Hostel AzorAzul — Hotel in Ponta Delgada

So disappointed in this hostel. They DO NOT have 24 hour “reception”, rather it is 24 hour check in. They give you a code to get in and your room number, but aside from a cleaner in the morning there is NO STAFF ON SITE! This screwed us is soooo many ways. We couldn’t find a ride to the airport cause there was no one to help us, and all our calls to cab companies were unsuccessful. We literally went into a hotel (The Grand) and asked them to schedule a car for us — thankfully their reception was actually helpful. There was no one to help us sort out our game plan for our hikes, no one on site if we had issues with other guests or the room/bed. Nada! I feel like some level of support in this can be essential on an island with lots of excursions but minimal public transit. It was relatively clean, but very small (smallest dorm room I’ve ever stayed in was the 4 bed mixed dorm) and for whatever reason they claim they have spacious rooms? The rooms made no sense either - locker doors were backwards so you couldn’t get your bag and leave the room without some navigating around. Doors would slam if you didn’t close them all the way. This is terrible for other people sleeping in the room if you have a flight to catch at 4/5 am. The top bunk is a joke - another hostel guest had made a review that it was like sharing a bed. I totally agree with this. Their “wall” between the beds should go to the roof. Bro sleeping next to me shouldn’t be able to peer over the wall and watch me sleeping. The hostel responded a year ago to that persons review saying it was “fixed”. Not at all accurate - in fact, a blatant lie. They claim they have AC but I didn’t experience that once - if they did have AC on you would not be able to tell (they keep the remotes, and if it’s too hot who are you going to ask to turn it down a bit with no one there)? Windows opened but didn’t help much, especially with the layout - our side of the bunk didn’t get a breeze. So we didn’t sleep - we sweat so much in our sleep we had to peel the bedding off our bodies. We had to make our own bed with sheets, had to unmake our own bed and drop sheets off downstairs. No where in the hostel to buy water or anything (and nowhere nearby - had to go into town, which is a 15 min walk at least and good luck getting a taxi if you don’t want to walk). We chose not to rent a car due to the cost and only being in town one day, but if we were to redo this trip not only would we get a car, but we would definitely stay elsewhere. There were of course no staff to pay at the end of our stay (even though most hostels charge you at the beginning of your stay so you can just leave). After we left I was bombarded with numerous emails over the course of only 2 days demanding I pay my fee or they would, and I quote, “take action accordingly”. We were BACKPACKING and did not have access to wifi, as many hostel goers likely move on to do. If you needed my payment immediately, perhaps hire on site staff rather than chase after and threaten your guests who are travellers and may not be able to access wifi the following day? Unbelievable. The only good part about this hostel was cleanliness (mixed with your typical hostel musky smells) and the view from the rooftop. Between the lack 24 hour reception, the threat demanding payment, lack of services or resources for guests, not actually having useful AC, etc, kinda felt like a massive rip off. For a hostel, it feels like there was almost no consideration for what hostel goers need! I seriously doubt the owners have ever stayed at a hostel themselves...

Loved the place. Some people talk about the fact that there's not really presence of employees past noon, but I like it as it feels like the house belongs to the guest. So it feels more like a guest house than a hostel. They really hook it up with breakfast in the morning, it's great and bountiful and FREE! I will say that staying on the top bunk has disadvantages because there's no curtain so if someone else on the top bunk has their light turned on, it's a bother because it lights up the whole room. Because they're not nightlights, they're lamps. Maybe bring a sleeping mask. Definitely earplugs. If you're staying at any hostel it's a rookie mistake not to bring earplugs. There was a man that snored like a chainsaw on his inhales AND exhales. Everyone complained but I was sound asleep. The common areas are awesome. Absolutely lovely view from the terrace of the ocean, great value to have a pool, and outside bench. Plenty of bathrooms too. Some people complain about the distance to the city center, but in reality, it's only far walking. Realistically, if you're coming to the island you should be renting a car. There's no other way to explore this island. I stayed in a hostel in the city center for two days and the rest of my time here, and I much preferred this for logistic reasons. There's plentiful FREE parking. I wouldn't have dreamed of renting a car at the other hostel, it would've been a pain. So much simpler to just have the free parking here and take the car all over the island. If you wanna go to the city center, you can go in car, drive for 4 minutes, find paid parking and do it all in a day. Lastly, beyond the hostel being a great hostel, I accidentally left my wallet there and they found it and mailed it back to me expeditiously with a tracking number and kept in contact to keep me sane and in peace during that tumultuous experience. I literally lost all my bank cards and IDs, but luckily I had my passport and my Google pay to hold me over until I received my wallet. So my eternal gratitude goes out to the entire staff, thank you so so much for giving me a wonderful experience during and after the trip. Gave me a great impression of São Miguel. Muito...

There is no one running this place as it is a game of king of the hill when you get in. No one to work there, so no rules.... We arrived to one dirty bunk left in a room where we had booked two. We had to ask others to move stuff, we had to be housekeepers and clean that bunk completely to be able to use it. No linen here. Room temperature is fixed to 30 degrees so it is very hot for most. Who ever is in charge here, has a system that does not work, combined with people that maybe do not want to work or don't have the slightest clue. It looks like someone who really didn't know what they are doing, but still had a small dream to have a cool place. Now that's the bad stuff, and yes it's bad, water doesn't drain from the showers... you are certainly not guranteed a bunk if you pay and reserve here and this place probably won't be here for long. However, the place is beautiful, the island is beautiful, and if you have a back up, can arrive early, and don't mind being a housekeeper, it is a good place in an amazing location. The breakfast is good. The pool is nice, the view is amazing, most travelers are great. Just be ready for king of the hill and battle the other travelers just to get a bunk.... One guy even ended up on the coach because they over booked again... If they had someone willing to just work here, it could...