Pouso do Chico Rey

My husband and I went to Ouro Preto for my 30th birthday, and chose the Pouso do Chico Rei as we love historic houses and had always heard about this one. Unfortunately, it was not the experience we were hoping for. Positives first: - Excellent location in the city centre, close to the Praça Tiradentes. - The house is beautiful and atmospheric, with antique furniture and paintings - if you get to actually stay in that part (see below). The cupboard painted by Guignard, etc, are well-known. - OK breakfast with jabuticaba jam, coffee and various fruits/cheeses/breads, served by a friendly staff member. - Seems cheaper than other pousadas in the city centre. - The room was quiet and we slept well on the whole. There was some city noise in the distance but it quietened down relatively early. - We arrived at the pousada very early (9 am) because of our coach and we could already leave our bags in the room. The (significant) downsides: - We were put in room 9, which is not inside the house but in what seems to be a converted outbuilding behind the house, beside the swimming pool. I see that previous guests have also complained about this room on Trip Advisor, and I wish that we had seen these reviews beforehand – it seems like drawing the short straw to be put in there. This room is simply not up to the standards of the rest of the house, with random (non-antique) furniture that looks tired and worn – see attached photos. It’s the small things, like the lack of bedside lamps, an empty curtain rail above the window, a light on the wall that doesn’t work and a large TV with a mess of cables beside it. We love old houses and furniture and were really looking forward to staying in a room with taste and character, but room 9 has neither. - The door for room 9 did not lock – or rather, the key only worked when locking it from the inside. That basically meant that we were leaving our room unlocked whenever we went out. Fortunately, we didn’t bring any valuables with us, but it was very disconcerting to leave our room unlocked, no matter how secure the property may be. We asked the owner about the lock on our first evening, and he admitted that he was aware of the problem. This was not resolved the whole time we were there. A secure room is the minimum to expect at a hotel/b&b. - Besides that door, the connecting double doors to the en-suite were also inadequate – one did not have any hinges (see photo) and the other did not close properly. Not great for privacy, and I doubt the en-suite bedrooms in the main house have this problem. The owner acknowledged that this was an issue, but didn’t take the time to fix it. - The room doesn't have Wi-Fi access as it's too far from the main house. - The pillows were not particularly comfortable. On the whole, it was very disappointing, especially as it was my birthday, I had paid far in advance and the pousada has a reputation for being characterful and cosy. No doubt the bedrooms in the main house, and the communal

Alojarse en Pouso do Chico Rey es un viaje en el tiempo. La posada es una mansión colonial del fines del siglo XVIII, con muchísimos detalles que te hacen sentir en otra época. Su dueño, así como las señoras que atienden el servicio son sumamente amables y simpáticos: te sentís como en tu casa. Aunque la posada no posee grandes lujos, tiene todo lo necesario, a cambio de un precio muy bueno: la relación precio-calidad es excelente. Un punto fuerte muy importante es la ubicación, en el corazón del Centro histórico de Ouro Preto, con otro punto fuerte igual de importante: unas vistas a la ciudad y a las montañas fascinante. El desayuno, ofrecido todas las mañanas en el señorial comedor de la casa, es muy rico y variado, incluso con dulces caseros riquísimos. Pasé cuatro días formidables: recomiendo el Pouso do Chico Rey vivamente, y si volviera a Ouro Preto, sin dudas me alojaría allí nuevamente.

A pousada deve ter sido muito boa no tempo de Vinícius, Neruda e Jorge Amado, já q essa é a grande propaganda do estabelecimento. Está abandonada. Cheia de gambiarras nas tomadas. Camas ruidosas e frouxas. Café da manhã é o mais simples possível (queijo, pão, presunto, ovo, geleia e um único bolo é o q se encontra). Cheiro de fumo de rolo é impregnado no ambiente. No quarto 8, o cheiro do ralo do banheiro é insuportável. Estacionamento só cabe 3 carros. Roupas de cama velhas e descuidadas. Cheiro de mofo impregnado nas cobertas. Sem segurança alguma (janelas n tem travas (quarto 8). Frigobar mais velho impossível. Sem ar condicionado nem aquecedor. Mosquitos invadem o quarto (8). A experiência foi realmente traumatizante. Estávamos cheios de expectativas. Mas fomos frustrados logo de cara. Ser antigo é uma coisa; está sem cuidado é outra totalmente diferente. É um crime continuar criando expectativas nos hóspedes com essa história de personalidade q já se hospedaram.