Arouca Vacations from $582

If your looking for a family stay on a budget, with breakfast, then this is the place for you. Don't have any high expectations. The pools are the best thing about the location and the keep it well maintained. Great location in the city. The building and the rooms were a bit old fashioned and can do with some TLC. The eating area can do with some table cloths and some love as well. The staff was polite and helpful. They offered us a better room. Good WiFi.

Family of Nine Left Stranded Outside in the Dark An extremely distressing experience. I booked Flowers of Joy Wellness Villa through Hotels.com for nine family members, including my elderly mother and four children aged 7–14. The host called on check-in day and I confirmed arrival between 5–6 pm. Check-in was advertised until 9 pm. At 6:06 pm, I WhatsApped to say we were almost there; the message was delivered. We arrived at 6:20 pm, but repeated calls went unanswered. At 6:24 pm, I messaged that we were at the gate. Again, the message was delivered. I continued calling until 6:43 pm with no response. As darkness fell, nine of us were stranded outside a locked compound. My elderly mother became distressed, while the children were tired and hungry. This was not simply poor service—it was now a serious safety concern. Hotels.com spent approximately 1 hour 40 minutes finding emergency accommodation for nine people on a Friday evening. Thankfully, Kapok Hotel accommodated us around 8 pm and was outstanding. The host finally called around 8:30 pm, stating his phone had died. Regardless, our arrival had been confirmed and we arrived within the advertised check-in period. I strongly caution families, particularly those travelling with children or elderly relatives. Huge thanks to Hotels.com and Kapok Hotel for coming to our rescue.