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Reviews of Pousada Forte da Horta - Historic Hotel

4 out of 5
Pousada Forte da Horta - Historic Hotel
Rua Vasco Da Gama, Horta

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 32 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 25 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 66 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Gloria

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Was right in the middle of town.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

6/10 Okay

Kim

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Pousada Forte Horta on Jul 13, 2023
Dear Kim,thank you so much for your evaluation. We apologize for not being able to provide you a better experience. Best wishes,

10/10 Excellent

frank

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Kenneth

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Needs modernizing. Great location and views
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Pousada Horta on Aug 30, 2022
Thanks for your evaluation

8/10 Good

Luis

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Close to the beach and restaurants
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Pousada Horta on Aug 5, 2022
Dear Mr. Luis, We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We were glad to read your enthusiastic comments about our location. We take great pride in being able to offer a great experience to our Guests. We thank you for your stay, and we look forward to welcoming you again soon at Pousada Forte da Horta. Kind regards, The Team at Pousada Forte da Horta

10/10 Excellent

zdravka, chicago

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel is a converted nicely Preserved Old historic building/fort, centrally located, on the main tourist street, and on the water next to the marina. Beautiful direct views of Mount Pico on Pico island. Excellent staff. Nice swimming pool. Rooms with nice balconies.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from Pousada Horta on Jun 27, 2022
Dear Zdravka, On behalf of our entire team at Pousada Forte da Horta, we would like to thank you for taking the time to provide us with your positive feedback. Your opinion is crucial for us to continue improving our service and anticipate our Guests' needs. It was a real pleasure for us to have you as our Guest, and we look forward to welcoming you again at Pousada Forte da Horta. Best regards, The Team at Pousada Forte da Horta

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
cool historic setting
Central location, and cool historic setting
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Pousada Horta on Oct 12, 2021
Thank you very much for your feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020

8/10 Good

Daniel

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great value!
Great, historic location and they do a great job of preserving that vibe! However, comfort could be greatly (and inexpensively) enhanced with minimal upgrades to modernize these rooms with 21st century amenities, such as dedicated smart charge stations. Nevertheless, the staff was professional, and extremely helpful and informative. We will definitely be returning!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Marie-Josee

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay in Horta
Great location Very nice historical place We felt very safe during the hurricane and the personal were available to give us information
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

Zany, New York

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Excellent location in town. Friendly staff and a nice buffet breakfast. Dinner we had was average.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff were very nice and informative. Not a lot of amenities, like a gym
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing location, views and staff. Walking distance to everywhere in town.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Arnoldo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enhancing/Charming castle
Charming and enchanting castle in the heart of the city.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Nov 13, 2018
Dear Arnoldo, We are so happy to know that you had a great time with us and thank you for your kind review. Best regards.

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good hotel in first rate location
Very enjoyable stay. Hotel setting is stunning - in terms of the view over the marina and Pico island - and the way it is built out of the old fort is very impressive. Service very good and friendly. Rear room was a little tired but certainly at off season price was excellent value for money. Restaurant was very good and a little more varied menu than most of the restraunts in town. Only criticism of breakfast is they need to buy a new toaster - I popped in two slices which I think will brown by the time of my next visit ;)
Stayed 10 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Nov 13, 2018
Dear Richard, Thank you for your visit and kind words regarding our Pousada. Hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Riacrdo Gomes on Sep 13, 2018
Thank you for your kind review. Best regards.

4/10 Poor

Mark

Historic building, bad service.
We stayed for 3 nights. Nice location, historic building. Bathroom need update, door to the patio should be replaced ASAP..The hotel service is very much below 4 star. Come back after 3 pm from the tour around island to the room not be cleaned. Ask front desk to talk to the management and wait, and wait. Breakfast is not good. Price very much above quality. Will not recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Sep 13, 2018
Dear Mark, I am extremely disappointed to know that we fell short on our goal to create a memorable stay for you and sincerely apologize for the inconveniences you experienced. I regret that our service wasn't our usual excellent standard that guests have come to expect and deserve but I believe this was an unfortunate oversight which will be promptly addressed with all our staff members in our continuous commitment to consistently deliver quality service. We would like to thank you nevertheless for sharing your experience and giving us your feedback. I truly hope that maybe one day you will decide to give us another chance to make up for this experience. Best regards.

10/10 Excellent

lynn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The BEST!
What a wonderful place! Beautifully restored 16th century fort right on the harbor. Every amenity, AC, big balconies with gorgeous views, perfect central location in town, fabulous pool and the best staff- especially Riccardo at the front desk who gave great help and recommendations.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Sep 13, 2018
Hey Lynn, Thank you for painting such a fantastic image of our Hotel. We do our best to create a memorable experience for our guests and I am very glad to hear that we succeeded in your case. I hope that we will have the opportunity of welcoming you back to Pousada Forte da Horta, whenever your travels bring you back to the Azores. Sincerely.

10/10 Excellent

Jeannine, Georgia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had a wonderful time during the festival “Semano do Mar” this hotel is within walking distance of all the activity. The view of the island of Pico in the morning is amazingly close from the beautiful balcony in the superior room. One suggestion is if you need more room in the shower ask, the shower we had was as big as a space capsule. That certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying everything else. We will be back.
Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Sep 13, 2018
Dear Jeannine, Thank you for your kind review and feedback. We are very happy to know you had a great time with us. Hope you will visit us soon. Best regards.

8/10 Good

John, California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Faial
Very good location close to the main part of town and easy walk to the beach.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Ricard Gomes on Mar 12, 2019
Hi John, Great to know you enjoyed your stay with us. Best regards.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unique hotel, very comfortable, nice rooms. Staff was excellent. Breakfast was good. Would stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Jul 12, 2018
Dear Guest, I was delighted to read your kind remarks regarding our hotel, the comfort of your room, the quality of our food in our outlets as well as the detail oriented service you received from our staff. Thank you for taking the time to post your praising words. Looking forward to your return! Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Gomes on May 30, 2018
Dear Guest, Thank you for your kind rating. Best regards, Ricardo Gomes.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location
Great location close to port Friendly welcome from staff Rooms a little small but unsurprising given location Lovely small balcony looking straight over pool and to sea
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Gomes on May 14, 2018
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your kind comments regarding our Pousada and our staff. We are glad to know you enjoyed your stay with us. Hope you will visit us again. Best Regards, Ricardo Gomes.

10/10 Excellent

Frode

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

GEORGIOS

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful historic hotel
Beautiful historic hotel right in the centre of town. Excellent staff

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location as close to marina and to center. Loved the balcony as it was partially enclosed so kept out the winds. Also would be great in summer against hot sun. Staff were very pleasant and helpful.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
beautiful 16 century pousada
we had a wonderful stay at the pousada It had a beautiful view of Pico it was very pleasant to be in the balcony and have a beautiful view

10/10 Excellent

Theo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

2/10 Terrible

Kathryn J.

Disliked: Staff & service
Worst experience in Horta!
This is the second time my husband and I have been to Horta and we actually only stayed in this hotel for one night as our normal hotel (Do Canal) was booked for that night we needed which was in the middle of our week long stay. While we were out and about, we had a Maid steal 300€ right out of my husbands backpack. We know for sure it was one of the cleaning ladies because we know exactlu where we put the envelope as we planned to pay for our captian (his mate and families) dinner that evening. When we came back to the room to look for the envelope that was in my husbands backpack, it was gone. We talked to the management and to be honest it was very poorly handled and they basically told us there was nothing they could do. I will never trust this hotel, their staff or maids ever again and will make sure I let all og my friends and family who will come to Horta, to not stay here.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
BUT....Could be so much better
Lovely location, but mgmt seems to think that is enough. Reception staff were excellent however the restaurant and bar staff were laid back to the point of invisibility! Rooms rather compact, and really should not advertise space for an extra bed, cos there isn't.
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Aug 11, 2015
Dear Guest, Firstly we would like to thank you for taking the time on posting your comment. We are glad you enjoyed our location and the service offered by our reception staff. We do however apologize for not being able to totally meet up with your expectations regarding the room size and the bar service. We will be looking into these situations to better meet up to our guests needs. Hoping that on your next visit to Horta you will choose to stay with us again. Besta Regards, Ricardo Gomes

10/10 Excellent

t, California, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel, great character and excellent location
A very nice hotel in a very convenient location, close to the marina and the center of Horta. The staff were very courteous, friendly, and helpful. The hotel has preserved the historic character of the ancient fort while offering the modern amenities today's travelers expect. I found the people of Horta and Faial to be warm and hospitable and other travelers I spoke with felt the same way.
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Aug 9, 2015
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for taking the time to post your kind comments regarding our Pousada. We are glad to know you enjoyed various aspects about our Pousada, especially our location and the historic aspects of our 16th century fort. We are very pleased to know that our team was very courteous, friendly and helpful during your stay with us. We hope you will visit us soon. Best regards, Ricardo Gomes.

8/10 Good

W. Chang, Boston

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Convenient location. Nice hotel.
Overall quality was good. Opted for upgrade to harbor view - very nice.

6/10 Okay

Chris, Vancouver, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Great location - terrible breakfast
The location is fantastic and the history is palpable. We were very impressed with the care and attention to detail that had gone into converting the old fort into a hotel. Unfortunately, it looks like the owners have invested heavily then become cheap on operations because the breakfast was awful every day and there was a general air of "I don't really care" about the staff. All in all a great location but over priced because of the service.

10/10 Excellent

vaduz, rio de janeiro, brazil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel in a historic site
very good, nice breakfast. Amazing location, inside an old XVII century fortress.

10/10 Excellent

Grant, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location - Friendly staff.
Could not have been better for recovering from long days at sea. Paying the small premium for front rooms looking towards sea well worth it.

8/10 Good

Andytravels, UK

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
good stopover
we only stayed one night here, the bed was comfy, but the room was a little bit smelly. great views!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Great views, possibly a bit overpriced.
The location of this hotel is great, with a fantastic view across to Pico from the rooms facing the sea. Make sure you get a sea view room. This was the most expensive hotel that we stayed in on our tour of the islands and possibly could be considered a little overpriced, but we enjoyed the experience of staying within the old fort walls. Breakfast and dinner in the hotel were standard, not exceptional (although freshly squeezed juice and breakfast was great). Rooms may be considered a little bit old fashioned/tired and the shower was very small, but balcony made up for it for the short stay of 2 nights.

6/10 Okay

Gulliver, Los Angeles, CA

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location but some shortcomings
A very well located hotel on the harbor in Horta in an old fort with a beautiful view of Pico across the channel. While the room was clean and comfortable, we were disturbed by being able to clearly hear a guest in the adjacent room, as well as even quiet noises in the hallway through the door. The pool area was nice and well maintained. We had dinner in the hotel's restaurant which was very disappointing with very overcooked duck and chicken, the latter smothered in an unpleasing sauce. There was only one waiter/server and he was overextended with just 3 or 4 parties in the dining room. Breakfast was also underwhelming with very poor service.

6/10 Okay

Elisabeth

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in May 2023
Response from Pousada Forte Horta on May 24, 2023
Dear Mrs. Elisabeth, we would like to thank you for sharing your feedback. We trully appologise for not being able to provide a better stay in Pousada Forte da Horta.Best regards,Sérgio Dias

10/10 Excellent

Marie-Andrée

Traveled with partner, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Emplacement parfait tout près de la marina ou mon conjoint est arrivé d'un transatlantique! Personnel accueillant! Seul bémol, puisqu'il faut en donner un: changer le bain qui était un peu égratigner. Je recommande cet établissement!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Pousada Horta on Aug 30, 2022
Merci Beaucoup por votre evaluation

10/10 Excellent

Silva

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Philip

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortabel verblijf in mooi kader
Geweldige locatie - oud fort in de jachthaven van het levendige horta met een fantastisch zicht op het eiland Pico. Kleine, maar geriefelijke kamers, mooi zwembad en prima restaurants (ontbijt en diner). Over het algemeen gedienstig personeel. Zeker een aanrader.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Abraham

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Magnificent ...great service
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
De ligging en het karakter van het pand was uitzonderlijk. Ontbijt was top.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Dec 12, 2018
Thank you for your kind rating. Best regards.

8/10 Good

Peter Holmboe

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Godt hotel med god beliggenhed
Godt hotel, centralt beliggende i Horta. Hyggeligt hotel med god reception, der var meget serviceminded. Desværre kunne restuaranten ikke følge med, hverken til morgen eller aften. Da der kom lidt flere gæster end forventet. Da overnatningsprisen ikke var billigere uden for sæsonen, kunne man forvente mere af hotellets restaurant. Sørg for ved morgenmåltid at være der tæt ved åbningstid. Så er det fint og appetitligt. Hotellet har en fin udendørs pool og hotellet ligger fint ud til vandet med udsigt til naboøen og vulkanen Pico
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Nov 13, 2018
Dear Peter, Thank you for your candid feedback regarding your recent stay with us. We will be taking all your suggestions into consideration. Best Regards.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bien situé
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Ricardo Gomes on Jul 12, 2018
Dear Guest, Thank you for your kind words :) Best regards

10/10 Excellent

Antonio

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel que nos embala no espirito do Faial
Hotel muito bem integrado em monumento histórico que nos transporta para o seculo 16. Situado no coração da Horta, tem uma vista soberba para a marina para o mar e para a Ilha do Pico tornando a estadia idílica. Os quartos tem uma decoração sóbria e uma varanda onde podemos relaxar e tomar belos banhos de sol embalados pelo espirito da Horta. A cama de casal extra size é superconfortável. O pequeno almoço é bom, sem excessos e podemos ser servidos á mesa. Os funcionários mostraram-se muito prestáveis e fizemos um early check in sem problemas e no quarto á chegada tínhamos uma pequena atenção que faz a diferença. Recomendo vivamente esta pousada.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018
Response from Gomes on Apr 11, 2018
Estimado Antonio, Muito obrigado por ter escolhido a Pousada Forte da Horta, na sua recente visita ao Faial. Em nome de toda a equipa agradecemos o facto de ter partilhado a sua experiencia e comentários. É sem duvida muito gratificante saber que estamos a fazer um bom trabalho e que devemos continuar no sentido de proporcionar aos nossos hospedes estadias agradáveis. Na esperança de voltar a receber a vossa visita. Os nossos melhores cumprimentos, Ricardo Gomes

6/10 Okay

gilles, paris

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Bien placé mais désuet et froid
Hôtel très bien placé, assez confortable mais vieillot. Ambiance froide. Chambre assez petite. Petit déjeuner minimaliste avec personnel absent pour compléter ce qui manque. Malheureusement peu d'alternative sur Horta
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2017