Hotels near Arco Natural de Velas in Sao Jorge Island

I stayed 3 nights in this hotel as part of a group. The location on the coast, opposite Pico, is good, the (unheated) pool set in gardens looks nice. The rooms are small but adequate. It seems that the hotel is divided into two parts: those that have views over the pool, with coffee/tea facilities and those which don't (have views of the back of the restaurant and a bit of garden with some building works on the wall)! You can tell I was in the latter! This hotel prides itself on its breakfasts, with lots of home-baked goods (cakes, pies, pastries, biscuits). Unfortunately that is not much good if you can't eat gluten. It does not offer dinner in the evening. Since our group trip involved full board, we were sent to a pretty basic cafe up the road with formica tables and a very limited menu (vegetable soup, then grilled tuna or meat, then desert - which included tinned fruit salad one night). We had the same offer for 3 nights! The fish/meat was cooked freshly and well, at least! One big downside was that I slept with my window open rather than using aircon and got many mosquito bites - the only place this happened in the Azores. Maybe to do with the garden. Two things really annoyed me/us. On the last morning we were leaving early, as was another larger party. Our guide negotiated at length to get us a partial breakfast (excluding cooked items) before we left. We were told this would be in reception. Again, since I can't eat baked goods there was further negotiation to get me an apple and an orange set aside, as a special favour. When we arrived at 6.30 that morning, there had been dry sliced bread, sliced cheese and ham and coffee. I say 'there had been' because the previous group had eaten most of it (see picture). There was about 1 cm of milk left a jug to go with the remains of the coffee for our group of 9 and, of course, no fruit for me. That was very poor given that both the ferry and the flight out of Sao Jorge leave early so guests must regularly need to leave before breakfast opens at 7.30 am. The final insult was that I went to take my extra supplies of cheese/ham (because I couldn't eat much of their food) out of the room fridge when I left, only to find that it was warm. The fridge had been unplugged and the plug tucked behind the bin. This is a hotel with notices, if you know what I mean. There was a notice on the fridge whose English section said ' This refrigerator is for your use and is empty. If you wish to fill with any of these items, please contact directly the reception or ask for the room-service.' 'These items', was not explained/specified. So why unplug it if it is for my use? My food was ruined.

When you stay at Casa d'Avó Guesthouse in Velas, you'll be near the beach and within a 5-minute drive of Santa Bárbara Church. This guesthouse is 6.4 mi (10.2 km) from Velas Marina and 7.1 mi (11.4 km) from Igreja de Sao Jorge.Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as bicycles to rent or take in the view from a terrace and a garden. Additional amenities at this guesthouse include complimentary wireless internet access, tour/ticket assistance, and a picnic area.Take advantage of the guesthouse's room service (during limited hours).Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage. Guests may use a roundtrip airport shuttle for a surcharge, and free self parking is available onsite.Stay in one of 7 guestrooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Rooms have private patios. Prepare your meals in the shared/communal kitchen. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms feature showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.

With a stay at Quinta da Magnólia in Velas, you'll be within a 15-minute drive of Santa Bárbara Church and Igreja de Sao Jorge. This hotel is 5.9 mi (9.4 km) from Velas Marina and 8.8 mi (14.2 km) from Pico da Esperanca.Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an outdoor pool or take in the view from a terrace and a garden. Additional amenities at this hotel include complimentary wireless internet access and tour/ticket assistance.Take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). Wrap up your day with a drink at the poolside bar. A complimentary continental breakfast is served daily from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM.Featured amenities include luggage storage, laundry facilities, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 10 guestrooms featuring minibars and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.

At first I wasn't going to put such a low grade even though I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone and because I thought that at least the staff was saved, but just after checking out I get a notification that the establishment informs booking that we have not stayed so that I do not have the opportunity to leave a review. What a coincidence! We had to change rooms but it turned out to be very unpleasant too. Installations without maintenance, humidity in ceilings and walls, noise from other rooms, poor hygiene, cobwebs under the bed and in the corners, cockroaches and centipedes (we killed 5) and they also left us a gift behind the bed, the bathroom extractor fan It didn't work but it made a lot of noise and humidity, it only increased after each shower which also smelled like residual water. We could not leave the windows open because more insects entered. The shared dining room, which is where he also has his office, smelled closed and when it came time to go use cutlery... there was none. Anyway... all nonsense, I would be ashamed to have accommodation like this.

When you stay at Azores Youth Hostels - São Jorge in Calheta, you'll be 15 minutes by car from Santa Bárbara Church. This hostel is 8.6 mi (13.8 km) from Fajãs das Lagoas de Santo Cristo e dos Cubres de São Jorge and 10.2 mi (16.4 km) from Pico da Esperanca.Take in the views from a terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access.Grab a bite from the snack bar/deli serving guests of Azores Youth Hostels - São Jorge. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary continental breakfast is served daily from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM.The front desk is staffed during limited hours. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 21 guestrooms. Private bathrooms with showers feature bidets and hair dryers.

Located in Sao Roque do Pico, Casa do Comendador is by the ocean, within a 5-minute drive of Sao Roque Church and Convent of Sao Roque do Pico. This upscale guesthouse is 4.3 mi (6.9 km) from A Buraca Winery and 8.5 mi (13.6 km) from Caiado Lagoon.Take in the views from a rooftop terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access.Continental breakfasts are available daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee.The front desk is staffed during limited hours. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free self parking is available onsite.Stay in one of 8 guestrooms featuring plasma televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have bathtubs or showers and complimentary toiletries.

Sometimes the staff was very kind and helpful and sometimes rigid and hard. There is no kitchen or refrigerator to accommodate customers. The bedrooms are very small and the beds are noisy. On 6 beds, both of the center have no take or light. No serviette or soap provided. Healthcare is far from the bedrooms. The toilets were running and there was always water on the floor. No air conditioning, no ventilator and the boxes are not barriered. To finish on a positive note it was clean and the architecture of this old building is beautiful.