I stayed in an “Exterior room” at O Seculo for 3 weeks.I was sharing a room with another guy and for the first few days, we only had one key per room. It wasn’t very handy.Every morning we had breakfast included and for the first two weeks, every day, there was a pigeon walking around the dining hall. The cutlery didn’t look very clean and most of the times it was hard for me to find a clean cup.My bed was super uncomfortable and I could feel the springs. I heard the same from other people, but in the third week I managed to get a new mattress.The facilities are very old, it happened at least twice that there was a water leak in the toilets. When someone flushes, I could hear it from my room in the other side of the building.I received pictures of some rooms before I booked, but none of those pictures was actually depicting my room. I wanted leave earlier but my booking was not refundable. On the other hand, the staff is very friendly and they helped me every time they could.We didn’t have a kitchen and the coffee machine was not working, but there is a cafeteria next to the entrance with very good food. My real savior was the Pingo Doce in front of the entrance, which I used to visit every day to get (warm) food and other products that I needed.
User:review112015
Trip type: Friends getaway
Noisy and uncomfortable
15 Jun 2017
PLUSSES1) It is near to the beach2) The rooms have interesting interior design elements3) The rooms have been recently renovated4) The rooms are cleaned on a regular basisMINUSES1) Old uncomfortable beds and you can feel the springs! Difficult to get a good rest.I had to put several towels on my bed to sleep a bit better. The mattresses have to be replaced! It is a MUST.2) The noise. People bang doors so loudly that at times the walls shake. There were times when people banged their doors so much that I jerked in my bed. This was really scary and very disturbing! You could also hear the staff arguing loudly. The phones in the hallway ring even late at night and almost no one answers them. It disturbs your sleep. Very poor sound isolation so you hear absolutely everything going on around you. Some rooms have also TV so I could hear local soap operas almost till 2 AM. You can not sleep like that. One night children were up really late – it is a boarding school so children live there too – and you could hear them playing around and yelling even into early morning hours. So young children should not be let to stay up that late! You hear pretty much everything going on. You are part of the hustle and bustle and you hear children playing, arguing, yelling etc. At times there were some who tried to tell to keep it more quite as tourists also stay there, but it did not work. During my whole stay I had only one (!) quiet night.3) There are no public computers. If you have no internet in your phone or have not taken your laptop with you then you have no access to the internet. There are no internet cafes in the vicinity. There is WIFI but I can not comment on how good it is.4) You are not given a map. You need to have all that information beforehand.5) There are no ATMs in the vicinity.6) There is a very small supermarket nearby – Minipreco. However, it opens when it opens and closes when it closes. For example, it was closed for a day and a half without a notice! In the beginning, I had no idea there was even one – I just could not see it. I happened to discover it just by accident when one day I was driving by in a car.I saw something that resembled a supermarket and on a later inspection I saw that it was Minipreco.There is a gas stations nearby (BP) but the prices are really expensive there. For example, a bottle of water (1.5L) cost 2.5 euro whereas at Minipreco it was only 0.16 euro. In Lisbon, at Pingo Doce it was 0.70 euro, so you can see the difference!7) The rooms are cleaned among other things with chlorine so it really irritates your respiratory system – you start having a sore throat, eyes hurt etc. They should definitely use something else for cleaning. There are so many other things available nowadays. Plus, chlorine is really bad for your health.8) On the photos, the rooms seem spacious and filled with light. It is not true. They are quite small and dark. Not much light coming in.9) In my room, a part of the shower was disassembled so I had nowhere to put my shampoo or shower gel. Really uncomfortable to crouch all the time to grab the necessary thing.10) There was water leakage in the bathroom! At least 3 (!) times the bathroom floor was flooded. There are some spaces between the floor and the wash basin and WC where the water came from. I informed the staff about the problem and they told me they would call the maintenance. I have no further information if something was done about it or not.My stay there ended before it was fixed.11) The rooms are quite pricey. This is what I was also told later on by some locals.I was told that I could have got a better deal somewhere else.12) Near the beach, when you walk along the coastline, you see a lot of garbage. Should be cleaned up as it ruins the impression. There is also an underground tunnel leading to the beach that smells really badly. Luckily, you can also use the pedestrian crossing.13) When you decide to use the train, it is hard to find where to buy the ticket. The place where they sell tickets is hard to locate and is actually underground! It is open only limited hours during work days (for example, it is also closed from 12:00 till 13:00). During the weekend, it is completely closed so to buy a ticket you have to use use a ticket vending machine. Both of them were faulty, so I ended up buying the same ticket 3 (!) times. One of them, the less faulty, gets you by. When I was down there during the weekend I saw lots of lost tourists. Luckily, some locals helped us out. Plus, you have to validate the ticket every time before you board the train at a special green-red validation machine. At Sao Pedro (do Estoril), it is located underground but at other stations it is often above the ground at the rail station. Remember, to validate the card you have to place the entire card on the validation area the green side facing you! Otherwise it will not work.The train station is not well-kept, especially the underground part looks like ghetto with lots of graffiti and dirt. it looks creepy. The train stations are generally in a very poor state in Portugal.
User:JoannaK2310
Trip type: Friends getaway
Decent affordable accommodation close to the beach
09 Aug 2016
We wanted to stay close to Cascais for one night before heading to Lisbon, so we picked this place. I have to admit we did not know anything about it, so we were pleasantly surprised to hear about the foundation and the great job they are doing with the children. Our room was very decent, small but clean and facing the ocean. We had our own bathroom with plenty of towels for the two of us. The breakfast was rather basic but decent too. The busy beaches of Cascais were only 10 min by car which was convenient. Ricardo (the receptionist) was amazing, the friendliest person I've met. The rest of the staff we met were great too. Overall a nice experience, would definitely recommend it.
User:RitaM0919
Trip type:
A hidden treasure - fabulous find!
28 Sept 2015
This isn't a hostel; this is a hidden treasure. Funacao O Seculo has many amazing features, and I'll capture as many as I can.First, and highest on the list, is the staff. Riccardo should be a private trip planner. He is personable, caring, and does it all. He arranged for reliable taxis, recommended fabulous restaurants, and even planned a one day excursion for us. I've stayed at 5-star resorts with less support from highly decorated concierges. He is reason enough to go to FOS! The rest of the staff was delightful as well - from the kitchen to the guards - top notch.Second, Social Consciousness. FOS is not just a hotel/hostel - its a foundation and an orphanage. You'd never know, but they have several children living onsite. And the profits from the hostel, the cafeteria, and even a laundry service they run, all go to supporting these children and creating better lives for them. And every member of the staff wears that service with pride.Third, the location. FOS is located a 5 minute walk from the train to Lisbon (20 minute ride), a 30 minute drive from Sintra and a 20 minutes drive from Cascais. It is also located right across the road from the beach - the Atlantic Ocean. Waking up on the other side of the ocean was so lovely, and being so close to Lisbon at a fraction of the price was fabulous. There are grocery stores, restaurants and convenience stores in walking distance, and, because of the children on property, there is incredible security.The Room: We stayed in a quaint room facing the ocean with a private bathroom. It was done in a beach resort style. Not huge, but very serviceable. Amenities were basic, and fresh towels were provided daily. Television was in English. The cafeteria: Not a restaurant, but truly a 'grab-your-tray" cafeteria. Nothing fancy, so don't go there expectingeggs and bacon. Breakfast consisted of fresh bread, coffee (I recommend you pay extra for the fresh one, avoid the machine), fruit, cheese, and ham. Fresh water, yogurt, butter and jam were available. Everything was fresh and tasty, and enough to hold you through lunch.I will never claim this to be equivalent to a luxury hotel, but the location, the price and the staff made it 10 stars in my book. I stay in a hotel for the location and the convenience. I want it clean and serviced. In this case, we got all of that, plus an amazing staff on top of it. And it felt really good to know we were helping a better cause.About the town: Estoril is a fabulous beach town 20 minutes via train from Lisbon. There is a casino, many restaurants, and a decent beach within walking distance of the hotel
User:Madalena O
Trip type: Solo travel
nice surprise
05 Jun 2015
I was there for one night in my trip around Lisbon and I had a great surprise. From the beginning I was very well received, I booked a bed at the lowest price (8 euros) in a room with several beds and they offered me a bed in a free room, to have more privacy :). the room was clean, the bathroom as well. They have a nice terrace and a cozy open space. It's close to the beach, the staff was nice and helpful. The food from the canteen wasn't so tasty but overall they are doing a great job. Congrats!
Estoril, Estoril Coast
About Turismo Do Seculo Fundacao O Seculo
User Rating & Reviews
05 Aug 2018
15 Jun 2017
09 Aug 2016
28 Sept 2015
0204 505 9777