Casa das Bonecas

Hospitality

We were welcome by Aunty Maria, such a sweet (but very loud!) woman. However, she doesn’t talk English. So first thing to do is to connect yourself on the internet to use Google translate!! Internet is very good. We stayed in the apartment #2 which is cozy for two (if you’re a small, ceilings are very low) and was clean. The colors and decorations are really cute. Beds are comfortable and the new window with inside shutter is great. There are pots with coffee, tea, sugar, and some napkins are provided. Also, dish soap and shower soap were present. Pretty nice.

On Booking.com, it first tells you there is a washing machine, but then when you book you have to BE VERY CAREFUL as the owner has two apartments, one with a washing machine, the other without. However, when I booked, only one apartment was displayed (I assumed the other one was already booked) and I didn’t even realize there were two!! So I booked thinking we would have a washing machine, but that was the apartment without any!! Such a disappointment as we had to find a laundry, go there, wait… what a hassle!! The bathroom is terrible because of the roof slope (I'm 5'4", Check the pic!!). There is a useless bidet which could be replaced by a small washing machine. When we arrived, the gas lighter was empty, and we had to go buy a new one right off the building. No big deal, but if there is a gas stove, I expect to find at least a box of matches. Pretty much half of the tiles floor are broken and unsealed, and need to be renewed. The hot water tank is very small, so you’d better not use too much water if you want someone else to be able to shower. There is no colander and microwave cover to keep it clean. Also the stairs are very vertical, so you’d better be in shape to get to that third floor, especially with a 50lbs luggage!! On the Wednesday, the people renting the second apartment left at 4:30am making plenty of noise and our night was done!! The next day, it was the new renters arriving by midnight, same scenario!! Finally, one the Friday night, it was the people living on the second floor having a party!! Very upsetting when the only thing you want is to sleep after you walked 25K steps during the day!! Cherry on the cake: the owner was pretty rude when we dared to express same remarks!! Really??

This apartment is in an old building and has lots of character (steep stairs up to it, a small veranda). The kitchen was tiny but well equipped. The location is great with lots of good restaurants very close by (at the bottom of the same building).

I am short, so I didn't mind the low ceilings, but the tall teenage boys I was travelling with complained a bit and hit their heads a few times :-)

Well stocked utensils. Very clean. Easy to walk into centre.

Was aware of very small bathroom but best to know this in advance. Also stairs are very steep.

The location was good and the price reasonable. There were no cockroaches.

We arrived at 17 as previously arranged, but the flat was not ready. It was still dirty after the previous visitors and there was a lady cleaning it who did not speak a word in English and did not even try to communicate but only shouted a lot in Portuguese. We repeated we do not understand but that did not stop her and became tiring. The only thing she suggested which could be understood was that I am pregnant and I don't think I am that fat ;) but for someone it might have seemed rude and hurtful. I understand that delays may happen but it would be good to let us know so that we could arrive later and arrange some activities on our way. Instead we had to sit in the apartment for two hours because it was not possible to communicate with the lady when she will finish cleaning. The apartment is the size of a doll house literally, if you are above 160 you will hit everything constantly. The photos show and description says two rooms but in reality it is just one room - there is a window between "rooms" and the walls are from paper. If you don't open this window you will not have air to breath - the "room" has no other windows. You can also hear everything the neighbors do. The stairs to the apartment are truly horrifying, all straight and narrow and in some places broken.

Nice small clean place. Nice kitchen with all facilities. The house maid was friendly.

Bathroom is too small. You need to take shower by sitting only. Also bend head when walking. Bathroom lock not working.

Fantastic accommodation for children, like in fairy tale :-). They were completely excited. Very wide equipment and facilities for longer stay. Everything was clean.

A bit compressed accommodation for tall people, low ceilings. Very steep stairs to accommodation.