"This hotel is located outside of Luz, and you can at best guess at the sea in the distance. A lonely, narrow road leads out of the town to this hotel, which, to put it bluntly, is located in the middle of nowhere. All around is more of a neighborhood area: a few houses, many of them for sale, others dilapidated, and a great many currently being built. Roads are also being newly constructed. Presumably, a lot will change here in the coming years, and today's no-man's-land will become a flourishing tourist destination.
Anyone looking for peace and quiet is definitely in the right place here. The hotel itself has a wonderful, well-maintained green area. Every day, a gardener is out and about, artfully trimming bushes and plants. In the middle of this wonderfully green ambiance lies a small pool with a baby pool. All around are several sun loungers, which, however, were almost never used in October.
The entire complex radiates peace and tranquility. It is a joy to sit on the restaurant terrace in the morning with your first coffee, look out, and listen to the birds. In the distance, you can even catch a glimpse of the sea.
The hotel rooms are spread across several small buildings that blend elegantly into the ambiance. The complex is not new, which you can see especially in the style of the rooms. At the same time, however, you can see everywhere that it is lovingly maintained and that investments are constantly being made to keep everything in good shape.
The chambermaids deserve special praise: The cleanliness and state of maintenance are truly excellent. The rooms are kept very tidy, and the chambermaids even wipe off the balcony railing every day. Here you can simply tell that attention is paid to the details.
In the room, there is air conditioning, a large closet, a safe that you can lock with a very old-fashioned key for a rental fee of €1.50 per day, and a small, albeit empty, refrigerator. The furniture is not modern, but it has been kept in good and loving condition. There is sufficient space, even for storing your suitcase.
Our room was located the furthest away from the main building. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi was usually not available there at all or was extremely weak. Anyone who relies on a stable internet connection should perhaps know that.
There are also no window screens, which irritated me a bit. In the off-season, however, the mosquitoes were limited, as long as you keep the windows closed when the light is on. I also could not figure out until the end whether there are pool towels anywhere or whether you are supposed to bring the towel from the room.
The bathroom area in our room was presumably renovated not too long ago. Tiles and fixtures look new and fresh. It looks nice. The toilet has a separate swinging door, the shower is walk-in and huge. In addition to a rain shower, there is also a detachable hand shower. Liquid soap is provided. A very small sink with a wonderfully generously sized shelf area, on the other hand, is integrated directly into the room.
As chic as the new bathroom concept may be, it is just as impractical for everyday use. A frosted glass toilet door that does not close completely because it is merely a swinging door: That is a no-go! A large shower with a glass door where you have no privacy if someone else is in the room: Flawed design. And a super-small sink in the bedroom, lined with wood – who comes up with something like that?
The wood is constantly getting wet, and the first signs of this are already visible to the right and left of the sink. The sink is much too small to quickly wash your face there in the evening. The designer presumably assumed that guests shower in the morning and evening. In any case, you get everything wet when washing your face; even when washing your hands, everything gets splashed.
While there is a mirror above the sink, there is unfortunately no light. The shower, toilet, and sink area are illuminated, but to really see anything in the mirror, the lights are placed in the wrong spot. The same applies to the closet: Unfortunately, it is difficult for the guest to find anything in the dark closet because the light is somewhere else. If there is no light at the mirror, perhaps at least a magnifying mirror would be helpful—especially for the many older guests.
Speaking of older guests: Most guests at this facility are of a more advanced age. Which is probably also due to the fact that one tends to seek peace and quiet in old age. There is absolutely nothing around this hotel. Without a car, you are completely lost here. The beach promenade is about a 30-minute walk away if you walk briskly.
On the small property, there is a restaurant area where breakfast and dinner are served. The bright, friendly room with floor-to-ceiling windows also offers a small outdoor area with a view of the pool and the beautiful greenery of the property.
The breakfast buffet is nicely organized. There is a lot of fresh fruit, a bit of hot English food, and otherwise sweets, bread, and cereal. There is even freshly sliced ham. Everything you need for a good start to the day is there.
Only with the coffee is there significant room for improvement. In the age of fully automatic coffee machines, it is a mystery to me how the drip coffee or the instant coffee machine in this establishment could survive. There is really still room for improvement in terms of coffee taste and strength.
The dinner buffet is also extensive: Salads, fish, meat, pasta, and much more. You can even book it at short notice and just go. Convenient if you don't feel like looking for a restaurant somewhere after a day out.
The hotel seems to be firmly in English and German hands. The staff is extremely friendly and takes touching care of the guest upon request. Everyone speaks English, some even German. We were also bid a very warm and friendly farewell upon our departure. The friendly staff is definitely another plus point of this hotel.
There is a bar area with a well-stocked bar, one type of beer on tap, several pool tables, and sofas. Everything feels very informal. However, I didn't see anyone sitting there in October. Perhaps the guests prefer to spend their evenings on their balconies, which are generously sized in many rooms.
The bar has no permanent service. If you want something, you have to go to the reception, which then takes care of the drinks – at least that applies in the off-season. However, I heard guests on the sun loungers complaining that there is no service at the pool.
My suggestion to the hotel: Why not stick a QR code on the umbrella stands that you can use to order your drink via WhatsApp? That would be a simple solution.
There is a large free parking lot in front of the building.
A small drawback is that the rooms are not soundproof. Especially for a facility whose greatest asset is peace and relaxation, this is unfortunately noticeable.
Overall, we had a nice time here. The well-maintained garden, the peace and quiet, the outstanding cleanliness, and the extremely friendly staff left a very positive impression on us. The points of criticism do not really change that – they are rather things that one should know or that, in my view, could still be improved.
Conclusion: A very well-maintained, quiet, and pleasant facility for everyone who wants to escape the hustle and bustle. The hotel is admittedly no longer brand new, but it is obviously maintained with a lot of love. The garden, the cleanliness, and the friendly staff in particular convinced us. With the bathroom concept, unfortunately, more thought was put into aesthetics than into everyday practicality, and the coffee could urgently use an upgrade. I would not recommend the hotel without a car, but with a car, I would certainly spend a few quiet days here again."
