this was on a cord so short and so tight, that you have to stand awkwardly in the corner to use it and can't look in the mirror as you do it.||||On to breakfast.The breakfast spread was pretty extensive. In a buffet style, there were breads, croissants, cakes, cold meats and cheeses, yoghurt, fruit, etc. It was a good effort overall. But, the tables were allocated to people who had made reservations for the evening meal - which we had not - and the other tables were not set with cutlery or plates and cups. So we asked a member of staff where we should sit. Seemingly deeply confused, they had to ask someone before telling us we could sit wherever we liked at breakfast. This obviously led to confusion however, later on, when the person whose table we were at started complaining and had no alternative table with places set. Once we sat down to have breakfast, we found that the "orange juice" was a particularly unpalatable cordial and the coffee was absolutely dreadful. As someone who lives in Portugal, this is some feat! The bacon and sausages were also stone cold.||||After a day out in the mountains, we came back and decided to use the pool. We went to the pool area and were asked for our "admission vouchers". My girlfriend - a Portuguese - explained politely that we had paid the additional 5 euros a night to use the pool, but that we hadn't been given any vouchers. The bad tempered lady at the pool reception blurted out rudely that she should calm down - which was bizarre, as we were perfectly calm. Eventually, they let us in, but told us that they had run out of towels for the spa. We went in to the pool, which was ok, if a little cold. On a clear day, the views through the glass exterior walls must be mesmerising. We noticed that the saunas adjoined the pool area and that some of our fellow guests were using them, so we went in and sat down, only for the bad tempered lady to come charging through and telling all of us, like naughty kids, that we were only able to use the pool. Why on earth are they together, would have been my question? I was also quite dubious about the pool, in as much as the word 'Termas' in the name implies that it uses water from hot springs. The water was actually quite cold and certainly chlorinated, so I remain unconvinced about this.||||On the final morning, we realised that we had been given toiletries this time. But these were of miserable quality from the 'Enjoy your life' brand. The last time I'd seen this brand was in a pension in Lisbon, where I stayed when I first moved to the city, where the price of accommodation is under 20 euros a night. A situation where it's a little more forgiveable to cut corners on such things.||||At check out, the lady was awkward and, finally, asked us in a non-plussed kind of way if we had enjoyed our stay. We didn't really give much of an answer.||||The Palace Hotel has so much potential, but it has the feel of being run by people who have never stayed in a hotel in their lives. Unfortunately, when you go away for a weekend, it's precisely the attention to detail in the service and the little things that really makes your experience. This place underdelivered in every department on this score, hence 2 out of 5. I sincerely hope they address these flaws and make the place as good as...

Although this is a 4 star hotel, with some difficulty I would give it a 2 star rating.|- The hallways were very dirty.|- The room was not vacuumed properly.|- The mattress is at the end of its life and needs to be replaced.|- The bed bottom sheet and one pillow was wrinkled and yellowish - it could have been used before and not washed !?|- The telephone on the nightstand did not work.|- The internet only worked on the hallway, not in the room.|- There were no hand towels|- There was a stool in the bathroom with loose or broken legs. If I had sat on it, certainly would have injured myself.|- The breakfast was in auto pilot, no one to receive the guests, only a young female employee, who was totally absorbed by her cell phone.|- At breakfast the only fruit available was canned fruit.|- Unfortunately I cannot find anything positive to say. It was a disaster and a...

Coloco este comentário, após duas semanas de envio de um email para o Hotel em causa com estes comentários.

Até hoje, não obtive NENHUMA resposta por parte do Hotel...LAMENTÁVEL!!!!

Estive, com o meu marido e o meu filho mais novo, alojada neste hotel de 19 para 20 do mês de Agosto.

Alguns reparos que considero de extrema importância, tendo em vista mudanças URGENTES:

1- Reservámos um quarto para três adultos. Quando nos instalámos não tínhamos as toalhas necessárias para a terceira pessoa;

2- Não havia gel de banho e champô suficientes,o recipiente de um deles estava praticamente vazio;

3- Não havia nenhum robe para podermos aceder ao SPA/Piscina;

4- Qual o meu espanto, quando abro uma das camas e o lençol de baixo estava carregado de borboto;

6- O frigobar estava avariado, algo que acontece, mas faltou uma verificação antes da entrega da "chave" do quarto;

6- A zona comum, em particular os corredores de acesso aos quartos, revelavam uma manifesta falta de limpeza. A alcatifa é escura, salvo erro, azul, toda "sarapintada de lixo:"

7- Durante o pequeno almoço, tive necessidade de trocar algumas peças de louça que estavam lascadas;

No meio destas menos felizes situações, o que nos valeu foi a extrema solicitude da rececionista que nos acolheu e acompanhou neste tão atribulado processo.

Saliento que, para além da rececionista, todas as funcionárias com quem nos deparámos eram muito profissionais e simpáticas, nomeadamente as que estavam no restaurante/sala de pequenos almoços.

As suas atitudes ajudaram a acalmar e a colmatar o desagrado sentido devido à existência dos aspetos acima referidos.

O hotel, em si, tem umas ótimas infraestruturas que precisam de ser reparadas. Nota-se a falta de manutenção das instalações.

Na receção, havia hóspedes, alguns elementos de uma equipa de futebol, que NUNCA colocaram a máscara...em tempos desta Pandemia, é GRAVÍSSIMO!

Gostaria de um dia poder voltar a Fornos de Algodres e alojar-me neste hotel com confiança e poder fazer a melhor das propagandas, mas, para já, não consigo, algo que lamento profundamente.

Quero acreditar que, em breve, vão surgir bons comentários.Gostaria ser uma das autoras desses positivos e bons comentários...

Grata, desde já, pela certeza da atenção que vão dar a este meu email.

Ao dispor para algum esclarecimento adicional que considerem necessário.

Sem mais de...