I am afraid this stay was our most regrettable Airbnb stay to date - I don’t believe I have ever given less than a 4-star review before out of 14 other Airbnbs, and many more stays with other rental companies. But we had several challenges with this home and the management company from day one.
First check-in was confusing and they left us outside waiting for over an hour without responding. The host insisted that they have too many homes to communicate through the Airbnb app and asked us to use WhatsApp. So we did, but they responded sporadically from multiple lines and it was never clear which number to use to reach out to them for what need. We also made a few requests (second set of keys, extra pillow cases for the spare pillows, and fans) and they were slow to respond, or did not respond to one, which was a request for a couple of portable fans because the home is very musty and damp due to having windows on only one side of the building. But it was especially bad in the upstairs bedroom which had no windows or ventilation, which made it almost unusable. My son cried that he had to stay in that room.
The home itself is ok, excluding the ventilation and the upstairs bedroom. The main floor layout worked and the other two bedrooms were fine. Some other issues: We attempted to use the washer one day and it was not connected correctly and flooded the kitchen. I also did have concerns about the electrical stability as many lights and outlets would short or “spark”. As mentioned by another guest, it is a very small shower in the bathroom and a tight squeeze, and I’m just 5’9 and 160 lbs, not sure how someone taller or bigger would fare.
On the positive the location was very central to the main plaza and Praia de Pescadores, though in hindsight, Foz do Lizandro is a much better beach option. There is also restaurant patio seating 3 feet from your front door and window which could be great if you want food close or can challenge your privacy a bit staring at the diners from the couch. The Mill, a coffee shop just 50 feet down the street from the house was excellent, probably the best coffee I had in Portugal. There was a bar 100 feet down that would have music outside until very late in the evening. Even with the windows shut and ear plugs, you could still feel the bass vibrating on some nights.
Overall, I would not recommend this home - maybe our experience was unique - but there were better values I regret not choosing.