Quinta Pedra Dos Bicos

This was a special trip for my hen party, with a group of 24 people, and unfortunately the experience we received fell far below what we reasonably expected from your accommodation.

Before travelling, I contacted the hotel regarding our group and specifically asked whether we could be accommodated together. I was reassured by email that this would be accommodated. Despite this, we were separated on arrival and throughout our stay.

Check-in and luggage

We were told that check-in was from 4pm. However, after arriving, we were left waiting for approximately three hours without access to our rooms.

Even more frustratingly, we were not allowed access to our own luggage while waiting. This left 24 people sitting around for hours without access to their belongings.

This was an unacceptable start to what was supposed to be a special occasion.

Our group being separated

Despite having contacted the hotel in advance and receiving reassurance that our group would be accommodated together, we were given rooms in different areas and effectively split up.

We were also given different-coloured wristbands, which then prevented members of our own group from using certain pool areas together.

This made absolutely no sense when the purpose of our booking was to celebrate together as a group.

What made matters worse was that we saw guests wearing the same-coloured wristbands as us in the pool that we had specifically been told to leave.

Treatment by staff and security

The treatment we received from some members of staff was extremely disappointing.

We were told that Dutch guests were allowed to remain in an area but English/British guests were not, and that we had to leave. At the time, we were simply lying in the sun and were not causing any disturbance or excessive noise.

We also found the reception staff to be extremely rude, dismissive and unhelpful when we attempted to resolve the issues.

The security staff around the pool were particularly unpleasant. Members of security repeatedly approached and followed our group around the hotel, despite us simply going about our holiday and not causing trouble.

We felt as though our group was being singled out and targeted throughout our stay.

Security should make guests feel safe and comfortable. Instead, we felt intimidated and harassed.

Housekeeping, towels and basic hygiene

We were also extremely disappointed with the lack of housekeeping.

Our rooms were not cleaned, and when we requested fresh towels and toilet roll, we were refused basic supplies.

We were then told that we would have to pay for fresh towels.

Regardless of any policy regarding pool towels, we are referring here to basic room hygiene and the provision of essential bathroom supplies. Being refused fresh towels and toilet roll during our stay was unacceptable.

Overall experience

This was supposed to be a memorable and enjoyable hen party. Instead, a significant amount of our stay was spent dealing with reception, security and issues surrounding our rooms, wristbands and access to facilities.

We were promised in advance that our group could be accommodated together, yet this was not honoured. We were then subjected to inconsistent rules, rude treatment and repeated approaches from security.

It is particularly disappointing because your own website describes Quinta Pedra dos Bicos as a place where guests can enjoy a relaxing stay and make the most of the swimming pools and surrounding facilities. (Quinta Pedra dos Bicos)

Our experience was very different.

This is a beautiful hotel with excellent facilities. The pool area is clean, well maintained and has the potential to be a wonderfully relaxing place to spend the day. Most of the staff we encountered were friendly, welcoming and professional, and the hotel itself deserves a great deal of praise. Unfortunately, the behaviour of some of the pool attendants significantly detracted from what was otherwise an excellent experience. I fully appreciate that enforcing safety rules is part of their job, and I have absolutely no issue with staff ensuring guests behave responsibly. However, there is a clear difference between firm, professional enforcement and an unnecessarily confrontational approach. During our stay, I witnessed several occasions where younger groups appeared to be singled out and spoken to in an aggressive manner, even when the situations seemed relatively minor. Rather than calmly managing situations, the approach often appeared to escalate them, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere around the pool. One interaction particularly concerned me. My son-in-law politely asked why the approach was quite so aggressive, and the response he received was: "You are on your last warning, and I have your room number." We found this response unnecessarily intimidating and completely disproportionate to a polite question. It was not the standard of customer service we expected from a hotel of this quality. This is a great hotel, and it's a shame that the conduct of a small number of pool attendants overshadowed what was otherwise a very enjoyable stay. I hope management reviews the customer service approach taken around the pool, as the facilities deserve staff who can enforce the rules firmly, fairly and respectfully, without creating an atmosphere of confrontation. We would happily return because the hotel has so much to offer, but I sincerely hope this issue is addressed.

I was extremely disappointed with my experience at this hotel. I booked our stay nine months in advance for a group of seven after hearing positive recommendations from friends who had stayed here previously.

Unfortunately, the problems began immediately after booking. My reservation repeatedly showed only three adults instead of the seven guests I had requested. I contacted the hotel numerous times to query this, and on every occasion I was reassured by staff that everything was correct and there was nothing to worry about.

We later made a minor amendment to our booking, changing our travel dates while keeping the total length of our stay the same. After this change, I was unable to obtain an updated confirmation email despite multiple attempts. When I eventually received it, the reservation still incorrectly showed only three adults. Frustrated, I contacted the hotel again two days before our arrival, only to be told for the first time that the apartment could accommodate only six guests, not seven, despite having been repeatedly assured over several months that the booking was correct.

To make matters worse, we were informed that accommodating the seventh guest would cost an additional €583. I found it completely unacceptable to be asked to pay such a substantial amount just two days before our holiday because of an error that had been repeatedly brought to the hotel’s attention. We tried to discuss the situation and asked whether they could reduce or waive the additional charge given the circumstances, but no reasonable solution was offered.

The only reason I have given this review one star is because the apartment itself was comfortable and reasonably clean.However, even this was overshadowed by the presence of ants and a few cockroaches during our stay.

I would also like to mention Cora at Quinta Pedra dos Bicos, whose handling of this situation was disappointing. At no point did I feel that any genuine effort was made to resolve an issue that stemmed from the hotel’s own booking errors. The lack of communication, accountability, and customer service turned what should have been a relaxing holiday into an unnecessarily stressful experience.

I would not recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a smooth, stress-free holiday.