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.