We recently stayed at Aldeia da Fonte on Pico Island and explicitly booked renovated accommodation. This was an important condition for us due to our family situation. Earlier in 2025, we deliberately postponed our trip because the renovations were still ongoing and the reviews at the time were very negative. We only wanted to travel once renovated accommodations were actually available. Shortly before departure, our travel agent confirmed that the renovation had been completed and that we would be provided with renovated accommodation. Upon arrival, this turned out to be completely incorrect. During our stay and upon departure on May 4th, not a single room had been renovated, and the entire resort was still in the midst of renovation. What we found bore no relation to what had been promised to us. The room was extremely damp, there was visible mold growth on the walls, and the space felt stuffy and unhealthy. This corresponds with earlier reviews we had read beforehand, but which we had hoped would have been resolved by now. These circumstances have had a major negative impact on our holiday and on our travel goals as a family. Fundamentally, the stay did not meet what we could reasonably expect based on the confirmed information. Given that we explicitly based our booking on the promise of a completed renovation, we will have this further assessed by our travel agent to find an appropriate solution and compensation. My advice to future travelers: do not rely on general information about renovations, but obtain written confirmation that the renovation has actually been fully completed.
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