Dorma Praia Golfe

The rooms lack any sense of luxury. Ours was far too small for three people (two adults and a child), with only a single mirror hidden inside the wardrobe. The air conditioning barely worked, and despite complaining, nothing was done to fix it. The bathroom had no ventilation, leading to unpleasant odours, and the shower water pressure was very weak. Overall, the hotel feels like it’s cutting corners on guest comfort, despite advertising itself as a 4-star establishment.

The location of the hotel is great, right near the beach! However, that's honestly the one of the only good things about this hotel with it being 4 stars. The interior is very old and outdated and had squeaky floors. The gym was quite spacious, but the equipment was visually old and some were broken (like the treadmill). The indoor pool was very good though! I wouldn't be giving this hotel such a bad rating if it wasn't for them being 4 stars, it looks like more of a 2-3 star hotel based on the interior. The staff was good though and fixed a leakage from our sink very quickly!

We stayed at Exe Praia Golfe in Espinho as a family of four (two adults and two young children), and overall, the experience was mixed. On the positive side, the location is definitely a strong point. The hotel is just a short walk from Espinho rail station, which is well connected and made it easy for us to get around. The beach is right across the road, and we enjoyed the sea view from the balcony. Pool access was a nice bonus. The main bed was comfortable and well maintained, and the room had enough space for a small family. Air conditioning and TV worked well, and the reception staff were friendly, professional, and helpful whenever we interacted with them. However, there were quite a few things that could be improved. The hotel interior is clearly dated and in need of attention. We noticed peeling paint on doors, furniture that looked worn and visibly glued back together, and even some lampshades with kids’ drawings left on them. The balcony wasn’t clean, and there was no broom provided for us to tidy it ourselves. The extra beds for the children weren’t very practical—placed awkwardly with dirty wheels sticking out into the main walking area, which made moving around the room quite uncomfortable. The bathroom was below average, with a wobbly shelf, chipped tiles, and generally tired-looking fittings. The main door to the room stuck badly and was difficult to open and close. Cleanliness was a concern—the floor felt sticky underfoot and didn’t seem to have been mopped properly. Communal areas looked very dated, like something from the 1980s, and the general atmosphere didn’t feel as fresh or inviting as we’d expected. The entrance area had a strong smell of smoke, and the front desk was dimly lit and sometimes left unattended, which didn’t give the best first impression. We also had an unfortunate experience during breakfast when a member of the waiting staff accidentally spilled something on our table while we were still eating but didn’t acknowledge it or offer to clean it up. The mess was left on the chair and table, and we had to deal with it ourselves. While many staff seemed to be doing their best, some clearly lacked proper training, and the service felt inconsistent. Communication with the hotel was another issue—messages sent over WhatsApp were often responded to very slowly (sometimes after more than an hour), and in some cases, we received no reply at all, which was frustrating when we needed assistance. The surrounding area also felt quite rundown, with several dilapidated buildings nearby, a neglected public pool, and a lot of graffiti, which made the environment feel less safe and family-friendly than we had hoped. While the space and location had potential, the overall standard of the hotel fell well short of expectations. We stayed in a much nicer, better-equipped apartment in Lisbon for significantly less during the same trip. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t recommend this hotel to friends or family.