Pousada Borakay

“Great value for money”

The Pousada Borakay is great value for money on the very touristy Morro de Sao Paulo. At under €30 a night with generous breakfast we were very satisfied. The pousada is simply decorated but clean and located in the heart of the main village, steps from the best restaurants, boutiques, only moments… more

The Pousada Borakay is great value for money on the very touristy Morro de Sao Paulo. At under €30 a night with generous breakfast we were very satisfied. The pousada is simply decorated but clean and located in the heart of the main village, steps from the best restaurants, boutiques, only moments from first and second beaches and a short stroll to third beach (we didn't make it as far as fourth beach). Although it is located on the main thoroughfare we did not have any problems with noise, perhaps as we were three floors up (no elevators, something to keep in mind should you have mobility problems). Our room was small and quite bare but just what we needed as it was just a place to sleep. No storage or furnishings to place things on which was a little inconvenient however we were only there for 2 nights so not such a bother. There was a double bed, fridge, tiny bathroom and window with sea view. Again, spartan but clean and fine for a short stay. Staff were friendly but did not speak English. Thankfully my husband speaks fluent Spanish and some Portuguese which was enough to get by, and our French was helpful too as Portuguese can be quite similar. As for breakfast it was varied and generous (plenty of savoury and sweet items) but our tip would be to get there early if you want the full spread. We liked the fact that it was served on a shaded deck on the first floor that overlooked the main street. There are surely more comfortable and luxurious places to stay on the island but for price and location this is a pretty good deal.

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“Leaves something to be desired”

A budget hotel/pousada doesn't have to mean lacking in upkeep. This is my main complaint with the Borakay. Saggy mattress, crappy painted-over tile in the bathroom, one sliding door on the shower - who knows where the other went. The closet seemed to be an afterthought, since there was one half-wal… more

A budget hotel/pousada doesn't have to mean lacking in upkeep. This is my main complaint with the Borakay. Saggy mattress, crappy painted-over tile in the bathroom, one sliding door on the shower - who knows where the other went. The closet seemed to be an afterthought, since there was one half-wall in it that opened onto the corridor, necessitating a lock on the bedroom side. And the small window in the bathroom could not be opened for ventilation because the lock seemed to consist of some dental floss. We had requested a room with two beds at time of reservation. Twins would have been fine. We got a double plus a very small cot next to it. Luckily it's low season, so there were empty rooms and after asking, we were able to get a room with a real single bed. Aside from this, the staff is great, and the included breakfast was pretty good, fresh fruit and juice, great coffee, choice of breads and cakes. I noticed a couple requested some eggs too. The only drawback is the breakfast area is not connected directly to the pousada, you need to go out the front door then back through a little gate and up some stairs, which is OK, unless it's raining. And both days we were there there was incessant and loud hammering and construction going on. They need to quit expanding and maintain what's already there. We discovered there are nicer places for the same or lower cost, so won't be back.

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