Cabo da Vila Guesthouse

We (4 people) stayed at Cabo da Villa Guesthouse for 7 nights. The owner (Orlando) was away during our stay hence we were welcomed by his friend (Carla). Carla showed us around the house. We stayed at the 1st floor. There’s a fully equipped living room with a balcony and extra fridge, kettle, toaster, cutlery. Two bedrooms (one with queen size bed, second with two single beds and a balcony) and a bathroom. We also had a full access to the main, shared kitchen downstairs with stove and oven (dishwasher was out of order). The house has also a backyard with a grill and a place to sit outside (a few elements of the wooden floor require repair). There were tea, coffee, some bisques, condiments, plates and pots available for guests. Extra beach towels and a blanket were provided as well. A printed local guide on e.g. restaurants from owner/ host was a thoughtful touch. Also, Orlando kindly offered his help with car rent. Communication with the owner and host was flawless.

During our stay we came across 3 cockroaches, one was inside the house on the ground floor, two in the hammock on the balcony upstairs. There are two dogs and a cat who are residents of the Villa. All are people friendly/ neutral. However one dog is dominant and aggressive against the submissive one. During our stay dogs were kept in a fenced off area (no grass) on the side of the house. Window of one of the bedrooms we stayed in is facing the dog area. At some point we got concerned because the smell of uncleaned excrement was so strong it was unpleasant to open the window. We contacted the owner and he asked his friend Carla to assist. On our last day the cat was visibly unwell. Again, we contacted host and was assured he’ll take the cat to a vet next day. Also, one of the dogs has big swelling on his hip. We are animals lovers and it was hard for us to see pets in such conditions. Also, if you’re considering staying at the Villa, earplugs might help you having undisturbed sleep because dominant dog is growling and barking at the other one to the point where we had to verbally interfere.

Our host Orlando was very friendly, responsive and helpful. He shared a lot of tips and gave us some good restaurant recommendations for Ribeira Grande. The room was very comfortable, clean and decorated with a charming "pineapple theme". The center of Ribeira Grande was just a few minutes away from the appartement.

Our room was on the lower floor of the house. So every time we tried to let some fresh air into the room we were struck with an unpleasant smell of urin and dog poo.

location

the bed was not that comfortable, a little bit too low and it had this plastic mattress cover that made us sweat like crazy.

Orlando is a great host, with a really nice guest house in a perfect location to visit the island. The room was spacious for two people, with a spacious private bathroom. The shared kitchen is well equipped for anything you would need over the vacation. (We stayed at a private room. There is also a separate apartment in the house, with a private kitchen I believe.)

A new matress on the bed would add to the comfort of the room.

I loved pretty much everything about my stay here. First of all Orlando is such a great host, he really wants you to enjoy your time in his home island, he shared a lot of great tips and recommendations and I learned a lot from him about the culture and history of Acores islands and Portugal. Second, the room and the house are really nice - the room is spacious, spotless and well situated, you have groceries nearby, beach and it’s a convenient location to drive around and discover the island.

I really enjoyed my stay! The host was incredibly helpful, polite and professional, I've also enjoyed the interesting conversations with him! The room was spotlessly clean and had a large private bathroom with a big bathtub. The location is great, since it's centrally located and quickly allowed me to reach any part of the island in the rented car (there's also plenty of parking around the house). The kitchen was available and fully equipped, but I haven't really used it as I ate out everyday. I did enjoy being able to do the laundry as I travelled with small luggage.

There's nothing to complain about.

+ Orlando was always friendly and helped us a lot + He gave us useful information about the island and history + Rooms were clean and comfortable + He organised us a scooter for our stay and was always available for us. + We could even use his kitchen and felt like home