I submit the email already sent to the Duty Manager of the Dom Joao Hotel which explains the outrageous circumstances we were placed in on our holiday from hell. The Hotel Management have expressed their sincerest apologies but this is not remotely good enough. -------------------------------------- Francis Moran Thu, Jun 27, 7:45 PM (8 days ago) to flavio.simao Hi Flavio, Would you be able to confirm that you got my email, as I am unsure whether you received it or not. Regards, Frank My email address is [protected]@gmail.com On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 4:54 PM Francis Moran wrote: Hi Flavio Following our recent meetings you requested me, on more than one occasion, to email you regarding our most unsatisfactory holiday experiences at the Hotel Pestana Dom Joao II hotel from the 11th June to the 18th June. This I now do in chronological order. Wednesday, 12/06/19 We arrived at reception at 0:40 to be told that no food or tea was available after a long journey from Dublin, nor were there any tea making facilities in the room or any snacks. Given key to Room 140. During the night there was a continuous loud humming noise that could be compared to a "ship pulling into a port", that prevented getting any sleep. Reported this to Reception at 10:00 and told to return at 12:00. Returned and told to decide on transfer to room of similar price (Room 1007) or pay 150 Euro to upgrade to only other available room in the hotel (Room 266). No other rooms were available, and we were told "take it or leave it". We looked at both rooms and decided on Room 1007, as we did not want to incur extra charge. We packed our bags and moved into new Room 1007. Thursday, 13/06/19 At around 2:00 I noticed an obnoxious sewer smell coming into our room from the bathroom. I closed the bathroom door, hoping it would go away from the bedroom. I could not open the outside door as we were on the ground floor. The smell got worse. I flushed the toilet many times but this had no effect. I could not sleep for the remainder of the night. After breakfast, we returned to find the room more stinking with a sewage smell, and we opened the outside door. The smell was also outside the room. We did not report it. I felt dizzy, especially when lying down. Had noticed rotten wooden decking outside our room and felt it was dangerous. Did not report it. During the course of the day, a person replaced some of the rotten pieces and put in-situ a right-angled support. He left splinters of broken wood on grass which were not cleared. From 17:00 to 20:00, the sewage smell in the bathroom was stinking and unbearable, even with the outside door open. Called to Reception, and in a similar "take it or leave it" attitude told to take the other only one room available, or "it will be gone tomorrow". Reception got a Cleaner to treat the bath plug hole with a product Ecolab. This removed the smell. Cleaner also informed that smell was coming from sink. Receptionist and cleaner also found the smell unbearable. Friday, 14/06/19 Smell gone in the morning. However, arrived back at 17:45 to the room and the stinking sewage smell was back. Wood splinters still there, so we used shoes to step outside. Went to reception again and offered Room 348. We did not want to move again, and why would we expect it to be any different. At this stage, we had lost all faith with Reception. The smell was intermittent. Still feeling dizzy. Saturday 15/06/19 At 17:45. the sewage smell was unbearable. Reported to Reception and was offered a new room. Cleaning staff treated the smell coming out of bath and gave me a bottle of air freshener. I agreed to look at a different room provided the duty manager agreed to look at the conditions we had been placed in. This he did and agreed it was not right. We then viewed the new room, and agreed to move. This whole episode took another few hours. All this day, I was once again very dizzy and felt sick. We packed our bags again and moved into new Room 2002. Sunday 16/6/19 Left room at around 12:00 and back at 17:15. Mary's key to room not working and she went to reception and got her key reactivated. Came back to room and found two new beds made up in living area, new linen for new beds and new glasses with drinking water. Went to reception who got cleaning staff to put back room to the way it had been. Arrived back at 17:45 to find my own key not working. Went to reception who informed me that there was a housekeeping error and there was a power supply problem in door. They reactivated my key and told me that this should solve the door power supply problem. Was able to access room. Tuesday 18/6/19 Left Room at around 11:30, gave in keys, and went back to Dublin ----------------------------------- I left the Hotel Pestana Dom Joao II, feeling unwell. I was very dizzy and nauseous for almost the whole holiday, which was made a lot worse if I attempted to lie down. I was informed that Room 1007, and the room above, had a known sewage problem, well in advance of us being placed in it. It appears that no other unfortunates were placed there up to the time of our welcome departure. We spent an enormous amount of our holiday time at reception, who had a major bad "take it or leave it" attitude. You were the one exception. The Dom Joao II was recommended to us and we paid extra just to stay at your hotel. Yet we had no holiday, and indeed it could be said that we had the total opposite, our worst "holiday" experience ever. In hindsight, we would have absolutely paid not to be there. I would like you to acknowledge this email a.s.a.p., and what the Pestana group are going to do to address the horrible position that we were wrongly placed in. Regards, Francis Moran