The Villa Batalha hotel is an imposing edifice, ideally located in attractive gardens on the outskirts of the town. One enters to find a roomy lounge laid out with rows of lean-back armchairs, supportive of relaxed conversation.
The suite we had reserved proved to be spotless, spacious and comfortable as well as tastefully decorated. The staff were charming and my wife was delighted by layers of snow-white bed linen.
But our accommodation came with several puzzling features. As the day was hot, we immediately switched on the air conditioning - with little result. We then had a word with Reception, who said they could lower the temperature centrally - which they did. Overnight, the thermostat in the suite did not function at all. Clearly, the hotel management controls room temperatures and the devices on the room walls serve little if any purpose.
It wasn’t the only hassle. The crackly audio on the apparently elderly TV set in the living room was indecipherable. The identical bedroom model was little better. Of the three cupboards with rails to hang clothing, only one was equipped with hangers - a total of seven.
In one of the cupboards was a small kitchen sink but there was no kettle (tea or coffee provision) crockery or cutlery, or any drinks in the fridge - this in a “luxury “ suite.
In the bathroom, the bright lighting came on automatically as one entered - fine during the day but blinding at night. We were grateful for the cosmetics and loved the walk-in shower.
In the spa, beside the bubbling jacuzzi, the modest indoor swimming pool - waist-deep to chest-deep - featured various spouts gushing streams of water. The pool lacked a stainless steel bar alongside the tiled steps to support elderly or disabled guests. We made no use of the adjacent gymnasium or other facilities on offer.
Although my criticisms are merely quibbles, it’s the small touches that make the difference between a fine building and a fine hotel.
