DO NOT STAY HERE – LUGGAGE STOLEN FROM HOTEL STORAGE
My daughter left her luggage in the hotel's designated luggage storage before her evening flight on July 5. When she returned to collect it, her Louis Vuitton handbag had been stolen. Inside were her passport, essential prescription medications, work laptop, sunglasses, and other valuables. Losing her medications created the greatest challenge, as replacing essential prescriptions while traveling abroad was both stressful and difficult. The theft of her work laptop also created additional stress and disruption. It was the only bag reported stolen that day, making the situation even more concerning.
Because of the theft, she missed her scheduled flight home. Although hotel staff encouraged her to go directly to the airport instead of going to the police station, she chose to report the theft to the police. She had to remain in Portugal overnight and purchase new flights for the following day at significant additional expense.
When she reported the theft to the hotel, there was no manager on-site to assist. The two employees who helped her, Sachin Kumar and Tiago, showed very little urgency. Initially, she was told she would be able to review the security camera footage. After waiting more than 1½ hours, she was then told she could not view the footage and that her only option was to file a police report.
My daughter then went to the local police station and filed a police report. While taking her report, the officer told her they receive two to three reports like this every week involving this hotel. Hearing that was extremely alarming. While we cannot determine how this theft occurred, the circumstances and the lack of transparency raised serious concerns.
She later spoke with the Director, Renato, who was also unable to provide any meaningful assistance. He said he could only meet with her the following morning at 8:30 a.m., after she had already spent hours dealing with the theft and filing the police report. She was repeatedly told there was no useful security footage available, despite visible security cameras throughout the lobby.
Unfortunately, the theft was only one part of an already disappointing stay. The room was not clean, the staff were unfriendly and slow to respond, the toilet stopped flushing twice during her four-day stay, and it took four phone calls and approximately 90 minutes to receive clean towels.
Travelers are ultimately responsible for their belongings, but my daughter entrusted her luggage to the hotel's designated luggage storage area with the reasonable expectation that it would be secure. She has used hotel luggage storage facilities around the world without ever experiencing anything like this. She trusted this hotel to provide secure storage, and that trust was completely misplaced.
To make matters worse, I have attempted to contact the hotel several times since the incident, and not one of my calls has been answered.
This was one of the worst hotel experiences our family has ever had. Between the theft from the hotel's luggage storage, the poor customer service, the lack of transparency, the additional travel expenses, and the unacceptable room conditions, I cannot recommend this property to anyone. I strongly encourage travelers to choose another hotel.
