RoseGarden.House — Hotel in Sintra

I made the booking two months in advance and as you can see from the room description it’s double or twin bed so I wrote to say we would like a double to which a copy and paste response came that it’s ‘subject to availability’. On arrival we were met with no enthusiasm told the room was not ready which was fine so we went to lunch after which another staff who seemed equally nonchalant showed us to our room at the entrance down some stairs to the right. She opened the door and I stepped in and started sneezing there was a dank musty mouldy smell to which she replied it was the Sinatra mountain. After looking round the property I realised that the other rooms were either facing the hills or the swimming pool and had sun where as our room was semi below ground level looking at the car park and air conditioning units and their storage. People were walking by constantly and there were no net curtains for any privacy unless you closed the black out curtains or shutters so you had no natural light. I subsequently said to the lady that we had booked a Mountain View room to which reply came ‘subject to availability’ and we are fully booked till…why can’t they block off the room that you actually paid for (they take payment in advance) or have accurate descriptions perhaps people might even pay more for the view? That night I had an asthma attack and my husband developed a cough on inspection there was rising damp from the walls. Next morning I had a look around other rooms being turned over which didn’t have the same problem the staff was fully aware of problem of the damp room from their attitude not their fault but obviously management above couldn't careless since a place like Sintra there are no returning guests and you will be gone and they are fully booked anyway.

Other things that made our experience unpleasant was the lady at breakfast was slamming down the food at our table no smiles no greetings and we can hear her attacking the dish washer like she was having a bad day. I don’t blame her as the second morning I saw her making the beds and running down the stairs to serve at the table totally disgruntled. The Heating and AirCon functions were locked in the room not the public areas and the pool was not heated (again turned off she says) despite two previous hotels we stayed at already had theirs on. No kettle in the rooms and just a nespresso machine in the common area with a note of 2euros per capsule. This just sums up their idea of hospitality. From the photos it’s very instagram place with a fancy Hidden Place group title but at best it’s totally soulless and at worst a real...

We reserved for two nights. Upon arrival we waited 15 minutes to be let in, standing in the cold with luggage after a long drive. Upon entering, the entire building smelled of mold. In the room, the smell was overpowering. There was mold visibly growing on the carpet and windowsills to the point it cause my travel companion and I headache and sinus pain. We opened all the windows (again, this was winter) to hope the room would air out. We left for two hours, felt better, came back, and immediately felt ill again. We couldn’t stay. We had to book at another hotel at significant additional expense, drive there at 8pm, missed our dinner reservation, and I was prepared to let that go. I asked for a 1N refund, which I thought was fair given the circumstances. After following up three times, I was told they couldn’t issue a refund. And quote, “we kindly ask that you understand that our hotel is an old, century house which is located in a village where during the winter the humidity is very high. Cleaning our facilities is one of our top priorities taking into account the reasons explained above, however, despite doing our best, there are occasional situations related to humidity and on the day of your stay the weather was (un)favorable in terms of humidity.“

I live in a 100-year old building in buenos aires, a city known for year round humidity. It doesn’t reek of mold. And if it did, I would not operate it as a hotel.

Further, the other hotel we rebooked at was also a 100+ year old building. Also in Sintra. Same weather. No mold smell. Curious, no?

They know there is a mold issue, and instead of taking out the carpeting, installing ventilation in the bathrooms, hiring proper mold removal specialists, etc. they rely on air freshener to mask it and your good manners or unwillingness to eat 225USD a night.

Is it cute? Sure. Should you stay here?...

We had a terrible and the worst experience ever at this accommodation. The room was filled with mold—on the walls, around the windows, and even the ceiling. The humidity level was a shocking 85%, as shown on the thermostat in the room. It was damp, musty, and absolutely unhealthy to stay in. This is completely unacceptable. Stay away please now you still can. ||||The worst part? The owners were fully aware of the situation. They admitted that the mold had been there for a long time and yet continue to rent out the room without addressing the problem. They initially promised us a refund, but when it came down to it, they refused to follow through.||||This was not just unpleasant, it felt unsafe and dishonest. We would strongly advise others to...