LAVA HOMES

Beautiful beautiful beautiful inside and the view is to die for.

Wunderschön die Lage. Große Balkone und große Fenster mit tollen Ausblicke. Leider waren die Wände in unserem Schlafzimmer sehr feucht und nass.
Meinen Bronchien hat das nicht gefallen.
Das Haus, wo wir waren, kann man eigentlich so nicht vermieten. Ein Luftentfeuchter war da, aber ausser Betrieb und niemand hat uns darauf hingewiesen.
Das Restaurant war gut.

Lava Homes masquerades as an upscale hotel but falls short on the basics. I was really looking forward to staying here and it makes me sad to write a review like this.

Anyone considering booking should know: the units do not have air conditioning. This means you have to bake in a cement oven or open the windows. However, the windows do not have screens. Our unit was constantly filled with bugs as a result. I spent the last night of our stay killing bugs in the unit and slapping bugs off me while trying to fall asleep.

The bed was very uncomfortable and short. The sheets may as well have been sand paper. The wifi did not reach the bedroom. The safe was broken. One of the fans was broken. The washer/dryer worked only intermittently. The shower was without hot water on several occasions. To get drinking water, you have to hike up the steep hill to the restaurant and fill liter glass bottles.

The maid service provided minimal value. First, you have to affirmatively request the service each day. They told us they only replace towels once every three days. We stayed four days and never received new towels. We left used towels in an obvious pile for the maids in the living room. The pile was still there when we checked out several days later. Worst of all, the maids left our door ajar one day after cleaning when we were not home - this in the same room where the safe was broken.

Generally, we found the service staff at Magma and Lava Homes to be unprofessional given the level of service one would expect at a hotel of this price. The staff gave us the impression we were more of an inconvenience than welcomed guests. The service felt much more like we were staying in an AirBnb than a hotel (here’s the key, figure it out).

The only reason this is not a 1 star review is the immaculate view of the channel. Otherwise, Lava Homes failed to pay attention to detail and wholly disappointed. I would recommend against staying here - especially given the price.

This really is the place to be on Pico. The Lava Home casas a well-designed houses with an absolutely spectacular view. They are perfect for a family stay. Our house was well equipped with everything you need and if you don't want to cook for yourself, the MAGMA restaurant is nearby. The staff at Lava Homes were very friendly and helpful, as was the team at MAGMA restaurant.
Our children especially enjoyed the pool at Lava Homes. The water was a pleasant temperature and the view from the pool was also spectacular. We also enjoyed the well-kept garden around the casas.
In Santo Amaro, the nearby village, there is a small grocery shop with very international clientele and staff. It was nice to stop by in the afternoon for a Bica and an ice cream.
If we go to Pico again, we would definitely book a casa at Lava Homes again and can only recommend it.

Exquisite place! Very peaceful and very good afternoon to detail. Breath taking views of Sao Jorge. Very nice infinity pool near the yoga room all with ocean views. Magma probably on of best restaurants on Pico