Marazul

“A visit to Grandma - The most perfect trip back in time. Rural simplicity - it's truly beautiful.”

It's not very often I will make time to write a detailed review, but this hotel is extraordinary, and deserves explanation. As a preface, I'm a well seasoned traveller in my late 30's. Visited nearly every Country, and yet until recently not Portugal. It had never really taken my fancy. Anyho... more

It's not very often I will make time to write a detailed review, but this hotel is extraordinary, and deserves explanation. As a preface, I'm a well seasoned traveller in my late 30's. Visited nearly every Country, and yet until recently not Portugal. It had never really taken my fancy. Anyhow, the hotel Marazul took me by complete surprise. It's more than just a hotel; It's a window into rural life at it's most beautiful - total simplicity. It's precisely how small, rural Somerset villages in Britain used to be 100 years ago before being spoiled by investors and pretentious types. I will state now, there are no faults with this hotel. I wouldn't change a thing. I love it. I don't expect I will ever make a 5 star review on here again. I've never felt a hotel has justified it until now. Hotel marazul is not about fancy decor, mcdonalds in the lobby, a spa with pools, or a savoy grill with a named chef. If that's all you desire look away, now! Leave this treasure for those longing for a true taste of humanity. The owner of this hotel gave me the warmest welcome I've seen since being in Portugal. She offered me a complimentary drink on arrival, but most of all a tremendous smile - and what's more her genuine joy at having a new guest that's not stayed here before. You can't fake this. It's how hospitality should be. I've been lucky, I've stayed in some of the most expensive and so called most exquisite hotels, and believe me they could learn a thing or two from marazul about how to make a guest feel welcome. Now there's something that's always bothered me about expensive hotels - it always feels like fake hospitality somehow, plastic smiles. You wonder, would they smile if they weren't being paid £1000's per night? But for €29 per night at Marazul that wasn't ever in question, it doesn't get more genuine or down to earth than this. So this one at €29 including breakfast was my choice for the night. It was in fact the best choice I've made for a particularly long time! It was recommended to me by my brother who also stayed here recently and fell in love with the place. I turned up on my motorbike. The owner very kindly let me store my bike safely overnight in the locked court yard belonging to her hotel. So the hotel itself - ok there's no plastic here! It's old world quality; no fancy light switches by your bed that switch off the balcony lights, the room lights, or even any light for that matter. There's an old crt (cathode ray tube) telly in the room sat on an equally dated table cloth, flowery net curtains my grandma had 30 years ago, and a bed cover I vaguely remember seeing on the antiques roadshow! But look closer at how the owner has put love and care into it all; There's not a cobweb in sight, the room is so very clean, absolutely no dust, dirt or litter. There's an old hand knitted tea cosy covering the spare toilet roll in the bathroom, and this lovely pair of bedside lamps I've not seen the likes of for decades. But it's clean!!! That's the point! It's cared for exceptionally well. The bed is not a premier inn deluxe memory foam, and there is no 50m heated pool, sauna or balcony terrace. There's isn't a minibar in the room. But it's perfect. You don't need a Nasa designed memory foam bed, seriously - you don't! If you do, then you shouldn't be travelling - get back to hospital. This bed is fine. You don't need a mini bar because down stairs you have the most friendly and lovely host who's stocked a range of drinks just for your pleasure. If you had a mini bar, you'd miss out on the human contact that makes this place so special. Next door to the hotel is a fantastic cafe that serves equally as down to earth food and beer. A 12" pizza for €7.50! It was delicious. I was expecting at €7.50 for it to be a tiny pizza. But it was huge! The church bell opposite the hotel rings hourly from 7am. Why? Because hundreds of years ago people didn't have iphones to remind them that their family dinner was at 8pm. Or even digital watches that alarmed at 7am to wake them up. No, they relied upon the village bells to chime 7 times to tell them indeed it was 7am and time for work. The villagers still use the chimes of the church bell to that end. What a lovely way of life. Why change it. Yes it chimes at 7am in the morning. What a great way to wake up - it's absolutely beautiful. In someways it's a shame the bells were restricted in hours due to 'moaning' hotel guests. They used to chime every hour I understand. But yeah I guess I can also see how it could be a shock to the system for travellers not expecting to be woken up by church bells! Even so, it's old world loveliness and a shame it's a case of 'times are a changing'. There's a road running through the village, and it just so happens to be one of the main roads into Peniche. So again, don't fault the hotel! The hotel building was here long before the roads became busy. It's not really a problem anyway because the hotel is very well constructed. You can only hear the road when your window is wide open. Outside the hotel is a lovely cobble-stoned street and what feels like a small, rural market courtyard; just perfect for watching the world go by whilst sipping a pint of local beer. So in summary, I highly recommend this hotel if you have become bored of luxurious hotels with every modern creation but no soul or humanity. If so, come here, you won't regret it. Breath it in, soak it up - it's like a trip back in time to when humanity was at it's best. If on the other hand you aren't able to see the love and care the owner puts into her hotel, and you just want classy, modern interiors, with 5 bars, water jet pools, and care not for seeing beyond the plastic exterior of financial pretence; then this hotel is absolutely not for you. It's decorated as grandma would do, and hasn't been redecorated or modernised as such. And why should it - it's perfect, homely and welcoming. A visit to Grandma!

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