We stayed at NAU São Rafael Suites for five nights, and while the experience was okay overall, there were several issues that affected our stay. On the positive side, we were upgraded to a suite, which was a lovely gesture. The room itself was spacious, with bedroom including a sitting room and , two balconies, and a beautiful layout. However, the bed in the suite was extremely uncomfortable, causing back pain after just one night. As a result, we had to sleep on the sofa bed for the rest of our stay. We reported the issue to reception, and although one of the staff members said they would address it by adding something to the mattress, no action was taken. After multiple requests, I finally spoke to the manager—three days after my initial request. This delay was frustrating, as I was repeatedly told that the manager was unavailable until after 3 p.m. It’s unusual for a hotel of this caliber not to have a duty manager or supervisor available to address guest concerns promptly. When we finally spoke to the manager, we were offered a room change. However, since we only had two nights left, we decided to stay in the same room and continue using the sofa bed to avoid the hassle of moving our belongings. Unfortunately, the service issues continued. On our last night, housekeeping failed / forgot to clean our bedroom and the bathroom or replace the towels, leaving it in a dirty state. After a long day out, we returned to find no fresh towels and an unclean bathroom. We called reception, and while towels were eventually brought to us, the staff member seemed annoyed and did not apologize. When we later requested water, the same staff member returned with a noticeably irritated demeanor, which we found very unprofessional. Additionally, the bed sheets were not changed during our entire stay, which is surprising for a five-star hotel. On a positive note, the restaurant was excellent, offering a wide variety of delicious food. Most of the restaurant staff were friendly and accommodating. However, the lack of evening entertainment, even on weekends, was disappointing. Guests were left to entertain themselves, with no live music or activities provided. Overall, while the hotel itself is in a beautiful location with a great environment, it falls short of the standards expected of a five-star property. The lack of attention to customer satisfaction and inconsistent service left us feeling underwhelmed. I hope this review helps others in planning their holiday and provides feedback for the hotel to improve.
November break for two us. Seamless check in. Staff and service excellent even when on reduced levels. Food choices very good (unless you only want burgers chips and pizza), and all well prepared. Drinks option good enough for an all inclusive and you will often have to ask for refills at the dining room. Shame they didn’t always enforce the dress code in the restaurant we saw lots of flipflops beach wear and even bare feet. Would have been nice if there was a second bar open at this time but appreciate this is November. Room spacious and all very clean. Two balconies pleasant views. Note our room overlooked the children’s play area and pool - quiet at this time of year. Maybe nice to have a dressing table though. Spa (extra cost) worth it especially as no one else was there. Not sure it’s big enough at full capacity especially with children’s play area and sun beds in the spa. Worth noting that at this time of year few children but lots of golfers who can be noisy in the evening but generally enough space for a relaxing break. Great location with some excellent restaurants nearby (O’Manhiero and Dom Dinis) if you want to venture out.
