Casa das Anas by HelloVacations

I am very torn about writing this review, as there were some VERY good things (the management company!) but also some very bad (the house we'd rate, at best, as "has potential"). Let me start with compliments. Hello Vacations is AMAZING! I would rent any property managed by them with full confidence that they'd take good care of us. They deserve their positive reviews. The house was very clean upon arrival. They left ample fluffy/soft oversized towels (more than I've ever seen in other properties!). They left an ample supply of guest soaps, shampoos and body washes - enough to last our entire month stay. They were always quick to communicate and SO friendly! They tried as best they could to resolve issues they could control. For instance, the stove didn't have a proper lighter to light it and there were no pot holders for cooking. Within 24 hours, Hello Vacations delivered pot holders and a proper lighter. Overall the house a great build with a good layout, but there are some things I think future guests should be aware of (and why we rate this property as mediocre at best; but all things that could be resolved, should the owners put a bit more effort into the accommodations for guest comfort). Only one bedroom had curtains hanging (the twin room). In the master bedroom, the curtain rod was off the wall completely and propped up in the closet (with wall repair needed to hang it again). The master also had terrible bed with a mattress that sinks in the middle, so not good for a couple who doesn't want to roll into the each other all night. Those two things made that room unusable as a bedroom for us. We chose the other room with a double bed, which also did not have curtains. But at least there was still a rod on the wall with folded curtains stored in the closet; so we were able to hang a curtain to provide privacy. But strange to arrive at a costly rental where neither of the double bedrooms had curtains hung (especially when the houses are SO compacted together giving no chance for privacy without curtains). While the mattress in the bedroom we used wasn't sunken in like the one in the master, it has to be the MOST uncomfortable mattress I've ever slept on. We booked this property for a month, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that after a month on that horrible mattress with coils digging into our backs, I can barely walk without pain. My back and shoulders are a wreck. That mattress should be disposed of and never inflicted on another guest; especially not a guest who is staying for any length of time. The twin beds in the third bedroom were not any better, or we would have slept on those. But we did not expect to pay this much for a rental where the beds are of the lowest quality imaginable. They're not even good enough for a nap, much less a full night's sleep. It's our 3rd rental in Portugal, and we've never had such bad mattresses. The house is also VERY damp and has a great deal of mould. Mould under the sink and other places. But worse, because the house was SO damp, we didn't realise until the day we moved out that all of our luggage that we stored in the master bedroom next to the wall were ALL covered in mould! I was in shock. Every morning you wake up to the windows covered in condensation and it takes hours for the moisture to go away to even see out of the windows again. It was too cold and stormy during our stay to have the windows open to try to air it out. So the owners should have dehumidifiers throughout the house. It's not healthy to be living with that kind of moisture and mould. And now our suitcases are damaged from being stored next to damp walls that caused mould growth. Also, guests should be aware that the furniture throughout the house is VERY cheap. Plastic and wooden chairs that are miserably uncomfortable in the kitchen/dining room, a cheap couch that feels more like Uni furniture than luxury home furniture. We took the house for a month as we were working remotely and there was not a single chair that could be comfortably sat in for any length of time. This also added to the back and leg pain caused by the mattresses. The outdoor furniture, while ample, is old and all plastic. The kind of furniture you see sold very cheaply at the exit of Aldi or Lidl. Not comfortable at all whilst relaxing at the pool. They creaked so much under our average weight, that we worried they might break. As the weather was SO bad we didn't sit outside much, but if future guests are coming to lounge by the pool for hours on end, be aware that you won't be comfortable. Also much of the cookware should be replaced. All of the nonstick cookware is scratched up SO much that it's not safe to cook with. Studies are out about the toxicity of cooking on damaged/scratched non-stick pans, so it left us with very little to actually cook with. These are issues that could easily be resolved if the owners invested just a little bit of money with a visit to Ikea to furnish the accommodations with guest comfort in mind. It's a good house and deserves to be more comfortable than it is. I should also mention that the patio doors do not lock. And the large metal shuttered doors are VERY hard to open and close (certainly not something you can do easily every night for safety). Those shutters don't lock properly anyway, so a determined thief could get in with very little effort. Luckily we had no break in's during our stay (and felt safe in the neighbourhood); but not being able to properly lock the sliding doors to the backyard is not a safe stay or fair to guests. The doors are old and probably need replacing (I'm guessing they are beyond fixing). Also be aware there are is no heater or air conditioner in the large main common room. It was cold during our stay and we had to wrap up in blankets during the day and night. The owners have a small space heater that we used in that room, but it's a weird one that has a huge bright panel light that emits heat and it's VERY uncomfortable to your eyes if it's placed anywhere in eyesight. But to get any heat from it directly you need to have it facing you, so whilst watching TV, we had to have it near us and then pile up blankets and pillows to keep from being blinded by it. Not a comfortable way to relax at night, and it certainly doesn't heat the entire room, only about the 2-3 feet directly in front of it if you're close enough to feel the heat from the bright bulbs. I can't imagine being in that room during the hot summer with nothing but a stand fan. There are heater/air con units in the walls in the 3 bedrooms, so you can sleep in heat or air conditioning. But with the high level of moisture in the house, be aware that if using heat, it will be like sleeping in a sauna. The sheets were wet and never really dried during our entire stay because of the moisture/humidity problem. Also be aware that the showers are very strange. They have a weird misty like spray that ends up soaking the entire bathroom floors in front of them. Thankfully they left ample towels as we had to cover the floor to sop up the water and keep from slipping. Due to the moisture problem, the bathrooms never fully dried (and neither did the towels). I also question why the owners haven't given any of the bathrooms proper shelving. We barely had anywhere to put toothbrushes; I can't imagine how women would manage with makeup and hair styling products. You'd have to store them on the floor! Nor are they any hooks to hang clothes, etc in the bathrooms. The other thing that I feel is misleading in the ads for this place, is that they show a close up picture of a 2nd floor balcony/patio. I'm a writer and I choose my locations based on where I feel I'd be inspired to write. I had intended to use that raised balcony the entire trip, only to discover it's locked off in a part of the house not made available to guests. I mentioned it to Hello Vacations, and they said the overhead picture of the house was just to show the layout of the property. That's fine, and the wide overhead shot shows that, but then why ALSO show a picture that is a close up of the 2nd floor balcony if that's not available to guests? I had hopes with being SO close to the ocean that the raised balcony would give me views of the ocean. Due to the houses and resorts all built up around, I suspect there'd be no views on any of the rooftops in the neighborhood. But still, a disappointment to have advertised an amenity in a photo that isn't accessible. The ad also stated laundry, but we discovered that was locked in the garage and not intended to be used by guests. I pointed out the ad stating laundry washer, and Hello Vacations made sure to get me a key for the garage. Future guests should note that if you DO use the washer, be sure to pull the drainage hose out of the garage and fully extend it into the driveway, as the garage does not have a proper drain for the washer; and if the hose is left in the garage, you'll come back to find the garage flooded. Be sure you pull it ALL the way out because the hose is VERY old and has cracks, so drainage water squirts out from it in several places. I found that as long as you pull it all the way out into the driveway, it'll drain properly. We also arrived to discover a high amount of dog hair embedded in all of the couches. We have asthma and are allergic to animals, so that was problematic. Hello Vacations came to see it and apologized profusely, unclear why there was so much dog hair embedded into the fabric of the couches; far more than we could remove with a fabric lint roller. I suspect with the house being SO clean at arrival that their crew vacuumed the couch, but this needs some serious attention as it's completely embedded in the fabric. So, while I believe this rental deserves a lower rating due to the lack of comfort and cheap furnishings (that seem to convey an owner who sees this rental not as the luxury property it COULD be, but instead a cheaply outfitted party house for the drunken stag/hen do short term guests looking to party), we believe these shortcomings have nothing to do with Hello Vacations and their servicing the property as a manager. They assured me that they've encouraged the owner to make improvements, but as managers they can't force an owner to invest in those improvements. It's rather tragic to us that a house with SO much potential ended up being a home we did not enjoy or feel was worth the money, due to the choices made by the owners in terms of what's provided in the accommodation for guests. Sad really, as the house is in a great location and has a lot of positives for someone looking to rent in Albufeira. I should note, because it was important to us and we found ourselves quite disappointed to discover the reality upon staying here: the beach is NOT easily accessible. Google maps will show you that it's a quick walk to a stairway down to the closest beach. That stairway (as of March 2025) is under construction and not accessible. A local informed us that without that entry, the nearest beach is a good 30 minute walk away (if you walk briskly!), due to the resorts/hotels blocking off access. We imagined ourselves walking the beach every morning. In our month here, we only saw an Albufeira beach once due to it not being easy to get to. And while the neighbourhood is quiet overall, if (like me) you are looking for peace and quiet, you should know that there are dogs in all of the adjoining properties that literally bark like mad from morning until late at night. Street noise was non-existent, but dog noise was incessant and tiring. These are all things I wish I had known in advance, as I would have chosen a different property. But if you're looking for a home base during your holiday and don't mind the things I've detailed above, then by all means consider this property, as it's a good location, walking distance from the strip and grocery stores; a little off the main path so not dealing with drunken tourists on your street; upscale neighbourhood with beautiful homes; a spacious house with a lot of light that has great potential; no lack of hot water for showers; a great coffee maker; a pool that is serviced weekly by a crew that also does a great job cleaning the yard. We even survived Storm Marinho here (which caused damage to other homes on the block but we slept safely with the shutters all closed). My hope is that the owners will read this and decide their lovely house deserves better than they've provided for guests. It could be such a great place. My last comment is more about Albufeira for those who may be new to the area: Having never visited the Algarves before, we chose it because it seemed central for us to explore where in the Algarves we'd like to eventually live. What we discovered is Albufeira lacks any of the charm of the other coastal towns; it's a party town that is built with massive numbers of buildings all crammed together for the party tourists. Ubers were plenty, so that was good. But it has nothing of the charm of Tavira or Lagos. During our stay, we visited Lagos and were heartbroken we didn't choose that instead. But if you're coming to party and be out in "hen do" mode in search of endless pubs, restaurants and bars/clubs, then Albufeira might be exactly what you want. But if you, like me, are hoping for relaxation and being surrounded by Algarve charm and natural beauty with ample peace and quiet, Albufeira is not it. It lacks any charm that I've come to love about the Algarves and the coastal cities of Portugal and Spain. All in all, not a stay we'd ever want to do again. BUT, Hello Vacations is most DEFINITELY a company we'd be very happy to rent through again, as I think they'd be very helpful in making sure that next time we chose a better accommodations more suited to our needs in a more ideal location. Hello Vacations is 10+. The rest, though, was meh, at best.

Neighborhood
It's party and tourist central. The streets are lined with restaurants and pubs and bars and clubs. You can't walk 3 feet without someone pushing you to eat at their restaurant. If I was 22 and still in Uni and focused on partying and drinking and eating out, I might enjoy Albufeira. But overall, it wasn't for me. Lacked any charm of the other Algarve cities, like Lagos or Tavira. Even "old town" was disappointing. Just wall to wall restaurants in buildings that haven't seen love in many many years with endless people pushing you to come in and eat. Felt more like Istanbul than the Algarves, to be honest.

Recommended places nearby
We had a fabulous dinner at the Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant around the corner called "Fuji". I HIGHLY recommend! Also, we found the Aldi up the main street (near the old bull fighting ring) to be the best local grocery for a big shop. Far nicer than the Pingo Doce further down. For a quick shop, the Intermarche is just around the corner and had a really nice selection. More of express grocery than a full grocery, but you can get what you need to eat for the week if you don't want to go all the way to Aldi.