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Albufeira Hotels and Apartments A - C

Hotel Aldeia - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Self booked - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Jayne - 35,47

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we arrived at the Aldeia we weren't sure we had the correct hotel for what we had paid. It was too nice! Staff were helpful, room was lovely, clean and spacious. Breakfast was good with plenty of choice.Hotel was right in the centre of the strip so plenty to do.Can't believe some people were moaning about the noise. If you wanted a peaceful holiday you wouldn't pick a hotel right in the strip.

We are planning to visit again next year.

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Hotel Aldeia - Albufeira

Operator and Date: June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Lynn & Michael, Glasgow  (37 & 47)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in the Aldeia for 10 nights and found it to be very good. The hotel is slightly dated but all areas were cleaned daily and the staff were helpfull. Our room looked over the street which I was quite happy about as I like to watch the world go by. The music from the bars across the road didn't bother us and we slept well each night but I can imagine it might disturb others. The pool area was very large and not very busy so it was nice & relaxing. The hotel sent a car to meet us at the airport for 30e which was a lot less than the airport taxi's. 

There were lots of lovely restaurants and bars within 30 seconds of the hotel entrance and a fabulous little bakery rond the corner. 

I have stayed in lots of hotels and apartments in the albufeira area and I would go back to this one in a minute, you can't beat it for location and facilities suited us perfectly.

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Hotel: Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : (John K - Luton (51,47, 11, 8)):

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Arriving at the Alfagar at 11:30 am, we were looking forward to getting into the apartment.We were up at 3am to catch our early morning flight only to encounter our first disappointment.

Like other people on our transfer coach , we were amazed to be told by the reception staff that the apartments would be ready some time between 14.00:16.00 !!! - First Choice Rep failed to mention this on the coach. There was then the un-dignifying spectacle of families, opening suitacases in reception trying to find swimming costumes - among underwear etc. This is the 6th year running I have travelled with First Choice to various resorts and this has never happened before, the last 2 years with the same time flight from the UK to Faro - some warning would have been appreciated, so a seperate bag could have been packed. At this time we tried to book a late check out room for the date on departure (not a option when booking holiday), to be told this could only be done at 10am on the morning of departure - as you had to be out of the apartment by 11am, this meant you would have to pack anyway as the late check out was not guaranteed - come the morning we were told that we could not have a late check out. Why they are unable to tell you this, say 48 hours before your departure day, is beyond me!!

Our apartment was quite spacious and clean. There were some minor complaints, no washing up bowl, plug missing in the kitchen sink,hardly any cups and a bathroom light not working.The swimming pools were excellent, but you would be lucky to find a sunbed after 9:30am.

The next morning we had our meeting with the First Choice Reps, whose main mission seemed to me ,was to convince everyone that we should pay extra to sit together on the return flight. Most people I met didn't fall for this and like us we had no problems sitting together, as in previous years.I mentioned to the Rep that we had to wait for 4 hours to get into the apartment, she dismissed this by saying that a 14.00 check in was now becoming standard on the Algarve and anyhow that was printed in the terms and conditions of our holiday booking.

Like most people we like to eat out, and usually take a taxi. This was a nightmare, apparently there are only 70 plus taxis to cover our resort.Everynight there was a long queue at reception waiting for a taxi,you could wait up to 1 hour.Reception charged 0.50 euros to book a taxi, which they done via the Internet -

previous holidays at other locations in the Algarve this was free.

About a mile you came to the strip, which was very tacky, neon lights.Places like the Old English Chippy and Lord Nelson etc, didn't visit myself as we like to eat at traditional Portguese restaurants.

We went to Albuferia Old town(15 mins taxi), where there is a mixture of new and old.We found a number of good restaurants and were able to buy presents and gifts from the numerous shops in Albufeira.The other nights we dined near the apartments as we couldn't be bothered to queue for a taxi.We found some nice restaurants, but unlike the Old Town, there was nowhere to wander around afterwards.We would wander back to the apartments for the entertainment !! - another disapointment.Obviously entertainment does not feature highly on the Alfagar budget - mainly solo singers/karoke/Irish Night.

There were a number of wild/hotel dogs running around the grounds every day - who we saw being fed by the staff.Quite often you would see them come to the edge of the pool for a drink.One morning I encountered 5 of them running around together as a pack, who were fighting among themselves.They surrounded a woman who was putting her towels on a sunbed, she was very frightened as a pack they seemed very aggressive.One of the dogs attempted to tug one of the towels she was carrying, it seemed to me that the wrong reaction from her could have triggered some sort of response from the dogs, luckily they were distracted and moved away.One can only guess what could have happened if a young child found him/her self in the same situation.

Needless to say I will not be returning to these Apartments or Resort.

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Hotel: alfagar apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: airtours august 07

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Mark, Tracy, Darryl, Ryan 43, 44, 15, 13

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this complex is in a lovely location ,very good for young families. has all you need ,no air con though,so windows open when warm at night. however if you are a light sleeper and get a room away from the sea /cliff side you will be woken up by dustbin men at about 2am and builders on alfagar 2 at 8am good luck! also you can wait up to 1 hour after 7 pm for a cab to town centers or walk about 25 to 30 mins which can get a bit tiring.on the whole none of this spoilt our holiday, it is a lovely place. old town is best to eat quality food bye the sea, fish can be cheapest meal & freshist try cataplana!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: My Travel - July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Cathy McKeague - Co Antrim (35,31,16,15,6)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We are only home from a 2 week holiday staying at the Alfagar Apartments.  On arrival at our apartment we were overwhelmed with the views overlooking the sea and pool from one of our 2 balconies.  The apartment was clean and spacious and within close proximity to the supermarket, bar and restaurant.

The weather was very hot which made the 20 minute walk to the strip exhausting.  We took a taxi most of the time which can be up to about 5 euros.

We enjoyed walking around the strip but the Old Town was wonderful with a square in the middle with entertainment and restuarants and side streets all around it.  I have to recommend The Bank restaurant at the Old Town, staff were very friendly and the food was delicious.

El Rancho at the strip is another good restaurant. I got sea bass one night with the head and tail still on it.  It had to go back and get decapitated before I could eat it!

Zoo Marine is worth a visit.  Its a great day out with dolphin and seal lion shows.  There is an aquariam which holds 2 10ft long sharks.  Bit scary being so close to them.  Slide and Splash is also a good day out although make sure you put on plenty of sun cream!

At around 10pm we would have returned to the outside bar at our complex which had pool tables, air hockey, and a park for the kids. There was also a games room below the inside bar.  Entertainment would have consisted of Portugese dancing, a Buddy Holly lookalike trying to sing 60s songs with a Portugese accent.  There were also karaoke nights where the host would have said after every song 'You have a future!', I don't think that was the case for most of us.

The complex is family friendly, entertainment finished around 12am.

We will definitely be returning to the Alfagar Apartments.  Need to start saving!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: My Travel - July 07

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Karen & Jeff, 44

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first time to the Algarve and booked this holiday through My Travel and were told it was 4 star - but in fact it was 3 star accommodation - that is the only complaint (and the cockroaches!!).

Everyone from the cleaners to reception are friendly and helpful.

The complex is gorgeous - with 3 pools and some apartments with sea views - we were lucky and had a sea view. The rooms are spacious enough with plenty of storage space and even an iron and ironing board - but who wants to iron when on holiday!

The complex was quiet at night which is great if you have young children. The bar snacks were great if you wanted breakfast or a light lunch. They have entertainment at night - but you would be better off going to the Strip or Old Town for entertainment!!

There are two lots of steps (but not ideal for people with walking difficulties or drunk - as there is only a rope stopping people from falling over the cliff!) but once down the steps you face the fantastic beaches which were not jam packed with sun worshippers and there are plenty of coves to choose from or the long sandy beach - but be warned the sea is freezing!

On our first night we decided to go to the strip which you can either take a 20 minute walk or order a taxi from reception (.80 cents) and usually costs 3 Euros. We didn't think much of the Strip (livens up more after 11pm) but did have a really nice meal and found a music bar that played really good music.


The Old Town was the best - the taxi costing 5 Euros or an hour's walk from the apartments - with something going on every night in the square for all ages - Peruvian musicians, puppeteers, Portuguese singers and musicians but the best were a Norwegian band who entertained with a mixture of songs and brass instruments.

There are some really nice restaurants around the square too - Bravissimo, Pampas, the Bank and also Oceano on the sea front. The food in all of these restaurants was fantastic - and not all served chips which was great!

There are plenty of lively music bars and some do amazing cocktails -and served with fireworks and 3ft straws!

The only trip we did was to the Zoomarine - which is great for all ages, with shows of dolphins, seals and birds of prey - there is also a swimming pool and fairground rides for kids.

The resort caters for all nationalities and would definitely go back again and more than likely stay at the Alfagar even though it's a distance from the Strip and Old Town but not enough to put anyone off when you can either walk or catch a taxi.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel / Airtours March 2007

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Norma 61 ; Robert 59

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Weather was variable but cold during the evenings.
Accommodation was excellent, very clean and the maid came in every day to sweep floors and remove rubbish.A small portable heater was available which was needed as evenings were chilly with a cold wind.Plenty of extra bedding was at hand.
Bar area, meals and entertainment were all good and suited us fine especially as it is a bus or taxi ride into Albufeira and after a full day it was just what we wanted.
Beach was easy access down some steps and was excellent, clean and quiet.
Mini- market was well stocked with various requirements.
Excursions with tour reps were very good and would recommend "West is best tour" it was very interesting and rep was informative.
Would recommend to all ages and will definately return. 

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice - 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : 30,24,2,1

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is the worst hotel i have ever been to.on arriving at the alfagar we checked into our rooms.2 lights werent working,one was hanging off the wall.we went and reported these to the reception.these are big spacious apartments but are dirty,mouldy out of date,and have paint chips off the walls.The bathroom is absolutely discusting,there was mould on the roof,the bath,the tiles,the bath leaked,the tiles are cracked, it really is discusting.the maid came the day after we arrived and that was it until the day before we went and only because we complained they hadnt been.we ended up sweeping and mopping ourselves.

the sheets never got changed the whole week we were there and the towels only once.on the door in the apartment it says the cleaner would come 5 days a week,and when i quieried this i got told that this was only for certain tour operators.do not go here,ive taken photos and am complauining.ive got to complain now home as aparanly we had two reps but we didnt see either of them,we got a card through our door to inform us of our pick up time before we left and even this said the wrong time,by 2 hours.

the only good thing about this apartment is its grounds and kids play area,apart from that it should be rated as a 1 star apartment. 

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - October 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Joanne and Lynda (31,61) LANCASHIRE

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We are a mother and daughter who holiday together. This holiday was booked after using this site as we had never seen a bad review. We can only agree with most of the remarks previously made,however when we arrived at the apartment we were not told the door had four! deadlocks to be opened, it took quite a lot of sorting on our part, also we were not aware that the electricity comes on only when the key fob is inserted into the flashing box by the door.We have only experienced this in Crete where it was explained. We had requested a room with sea view which we got but the balcony was very small, hardly enough room for two of us to be on there together!

However the holiday was very enjoyable with the old town being our favourite. We went on a few trips, Zoomarine being very good and the Best of the West also a good day, out from 8.30am to 6.30pm. Be warned if you are given a free trip to Algarve Shopping..very small shopping mall with rather exclusive shops after you have sat through a demonstration of...an ORTHOPAEDIC BED!!!

All in all the ALFAGAR apartments are well recommended, the supermarket was adequate, the pool bar food was very good and the gardens and pool areas very clean.

One more thing to mention.. It is illegal for anyone to flag a TAXI down on the street. Taxi's must be either booked from your hotel reception (usually at a cost of 80 cents for the call) or picked up at a designated Taxi rank.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Sinclair - 57, 53

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is our 2nd visit to the Alfagar Apartments. The apartments are in a beautiful location although quiet and a little out of the way they have lovely sea views and direct access to the beach. The St Eulalia beach is lovely and clean where you will find the Atlantico Bar which serves tasty lunches and is in a beautiful setting.

The apartments are location between the resorts of Praia Da Oura and Olhos D'Agua.Praia Da Oura (and the 'strip')are about 20 minutes walk away but only 4 euros in a taxi. Old town Abuferia (Fishermans Beach)is about 1 hours walk away but costs less that 5 euros in a taxi. You have to book the taxi from the reception when going out but can easily 'flag' one down to come home.

Olhos D'Agua takes about 30 minutes to walk to but is worth a visit. It is only small but again has lovely beach views and little snack bars where you can sit for a drink.

The Alfagar complex is very well kept and always clean. It has 3 swimming pools, 2 near the snack bar and one overlooking the sea. There seemed to be quite a few small children when we were ther which was late Septmeber. Our last visit was early March but was very quiet then. The apartments themselves are very clean but only basic, not made for comfort though plenty of room. The weather was between 25 to 28 degrees all week with a little cloud and a couple of small showers but nothing to spoil the holiday.

The Alfagar snack bar is not very good and quite boring in the evenings. The evening restaurant which is seperate looks quite nice and was busy but we never ate there. It depends what you are looking for. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to visit if you like to walk into the towns.

We found the best bar was Wild & Co at the bottom of the strip which usually had live bands on about 10pm. They had a happy hour before 8pm but after that the prices doubled but it was still worth it. The best food was in El Rancho which was just opposite. If you are thinkig are visiting the world famous Linekar's Bar on the strip then don't bother - it is rubbish, old and tatty. We were surprised and disappointed!

In Albuferia old town the best restaurants were O Tunel which is on the steps just by the tunnel which leads down to the beach. The staff, owner, service and food were all excellent. They serve Cataplana for 1 person which is absolutely delicious. Well worth a visit. A really 'cool' bar is The Bank. The bar top is made of ice and really does keep your drinks cool! Another nice restaurant is the Caves one, just off the main square. It is an old wine cellar with hundreds of old bottles of wine still stored there. The food is surprisingly good but nothing too elaborate. There is usually some entertainment in the suqare each night - Peruvian Band, Puppets, Live Music etc. The square has changed in the last couple of years and looks quite upmarket now with new bars and restaurants. There are door staff on all the bars so definately no trouble at all and everyone was very well behaved, a good family atmosphere. 

If you are thinking of going to the Alfagar then look on first choice website as the proices are quite good, especially if you are booking quite late.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Keith  Angela  Ashleigh  Lucy (45, 42, 11, 8)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from a great 2 week holiday, wanted to add our bit following a read up of some negative comments from earlier holidaymakers. We have nothing but praise for the Alfagar apartments, fab setting (much bigger grounds than we'd pictured), 3 pools to choose from,ideal/safe for kids, plenty of sunbeds, space around the site, apartment and the grounds well looked after, clean tidy etc. Bar/food on site good, great staff, however nite time entertainment pretty dodgy (so bad it's funny.)We headed for other areas most nights - it wasn't that funny!).
Heard very little on site after midnight/1am or so. Very family orientated.

From Alfagar it's about 20 min walk to "the Strip", plenty of great bars/restaurants/shops, loads of activity.(Taxi back 5 euros, includes tip!). From the Strip you can take train ride (runs every 20 mins, pick up situated about halfway up the Strip) through to the Old Town, even more impressive with its busy streets, loads of live music, great buzz about the place.
Great contrast and choices to the holiday, quiet apartment/site setting, but plenty of activity within easy reach if you prefer it.
Nearby beach is superb. Alfagar is situated on cliff tops (beautiful setting). 90 or so steps down to the beach if you use access right next to the Alfagar, however there is an easier way to get there if you follow the route you would take to get to the Strip, but take a left turn about half way (it's signposted).

This was our first holiday in Portugal. We've loved every minute of it. Beautiful country, great people, family friendly apartments/resort, too many good restaurants to name, can't praise it enough!!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Helen - Sheffield (46, 40, 13, 11)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Spacious apartments, well equipped, good 3 star. British were main culprits at sunbed reservation (towels there by 9.00am - not used until after lunch) WHY? enough sunbeds around.  Lovely beach, steps tricky if you have any walking difficulties.  Strip (main area) about 20 mins walk - fine for us but a bit far there and back for younger children. Plenty of restaurants, strip gets quite busy but that is to be expected in August and the Portugese holiday starts 2nd week in August.

Zoo marine worth a visit - again bit of queuing and waiting for shows (check the timetable for each show and go about 30 mins before show starts) - not a problem for our kids but not so sure about little ones.We took food and water but it wasn't a rip-off there (ice creams cheaper than hotel 1.60 euro)  There is the chance to swim with dolphins - you will need to book this well in advance over the internet (135 euro I think).

Caught the bus to the market (Albufeira first and last Tuesday each month) - busy and it seems everything was 5 euro!! walked to old town for lunch - tried to get taxi back - impossible! You can't flag taxis down you have to go to the taxi rank.  14 families in front of us, 3 taxis in 40 minutes in 38 degree heat - not funny! We decided to see if there was a bus and found the crazy train which took us back to the strip.

We really enjoyed our time here, entertainment was verging on hysterical it was soooo bad! It was safe for our children who had the freedom to wander off and make friends as the complex was big enough but not massive.

I would recommend these apartments to families or couples wanting a relaxing peaceful holiday who don't mind being away from the bustle but like to know it's there if you want it!

The First Choice rep tried to get us to pay to book our seats together on the return flight stating that we would avoid the queue etc etc - Utter Rubbish!  Of course you have to queue with everyone else to check your luggage in before you get your boarding cards! We did not pay, arrived with everyone else and sat together - don't fall for it! 

Happy Holidays! - Don't forget yer sunscreen!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Becky Proctor Huddersfield (18,18,18,18,18,17

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was the first time i had been abroad with only my friends and therefore was really looking forward to it. We had booked the holiday via the internet as we found it cheaper by doing this.

When we arrived we found the complex to be very big and bigger than what was expected. As we had arrived early, the apartment was not yet ready so therefore had to go for a wander. We found the complex to be very nice with landscaped gardens and a lovly veiw from the back of the complex which was situated on the top of the cliffe.
Once in the aprtment i was quite impressed as it had a well equiped kitchen with cooker, hob, kettle and fridge. The only problem was that the fridge wasn't working at first although once reported was fixed within a short space of time.

As there was six of us we all shared one aptment but there was still plenty of room, there was two balconies and plenty of seating areas. The aprtments were also very clean and of a good standard, although some aspects were slightly run down as the bath was abit tarnished although this didn't bother any of us!
The aprtments are situated about 25mins walk from the strip so we used to get a taxi into the resort on a night and then just walk back. Taxi's were easy to access as they would order you one from reception, they cost about 4 euros but somtimes there was a big queue so that meant you were waiting around somtimes.
The strip is nice and has plenty of places to eat and drink. There is a good night life if you are not majorily into clubbing and just out for abit of dancing and drinking in a bar. We enjoyed going to a place called linekars, which had some very good looking men outside taking you in to give free shots and chat you, so no complaints there. There was also another little bar called paradise which was also reasonable and did good cocktails with sparklers.
There is also an old town which is more of a quiet town althopugh there are nice restaurants and souvenir shops to look at.

The beach is situated near to the aprtments as the complex has it own private access down some steps, although they are very steep when walking back up!!!

All in all this was a brilliant holiday and i would recomend any group of young people or families or couples to go because there is somthing for every one and the accomodation is good value for money!
I would definatly love to go back again!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Karen & Jason (29, 29)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first time in Portugal and booked the Alfagar using this site and the reviews, which were somewhat mixed but the majority being very accurate.

The complex is great - a real village feel with wonderful grounds and the views from the cliff walk are fantastic.

The apartments themselves are spacious and clean, however I do think they could do with a bit of an overhaul on the colour front - yellow and orange walls with blue and white pot wall lights was quite an eyeopener!  The kitchen was fantastic - new, very clean and very well stocked.  The only thing I would say which I did mention to the people in reception was that the lighting was very poor apart from in the bathroom - but this was a very minor concern and I must say only bothered me (being the female and wanting to put on makeup in some kind of light!), my husband had no problem with it at all!!!  One really good thing is that they had an iron and ironing board in the apartment and therefore we didn't need to buy one of those useless travel irons that take an age to heat up and then seem to crease clothes more than they were to start!

The shop on site is really good - really well stocked and not overly priced at all.  The supermarket however is just over the road if you can't find what you want there - which would amaze me if you couldn't.

There are three pools one which overlooks the sea, one 'main' pool with a kiddies section and a pool for the children where there are games etc..  The pools are lovely and clean and there are plenty of sunbeds especially around the main pool.  I must say however that the sunbeds around the smaller 'slightly quieter' pool were always 'towel booked!' by about 8:30 which is really annoying as some people didn't arrive there until way past 11am.  On a personal note I think that people shouldn't be able to put towels down until they are ready to lie there - I find it extremely selfish and unnecessary.

Anyway enough of my rant about something which is rife everywhere and is actually not about the Alfagar itself!

The downside to the resort, which if you don't venture out much could be a big deciding factor is the bar and entertainment.  As mentioned in a review earlier "it's so bad it's good" is about spot on. The entertainment is appalling although they do try!  I actually have to disagree with a number of the comments below and say that the food was awful - cold and the majority of it cooked in an awful fat that tasted like it had been around for days - like the old deep fat fryers that were about.  There was little or no Portuguese offerings and most of the food was very 'British', so must have been annoying to the Dutch and German contingent!  The drinks as well are double the price as they are in the bars about 10 minutes down the road.

This didn't affect us too much though as we love to eat out in different restaurants and drink in different bars.  The following which I would recommend.  For friendly Portuguese bar staff I would recommend Eddy's Bar and the 'Rock Bar' on the corner (out of the complex, turn left and they are on the first roundabout you come to on the left hand side).  For English food (if this is what you are after) - Annabels is great for breakfasts and so is the Country Cockerel Kitchen - the pies are all home made and are beautiful - this place also has no TV's which is extremely rare in Albufeira - especially with the World Cup going on!!!  The 'Royal' Chinese - just along from the Alfagar is one of the nicest Chinese's I have had in a long time.  For Portuguese food the Sardine Pate and crispy rolls are a must and are completely divine - the steaks are lovely and the fish in the majority of Portuguese restaurants (the ones we ate in anyway) was delicious.

The steps to the beach were fine - might be a bit tricky if you have pushchairs or are slightly immobile but if you walk out of the resort and turn left there is a turning on the left signposted St. Eulalia Beach and this would be alot easier (about 5 minutes walk).  The beaches were lovely, especially liked the one by the resort as it was clean and very undercrowded.  The sea was freezing but warmed up once your body temperature adjusted to the shock!

Montechoro or the 'new town' is about a 30 minute stroll away (4/5 euros in a taxi) - not at all like Ayanapa, Maguluf or Las Americas in Tenerife so if you are after this kind of nightlife it wouldn't appeal.  Loads of bars and restaurants - but be careful in the 'club' type places as the prices are quite steep.

The Old Town is beautiful and even with the building works, (not small by any stretch of the imagination)the charm is undeniable and well worth the 1hr walk from the apartments.  I would recommend getting up and walking down in the morning and catching the 'train' back (2 euros pp) or the bus.

I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the Algarve again, we might next time venture to somewhere less 'British' (i.e. didn't feel the need to have to watch Eastenders/Emmerdale or Big Brother everyday), but this is personal choice.  If we did go back to Albufeira then I would definitely stay at the Alfagar again.  The majority of people in Portugal were wonderful - really made you feel that they welcomed you there rather than just put up with the tourists!!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : John Brown - Mirfield (39,38,8,3)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Great apartments not too far from the old and new town.Good food at the bar and located a short walk form a great beach.
Went to Zoomarine for the day well worth a visit, interesting coach trip on the way there getting to see the hotels/appartments others were stopping in ???. Dont belive everything they say about the strip, we went twice and found it quiet up to about 9pm.
Good food eating out, try the Sizzling stone(new town) for great steaks and Riccardos(pizza)in the old town.
Going again next year but making it two weeks as everyone was sad to come away after only a week.
If its your first time to Albuferia then dont go anywhere else but the Alfagar (as used by all the staff at the travel agent we used).

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: firstchoice april 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : helen,robertson,coatbridge 43, 36, 16

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

alfagar apartments were the best ive been to in portugal and only got back this morning and trying to book up again,the staff were very friendly and the barman MANUEL was really nice with everyone,the surrounds were beautiful and we went into the strip a few times for just 4 euros in a taxi,but there wasnt any need to go out the complex cause they had entertainment everynight and it was very good and not that expensive to eat or drink in the complex and really good view of the beaches from the cliffs.we ate a few times in coyote ugly bar just minutes from our apartments and it was 2euros and fifty cents for your english breakfast and just accross the road was very good chinese and the meals were beautiful and very reasonable priced for example 6 of us ate and it was 55euros, but we also bought sausages out of the supermarket and ate them a few days. i would advise people to buy a fone card for just 5euros and its well worth it,

i will be back hopefully in sept,but definetly april next year,lots of golfers stay in they apartments and have been goin there for years  

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Late Holiday Booking - March 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : David & Eileen - 60, 59

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Alfagar apartments are set in lovely well-kept gardens. Our apartment was very nice - ground floor with a huge living/dining room, large kitchen with everything you could need, nice bedroom with plenty of storage space, large bathroom - with lots of hot water, and a patio with sunbeds, 4 chairs and a table. Going in March meant that it was a bit cooler at night, but there were plenty of blankets, and we also had a small radiator which we moved into the bedroom at night.

There are tennis courts and two pools. There is also a children's playground and pool. I think I would be very wary at taking very young children, especially if your apartment is near the cliff - there isn't a fence, and the drop is sheer in places. You'd have to have eyes in the back of your head!

If you walked out of our patio doors and across the lawn, you come to the Alfagar's path around the cliff - lovely views, and a couple of different ways of getting down to a very nice beach. It's not too bad getting down to the beach - there are good steps and paths - with a seat half way if you really needed a rest! We were told that you can walk along the beach to the Fisherman's village at low tide, but the tide never seemed low enough while we were there. (Get a tide table from reception.)

The Alfagar restaurant had a small menu, but the food was excellent. You could also get snacks - burgers, etc.

The mini-market was well stocked with a fair range of food, and the prices were reasonable. There is a large supermarket just a few minutes up the road from the Alfagar (towards Vilamoura).

It takes about 20 minutes to walk into Albufeira. There are some nice restaurants, but we were not keen on such a busy commercial resort. The Chinese restaurant just as you get into Albufeira is excellent, and good value for money.

The old town was better - that's another 30 minutes walk, but you could get a taxi, or catch the "Wally Trolley" which goes around the resort. Unfortunately we did not see the old town at it's best. They were renewing the sewers (EC regs!) and the old cobbled street were being dug up, but not just a street at a time - they just seemed to have dug up the whole lot at once!

It's easy to catch a bus (timetable from reception) to Lagos - we stayed near there about 9 years ago), or Faro. Buses are really very comfortable coaches. Faro is worth going to see. The old town is next to the Marina, and has lots of lovely buildings. If you go to the Tourist Office next to the old Town Arch, they will give you a free map of Faro (old and new towns) and a walking tour guide. There's a Wally Trolley here too which will take you around many of the old buildings - it stops for a few minutes at each place to let you take photos, etc.

Beware of the time share people who tell you are not time share - don't believe them. You will always win the star prize when they give you a ticket - they pretend to be amazed that you've won!

We would go back to the Alfagar again. It was well run by a family who were very helpful. 

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Feb 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Mark Kemp - Sheffield (32,34)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Me & my wife spent a week  in the Alfagar Apartments in balaia (Albuferia). The site was great as it was set on the cliff top and the steps down to the beach certainly keep you fit. The apartments are very clean, but slightly dated decoration. The problem we had at this time of year (end Feb) was the apartments were really cold and all they had was an oil fired radiator to heat the place. You also need a jacket, as when the wind blows and at night it does drop colder.

The Alfagar run a bus service into old albuferia at 50 cents each either way, which was a great way to get around. Taxis are fair on there prices aswell.

You can walk into Albuferia from the Alfagar and it takes about 20-30 mins and is about 3-5 kms I think. There are bigger supermarkets in and around Albuferia which are allot cheaper. We tended to eat in as we found the meals fairly expensive and not that much choice.Overall a really nice week and would think about going back to the Alfagar for a quick break again.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Michelle Leeds (42,36,15)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we booked the Alfragar Apartments I was worried we would be away from everything  because of the ariel view shown in the brochure.  However we were pleasantly surprised how good its location was.  We enjoyed the benefit of our own beach during the day where we could relax, swim, snorkle and play on the dingy and then go up to the complex and sit by 1 of the 3 pools for the remainder of the day.  We never had a problem with sun lounger, space etc.  The strip was a 15 min walk away or a 5 minute taxi journey for 4 euro.  It has lively bars and great restaurants, Cafe Med is well worth a visit, just look for the pop corn man who does a little dance in between sales.  I would highly recommend the Alfragar its a wonderful place with lovely staff and amenities.  The resort is lovely, clean and well worth a visit.  We will definately go back.  Highly recommended for people with children as on site entertainment is available, its that bad its enjoyable.  As a couple with a 15 year old we all loved it....

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice Oct 05

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Christine (40, 43, 69, 70)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Very nice complex of apartments, very good beach access and nice pool area's, only problem was ants in the apartments, but sprayed as soon as we reported this, and the rainy weather at that time probably did not help.

Staff at the alfagar friendy and entertainment fairly good, depending on the crowd in the bar, as the strip is very quiet at the end of Oct.

Other people we met at the complex very friendly, and all had visited the Alfagar on a number of occasions, Will go back again in January for a few days as the Alfagar appears to be open year round, and can be booked direct and separate from your flight.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours-October23-30 2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Alan Coates - Mossley =, Lancashire 56, 54

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Good situation on the cliff top, pretty gardens. Nice swimming pools. Apartment very spacious, clean and sufficiently well equipped.Beautiful beach at the bottom of the cliff steps - well worth the walk down (and back up!). Satisfacory restaurant (other very good restaurants in walking distance on the road in teh direction of Vilamoura) and bar and reaonably well stocked shop. Staff friendly and helpful, Budget car rental on site provide good cars at reasonable prices but do take out the full insurance option (no excess payable in the case of an accident!)

All in all a very enjoyable firat trip to Portugal. We will definitely go back (probably at the same time of year (don't fancy the crouds in high season).

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - October 2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Peter,46   Jane,41     Emma, 13

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have recently returned from Portugal, We stayed in Portugal for a week and the weather was rubbish, we didnt expect glorious sunshine all week but we only got about 2 days of sunshine.Where the hotel is situated is quite poor, it is a about a twenty to thirty minute walk to the strip where you will find bars and restraunts, but we didnt really like the strip, there wasnt too much to do there and we personally didnt think any of the restraunts looked that good, so we got a taxi into the old town nearly every night, well worth a visit and bout 4 to 5 euros in a taxi. There they were more nicer restraunts to choose from and more entertainment all round. 

Would recommend if you like Indian to try the Indian nights tondoori restraunt, it was lovely and we went there twice. That is in the old town up the a little side street. If you ask someone for directions it is quite easy to find.

The apartments themselves we found were quite basic not the nicest ones we have been in.The apartments were ideal for those that stay in all day aand night and cook every meal in there because there was a lot of self catering kitchen equipment. The maid service was quite good and the grounds were beautiful.The place was full of Germans and the entertainment was very poor. 

We had brakfast one morning in the bar area and it was disgusting, the bacon was all fat and undercooked and the sausage was german sausage, there were 3 swimming pools, adults, childs and another one that we didnt look at, we didnt go in any of them as they were too cold. The steps down to the beach were very steep and tiring no good for young children as it isnt very safe. But ounce you are down there the beach is lovely, alougth while we were there the sea was very very rough for the first few days, the red flag was up and the under current was very bad.

Altogether the holiday was OK but there was some downs to it and we deffinately wouldnt go back to that resort.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Ronnie & Frances Curran (51, 45)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first time in Portugal and we were not disappointed. The complex is well laid out and kept spotlessly clean. The staff are all extremely friendly and if you acknowledge them with a small attempt at Portuguese, they really appreciate the effort. Found people all over resort to be very friendly and more accommodating than Spanish and the English speaking from bar staff & waiters to shop assistants and taxi drivers was brilliant. 

Maid service was good and apartments, although basic were sufficient - you even get an iron and ironing board.  Our only gripe was that the couch in the lounge was very uncomfortable, but the beds were OK and rooms had plenty cupboard space - there was even a power shower and no danger of being caught out with water running cold!! New Town about 20-30 mins stroll. Taxis cost 4.25 Euros there and 3.95 back before tip. Same price to Old Town. The 'Strip' is great with choices to suit everyone but the 'Old Town' has a wonderful atmosphere. Our favourites for eating were Portofino in the strip and Casa Nova in the old town. The bread rolls and sardine pate everywhere you go is to die for. Other must haves are Portuguese steaks and 'Cataplana'. Entertainment in complex was so bad it was good!!! They really do try hard. The beach was absolutely superb, scenery breathtaking although the waves can be a a bit rough, drawing the sand from under your feet. 

We have had a brilliant holiday and cannot recommend this highly enough. We will definitely be back.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: august 2005

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : 45,42,15,15,6 

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

would strongly recommend this hotel..

never been to portugal before but will be sure to go back again. hotel staff were lovely,even though there was one cleaner who was rather moody the rest were friendly. all the pool's were alway's cleaned even though it was a rush to get a sunbed which you can understand as it was August.hotel food was a great value for money serving quality food. i would strongly recommend not to have a hena tattoo as a number of people had serious problem's with them. the shop was fantasic everything u need was in there and all at good price's. games room was good for the children but they soon got board. 

evening entertainment was good apart from the country singer OH SO BORING.as our room looked out to the beach the clif was right near us but there is a safety rope ...but as every parent's worry that isn't good enough. old town is short walk away which has great selction of resturant's. depending what type of holiday your going for will depend how much you enjoy it. people who enjoy a relaxing holiday this is the place to be. people who enjoy there night life this isn't the place for them. great holiday will !!!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Karen Lunnon - West London (55, 48, 44, 13, 13, 8.)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Alfagar is in a lovely location, on a cliff top overlooking the beach.There are 90 steps to the beach, not much fun coming back up, but do-able! The on site shop has everything you would need, and not too dear. Fresh bread and rolls are delivered each morning, delicious. We ate dinner in the bar most nights, the meals are lovely. The bar staff are polite, friendly and a right laugh. The entertainment was'nt up to much, but it gave us a laugh. Reception will call you a taxi for 80 cents, you can go into town for 5 euros. the strip is like any sea front, but the old town is lovely, so atmospheric. Unless you don't mind being crushed, give the gypsy market a miss. The apartment was well equipped, we had a huge terrace with a sea view. The sofa bed was so uncomfortable for two, we bought a lilo for smallest chhild to sleep on. 

The apartments are not air conditioned but you can hire fans for 10 euros a week, well worth it. Portugese people are very polite and friendly, we had a lovely holiday and can't wait to go back.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice- July 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Rosie - West Yorks (40,40,15,15,13,12)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was very good they had a bar and 3 swimming pools and nightly entertainment and good services. There was an arcade, the games were good but the walls were battered with where people had stuck there pool sticks in the wall!!! The entertainment was great except from the country singer on Tuesdays I think. The bar staff were very helpful and nice.
The nearby bars and restaurants were nice . The Old Town had bars and it came alive on a night with street entertainers and music and things. In the daytime that was nice with little gift shops and hair braiding things. The strip was another place which was nearer to out hotel and it lots and lots and lots of bars!!! It had nice restaurants and its a very long road!!! I would recommend you to go there and all ages woulf really enjoy it!!!

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Lorraine Pennycook - Midlothian (44,41,16,13,11)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Alfagar is set in beautiful gardens, we had a spacious two bedroom apartment, (with en-suite) with the most fantastic sea view, fold out bed in lounge was very comfortable, everything was spotlessly clean.
The three swimming pools were gorgeous and very clean, though had to be up very early to be sure of a sunbed being July. On site bar/restauraunt was ok - food was fine but service was slow at times - kids waited one hour and ten minutes for a pizza one night!

The Strip is a half hour walk but you are spoilt for choice once you are there, Coyote Bar (opposite chinese royal at beginning of mini strip) was a favourite, good food, cheap drinks, lovely ice creams and the most friendly staff. For a great 'Scottish' breakfast try the Kilt n Celt, half way down strip, also fantastic steaks.

We would definately recommend Alfagar to everyone , but, would like to point out that at the top of the complex runs the path to the beach. It runs the entire length of the apartments from the top pool to the steps down to the beach. The path is so close to the edge of the cliffs with only a single length of rope between you and a sheer drop! We would have been very nervous had our children been younger. So a word of warning to anyone with a young family! Was surprised no one had already mentioned this on this website.

The Alfagar is a fantastic complex, beautiful , clean, spacious and we would not hesitate in going back again. Lovely place.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : N, D, J and A (38, 36, 6 and 3

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were very excited to be going to this resort having read the reviews on here - whilst agreeing with a lot of it I do have to disagree with some of the things said.
The resort itself is nicely laid out, the pools are good and as one of the two kids doesn't swim, having a childs' pool was invaluable.

The bar and restaurant are pretty poor, with no variety and everything is very catered towards the English. I know this is to be expected, but it would be nice to sample Portugese food if you wanted to. The entertainment was non-existent however we were told that we had come too early for a lot of it.
The strip is no better - it really is home from home!

The grounds are very well looked after and the gardening staff, cleaners etc are very nice. However, the staff in the shop are something else - we went with another family and the joke between us was whether the staff there wanted to kiss us or kill us each morning!

The accommodation itself was very good on first sight - spacious and clean - however, it wasn't long before the ants and the cockroaches moved in! Again, not uncommon wherever you go.
Having said all that, we really enjoyed ourselves, great for families, the kids really loved it, and because of that they weren't on our backs all the time. As you can tell from this, real mixed feelings.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice june 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : 62 37 36 24 21 11 7

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

excellent beach down steps,at the end of beach on the right great beach bar,also close to ocha with lovely beach and clear water,albuferia beach is lovely to,but the best beach is quataria just past vilomoura marina about nearly 20 euro in a cab but well worth a visit great bars on the front and a great gypsy market.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 05

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Titch and Glen,  Zoe and Wayne (23&24 ,26&24)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Accomodation is low rise and is set out really well, everything is close by.
The complex is spotlessly clean and appartments are cleaned daily (but not on the weekends) There is also an iron and ironing board!!!

The onsite shop isn't overpriced either for emergency supplies and other little goodies.

Pools are clean and beds are available most of the day.

Perfect location to the strip 5 euros in a taxi (and that includes a tip)

Definately recommend this place to everyone, families, couples, young people.

The on site bar is o.k, nothing amazing, but thats what the strip is all about.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Alec, Becky, James & Jessie Oldroyd - S.Yorks 48,28,8,5

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked Alfagar as an attempt at "something different from Spain." SOME reviews we read about Alfagar and Albufeira in general caused us some concern... but how wrong they were!

The complex is absolutely wonderful. A sort of Portuguese version of "the village" from the 60s show "The Prisoner" if you like, but thankfully minus the psycopathic beachballs!

Accomodation is low rise blocks, on varied levels aroun two magnificent swimming pools.(of which more anon..)

The apartments themselves are spacious, clean, and have nice touches like typically Portuguese pot wall lights and unusual pictures. The only gripe we had was that (we being good Mummys and Daddys) let the kids sleep on the beds, while we had the fold out sofa bed in the lounge. These things are not the comfiest of things at the best of times, but these ARE a tad on the hard side.

The kitchen is equipped with the usual pots and pans, plus a toaster, kettle and coffee maker. Also you'll find an iron and board in the cupboard, so leave the travel iron at home and use the saved weight for more junk on the way home!

HINT! To make the OVEN WORK, you need to set the timer going. It took me about 10 minutes to fathom this out, but as I said to the kids, I was just seeing if they could solve the puzzle first!

The shop on site is superb. We were fortunate in having the apartment above it, so in a morning it was an easy task to send 8 year old James down for fresh (and we saw it being delivered!) bread. Yes, of course it's a bit dearer than the "Marachinos" supermarkets in the town, but not that much, and of course you don't waste time or energy getting there! The girls who crew the place (from 07:30 to 21:00) are typical of the Alfagar staff - friendly, helpful and cheerful. Incidentally, nearly all the Portuguese people we came in contact with spoke very good English.. we always feel very ignorant in foreign lands if they can make the effort! If you remember that "OBRIGADO!" means "thank you", you will earn that glance from the locals which means that their faith in the English is being restored after the horrors they endured at the hands of our so called football fans last year.

Anyway, back to the complex! The pools are clean, safe and well supplied with sunbeds and parasols. The top pool is for swimmers only, the middle one has a kiddies section (suits non swimming me), and the lower pool is for kids, adjacent as it is to the wonderful play area which itself can be overlooked by parents from the Bar terrace if desired.

The bar itself... coffee to die for, excellent food (try a "Bitoque" - steak with egg and a salad), and, at the risk of getting boring, superb staff. (Hi Viktor, I said I'd get your name on the Internet!)

Drinks at the bar - neither me or my Wife drink that much, so I'm sorry to say we did not sample the offerings, but others there said the drinks on offer were OK by them. There ARE English beers on sale, but the local "Super Bock" does the trick! We also failed (due to kids bedtimes etc.) to sample any of the entertainment, but I can honestly say that we were never kept awake or woken by noise! I'd loved to have seen the Portuguese Elvis though...

There is a restaurant in the complex, but again we did not get a chance to sample this.

A short walk on the clifftop takes you to the (quote from another review)"horrendous steps to the beach". Unquote. OK, there ARE a fair few of them, and yes, one or two could do with replacing, but anyone in a reasonable state of fitness will have no problems. Carrying a buggy up them MAY be a bit taxing, but come on, you're on holiday, what's the rush????????

There is an alternative route - out of the gates, down the road to the "dip", then down a road, but if you're going to complain about steps, then you'll probably moan about the half-mile walk as well! The beach itself is magnificent, with coves, caves and sand the texture of Demerara sugar. One slight warning!! This is NOT the Med., the Atlantic waves can cause quite a serious undertow which scours the sand from under your feet which can be a bit disturbing if you're used to the compacted stuff of the Costa del Sol. Also, Atlantic water is quite a few degrees colder than Med water, especially in April! On the other hand, you don't get the litter, groups of 18-30s sleeping off hangovers on the sunbeds, or find yourself in the midst of 3 conflicting impromptu volleyball matches.

The "new" town is abut 20-30 minutes walk away depending on how many young 'uns you have in tow, and what mood they're in. The Strip was a revelation to me, I was expecting a sort of dual-carriageway boulevard full of drunks and fights afterwhat I'd read elsewhere, but it's basically a mile long one-way street with all kinds of shops, bars, restaurants and cafes along its length, catering for just about any taste you can think of, and a few more besides!

We ate there a couple of times, and recommend the "Restaurante Doris"(kids in stiches at the name!) for excellent food. (Try a Portuguese Steak - just do!) Other establishments that leap out include the Rovers Return on the "other" main road parallel to the Strip, (superb breakfast, signed photos of the cast of Corrie and as much paper and crayons as the kids can handle) and the American Diner at the top end of the strip where the milkshakes and a lifesize Elvis statue take you back to "Happy Days" and "Grease"! My little girl loves these films, and was chuffed to bits when she had her photo taken with the pink-clad waitresses! In typical local style, they stopped rushing around just to be in the photo with her. Portuguese people ignorant and rude????? Not in a million years.

Just before I end, a quick mention about a couple of trips out we did.

Quateria market is worth a look, plenty of rip off designer goods if you want it, but also good local leather, pots and clothing. Just watch out for the "Flash Harry" types, trying to flog you 200 fags - usually 20 fags, and 9 boxes of sand to make the weight up!

Secondly, kids or no kids, go to Zoomarine. If you've got about £100 to spare you can swim with dolphins, but if you havn't, just pay your tenner or so, and have a day watching seals, dolphins, parrots and hawks in shows, and wander around the Aquarium, gardens and shops. Superb place, with no hint of the embarrasing animal exploitation feeling you get at some of these places... the seals especially seemed to be having as much fun as the trainers and spectators!

Whew! I think thats all I need to get off my chest. If you go, and agree with me, tell the world. If you don't agree, tell the management while you're there,  or at least your rep. they really are the most approachable and friendly people.

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Alfagar Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Unijet Discounts) Unijet (first choice)   March 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Leeds  (47,41,15,11)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from the Alfagar appartments which where great. Very clean and the grounds are very well looked after.The 3 swimming pools are also very clean. The appartments have everything you need.
The shop on site is well stocked,with fresh bread and milk every day. The views from the cliff top are fantastic.nb.if you want a sea view you have to pay extra.
The local beaches are super with lovely beach cafes for lunch or coffee.
The Alfagar minibus will take you into Albuferia town for 50 cents and pick you up later.

We all had a great time very relaxing.Would go back again sometime.
These appartments are also suitable for people in a wheelchair as long as you request the groung floor.

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Al Garhb - Gale, Albufeira

Operator and Date: Jamesvillas April2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Shirley Cousins-Cornwall(49, 35,32, 26,7, 4,4)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Although a little out of the way,Gale is a pleasant village.The beaches,10 mins by car, are wonderfull.Local supermarket very good.Welcome pack from Jamesvillas exceptionally good, included bread,soft drinks,wine,beer,cheese cereals, milk etc.

However,we were burgaled on the second night as we slept, all money and possessions on the ground floor stolen.Despite extra bolts put on already very secure LOOKING doors and windows, we suffered another attempted break in on the 5th night.Rep. very helpful,took us to report break-in arranged temp. security measures until maintainance men arrived(it was a bank holiday).This however, ruined totally what should have been a great break.Jamesvillas reps and villas are wonderful, but I would warn everyone to stay away from this area.Sorry!!!

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Apartments Almar - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Palmair - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Andy Carman and Gill Smith - Poole (45)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had read good reviews of these appts and we weren't disappointed when we arrived. We booked a one bed appt and it was massive, it even had a luggage room!
It was on the third floor with a lovely view of the old town. The maid changed the sheets and towels every day and the reception staff were very polite and helpful. 

The 'strip' was very tacky, but the old town was nice, although we were bothered by a few timeshare touts.

We went to Faro but there isn't much to do or see. Wish we had visited Silves instead.

We really recommend the O Veleiro restaurant in the old town. It's about 200 metres back from the 'tunnel'; excellent food and very reasonable prices.

The weather was lovely for late Sept; we didn't see a cloud in the sky all week.

All in all we had an excellent holiday and we wouldn't hesitate to go back to Albufeira and the Almar appts.

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Hotel: Alpinus Apartments - Acoteis

Operator and Date: Independent - Aug 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Tony, Val & Josh 48, 46, 13

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a five night break at the Alpinus. Beautiful apartments, spacious, clean and bright. Excellent facilities. Requested an upper floor pool view and got it. Booked half board. Breakfast was really good, with english sausage and bacon, lovely bread and a toast machine which worked quickly - unusual! Evening meal o.k., barbeque very good. Staff really lovely and friendly. Pool a little bit small but quite adequate and no problems getting sunbeds even in August. Mixture of English, Portuguese and Dutch guests, nice family atmosphere. Evening entertainment - well we don't usually bother but it was really amazing with professional acts most evenings, and very reasonable bar prices, we found it hard to drag ourselves out to the local bars! We would definitely return to the Alpinus.

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Alpinus Apartment Hotel - Albufieira

Operator and Date: Monique - July 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Tiammi Morris - Lincoln (39, 37, 15, 13, 6, 3, 1)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have not long been back from our holiday in Portugal and it was absouloutley brilliant.

Our room was big and so clean. The maids came in every day of the week. We had all the kitchen utensils that we had at home, a stereo and a tv with some english chanels (which included BBC1), but luckily we didnt have time to watch the tele as it was so hot and there was too much to do. We had a balcony that over looked the swimming pool and pool bar. The pool is a bit smaller than we expected but you can still swim or spash about with the kids. every other day the seasons team do activities and competitions. On a tuesday they had a FREE massage for women by the pool and they did pool competitions and water arobics etc. My kids went to the kids club for the first week and they made tons of friends and had loads of fun!

There is a courtesy bus to the beach. The beach is beautiful. Lovely sand, cheap sunbeds etc. The waves were quite big and rapid but they were brilliant to jump in and my 6 year old son loved going through them on his body board. My husband and 15 year old son went on the jet skis and pedloes.

Across the road there is a bar called the hollywood bar. My 15 year old son loved that and he found some other teenagers from Leeds and went with them every night. It does kareoke etc. There is not many English bars round there but about 5 minutes down the road from the hotel we found this bar called The Trotters bar. They had only been open a week when we went there and were from Peckhem, Essex. So look out fot the Only Fools and Horses van outside it.

The entertainment in the hotel is good for adults and kids. Some nights they had it for adults such as singers, dancers and quiz , and some nights it was magicians and seasons did kids entertainent.

My kids especially loved the zoo marine (and my 13 year old daughter swam with dolphins!), the waterslide park, safari adventure, the theme park and the boat trip. There is so much to do!

I would just love to go back one more time especially to say hello  to Jorge (a receptionist) and the bar staff Bruno John Powleo and the chef Del Monte!!!

Highly recomended and a brill 4 star!

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Alpinus Apartment Hotel - Albufieira

Operator and Date: Somewhere to stay - 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Cordon family, Nottingham 12, 12, 14, 34, 36, 38, 40, 66

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a really lovely time. reasonably quiet resort with selection of restaurants within walking distance, a short walk to gorgeous beach, but hotel runs a brilliant shuttle bus several times a day if you don't want the walk.
Apartments were very spacious - we had 2 bed ones with 2 balconies and a big terrace too.
 
Cleanest that I have ever stayed in.

Pool a bit small, but ok, sunbeds available if you wait a few minutes on all days except changeover days. The only people reseving beds and then not using them were british - what can you say?!
Entertainment a bit hit and miss, but something every night and overall better than usual for this kind of hotel. Bar service a bit slow at busy times, but recommend that you tip the bar guy on first day and he will look after you when it is your turn!

A few days with a car wil get you out to some busier places if thats what you want, but this resort was much nicer than most that we visited in that it wasn't as commercially developed as others - it's not hotel-land geared to holiday makers only and there were only one or two british pubs around the resort. recommend for families with not old enough to go clubbing teenagers - they congregated around the pool table and spend good evenings just chatting.

Drive out to Lagos is worth it, really lovely town.

Every single one of us had a great time.

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Alpinus Apartment Hotel - Albufieira

Operator and Date: Self booked, Seasons owner - 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Robert,Susan,Lynsey,Fiona Keith,Leven, 48,44,18,16

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first time in Portugal and we could not have chosen a better place to stay, the level of service was way above what you would normally expect, Entertainment every night, good pool bar, serving snacks, reasonably priced, Excellent restaurants within easy walking distance, Courtesy bus to beach, and tours available from the hotel. Rooftop terrace if you want to escape the children at the pool. All in all a first class holiday.

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Hotel: Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Steve Ciavucco Stoke on Trent (52, 47, 10)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just had two weeks at the Colina, and as a wheelchair user I am very impressed with these apartments. They are huge, with double sliding doors leading to the bedroom, giving easy access all around the bed and through patio doors onto the massive balcony. The views`from our 4th floor room were fabulous. We were able to see the sea as soon as we woke - absolute heaven!

There are disabled toilets in the foyer and in the indoor pool area, and ramps are provided to give access to the outdoor (very cold)pool area. At the time the ramps were makeshift wooden planks, but the building is being upgraded with a new block next door, opening next year.

The cleaners worked very hard keeping all areas of the complex clean, all the staff were extrenely friendly and helpful, and the food available was at the pool was reasonably priced.

A ramp (carer needed) leads to another pool and splash area at the front of the hotel, and this was just as lovely to sunbathe and watch the world go by.

My 10 year old loved the Wavelength club, and they are very strict on child/adult ratios and signing in and out.

We did the Jeep safari day which was fantastic, and we did taxis to the old town and Villamoura - both easily negotiated with a wheelchair.

Overall, a fantastic holiday with a superb seaview, but the freezing pool meant we spent much of our time in the indoor pool and jacuzzi.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : 64,63,42,39,12,9

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We visited the Alto da Colina for the last 2 weeks of August. As we had booked over a year ago was a little concerned about previous reviews concerning building works. A new block has been built for next year when it becomes a holiday village and they are now in the stages of furnishing it. It is virtually out of site and we never experienced and noise or disturbance. You can see 3 cranes from your sunbeds from other nearby sites but did't affect holiday in anyway.

Apartments, pool and sports facilities are excellent with fantastic sea views. We had a 4th floor room on the opposite side of the pool and had lovely views towards Vilamoura. We didn't have any problems getting sunbeds, could do with a few more umbrellas though. A good tip from a previous review is to take something like a Tesco Clubcard to keep in the slot at all times so the Air Con will remain on at all times.

The complex is too far to walk into town every night, we had a hire car for 11 days from Avis (used Tesco Clubcard vouchers - recommend). Even so we only ventured into The Strip or Old Town 4 times. Old Town is much preferred to Strip. Wouldn't like to have been staying in the town anyway as for too busy. If you turn right out of hotel entrance and then left onto main road and walk for 10-15mins there are half a dozen restaurants. Our favourite was the 3 Marias where you could have a choice of 3 starters with bread, a choice of 10 main & 5 desserts with a beer or half bottle of wine all for 9.75 euros (just under £7).Excellent service and very quick.
Evening entertainment got a bit monotonous. The 3 reps worked very hard but involved singing & dancing on a different theme each night. In the 2 weeks we were there they brought in 4 acts but these were singing/dancing too. Kids enjoyed most of wavelength activities.

Overall a very relaxing holiday and would definately recommend.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: eclipse july 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Stev Daykin Nottingham 46, 43, 16 and 13

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

A sunny hot climate and cooling breeze added to a very relaxing holiday around the pool of the Alto De Colina. Two of the most lazy weeks of our life.

The hotel is modern, clean and functional to a very high standard. The rooms are clean, spacious, and both the fridge and the air conditioning do actually get things cold. Balconies and living space are abnormally generous giving plenty of space, any british channels are available on the satelite TV to amuse the kids. You will need a refundable deposit of 30 Euro to get the remote for the aiircon and telly though.

You are told not to reserve the sunbeds because your towels will be moved, but we never saw any evidence of this. The smaller pool to the North of the site did always have some beds left, but the main pool was more often than not, all towelled out before 9.00AM. We used the smaller pool throughout, which was popular with the kids, but there is no lifeguard.

We didn't bother wth the entertainments and went out every night. The walk to the Oura strip is a healthy 20 minutes where there is a wide range of bars and restraunts serving a wide range of food. Mind the kids on the walk as the footpaths are of poor quality with local un-guarded falls, and the road is very busy. A lot of people took a taxi from the hotel but at the busy period, the wait was excessive. Better to walk and build up an appetite!!

 The best secret of the Algarve is up a side street off the strip, a restraunt called the Cockrel,where Dave has the best food we have ever had abroad. His steaks are huge, and cooked to absolute perfection, and although slightly more expensive than all of the local " and chips" restraunts, its well worth a vist, ( or six visits in our case).

On site facilities are so good I could not get my lot down to the beach, but I did explore the area myself. You are given a map by the rep which shows two beaches. Turn right at the end of the road and then left down through the Alfegar apartments to access a beach down a lot of steps. These were safe but it was a good climb back and would be a sttruggle with young kids and buggies. The other beach identified is further along the same road and down a steep slope to get to the Santa Eulalia beach. This has facilities, but if truth be known, its a good hike in the sun to get here ( 15 minutes or so.)

Not mentioned is if you go to the road and turn left, then turn right past the petrol station to go down through the Club Med complex. The path leads down a slope to the Maria Luisa beach, a fully manned and flagged beach with sunbeds, lifeguard, water sports etc. It is possible from here to walk all the way along the Falesia beach to reach Viallmoura, although we did not make it as it was too hot and we werre too lazy.

The on complex supermarket has a wide range of food to suit many tastes, but we found it very expensive. Watch the complex currency exchange rate as they gave 7 cents in the pound less than open facilities on the strip. If you were to change £1000 over the two weeks of self catering the hotel would cost you £50 that you dont need to spend.

The tennis courts were 18 Euro for an hour, which is why the remained largely empty. The soccer school was well used, and there was a regular adults football priced at 5 euro which was very popular

In general, very good new facilities and a choice of whether you bothered to join in activities or not. There was no hassle if you didn't want to join in, which was just fine.

One grumble was the building site next door, of which this years brochures make no mention. The new build is to create a new First Choice holiday village, and it is actually already being marketed in the 2008 brochure. This year, it was a half built monstrosity with a crane, lots of drilling and digger activity.  We didnt let this spoil things though.

In summary, a great holiday in a very nice complex. As lazy a time as we have ever had and some cracking good food. I would readilly recommend this facility to freinds.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Jun/Jul 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : 59, 53, 22, 19, 19, 17

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading all the reports on this hotel we should have been well aware of what to expect!

The hotel is very nice and the staff very helpful. The rooms are spacious and well decorated. The fridge had an ice-box (minus door) which proved to be very handy. Ample cooking equipment was available. The television/airconditioning controls were were 60 euros - refundable on return. The 'third bed' was a single bed that collapsed and fitted under the sofa (which could also be used as another bed). The rooms were kept clean and towels/sheets changed regulary. We had a balcony with a great view over the pool and you could just see the sea.
What was refreshing was the sun beds - no getting up at the crack of dawn to get a sun bed. Because there was a total of nine of us (two families) we were slightly guilty of putting our towels on the sun beds early. We could quite comfortably go down to the pool and put our towels out at 8 AM so we could all be together. Quite often sun beds could be had throughout the day.

The hotel shop was quite reasonably priced - you're always going to see prices a bit higher in these places. But to be honest there wasn't much of a difference in price from shop to shop.
We ate in the hotel only a couple of times and the food was quite reasonable.
The main swimming pool is large - but unfortunately was cold!! It seemed to be getting slightly warmer as we were leaving on the 12/07/07 - but I doubt if it gets much warmer!!
Another hotel is being built very close (200 metres away) but don't worry there was never any noise at all and no dust, etc.

Entertainment was very good - both during the day and evening. The First Choice entertainers were very good, friendly, talentd, and nothing was too difficult. Our kids (2x19 & 1x22) thoroughly enjoyed themselves and if their happy - then everyone's happy. We even took part in some of the more relaxed activities. My kids enjoy football, but it was costing them 5 euros each to play for each hour session - which didn't see much value for money and it was on 3 times a week.
The beach was about 10 minutes away from the hotel and there are lots of steps (60 ish) down to the beach, but still well worth a visit.

The only down side to this hotel is it's position. The hotel is about a mile away from the main resort of Albufeira and consists of a long walk up and down hill. I would not recommend this walk with young children or anyone who is not too good on their feet for long periods - especialy in the heat. (The walk is paved, well lit and I never heard of any problems) It costs 1 euro to telephone for a taxi from the hotel and it costs about 5/6 euros for the trip into town. As most people want to go out in the evening at about 7-8 PM this often resulted in long waits for the taxi. There was a total  of nine of us in our party so we did lots of walking during our stay.

The bottom line is that we enjoyed our stay at the hotel, but due to the long hike into town we wouldn't go there again. We want/need somewhere closer to resaurants/night life/shopping as most people including ourselves are self catering. Maybe if the hotel put on a courtesy bus things would be different.
I hope this has been of use.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Eclipse  -June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Suzy (40, 38, 11)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is a nice place to stay but the 'entertainment' is APPALLING! It ruined the week really, we thought it would be quiet but the racket was on all night...singing the theme tune to home and away one night (I kid you not!). This would be a good place if it wasn't for that. The rooms and balconies are huge and well kept, there are three pools and all were not too busy. There were enough sunbeds but not umbrellas, can imagine this may be a problem in summer although the reps did say they had ordered some. The reps were available all day virtually. 

Last warning: Don't buy a phonecard from the reps as we arrived to witness an almighty row due to the reps giving poor advice, they only work on one phone and the people we witnessed had run up a £147.00 phone bill. Really bad! 

Oh...and lastly......this is in the middle of nowhere really....the old town is horrible, not at all 'quaint' but tacky. If you go out of the hotel turn right then left onto the main road you come to a small supermarket which is cheaper than the hotel and if you keep walking then you come to a few restaurants.... 3 marias lovely family run business. Recommend!

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - October 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Fifers (36 , 35 , 9 , 8, 6, )

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a two week holiday in the Alto da Colina, and are now ready to offer our opinion of the resort and apartments! Having read all the reviews before we left, we realised that these apartments would probably be lovely, and indeed they were! We were on the second floor and had a fantastic 2 bedroom apartment with a huge balcony, excellent kitchen area, spacious living area and bedrooms. The hotel is very modern in its decor and the outdoor pools are brilliant. There is also a children's splash pool area beside a smaller outdoor pool and a playpark, which are well maintained and spotless. In addition, there is a decent sized indoor pool and jacuzzi, which were great for us because there were a few rainy days.

Despite the lovely hotel and pools, we were actually disappointed with parts of our holiday, because this hotel is SO cut off from the rest of the resort, and involves a 30 minute walk to find decent restaurants in the area known as "The Strip". There is a restaurant in the hotel, but we only ate there once because the food was nothing special, especially for the high prices! Had we been a couple on our own, then walking everywhere would have been no big deal, but taking our 3 kids back and forward was just too much of a hassle, especially because the road you have to follow to get to "The Strip" is hilly and not that safe, as cars go speeding past. We ended up getting taxis and then hired a car for a week, which gave us the chance to explore ourselves, and to go and find a supermarket that did not rip you off like the one at the hotel. Be warned....the shop at the Colina is really expensive and the staff are really unfriendly.

The old town is lovely, and there are lots of pretty little streets and restaurants down there which are worth a visit, but again, you need to drive there, because it's even further away than  "The Strip".

Our children enjoyed goint to the Kids' Club and there seemed to be a wide range of activities on offer for them. The entertainment in the evening was a mini disco at 8.30, followed by bingo at 9 and then either an outside act(Portugese dancers,mime artist etc.) or something organised by the entertainment reps Ant and Nat, who were lovely people, very easy going and full of fun. Our kids loved their antics and we found them incredibly kind. The hotel reception staff were also very helpful when we asked about timetables etc. and the bar staff were efficient and helpful. There is also the usual games arcade type thing, with pool tables, too, and I lost count of how many times I heard "Can I get a Euro please?" from all the kids there, including ours!

All in all, we firmly believe that the Alto da Colina would be a much better place if it switched to "All Inclusive" as it is simply too isolated from restaurants and shops. We certainly recommend hiring a car, because it is so separate from the rest of the resort.

This was our first trip to Portugal, and although we always try to make the best of any holiday we go on, we probably would not go again, because we saw all we wanted to see. If you don't mind being a bit away from everything, then you will enjoy the Alto da Colina! 

Thanks for reading our review, and we wish you a happy holiday!

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice- september 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : emma paul andy emma 25,30,25,25

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We got moved to this proprty after having our villa with first choice broken into. Apartments were lovely very modern very clean.
Lots of childrens activities entertainment on an evening was average.
Would definately go back here especially with children it was superb.
Only downside no courtesy bus to centre but if you dont mind spending a few euros on a taxi it was only about 10 mins drive to the strip.
Never stayed in apartments so modern and decorated so nice would definately recommend these supermarket stocks everything and is great reps really friendly too hotel reception very nice.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Garren Edwards - Kenilworth (41,40, 9, 5)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had apartment 401, which was very spacious. Quality of the apartments are very good, TV receives BBC1, CNN, Cbeebies and ITV3. Sometimes you can get other channels like channel 4 if they have it switched on in the bar.(can be found on channel 14) Cleaners come virtually every day and change towels and sheets, but they did not clean the balconies which did get dirty. You have to pay a 30 euro deposit for the TV and air con remote controls, which is fair enough, but pity it was not mentioned before we got there, same for the beach towels which require a 20 euro deposit for each towel. However you do get this back and you can change the towels as often as you like.
There are 2 lifts, problem is kids mess about with them and they end up breaking down. This is very frustating for guests and hotel management, why parents cannot control their kids better is beyond me.

The pools are great, sunbed availability not bad as the rep comes round at 10.30am to remove any towels if the sunbeds are unoccupied, very sensible !
Kids clubs are great, the reps cannot do enough for them.

I highly recommend the swimming lessons, Steve 'swim kid' is fantastic. We went on another first choice holiday last year in Majorca and the swimming teacher was not great. Both our girls are good swimmers so we did not bother booking lessons this time. However we kept seeing Steve around and he recommended a great restaurant (see below). My youngest kept following Steve around and the other kids really loved him. In the end my wife booked a 1 to 1 lesson for our youngest to improve her front crawl and he was very good. I regret not booking more lessons with Steve, he really is passionate about his job and when he presents the certificates to the kids he really knows them all by name and how they have improved, a true professional.
The food is average, breakfast was always good, but lunch and dinner the usual stuff like hamburger and chips. Food sevice is a bit up and down. On our first day there they forgot our order, they did rush it thru but by then we had waited nearly 30 mins.

The on site mini market is very expensive eg you pay 1 euro for a big bottle of water, we found a supermarket which sold the same size bottle for 35 cents !

A word of warning - the bar/restaurant area is mostly outside on a paved area. It can be quite windy, the parasols fall over causing all the glass to smash on the floor. This happened on our first day and how my wife did not get covered in glass was pure luck. The problem is the glass never gets cleared up properly, there are always small pieces of glass on the floor. As this area is next to the pool area people tend to walk on it bare foot, particularly children. There were many reported incidents of cut feet, we made sure our 2 always wore something on their feet. I think the reps and hotel could do a lot more to raise the profile of this, or just stop serving drinks outside in glass. To be fair there are signs around the pool saying no glass and the bar does serve drinks in plastic cups but you do have to ask for this.

If you like seafood you must go to the Lagosteira restaurant, which is a 5-10 min car/cab journey towards Villamoura. We went twice and it is fantastic, the service is really good as well. They have lobsters, crabs etc in the tanks fresh, my 9 year old picked up one of the lobsters which she thought was hilarious. They cater for children and there is a chldrens play area as well.

There are only about 80 cabs serving the whole of Albufeira, and they do get very busy, so plan in advance, you can request one at the hotel reception but you can wait 30 mins before it arrives (this was 6.30pm at night which is probably the busiest time). We hired a car, we booked this thru first choice before hand and it was much cheaper than booking once you are there.

The strip is OK if you like lots of bars and restaurants, mixed in with tourist souvenir shops. From what we heard the restaurants were OK but the service was pretty dire. We never ate there so I am only passing on comments.

Don't get me wrong this is a nice place, designed for families and we did enjoy our holiday.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice - july - august 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Caroline, Nigel, Hannah and Robert (46,47,13,12) - Portsmouth

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went to the alto da colina and it was one of the best holidays i have ever been on. I reccomend it to any family!!!

The hotel was great. So so clean and spacious, great pool, bar, restuarnt and activities day after day. We didnt see much of the entertainment because we went out every night.(ANT, NAT AND CAT!!)
We didnt go the the strip many times, we found THE BEST restaurant, the 3 marias, i reccomend it - super food and good value.
[go down the road when you come out of the hotel. at the main road at the bottom go LEFT and keep going until you find a few restaurants and cafes where 3 marias is. The lunch is good value aswell. In our holiday we went there 7 times.]

The beach, throught alfagar hotel, was lovely, pure golden sand!! and clear blue sea.
Overall the holiday was great...
i would say
hotel - 10/10
location - 8/10
pool + activities - 9/10 (pool was in the sun all day- super)
overall holiday 10/10 !!!!

i cant fault this holiday , i definitly reccomened it.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice July/August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Louise, Andy, Danny & Katies (37,44,7,6)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just come back from a lovely holiday at the Alto da Colina.  The apartments are gorgeous some of the best we have stayed in.  If you have any children who are into football  I would highly recommend the soccer school.  My son aged 7 had a whale of a time there and made loads of friends who he played football with nearly all day every day!!!!  the kids clubs are great too both my children enjoyed the activities they provided.  Only ate at the restaurant at the complex once as the meal we had there wasn't up to much.  We used to head into the old town most of the time where we never found a bad restaurant, we had some lovely meals.  Other nights we went down to the Strip but stayed down at the bottom end as this seemed to be the nicest part.  Thought it was OK down at the strip and again found some lovely restaurants.  Our favourite was a restaurant opposite Matts bar (the one with the bucking bronco) as the food was always good and if you got in before 7.30 you got free drinks with your meal which was good!!!
Even though it was the busiest time of year we never had a real problem getting a taxi and if there was a problem the hotel put on a little mini bus (1 euro each).
We all really had a fantastic time and didn't want to come home would definatly go again!!!!!

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice - july 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : wiganers 45,43,41,40,40,40,17,16,15,13,12,8

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

arrived at the alto reception very quick in booking us in

rooms -we were on the ground floor with pool view, large and very spacious,main bedroom has its own patio doors that lead onto grass area and straight to pool, living room also has its own patio doors that lead out to the pool.   kitchen very clean,microwave,hob,kettle toaster,coffee maker,pots,pans,utensils,fridge, very well equipped. bathroom clean and spacious.

pool was clean and large but very very cold never got warm, there is another pool area that looked nice but we never used it.lots of sunbeds didn,t need to rush or get up very early.

bar not very big inside but outside area not bad. we ate in the bar twice nice food. didn,t try resturant. waiters are nice but not very quick especially if you go to order your own drinks at the bar

entertainment your usual reps doing shows and kids disco, the reps try their best but when people don't join in this makes it very hard for them (hi to nat,cat,ant)

location - you will have to walk about 20mins to get to the start of the strip then another ten minutes to the main part were you will find lots of shops,bars,resturants and discos. if you don't want to walk you can order taxis from reception but you could be waiting quite a bit at certain times , we foud the best time to go out was 7 o clock but we did need to order 3 taxis  (cost of taxis to strip about 3 euros) we walked to the strip in the day time which is alright when you have flat shoes and shorts on but hard work at night when dressed to go out .

beach - if you go down to the main road cross over you can go down the path and steps or if you turn left at the main road carry on walking you will come to a petrol station go down the road at the side and follow it and you will eventually come to another section of beach which is better than the other one only thing is when you are comming back the hill that you went down seems hard work comming back but well worth it.

there is a supermarket on site which is not bad , there is also another one that sells fresh cooked food and a bit more choice ,which is on the main road . there are 2 large supermarkets at the strip. would go back again but would ask for the ground floor apartment agin .one more thing very windy and went cool at night this might be because the complex is high up and in an open area.  

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : wiganers 45,43,41.40.40.40,17,16,15,13,12,8

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just come back from a lovely holiday at the alto da colina.
Apartments- we were on the ground floor with a great pool view. Very spacious with patio doors to both the lounge area and bedroom. Clean with nice modern kitchen.

Pool-large pool but very cold, spacious grass area for sunbathing with plenty of sunbeds,no rush for sunbeds.

Bar area- not very big inside but room outside to sit and eat. We ate in the bar a couple of times food good. Waiters are not very quick at serving if you go to the bar yourself, better to get them to come to you but they are pleasent enough.

Reception area clean but nowhere to sit when waiting for taxis. Speaking of taxis you need to get taxis to go to the strip as this is to far to walk at night(only cost about 4 euros )It takes about 20 mins to get to the start of the strip but to carry on to the end of it it would take about another 15 mins.We use to walk to the strip in the morning which is not that bad when wearing trainers and shorts.
we found there was a lot of people wanting taxis at about 7.30pm so we started to go out at 7.00pm but towards the end of our 2nd week more people were doing the same(but we did need three taxis)
The beach- when you come out of reception go down to the main road, you can either go across the road and cut through hotels towards steep steps that take you down to a nice cove area, or when you get to the main road turn left and when you come to a petrol staion on the other side  go down the street at the side and follow the road and you will go down a hill(which will seem steep on your way back )and you will come to a larger beach which we found a lot nicer. There is a small hut that sells drinks.

there is a  supermarket on site that sells a varitey of things but if you go to the main road and turn left you will find a small supermarket that has more choice. There are two large supermarkets at the strip that is cheaper than the other two small ones (but dont buy lots unless you are going to get a taxi back it is along walk especially carrying shopping).

The strip has lots of shops, bars, resturant, serving all different variety of food. we found a nice one called the cottage (near the top of the strip )which served fresh homecooked meals).If you like steak there is a good one called the steak house. There are plenty of discos for the youger age group which our 17 year old loved
 
We went into the old town, which cost about 5 euros in a taxi,lots of resturants and shops .

The entertainment was the usual thing reps show,(profesional acts not very good) but the reps nat,ant,cat tried their best but had their work cut out as not many people would join in with games and activities (which made their job a lot harder)

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice - july 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : peters family - horndean (47,46,13,12)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had an excellent holiday at the alto da colina in portugal and one of the best we have been on.

The hotel was super. Spacious, clean, comfortable and all round great. the rooms were great and good facilities in the room . Our balcony was big and we had a fab view of the sea and the pool.
The pool as great and most of the time we were there it was deserted so me and my brother nearly had the pool to ourselves.
The entertainment wasnt very good but we went out every evening to eat anyway and when we got back just went to our room and you can hear the music from your balcony anyway.

The resort was nice and the restaurants but we didnt even go to the strip. It was a bit of a walk but only about 15 - 20 mins at the most. if you go right at the roundabout theres a few nice restaurants. Agapito was good.
Also if you turn left at the end of the road you find a few. The Three Marias is the best up there and we went there 7 times. It was super food and super value. You dont need to go to the strip.

the local beach through the alfagar hotel is a great beach. I enjoyed it because it was quite shallow and it was pure sand on the beach and in the sea. Great waves at high tide and its a good local beach.

We had the car for 5 days and had a look around the Algarve a bit.
my best two days out were at zoo marine and slide and splash.

zoo marine is definitly worth going to and you can see super dolphin shows and seal shows. Its great. Also there is the 4D cinema which really makes you jump! and all the pools and attractions. It was one of the best days. if you have children they will enjoy it alot

slide and splash was also an excellent day and its worth going to aswell. when you arrive you may think there are long queues but we thought that and it isnt bad at all. The slides are great and they are all so fun. I could of spent 3 days there going on the slides again and again.

Overall our holiday was great and the resort and hotel are great.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Eclipse July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Simon, Liz, Laura and Matthew 40, 39, 16,14

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Had a great holiday at the Alto da Colina, yes the pool is freezing as already mentioned but refreshing on a hot day and there is always plenty of room for swimming. Our 14 year old enjoyed the first choice soccer school and made loads of friends. 

The apartments are lovely and very well equipped, we had a sea view and a very large balcony. We liked the Santa Maria beach which you could get to by turning left at the main road and then right at the petrol station and following the road down, probably easier to get to with a buggy than the Santa Eulalia beach which the reps tell you about.  We tried quite a few restaurants the Porta Fino on the strip was good food but watch out for the bread which the waiter puts on the table as you sit down as this is charged at 6 euro's a bit steep for a few slices of  bread.  The chinese restaurant on the roundabout as you go into the 1st strip was excellent and very reasonably priced. 

I would recommend Paradise Tours for day trips which we booked on reception, the trip up Monchique mountain and to Silves was well worth the effort they were cheaper than first choice and very well organised  we booked with first choice on a half day excursion to Lagos and it took 2 hours going round the hotels picking people up before we got on our way which was no fun. A word of warning about public phones, they are few and far between and invariably broken, the hotel phone is VERY expensive and the phone card which we bought from the rep did not work for the 3 days we had it (they did refund this) our 16 year old daughter who wanted to phone her boyfriend found this very frustrating.

All in all had a great holiday and we would definately go back.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice june 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : michelle carroll-edinburgh(37 ,39 ,13 ,13)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

best rooms we've ever had,, pool freezing,wish there had been more pool activities during the day as the girls got a bit bored. when i asked, the rep said the pool was too cold!!! lots to see and do in algarve.went to zoomarine where the girls swam with dolphins, very expensive day but they said its the best thing they've ever done. loved the old town didnt like the strip. 

we would come back here in a minute.one of our best ever holidays.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice April 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Whelans 37, 33, 5, 3.

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our holiday here and thought the complex was great. Obviously a lot of this is down to the fact that it is a relatively new building and so maintainence is low for now.

There was a little work going on in and around the complex but none that affected the quality of our holiday.

The season was just starting so the kids clubs and entertainment had just started. We didn't enroll our kids but the kids club looked very good and modern, with lots to occupy the little ones.
Entertainment in the complex has never been our cup of tea and this was no different, just the reps playing bingo, trying to sing, quizzes etc.

Facilities are great, we were grateful fot the lovely indoor pool as the weather was a bit dodgy. The outdoor pool is cold but i'm sure warms up with the weather in the summer.

Rooms are fabulously modern and the towels/ bedding get changed several times a week, however the maids aren't as thorough as i've seen on previous holidays.

The strip is your usual british pubs and bars, not very many traditional places although we did try the Sizzling Stone as recommended on this site and it didn't let us down. We went to the Old Town mostly as the quality of food was better by far and you felt like you were in another country, not just down the local! We had two lovely meals in a place called Atrium, you have to go upstairs to it but it's worth finding. I'm not big on fish but i had a lovely piece of swordfish done in a Portuguese sauce, YUM YUM.

Taxis are a must if you've got little ones but they're very cheap and regular.
The beach is nearer than we thought, about 10 minutes from the complex and then some winding stairs, probably not ideal for wheelchair/ buggies but a lovely beach, Santa Eulalia, i think it was called.

Will definately use this complex again in the near future.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Feb 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Tommo & Family (45,43,10)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The best accommodation that we have ever stopped in and and as a couple we have travelled for the last 23 years in all kinds of accommodation good and bad, this is the best by far ! Although out of season the place was buzzing with people from Canada And America. Our first two days were  16th/17th Feb 2006 and there were no bar or restaurant facilities available but the Coyote bar was an approx 15 mins walk away towards Albufeira and was warm and welcoming and had all the sports channels and more. Walk to the top and go left to the strip or as we did go right and just before the roundabout there is the 'Typical', on the left, portuguese restaurant and for a non fish eater the ocean 'Goodies' were swftly brought to our table at no cost so wifey and son tucked in while i sampled the delicous Rose Vino. Recommendations are Quarteria by taxi 15 Euros (10 mins) or bus around 10 euros (35mins) or a 3hr walk and gruelling in the sun but hey i have seen the locals and sampled the best Oranges and walked through the best Golf courses. 

The indoor pool At Alto was a god send as Karl and Deb were down at 9am every morning for around 60 - 70 mins while i relaxed on the huge balcony taking in the early morning sun. The sister Hotel Alfagar (5 min walk away) has a nice and comfortable bar area and has the the main access to the beach down some wooden steps - some say dangerous - i say fun and be carefull with some great camera shots ! The best restaurants are in the old town overlooking the beach from high above - The old town was being ripped apart and developed and a lot of local business had closed down.The markets are OK but Nothing compared to Turkey ! 

Overall excellant but be aware of the 'Scratch card sellers' A polite **** off is ample to the mosquitos sorry parasites.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Julia & Family (32,32,2)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We visited here in September 2005 for 7 nights.  The hotel is absolutley fab!!!  I cant stress enough how nice it is.  Very clean and well kept, lovely grounds and pools, and very big.  The staff here were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble.  The apartments were large, clean, nicely furnished and very cool, and for those with little ones...CBEEBIES on your tv in the room!!! Which was a god send for our two year old. 

We got a taxi every night to Albufeira, 1 euro from reception.  The strip is very neon but if you want to get fed cheaply and quickly go here.  Every other night we went to Albufeira old town as it is lovely for a wander and there are some really nice restaurants.

The down side... the entertainment or lack of it... the reps were appalling as were the childrens club reps, just not interested and absolutley nothing going on on a night time, it was like they were winding down at the end of the season. This is the 3rd familyplus holiday we have been on but by far the worst entertainment, you dont want it full on just a little bit, they couldnt even be bothered to do the mini disco on a night time and did it at 4pm!!

I would definetly go back again...as long as there were different entertainers.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : The Deacon Family, West Sussex (39, 37, 3)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our holiday to the above resort and we had a lovely time.  The apartments are the best we have ever stayed in.  Very spacious and spotlessly clean.  We had a corner seaview/pool view room which had 2 balconies and 3 lots of patio doors so was very light and airy with fantastic views of pool and sea.

The pools were fantastic, very large (very cold) and not busy at all.  Even the pool toilets and changing rooms were spotlessly clean.  Lots of sunbeds and no problems with having to get down by 8am to put towels down.  We wandered down about 9.45, had breakfast and then went to get a bed about 10ish before taking our son to the kids club.

The kids club reps were very good but I did not think the entertainers were that good with the kids especially the head rep who seemed to dislike them all.

The facilities on site were excellent with a brilliant little mini-market on site that was no more expensive than normal shops.  Bread rolls were lovely but get them early or they sell out.

The beaches were gorgeous but I would not follow the reps instructions to turn right and walk down to Santa Eualia beach.  When you come out of the hotel walk down to the road and then turn left, walk along past the petrol station and turn right walking down through Club Med.  Carry on through and there is a beach there which has toilets, sunbeds etc but is much nearer to walk to.

The strip is a long walk with a buggy and not very exciting.  The old town is lovely, really quaint with pretty little streets and a central square with street entertainers.  A taxi costs about 4 euros into the old town so very cheap.

We would go back tomorrow if we could and will certainly return there very soon.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice september 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : kara luxton - devon ( 22,23,03 )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

our holiday was absolutely fantastic!! - this was our first family holiday and it was everything we had ever dreamed.
accom was very modern, clean and spacious.
pool was massive!! clean and so much fun for my son.
surroundings were again very clean and spacious.
bar and entertainment was brilliant for my son he was kept amused all night with the first choice entertainment reps
the supermarket was a bit expensive but had plenty to choose from.
 - the old town is beautiful and very portugese with some lovely stylish restaurants - the new town 'the strip' is very busy and after about 9 pm gets too busy if you have young children. we were 10 minuite taxi ride/20 minuites walk from the strip and 15 minuite taxi ride/30 minuites from the old town.

we went on the first choice fun cruise and this was fantastic well worth doing but was expensive.
the cost of living is cheaper - we went self catering and only spent £600.00 and came back with change!!!

this whole holiday was brilliant and we didnt want to come home. i guarentee if you go you will not be disappointed

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Eclipse - July/Aug 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Philip Godfrey - Manchester (44,40,17,14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first holiday to Portugal, and would definetly go back, the portugese are very friendly people.
The alto da colina is a really nice hotel, all rooms have a big balcony with double patio doors, but as we had a corner room we had a side balcony also which was really amazing, views to Vilamoura from one, and views to Albuferia from the other.
Th rooms are big, with nice modern furniture and plenty of kitchen appliances, all working and new!!

The pools are really big and dont get too crowded, there was a bit of trouble getting a sunbed as you had the usual people who went down at 7.00am to put their towels on sunbeds then not sit on them till about 11.00am!!After a few complaints this was resolved by the First Choice reps, they did a 9.00am patrol around the pool and any beds unoccupied had the towels removed, this caused a few initial upsets, but everyone accepted it was a good compromise.The pool bar is good and serves nice food, entertainment went on most of the day till about 11.00pm but the bar stayed open till about 1.00.am.
The beach is about 1/2 kilometre away, its really nice, gets a bit crowded though, but you can walk along the cliffs and find some really quiet little bays (nude sunbathers!!)

We did not like the strip, the food was tacky, chips with everything and nothing authentic, and lots of tacky tourist shops, if you venture away theres lots of better restaurants and cheaper too.
We went to Vilamoura a couple of times, dont get the bus cos you have to wait ages and its no cheaper than a taxi!!  Vilamoura is a really nice place the marina is stunning, millionaires paradise, its far nicer that Albuferia.

All in all a really good holiday, really hot and sunny, and the alto da colina is first class in all departments, highly recommended.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Mr P Ketteringham - Teesside 37,37,7 &5

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Arrived in Alto da Colina with initial impressions of a high, Hotel facilities are first class, soccer school on site was a bonus for our 2 boys.
Daily activities for those that want to take part but the reps are not as pushy as other Hotels. This leaves the choice up to you whether you join in.

Food in the Hotel was good for the lunches, although we never dined in the restaraunt on an evening preffering to get the Taxi ride into the Old Town.

Hotel supermarket was cheap considering they have a captive audience it made a refreshing change.
It is a bit isolated in it's location but the taxi's are cheap enough at 4euro's

The Strip can be walked to and the Sizzling stone restaurant on the corner of the roundabout is recommended.
The strip was not a particular favorite of ours, too many neon lights and a busy road with young children.
The Old Town on the other hand is a thrive of activity with lots of nice restaraunts and bars, streetmusic and no traffic.

Downside to the Holiday which blemished our holiday was the break in to the Hotel rooms on our floor on our 4th Day.
I STRONGLY RECOMEND THAT ANY BODY GOING TO THIS HOTEL DOES NOT USE THE HOTEL SAFES THAT ARE RECOMMENDED BY THE TOUR REPS ON THE COACH TRANSFER.
The safes are fixed to the back of the wardrobe with 3 self tapping screws, our room and the one next door were unfortunately broken into in the middle of the day and the safe ripped off the wall and carried out of the Hotel.

I would like to emphasise that the Hotel facilities are first class, but would encourage people to be cautious with their belongings.

The First choice REPS did not feel it necessary to warn other guests during the remainder of our Holiday and we were asked by the Hotel to keep the whole thing low key.    

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Falcon July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Michelle-Waterford (38,37,11,8,6,3)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a wonderful holiday in the Alto Do Colina.  New Apartments, spotlessly clean, great maid service, apartments cleaned everyday except Sunday.  On site supermarket stocks everything you require but rather expensive.

Reps were great worked their socks to keep everyone entertained however, some of the evening entertainment was brutal but the kids loved it.

The only down side to the Alto is the location.  Taxis are cheap but come 8pm everynight there was a rush on to get a taxi.  I dont know which was worse the rush at 8pm for a taxi or the rush at 8am to get a sunlounger with an umbrella.  We werent too badly affected because we had a car for a week and we used to head about 6.30pm to avoid the long queue in reception for a taxi.

I loved the strip even if some people said it was Blackpool in the sun and I was equally as enchanted with the Old Town.

Would definetly return and all our kids just loved it. 

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice  July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Donald, Fiona, Laura and Allan - Scotland(41,40,16,13)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These apartments are superb.  The rooms are lovely and clean and large compared to other apartments we have been in.  The pool is beautiful and very large, apparently the largest in the Algarve so it is never really busy.  There is also another smaller pool at the front of the hotel with a kids splash area. There is the usual towels on the beds game every morning but to be honest it happens everywhere anyway.  The entertainment team are fantastic, with things to do all day long. There is also a soccer school.  We didn't use the restaurant so cannot comment on that.  There is a small supermarket on site which sells everything that you would need.  Obviously slightly more expensive than the larger shops in albufiera but not by any means a rip off.   

The only downside to the apartments is that it is a fairly long walk into Albufiera (about 25mins)which didn't bother us too much as our kids are older and in actual fact we quite enjoyed the walk every evening, and then getting a taxi back.  Obviously with younger children you would need to use taxis more but they are easily available, reception will phone for you for a small charge. Obviously in peak season you sometimes have to wait a bit longer but we never had any problems.  

"The Strip" in Albufiera is not what I had expected at all,  going by other reports it sounded a bit like Blackpool but we didn't find it like that at all.  

The one thing we didn't see at all were any gangs of youths hanging about and no litter at all.  The "old town" is lovely too with lots of nice restaurants and street entertainers.  Certainly worth a visit although you definately need to take a taxi. We would certainly like to return here again.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Sarah & Jonathan Barber  - Teesside (27,29)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first time in the algarve, & we really enjoyed it!
The Alto Da Colina was a superb aparthotel, the rooms were really clean. Maid service excellent.
The only down side for us was that we were the only couple there without children, and felt that alot of the entertainment etc. even up to 11pm was aimed at the children, so we would recommend going upto 'The Strip' on an evening, whiche we did every evening anyway!

Would definately recommend hiring a car, which we booked through First Choice, plenty of places to visit.
We drove up into the mountains, went to aqualand - definately worth a visit, also 'Algarve Shopping' is worth a look at.
All in all, a fab week - would definately return!!

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : J Bain - Somerset (40, 31, 9, 7, 6)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These apartments have been completed to a very high standard and are extremely clean.  

They have plenty of room and all the facilities you need for self catering.  All our children had a fantastic time and enjoyed the entertainment provided by First Choice.  Its quite a walk into the Strip or the Old town but the hotel will call you a taxi which we found very reasonable.  The food available on site was excellent and again resonably priced.  Supermarket on site provides excellent and friendly service.  The pools were again excellent.  The beach was reached either via road (longer route) or down a track which I have to say was quite steep but the facilities on site compensated for this.  

An ideal family holiday away from the busier main areas.  

Would recommend this highly.

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Woods - Belfast (34,31,4 and 5 months)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We've just returned from Club Alto da Colina and had a fantastic holiday.

The hotel/appartment is now finished - they were putting the finishing touches to the water play area when we were there.

First choice advertise this as a 4 star resort, and we certainly found it to be just that - the rooms were very spacious, clean and cleaned often, all had sea views (there do appear to be some which do not ... not sure who uses them though!)

There now is a supermarket on site - and another within a 15 minute walk.

The complex is excellent - the reps were brilliant - especially in the kids club and the mini disco with the children.  We didn't partake in the entertainment due to young children - but it certainly sounded good.  The reps organised plenty of games/entertainment around the pool area.

THe pool area itself was kept very clean and there were plenty of sunbeds (which did suffer from the put out towels early brigade) - some of which are in the shade until about 11.00 - but the sunthen gets them all!

Be prepared that if you want to go to Montechoro strip or to Albufeira itself you will want to use taxis - which are about e4 each way - so consider that you are adding that to the cost of a meal out.  (It is only about a 25 minute walk to the middle of the strip, however it is along quite a main road and very warm in the sun!)

We would definitely go back to the same place again. 

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Alto Da Colina - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Hammonds family, Staffs 63,55,40,34, 6 & 3

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Accomodation great, rooms spacious with all you need for self catering.  Supermarket on site ok for essentials and reasonable (lovely bread rolls) but better one approx 5/10mins walk towards Olhas d'agua (left at the bottom when you reach the main road) they even do spit roast chicken there.

There is also a fab beach in this direction too, its gorgeous (blue flag)

Although there were signs up saying towels will be removed if you put them on sunbeds etc etc, everyone still did. Childrens pool great for little ones, nice and shallow.  There is also a tiny one on the other side of the apartments down by the splash area.  Has kids playground/sand pit there too which our 3 year old could not keep away from.  Sorry dont know much about kids clubs our kids wont go!!  but looked to be lots of different things going on all the time.

Daily activities if you want to join in ie 5 a side football for the dads, family rounders etc but not in your face all the time trying to get you to go.  Our 6 year old went to Soccer school and coaches were very good with the children.

Did not try a la carte restaurant on site.  Did not rate food at the bar have had much better on previous hols elsewhere.  Entertainment, well depends what you like, things going on most nights from bingo,quizzes,sound a like entertainers. If thats your thing, you will probably love it. "First choice signature song" got a bit tedious, but the kids love it!!  

Out & about - Reception will ring for a taxi for you (charge 1 Euro).  Generally did not wait long (5 mins or so) however gets busy when everyone goes out at the same time. Courtesy bus just started from hotel in last few days of our hol to the old town. Taxi's cheap between 4-6 euro's one way to strip/old town.  Abundance of bars & restaurants at both places.  We asked locals for recommendations for restaurants, they highly recommended "Portafino" (on the strip)& it was great and service excellent.  Three palms is supposed to be good but could never get in (locals all go there) Old town has street entertainers and has a street market some evenings where you can get excellent leather goods.

Highly recommend these apartments, get taxi's in/out of the strip/old town unless you love walking of course.

first time to Portugal/Algarve and will definately go back some time.

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Hotel  Aquamarina Beach Club Playa Falesia

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - may 2005 sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : kate cadle - leicester 49, 40, 15, 13

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our first experience at the Aquamarina Beach Club in May was good enough to make us book a second holiday there in September - this time taking our teenage sons..

The may holiday was perfect in almost every way - beautiful setting,both buildings and neat attractive gardens,good weather,clean airy room with fridge, lovely clean pool area with free sunbeds inc pads!The bar staff and service was excellent! There are two restaurants one indoor and one quite exposed as under a marquee which could get a little chilly in the evening.We were disappointed with the food in all respects! quality choice and often luke warm! always repetative.. Restaurant and reception staff were not rude but were indifferent!unlike the bar staff who were great and made us feel most welcome!Good selection of drinks too - both alcoholic and non.

The daytime entertainment for kids and the evening entertainment did grate a bit! too loud and mostly catering for the German clients who were in the majority at this complex.The short walk to the beautiful stretch of clean sandy beach and clear sea was a bonus but no good for the infirm as there are many wooden steps leading down to this paradise!The courtesy bus to Albufeira was useful though the times were not the best! Overall we felt that we wanted to return later in the year so that we did - four of us.. Everything was exactly the same the good and the bad! so at least it is consistent! What I would dread is a stay there if the weather was poor as there is nothing to do except sunbathe..

We probably wont return - mainly due to the poor standard of food.
I positively suggest that they provide indoor lounge areas which are currently non existent! we were lucky with our good weather both times but it would have meant imprisonment in our room had it been cold wet & windy!Also a proper and professional entertainment programme is needed. 

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Hotel  Aquamarina Beach Club Playa Falesia

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Alison Horne -York (43,39,13)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having read other comments about the hotel after booking the holiday i was very worried. We deciced that we would keep an open mind as everyone has different opinions. The hotel was lovely and clean well kept and staff all very friendly. The pool was clean and lots of sunbeds. However if you like to be near to the pool you do have to put your towels out early on the sunbeds. The beach was very good with free sunbeds and parasols. The only drawback is the 94 steps to reach it! 

The food was on the whole good. There was 2 restaurants to choose from,yes 1 of them is a purpose built outdoor marque.(Not a problem). Our only grumble was the entertainment, it was not upto 4* standard and most of it was in German,also there is nothing at all outside the hotel. You are very isolated and have to catch a bus or taxi to reach any shops. The hotel runs a courtesy bus to Alburferia upto 7.30 pm you then taxi back for 10 euros. A car is a must if you want to go anywhere. 

If you are looking for a hotel based holiday to chill out this would be ok.  

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Aqua Marina Beach Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : shelley hearne 43,44, 11, 7

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

There is no way that this hotel can be classed as 4*. The surroundings were very pretty but the rooms were far too small and the food was not only very repetitive but also tasteless. However the swimming pool and beach were delightful and entertainment for the small children was very good though not so for the adults. Would highly recommend the jeep safari trip.Would not go back to this hotel as we found it very disappointing and the staff with the exception of the girls running the kids club were extremely rude.

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Aquamarina Club Resort - Albufeira

Operator and Date: AIR TOURS JULY 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : ANTHONY KENT WARWICK,(46,45,45,45,19,20,17,6,1,

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After Reading The Reviews About TheAquamarina Club Resort - Albufeira,We Tried To Cancel Lucky For Us We Couldn't.
We Have Been Going To The Algarve For The Last 20 Years, And With Out Any Doubt This Is The Best Resort We Have Ever Stayed At.
The Rooms Are Bright And Airy And Very Clean,The Resterant Catered For All Nationallys, All The Staff Are Hard Working And Very Friendly And Helpful,
The Children's Club Was Excellent,Also At Night There Was A Children's Disco Before The Main Entertainment Which Was Also Good.
The Pool Area Was Very Clean, Short Walk To The Beach.The Only Thing We Can Recomend Is That You Take A Travel Kettle With You For Your Morning Cuppa!
If You Are Looking For A Relaxing Holiday This Is The Place To Go

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Aquamarina Club Resort - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Gary Canlin - Ilkeston 38,34,4

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After booking this holiday on the internet we went to the travel agents and got a first choice brochure to see what kind of reviews the hotel had received from past customers. To our horror we found that the food had terrible ratings, the location had terrible ratings and overall holiday very poor, we felt sick to our stomachs that we had just forked out £2000 for our holiday and it had the most awful reviews.

This was the first time we were not exited to be going on holiday and went there expecting the worse.
WOW how wrong can these reviews be!We had a fantastic holiday in a very, very clean hotel, the pool is large and spotlessly clean,the rooms are clean and comfortable with fresh towels every day and linen changed twice a week, the food is delicious with a wide variety of fresh fish, meats, salads etc, I got addicted to the cinnamon toast at breakfast, there are 2 coffee machines that serve all types of coffee, cappuchino, latte, expresso, etc,The beer is Sagres a portugese beer that is very drinkable,The beach is fantastic and is about 200 yards away from the complex and is accessible via 95 steep steps.

There is a free bus that takes you into albufeira, and if you want to go to Villamoura it will cost about 10 euros each way in a taxi.

The only negative thing I would say is that the entertainment at night is mainly German and the kiddies disco is all German songs, my girl Lucy soon got into it though and met a few english friends and danced every night.Their is an english girl called Louise who is very helpfull and good with the kids,The kids club is also very good.

All in all it was a very good holiday and would not think twice about returning, It was very relaxing, safe for the kids,and most of all very clean.

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Areias Sol Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Debbie and Martin (32,28,11,8)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We drove about for nearly two and half hours looking for our Hotel. Eventually we had to ring the company in England to find out where it was.  It turns out it wasn't a hotel, but just a set of apartments under some shops. 
The entrance had graffitti on the walls and was vey dull.  We was shown to our apt which turned out to be ok, basic and old fashioned but clean and quite big. 

We had to sleep with the patio doors open as there was no air conditioning.On the first night at about 3Am I woke with a start to hear the loudest shouting and it just got worse and worse!!  There was a taxi rank directly below our apartments.  As you can imagine Albufeira is full of clubbers and young people.  From 3Am to 7AM we hardly got any sleep.  There was a constant queue for the taxi rank most were drunk, loud and roudy!
The apt consisted of about 15 but it was all portugese staying there.  We was the only english and wasn't made to feel very welcome.  The kids tried to play with the portugese kids but even they was hostile to them.

I really advise anyone against going to these apartments.  They completed ruined our holiday.

We went in August and we are young ourselves but we are a family.  I wouldn't really say it is a family orientated place at that time of year and more a Maguluf. 

We found the top of the strip better for family's.  About 1/4 of the way up the top of the strip, On the left hand side down an alley, there is a fantastic pub for the kids.  The dj plays games with them and does a kids quiz.  Unfortunately we didn't find it until the last night which sort of topped our holiday up!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice- July 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Graham Sharp-Canterbury (56,46,19,17)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel was clean and reception made you feel welcome.
Rooms were spacious with good facilities,cleaned daily,and about average in decor
Restaurant had plenty of seating but can get conjested during busy times.Food was well cooked and presented to a good standard.There was plenty of variety and catered for all tastes.Breakfast can be at times repetitive but again well cooked.

Poolside bar/snacks had a good variety of food but again seating can be a problem during peak eating times.
Most of the staff were friendly although the bar staff seem to like the europeans more than the british.
The only downside was the daytime and evening entertainment.During the day it was poorly organised,the animators did not really encourage you to get involved and they seem to cater more for the Germans.If you have teenagers they had to arrange their own sports or activities.This was not the fault of First Choice as the hotel have their own team. At night take a pack of cards or visit the strip or old town to get your entertainment.

Overall the location was fantastic,we enjoyed the holiday,shame about the entertainment 

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Travel Republic - June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Tucker (58,57,38,33,3)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well i dont suppose i should be writing negative comments as i had an excellent deal but there are some points you should consider before booking this hotel.

1. Plenty of sun loungers and parasols
2. Brochure states exclusive All Inclusive Pool which there is not.
3. No childs menu at all. (except Burgers for lunch and evening meal.
4. No or very little evening entertainment which when on lasted 30min exactly and didnt start til 9.30pm.
5. Lots & lots of steps (not really suitable for pushchairs or disabled users)
6. Not enough staff in restaurant clearing tables and serving drinks.
7. Choice of food very limited and repetative (even for 7days).  Lots of different fish though.
8. Rooms cleaned and towels changed daily.
9. Staff were ok, not over friendly.
10. Fridges in all rooms.

Hotel was very clean, although the reception/bar area did get a little smokey on times.  We also asked to change rooms as when we booked we were told all rooms have sea view.  This is not true.  Blocks of accomodation are only 3 high so advisable not to ask for low floor if you want a nice view from your balcony. Free bus into Albuferia 3 times a day. 

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: booked direct - May 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Kerry & Phil - 33 & 29

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel has really seen better days and could do with a refurbishment.  Having said that, our room was clean and tidy, but had some very dodgy looking exposed wires where the wall lights were.  The pool area is very large and no problem with getting a sunbed.  Lovely walk down steps to Fishermens Beach, which will take you to the old town, which makes for a nice morning stroll. 

We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis and the breakfast was barely edible - having stayed in quite a few european holiday hotels, this one really served up a bad brekkie.

Hotel is a 10 minute stroll to the strip and you can catch the train from the strip to the old town for 6 euros each return.  Having said that, we found out on the last day that a taxi from hotel to old town was only 4 euros!!

There are some good restaurants both on the strip and the old town - namely Wild & Co. - The Sizzling Stone - Bank Bar in the old town.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Going Places Direct) Going Places - Feb 2007

Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : karen

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just got back 18th feb 07 and it was really nice all round hotel,food was hot and a good choice,drinks you could get 10am/11pm.entertsainment could be longer only a hour at night,but only a 10 min walk to the strip were there is a good choice of bars,disco and resturants.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel Feb 2007

Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : Paul Bayliss-Leicester 43,37,16 & 14

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having read the  reviews i wasn't expecting a good holiday. Myself and my family have been back 1 day and we want to go back.
People said that the food,beer,service,location,rooms,entertainment were all awful, well let me calm your fears.
We had no problems at all from start to finish with anything.
First My Travel we spot on with the timings, the in-flight meal was well an in flight meal but the trolly dollies do work hard.Transfers were spot on as well. About 40 mins to our resort. We got off the bus and entered the large foyer and joined the queue to check in. There was only one receptionist which when you think they must have known how many were coming was a let down. Be warned that you will be asked to leave 10 euros per key as a deposit (it is refunded when you check out).
Rooms were very clean,tidy and smelt fresh. Air con/heater were free. The cost to hire the room safe is 12 euros per week.Towels were changed but i forget if it was daily or bi-daily, bed sheets were twice per week. I never saw a maid in my room but the work was done!!.

The food if you are all inclusive was as follows:
Breakfast, fruit, juices,cereals,toast,bread,boiled eggs, fried eggs,scrambled eggs,bacon,sausage(alternated)cooked cold meats,cheeses,sauces, chips(yes chips) usual hot beverages at all times all served 08.00 till 10.00
Evening meal: Good assortment of cheeses,salad,bread,sauces friut, a soup,chips,rice,pasta,a cooked meat,veg,at least 8 different cakes and other sweets, and unusually ice-cream.If you are AI then the waiter will ask you what you want to drink and he will bring it over to your table all free of charge.Both of these meals are taken in the dining room.
Snacks:
These are taken in the Ocean View snack bar- wow a lovely view. The food served here consists of salad,a pasta,chips,burgers, bread rolls,soup,ice cream and fruit were always available and all food in all resturants was always HOT.
Again if you were AI the liquid refreshments were all free these consisted of all LOCALLY produced beer(lager)all sprits water,coffee and teas, even the local "Baileys" was free and according to my wife it was just as good.

ONE WORD OF WARNING THIS HOTEL IS NO USE AT ALL TO PEOPLE WITH WALKING PROBLEMS OR PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS. There are too many steps to get from your room to the resturants, there were too many for me and i'm able bodied!! The hotel offeres a free bus to the "old town" three times a day and well worth a jaunt down there.
Thats the hotel covered, if you chose to walk to "the strip" it will take you around 10-15 mins. It is a nice walk and the strip has all the usual bars, eating places and souviner shops.
Old town only coast 4 euros in a taxi(if the hotel receptionist books it for you there is a 50 cent charge hade by the hotel) that really is a nice place and the coffee in the main centre is not too expensive and tasty.

The faults:
Yes the lobby did smell of stale cigarettes and one menber of staff did not smile much(snack bar) The entertainment was not brilliant but i personally thought it was on for just about the right length of time, approx 30-40 mins. I have already mentioned the amount of steps about the place,please if you are a wheelchair user or you are not as sure footed as you once were, then please find somewhere else because you will not be able to get to any of the bars or to the resturant. other than that it was a lovely break and a would not hesitate to go back to the same hotel.
I went during the school holidays in February 11-18  2007. 

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice - 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : paul and sue from wirral (42)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this hotel is in a good location on the beach out of the way but only a few mins walk to the strip which is very lively.the hotel has a lot of steps so if you are bad on your pins choose another.the staff were mostly ok as was the food if only a bit repetitive.plenty of sunbeds and brollies, 

all in all not a bad place to stay,clean and tidy

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Independent - 2006 / 2007

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : 60.55 and 4

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have been holidaying in Portugal since 1980 with our own 2 sons and daughter. Now we take our young grandson with us and he loves it as much as we do.We have always found the Portuguese people to be very pleasant, welcoming and polite.
The Auramar has been our chosen hotel for most of these years and it always feels like going home to us.
There have been many changes over the years but it still retains an air of exclusivity due to it's amazing location.
We are Scottish and have never felt unwelcome or excluded by the hard working staff. Anything not just right only has to be mentioned at reception and is very quickly rectified with no trouble at all. Admittedly there is a very strong German clientele but this depends on the time of year you go.We have made many lovely friends from all over Europe while holidaying here and it seems to me that if you treat people with respect it is returned.

The rooms are very clean and fresh linen and towels provided regularly. The food is good albeit after 14 days it can get a bit repetitive but so can cooking at home! The entertainment is mixed but Georges on the piano is part of the simplistic charm of the place.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Auramar Hotel and it's staff some of whom have become like old friends now and are always happy to see us again. What could be nicer? I've always thought it would be a lovely spot for a wedding reception as the gardens are immaculate and the backdrop spectacular.

We look forward to our next visit this year.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Nov 2006

Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Kath and Dave - Wigan (28, 26)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I can't believe some of the negative reviews of the Auramar.
Myself and my boyfriend have just come back from a brilliant week there. As with some others I was apprehensive due to the reviews but we decided to make our own minds up. I'm glad we did. It was fab. The hotel is in a beautiful setting. It is clean and we found the staff friendly in the main - yes there were exceptions but that is case anywhere, anytime, it's called people!! We arrived at the hotel (after a 30 minute transfer) at 11.15am. Even though you are only allowed in your room at 2pm we were sent straight up. I concede that this may be due to it being low season, but even if they'd said 2pm we would have understood. All in all it was a brilliant holiday. The entertainment at night wasn't a night at the royal albert hall but that made it quite funny. If you geta good atmosphere (which there was) and get talking to people you make your own entertainment anyway. Plus if it's that bad go out on the strip instead of being miserable. 

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Independent Booking - Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Colin Turnbull - Portsmouth (mid 40's)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a great time at Auramar Hotel, we stayed there for 10 nights with our flights and transfers booked independently. 

I wouldn't take any notice of first impressions.  The check-in procedure seemed long drawn out, and the staff weren't particularly happy looking, but once you get over this hurdle the rest of it was OK.

Our room was adequate albeit a bit dated.  Air conditioning was best feature, and we never had this off while we were in the room.  It was nice to have a fridge in the room so we had chilled drinks and ice on tap at all times.  Only downside was the bathroom, the water from the shower just dripped out, so you had to jump around a bit to get wet, and took ages to drain away in the bath, so you ended up stood in your own dirty water.

Location a bit of a pain for anybody that doesn't enjoy a bit of a walk.  The nearest shops and bars are a 10 minute walk UPHILL from the hotel.  There is a small bar situated outside the entrance to the hotel but we never went in there, it didn't look too inviting.  However, not a problem for us, I actually quite enjoyed the walk.

We were on B&B basis so can't comment on the evening meal..  Breakfast was OK, and have had a lot worse.  There was the usual fight for the toast machine, but that happens wherever you go!  Hot chocolate was particularly nice from the drinks machines.

The pool was the best asset of the hotel.  Very large, and plenty of sunbeds to go round.  There was an entertainment team, who insisted on playing wake up "good morning" songs at 10am each day, similar to Butlins.  There was a pool bar which sold drinks all day, and food at lunchtimes.  The drinks were OK, but we tended to go out for lunch as we at there the first day and didn't find it very appetising.  From the pool, there are steps down to the beach where you can walk all the way to Albufeira if you wish.  Very nice outlook.

Bar service in the main bar was OK.  There was a happy hour between 6-7pm where a large beer was only ?1, so I took advantage of that.  Most guests were on an all inclusive basis with wristbands on, so this would have meant nothing to them.

All in all it was a good stay, and we would definitely return.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date:  Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Coll Family - 51, 50, 14

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Stayed at the Auramar in August 2006.

The reason I chose this hotel was for the location and was not disappointed.  However, on arriving at the Auramar at 10.00am in the morning we could not access our room until 2.00 pm - when we eventually got to the room there was only 2 beds and 3 of us.

We had booked all inclusive and to be honest the food got very repetitive and sometimes it was not hot - salads we OK as there was lots of choice.

The entertainment was very poor.  We only had one good night when they had a band on.  The rest of the entertainment was on for less than 2 hrs which meant that you had to listen to a man playing the piano.  Entertainment definately needs updating.  The bar staff could do with putting a smile on their faces and the beer was served in warm glasses!!!

Good points:  

Rooms very clean
Location of hotel

Bad points:   

Entertainment
Food

Would definatley go back to Portugal, loved the old town, but would not return to the Auramar.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Clive Karen & Alex 43, 39, 6

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Beware if booking these apartments. The first room we were allocated was awful - no space, not enough beds until a put you up was brought up and not enough space on the balcony for us all. We complained and were fortunately moved to a much bigger and cleaner room with 2 balconies. It dpepnds if you luck is in I suppose! I agree with what I have read that the place smells of smoke, the staff are mostly unfriendly and abrupt and it caters for Germans which includes the food! The kids club application had to be translated into English for me! The food is not too bad on the whole but some days could have done with being a bit hotter! Entertainment was a bloke playing an organ which was fine for playing Name that tune!! (We stayed for 2 weeks and still didn't get some of them!)Also there was other entertainment but most of it lasted 1/2 hour and was not very good (exception magician and parrot show which were good but still only lasted 1/2 hour)

There is a pool for exclusive use of all inclusive German guests. The other pool was spacious but not very much of a shallow end so not great for younger kids. There is an entertainment programme of sorts (bowls, darts, water polo) but again most of the announcements were in german as were all the posters.

We would not return to Albufeira or the Auramar.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours july/august  06

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : steve lorraine east yorkshire(50,49)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

hi just returned from the auramar.was a little bit not looking forward to it after reading some negative reviews so was pleasantly surprised with what we got.

didnt notice the smell in the reception.was on the 5th floor in block a and bathroom was fine.yes entertainment was a bit short but shows were put on every night.best night was when a young rock band was on and played good music(not just rock)for 2 hours.yes the pianist definately needs ditching specially if you are on a 14night holiday.

food was what we expected on an all inc holiday but glad we were all inc.its not 4 or 5*the whole place needs a good overhaul and is showing signs of age i dont think it would take much.also ditch the entertainment team or give them some viagra or anything to make them come alive so boring should have been getting among us to get adults to join in very dissapointed with them.all other staff were fine and polite.great walk along the beach to old albuferia and loved going down the strip.watch out cos drugs are offered and usual time share touts.trips if you are with airtours and fancy best of the west beware it is a long day but you do get to see a lot.if you fancy the jeep/boat combined its a 2hour bus ride from hotel pick up but a great day.markets are well markets.

if you want a short 1 and half hr boat trip to see the caves you can get them from the pier on your walk along beach to albuferia you dont get a swim though well not the one we took.over all a great holiday great location lovely weather plenty of beds available short on sun brolleys but they do have a lovely tree for shade.

would i go again to this hotel yes.happy holidays

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Greig and julie - Edinburgh

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a 2 week all inclusive stay at the Auramar hotel and I was a little bit worried after reading some of the reviews.
Firstly, yes the lobby does smell of tobacco and that is because the bar is within the lobby area , hence why it smell (which you soon forget after a day or two).

Our room had a great view of the sea and was very clean and tidy , the maids changed towels etc every day.
The food was fine but one night they had a fish evening and i can't eat fish but we went out instead.
We had mixed feelings about the staff, some of them were very friendly but some of them could be a bit selfish and sometimes the was a lack of urgency when serving at the bar.
The location was lovely and the pool area wa very clean and tidy with sunbeds available up until around 11am then they were all but taken, there was access to the beach via a gate at the bottom of the pool area which was handy.
There was'nt much in the way of entertainment in the evenings (mostly directed at German kids, handy if you want your child to learn a second language).

We spent almost every evening on the main strip which there was plenty going on most of the bars have some entertainment of some sorts, I would recommend Erins Isle Irish pub at the very top of the strip and for eating Lizas pizza pasta which food wise is absolutly fantastic.
It has been our second trip to the Algarve and will certainly not be our last.

Try the hotel you will enjoy it!

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours june 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : silvia jones swansea party of 18 14yrs to 54yrs

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

arrived lunchtime receptionist had a serious attitude problem rooms were not ready for majority of us. hotel has lots of steps down to the pool food was average beer ok. Two of us had aproblem with cockroaches in our rooms had my own can of raid anyway the hotel itself is in a nice location but is in seriopus need of decorating our balcony was not cleaned in the 2 weeks we were there the aircon unit is on the balcony so its very noisy out there so didnt sit out there a lot. The strip is very busy and has loads of jewellry and shoe shops [girls dream] had a lovley chinese meal in a lovley restaurant. 

overall we had a fab time and we made the best of what we had.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos - APRIL 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : SARAH GRAVES - SCUNTHORPE (38,38,11)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Knock the whole place down.
Soooo disappointed.
Location, Gardens and Beach Great.
Lobby - Smells of Tobacco and does not improve with time.
Room - Not very clean, dated, basic.
Bathroom - not habitable - mould from floor to ceiling.
Food - got better as the week progressed.
Staff - on the whole not very friendly.
Overall Opinion - We wasted out time and money - dont make the same mistake,

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - April 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : L Botterill 40,40,17,14,27,32,3,1

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My family and friends decided to go to Portugal.  My friends had been before but it was the first time that we had been both to Portugal and on a all inclusive. 

When we arrived to the hotel the smell of tobacco hit you as you walked in. We then booked in and was told that are rooms were not ready, so we went and had a look around the hotel.  When we got to our rooms there had been a mix up my friends had not got enough beds and my sons had got to many but the staff soon sorted it out.

The rooms were clean and the towels were changed every day. 

The food got a little repetitive during the second week but it was hot and edible.

The indoor swimming pool could of done with a bit of updating as when it rained the room leaked and the pool was cold.

The beach was great and easy to get to.  The walk along the beach to the old town was very enjoyable and did not take long.

The location was perfect as it was in between the old and the new town so you could experience both with in a short distance.

The entertainment was not very good.  It only came on for half an hour at night and the rest of the evening you had a man pretending to play the piano, with the same tunes every night.  By the end of the second week you knew what he was going to play.

The staff in the restaurant,in the bar and at the reception was very pleasant.

I would consider going to this hotel again, maybe the same time of year the weather was nice and there were plenty of English people to talk to.  The second week there was a few more Germans and less English so maybe i would only go for a week.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice april 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : mike lisa {39 42} nottingham

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from one weeks half board last minute booking named hotel £590 for 2 inc flights transfers etc.

Dont be worried to book, the location is v good just a stroll down to the fantastic algarve coast and 10min to the bottom section of the strip.

Room was clean smelt of lemon/fresh good size fridge average size balcony - high floors better for sea view.

Pools v good (although one restricted to all inclusive only) .

Ok now the bad bits
The main reception is also the entertainment area and smells of pipe smoke also undersized if poor weather .
Resturant is ok for if you run out of money eating elsewhere----lets be honest at these prices who relys on hotel food anyway.

Only going to ever be 3 star max so dont pay too much ,allow for eating out and enjoy the location.

WARNING THE OLD TOWN IS BEING RIPPED TO PIECES AT THE MOMENT BULLDOZERS EVERYWHERE LAYING NEW PATHS ETC

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - February 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Justin Foss (70, 69, 69, 68, 46, 26, 20, 17)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Firstly be aware that you will need 10 euros when you check in at the hotel, a 10 euro deposit is needed for your room key, the keys are electronic and quite small so could be lost very easily and if lost they charge you 40 euros for a replacement.

Secondly watch out for the dodgy looking men offering you watches along "the strip", if you are young they will offer you dr*gs.

Thirdly, do not leave anything lying around the pool area during the day as the huge seagulls have a tendency to pick things up.

Good Points
The rooms are very nice and very clean, towels are changed every day and during our 14 night stay our bedding was changed 3 times.

Hotel is nicely situated, 20 minutes walk along the beach to the old town and 10 minutes walk from "the strip".

Bad Points
There is no lunch menu available, you are left to make a meal out of the food from the snack bar which consisted of the following, burgers, chips, spaghetti bolognese, rice, tuna, cheese and salad. On the first day this did not look too bad but after 14 days with no variation you soon get bored of it.

The choice of food for the evening meal was very limited, there would be 5 different meats available (fish, pork and beef) but only 1 vegetable (Brussels or carrots) and 1 choice of potato (roasted or croquet potatoes). There was no special childrens section, unless you count the burgers and chips (chips were only available at the evening meal for the first week we were there).

During the second week of our 2 week stay the hotel had four Under 17 International Football teams staying at the hotel. Half of the restaurant was shut off to normal guests to allow them to set up special tables for the football teams. Also half of the hot plates were reserved for the football teams so the choice of food for the evening meal was cut down even more. What made it worse was the food being served up for the footballers was considerably better than what we were being offered.

The Lobby bar where the evening entertainment is, is very small compared to the size of the hotel and all the tables and chairs were occupied before we had even been for our evening meal (this was at 7pm). We ended up sitting in the TV room most nights.

The entertainment put on in the evening is terrible, from 7.30pm till 11pm a guy is employed to play the organ, the same songs in the same order every night. The organ player is interrupted at 9pm when the entertainment show starts, these only last 30 minutes and include the following, musical chairs, bingo (the winner wins a free drink from the bar, most of the guests are All Inclusive so what is the point), karaoke and a singer (who only sings in Portuguese).

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: independent - 2005 / 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Ian and Andrea   - Sctoland  47, 42

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Don`t be worried about this hotel.
Room was clean, fresh towels everyday, with full sized fridge in the room and free air condition.

Maids were always cleaning the place, and plenty of sunbeds.

We were only Bed and Breakfast and there was everything available, cereal, Sausages, egs etc etc as well as cold meats and cheese, rolls , bread and jam

We cannot comment on  the hotels night time entertainment as we were always out enjoying the wide variety of entertainment on the strip(10 mins walk) or in the old town itself(30 mins walk, or 4 euros in a taxi).

Yes the old town is still undergoing major work, but the music streets are all still very active. They are hoping to have all the work completed by July!!

Beaches are clean and lovely snack bars.

Please remember that when you reach the top of the strip people think that it ends at the CHORbar,keep walking round to the right, there you wil find a massive irish bar (Erins Isle)with good food and lots of entertainment, and next door is a crazy golf park.

Buy a phone card from one of the small shops, i paid 10 euros and used it everynight and still have some credit left.

Lots of lovely places to eat, sizzling stone at the top of the strip, and Augustos in the  old town both serve up lovely meals.

the calipto bar on the way from the hotel to the strip is worth a visit for a snack and very cheap.

One word of warning though, the airport is not cheap for anything, much cheaper in the resort itself, 1ltr of smirnoff10.50 euros(aprox £8)

you will pay different amount for a large beer (between 1 euro 50c and 3 euros)
Have fun and enjoy

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: 24th October 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Lynn & Graham Boister

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Fully inclusive. A good clean hotel with comfortable rooms and excellent see view.  Super location close to both old and new town. 

Staff friendly, including the bar staff. Food good, plentiful and good choices, even in the quiet periods. 

Bus available for those who choose not to walk.

Good value for money, with no problem with guests of other nationalities.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice Holidays  October 2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Mr. and Mrs  Janice and John Bowness   52, 57

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

My husband and I went to the Auramor on 13th October 2005 for one week.  An all inclusive holiday booked over the internet with First Choice. 
It is my honest opinion that unless you are German you shouldnt go to this hotel at all.  They make all the English feel
like second class citizens, if you have a blue armband on, well forget getting served at the bar or even being acknowledged at reception.  The staff are rude and ignorant without exception.
The food is abysmal and towards the end of the week even the smell of it made us feel sick. 
The Hotel is situated in a good position and was clean and the rooms were average.
With different staff and chef, this hotel could be excellent.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Archers Direct - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Adam - Shropshire (20,19)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Chose the Auramar due to its 3*+ rating and excellent brochure write up; was looking forward to my first holiday abroad with my partner.  We were expecting class and excellent service for the price paid, sadly we found neither.

After a three hour coach transfer from Faro airport, we arrived at the Auramar.  We didn't think it looked too bad from the outside, and the reception/foyer area wasn't too bad, if a little dated.  It did stink of cigarettes though, which even bothered us during our stay... and we both smoke!

The rude Bridget Nielson lookalike receptionist said our room wasn't ready yet (this was 10:30pm), so i went to see the happy soul behind the bar for a beer.  If only i was German.  All bar staff are really rude and ignorant, unless youre German.  This was a running theme throughout the week.

The room was very poor.  We had booked half board and were looking forward to a sea view balcony (we did pay £1000+)... but instead we were dumped in a self catering ground floor apartment.  The bathroom was rank, cleaners would replace dirty towels from the floor back to the rail.

Our "baclcony" was a poxy little area with a dirty patio table, and the view consisted of someone elses hotel rooms.  A large extractor fan took up most of the room, which kicked out considerable heat if the air conditioning was on inside.  Great(!)

The breakfast the next day was a big dissapointment, as was the evening meal.  The waiting on staff are also very rude, and there is no such thing as a free meal for half board, as water is not provided on the tables, so you must pay for a drink with your meal.  The staff cant be bothered to clear the table most of the time also, but are sure to give you a filthy look if you dare to leave more than one plate on the table after eating.

The next day we both had bad stomachs from the shabby restaurant food.  We only tried again on the last two days to find the same selection, so were very careful.  Dont touch the meat!  Bread isn't a safe option either, as the rolls are all stale and hard as a rock.

The resort itself was in need of some polish, and the locals need to either embrace tourism or close up, as all Porto locals seemed as rude as each other.  A very small minority may cheer up when you show them the money, otherwise ignorance rules the day.

If you are looking at Portugal, I would recomment staying in Villamoura, NOT Albufeira, and CERTAINLY NOT the Hotel Auramar.  Either that, or go to Majorca and stay in a Sol hotel.

Not worth the money!

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Archers Direct - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Jill, Colin and boys - 44, 43, 17, 17, 17, 15, 12

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel was excellent.  It was lovely and clean.  Breakfasts were really nice, english and continental and there was always about 3 meat dishes and a fish dish to choose from at lunchtime and evening meal, as well as a vegetarian dish, and we DIDN'T have to wait for cutlery or drinks from the waiters in the evening.  All the staff were very friendly and helpful. Even though it was peak season, we always got a sunbed.  There were sunbeds free until lunchtime at the main pool and at the small indoor pool there were always sunbeds available outside at any time of day.  The pool was quite empty all the time as well, we only counted about 35 people in there at 2pm almost every day.  The only downside was the entertainment which was basically rubbish and mostly in German, but it didn't really bother us anyway.  The beach was lovely although the water was cold!  It was a 10 minute walk along the beach to the Old Town and about 10 minutes from the front of the hotel to the strip.  All the boys found plenty to do day and evening and we all had a lovely time.  

Wouldn't hesitate to go back any time. 

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Maggie 50  Ted 59  Tracy 40 Tim 43 Milton Keynes

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Went on 15th May 2005. Weather brilliant
Hotel very nice and clean, there was a lot of steps from the hotel down to the pool and the beach. There was quite a lot of elderley people there so I would assume that Saga use it as one of there hotels.

The hotel was very nice the bar staff were lovely especially Charles. the only thing that let the Hotel down for us was the food. No choice and Burgers every lunch time and evening, didnt look forward to any meals. Went down to what is known as the strip where all the shops bars and restaurants are, thats very nice.
If you want somewhere good to eat try LA Rancho, excellent food and nice staff.

Wouldnt go back again to the Hotel only because of the food.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours, May 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : R. Duggan Wirral

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Auramar Aparthotel has to be the worst run Hotel ever, they make Faulty Towers look like a well oiled machine, the bar manager at one time was insisting on one-man-one-drink at the all-inclusive bar, and expecting guests wives to go to the bar for their own drinks, even the night porter listened in on guests conversations in reception and when hearing comments he didn't like, threatened the guests with violence, I certainly won't be visiting this Hotel again.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours-May 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Zoe Corcoran (26)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went all-inclusive to the hotel which also caters for half-board guests. The hotel is in a fantastic location overlooking the sea. If you walk left out of the hotel it is only 10 min max to the main 'strip' with all the bars, restautants and clubs and if you walk along the beach (just down a few steps from the hotel pool area) and turn right it is a 15/20 min walk along the beach to the atmospheric old town.

The hotel itself is exceptionally clean and our room was very comfortable and well decorated. We always go all inclusive on holiday and that is where the hotel is not so great, getting a drink from the bar-staff can be tricky they only take orders from one side of the bar (and generally hide in a cupboard smoking on the other side.The choice of mixers and spirits is far more limited than we have had in other all inclusive hotels in Europe.

The restaurant for dinner is a similar story; you get your food and sit down then have to get the attention of a waiter to bring you cutlery and take your drinks order (this can be a long wait!). The food is average and although I found something every night (I am vegetarian) the quality was not the best. The lunch was identical everyday only available from the snackbar as the restaurant is closed at lunchtime.

Overall we had a great time. The weather was fantastic and the proximity of the hotel means you can flit from beach to poolside throughout the day. The hotel was well maintained it was the bar and restaurant staff that let it down. We found reception staff very helpful.

Albufeira was a resort with culture on one side and a great party spirit on the other- something for everyone and we will go again at some point.
Finally the entertainment in the hotel- if you like singing 'Tulips of Amsterdam' with a keyboard, your holiday will be made!!!!

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: www  bookatrip  com - April 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Janet Smith - Berkshire (55,53)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were to fly Iberia (pay for food and drink), but the flights turned out to be with British Airways inclusive of food and drink.  We had previously emailed a taxi company in Albufeira to pick us up from the airport and return, and this proved to be very reliable.

Our first impression of the hotel was that it was rather large, but although our booking was for a room with inland view, the room we were allocated was actually a very good size, with two balconies both with sea view.  The room was equipped with fridge and satellite TV, bath with shower, 3 beds and a table and chairs.  The beds were very comfortable.

Our booking was for half-board - breakfast and evening meal. The restaurant is large, with self-service food.  My husband is a particularly plain eater, but managed to find something suitable at each meal, and you can eat as much as you like.  Some of the food is repetitive, ie salads, but there is a different choice of fish and meats every day, together with a pasta dish, and varying vegetables and potatoes.

The sun was shining every day, although there was a bit of a breeze. The large outdoor pool was cold, but the small indoor pool was warm and ideal for children. I managed to swim in this every day having the pool to myself.

There was entertainment in the bar every night, although this was a bit cramped.  However there was another facility outside which I presume is used more in the peak season.

The beach was lovely and sandy and a short walk away from the hotel.

The Strip was about a ten-minute stroll away, but we did not use the bars or restaurants there, as the hotel had everything we needed.

As the holiday was taken outside the school holiday, the resort was quieter and the age group of the clientele that bit more elderly. 

There are a number of steps and slopes to negotiate, so a bit difficult for people with walking difficulties/disabilities, although I did notice the hotel staff escorting people through different routes to get into the restaurant, and there were lifts to the rooms.

I think we had excellent value for money, and would be happly to return.

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Auramar ApartHotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Expedia - March 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : London (55, 51, 15, 13)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Clean but boring hotel which caters to packages, young families and OAPs.  We there two days before flying home and in comparison to other places stayed in Portugal the Auramar was fine.  However, in particular the food was uninspiring (and didn't seem to change).  However, the pools and other facilities were good and the room had recently been redecorated.  We were right next to the building work - didn't bother us.  Albufeira itself caters to the party crowd and people looking for English food!

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Auramar Beach Resort - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Hotel Rooms Direct-26th Sept 2006-7 nights

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Denise & Cathy (36,41)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Just returned today after a week at the Auramar.

Chose it after spending around 20 hours looking on the internet for the right place and was alittle apprehensive after reading some of the reviews on here.Now that i've stayed there I must say that i find the negative comments on the Hotel unfounded.We got private transfers through the Hotel booking site that were £16 each and are well worth it!You are taken straight to the Hotel which takes around 30 mins from the Airport.

The Hotel i found was superb!The grounds were stunning as was the outdoor pool area which overlooks the sea.We had booked a seaview room but ended up in a ground floor room but the reception staff were so lovely and friendly that they said we could change the following day if we wanted to but ended up quite content sitting on our ample balcony overlooking the gardens.Yes, the rooms are dated but are a lovely size with comfortable beds and we had our room serviced for the 7 days we were there which was appreciated and unexpected.The fridge was a big plus as was the 2 ring stove for my sister who loves her coffee in the mornings!

i found all of the staff extremely friendly apart from one barmaid who was very young and on returning from the old town one night around 11.45pm thought we'd have a drink to take to our room.upon asking we hardly got to finish the sentence when she abruptly replied that they were closed.I thought this was very bad as its a reasonably large complex and i don't feel that it is too much to ask to have a drink after 11pm but there was no problem the rest of the week as there is a lovely supermarket about 5 mins from the hotel which is very cheap and sells most things you would need on holiday so we had a daily trip up there for our water, beers & snacks.The breakfast in the mornings was fabulous;buffet style with cold meats, cereals,full English breakfast served in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the pool and sea.Everywhere on the complex was spotlessly clean and had more than enough facilities including alittle hairdressing salon!

The t.v's in the rooms had a few English channels like ITV3,BBC News 24,CNN.Wouldn't recommend fullboard, although the food looked lovely it was very samey and the little restaurant just outside the grounds on the left called "Agua Viva"was beautiful.The locals eat there which is always a good sign and the staff were very friendly and the food was superb for a reasonaly sized meal i.e their piri piri chicken served with rice and salad was 5 euro and a pint of the local beer is around 2 euro 50.As for the 2 strips, the new town is only a 10/15 min stroll from the hotel but is very holiday resortish with lots of English pubs, disco bars.The old town which is about 15 mins away in a taxi and costs around 4 euro to get there is much more cultural with much nicer places to eat.

Didn't get any time share people annoying us but at the beginning found the guys/girls who stand in the street trying to coax you into their restaurant a bit of a pain in the neck but as our tans developed the more they left us alone!Sir Harry's English Pub in the old town square is great.They have live music on most nights and the atmosphere is great.The best meal we had the whole time we were there was at the Atrium Restaurant which is on the way up to the Tunnel in the old town and it was fabulous.Typical traditional Portuguese restaurant with a beautiful balcony and superb food & wine!They even have an entertainment team who sing traditonal music and move around the tables singing,playing their guitars serenading the ladies but they only do about 10/15 mins entertainment at a time on the stage and around the tables so its not annoying.Erins Isle at Montochoro is also fantastic! Food is typical Irish/English though but the bar down stairs is great.Brill entertinment and fab atmosphere and the pints of Guinness are excellent.I could go on for hours about our holiday as it was wonderful and we will definitely be returning and yes, we will be staying at the Auramar, i really can't fault the place,yes,its full of Germans but we never had a problem getting a sunbed and found that they were quiet polite people which is just what we needed on our restful holiday.If you are not happy with your room everyone of the reception staff were wonderful and couldn't do enough for us,booking taxis,recommending places to eat etc.

The evening entertainment does leave alot to the imagination but why would you want to stay in the Hotel every evening anyway??There's entirely too many other great places to eat and drink in either strip so don't hesitate to book the Auramar.....i'm so glad i trusted my instinct and booked it instead of absorbing some of the negative reviews on here because its a wonderful place! Have a wonderful holiday :-)

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Auramar Beach Resort - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Jenny T S and James C  - Sheffield (18,19)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The resort of Albufeira ia great with loads of jewellery and clothes shops! Lots of great bars on the strip, La Bamba in particular is a fantastic bar the staff are really friendly and gave us free drinks!

The Auramar hotel itself was beautiful, the rooms were really well furnished and comfortable, the hotel itself couldn't be faulted. The thing that really ruined our holiday was the staff and other quests at the hotel, Germans have priority of everything, the holiday club staff were German and all though tried there best to translate were very difficult to understand. The evening entertainment was all aimed at Germans, all German songs etc (had it been in portugese we wouldn't have minded but we weren't even in Germany.) Reception staff were very rude and would often talk about guests behind their backs and made people feel very uncomfortable and afraid to approach them about any problems.
The bar was directly below our room (block A floor 3) and was very loud even after complaining to reception about the noise at midnight they made no effort to quiet people down or turn off the music - made it v. difficult to sleep.

I would definitly go back to Albufeira but to a different hotel.

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Independent - July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Jenkins (45,44,18,17)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What a fantastic hotel. Immaculate. Pool spotless and plenty of sunbeds(even at 9am!) Plenty of parasols and also gazzebos. Gardens lovely and very well maintained. Indoor pool and jaquzzi nice and refreshing. Poolside drinks very expensive! water small 2 Euros!! Snacks at pool very boring, usual burgers or toasties and also a bit on the steep side.
Rooms lovely and big and quality furnishigs. Cleaned daily. Bathrooms beautiful.Felt more like 5*. One thing lacking no tea making facilities in rooms. Courtesy bus takes you to both beaches and Old Town. Last bus to old town is 6.45pm, could have done with one later. Not much to do for young teenagers on their own or small children, no kids club. Ideal if Adults only. 

We had a fab time.

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Expedia - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Tracey 40, Stefan 37, Joe 9, Mark 44, Gabi 45, Sophie 7

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a week at this hotel and it is really lovely.  The hotel is clean and beautiful and quiet.  We had a seaview room and its worth the extra money.  The hotel is about 15 minute walk from 1 beach and a short bus ride (provided free by the hotel) for another much larger beach.  The hotel is near 2 or 3 restaurants and bars but if you want something more lively, go into albufeira.  The hotel lays on a free coach which finishes at 6:45pm but you can easily get a taxi back for around 5 euros, we had to queue at most for 15 minutes for a taxi but there were plenty of them coming and going.  We really enjoyed our stay here, the hotel is peaceful, not overly busy and everyone is very friendly.  Breakfast is great and something for everyone, typical eggs and bacon, meats and cheeses, fruit, different types of bread, pancakes and the quality was excellent! Just watch out for the early sunbed stealers, they get up at 8, put towels on beds then go to the beach, this really isn't on.

We booked this through expedia.com and everything was spot on!  I'd highly recommend this hotel if you don't like to be too close to the hassle and hustle of a town.  In our party were 4 adults and 2 under 10's and they loved it.  The pool is big and very nice and the mermaid poolside bar does reasonably priced and nice food.  If you speak to carlos nicely, he'll bring in fresh sardines especially for your lunch. 

Hotel layed on a Portuguese bbq evening which was great fun.  All in all this rates as one of the loveliest holidays we've had!!!  Thank you expedia and thank you baia grande hotel! We are definitely planning to go back here and we would use expedia again!!!

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: expedia aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : sharon lincoln

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked a weeks b&b through expedia,and thoroughly enjoyed it.Hotel was great,clean and very well run.Paid extra for sea view,otherwise you look on to the car park.Room was spacious and maids in every day.Mini bar in room was great for keeping your own drinks cool.Pool area was fab,poolbar had a varied menu for lunches and was very reasonable.

Breakfast was good quality and varied.happy hour in piano bar 5-7pm great for a cocktail before dinner.Didn't try dinner at hotel although did spend two evenings at Dom Diniz 5mins walk from hotel which was fab, excellent food at reasonable prices and the staff were very friendly.Liked the old town rather than the new,lots of nice restaurants on the beach plus entertainment in the square.For days out try slide and splash we had a great day here.Zoo marine was also very good.Villamoura marina was a fantastic place for dinner and a bit of people watching.If you hire a car a word of warning Portugese are mad drivers but once your nerves settle well worth having.silvas was also a really lovely place. 

All in all I would not hesitate to return to both the hotel and the area.

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: prestige - july 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : sharon brown- norwich  42 41 12

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

A VERY clean hotel  rooms were  spotless  pool  VERY cold plenty of sunbeds not many kids  situated in Sesmarias  a rural location  taxis were impossible to get to pick u up from hotel between 7pm and 9pm  food excellent  recommend bbq eve on every thurs  old town pretty  plenty of restaurants and bars  shops sold much the same but worth a wonder  shuttle bus from hotel regularly to town and beach  a relaxing holiday in a well kept hotel.

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: flyglobespan - july 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : cathy - clydebank (45,47,55,58)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Stayed at this hotel on 4July for 9 days.

Excellent accomodation pool absolutely fabulous.  Mini bar in the room which we used to keep our soft drinks in as the hotel prices were excessive 250euros for a can of coke!  Excellent maids and staff were very helpfull.  

Food for breakfast was just the usual buffet.  Ate in the a-la-carte restaurant the first evening and had to send everything back, cold soup, cold pasta. Asked for well-done steak and it came back pink in the middle. Did not eat there again.  Attempted to eat in the hotel one evening it was roughly 19euros each and food was cold.  We walked out leaving our drinks untouched and told maitre de we would not be paying. 

On the positive side the hotel had a lovely pool area, pool bar food very good, piano bar music was very quiet and relaxing but not for every evening. Albufeira town only a five minute courtesy bus ride away it stops running at 6.45 taxi back is only 5euros. Old town has some entertainment and is very busy and still in the process of being refurbished.Visited Villamoura Marina it was also very nice. Lovely restaurant down the road from the hotel where we ate most nights called Dom something food great. 

Usually go on holiday to Majorca where there is more evening entertainment on hand. This is what I missed in this holiday. It would be okay for a quiet break for two and bring plenty of money as we spent a lot more than we usually do.

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Flyglobespan - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Christine - Glasgow (48, 25)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked our holiday via Flyglobespan and were booked for one week bed and breakfast at the Baia Grande.  We were very pleased with the service we received at the hotel - it was very clean and the staff were very pleasant and helpful.  The hotel is in an area called Sesmarias, which isn't within walking distance of Albufeira, although there are different means of getting there.

The room we had was spacious and well kept.  We had a large balcony which overlooked the car park but this was not important as we did not spend a lot of time in our room!  The room also had a television and air conditioning and a safe which you had to pay and leave a deposit for.  There was also a fridge available but we didn't bother with this.

The piano bar had happy hour each evening between 5pm and 7pm which was a great chance to try the cocktails.  Service was good although later in the evening there was entertainment, some of which was a bit hard on the ears!  Not to my taste anyway. 

We ate in the hotel a la carte twice and the food and service were great.  All meals and drinks can be charged back to your room for payment when you leave, or you can pay as you go. 

The Neptune Bar by the pool has a good range of food and drinks for during the day.  The pool and surrounding area are kept immaculate by a dedicated member of staff who happily helps you to put up parasols for a bit of shade. 

The courtesey bus runs a few times per day to Albufeira and to the Gale beach.  At the time of our visit, there was a lot of work being done on the roads near where the bus dropped off at Albufeira old town so we didn't go back in as it was dusty and difficult to walk on.  The Gale beach is very clean and there are three eating places there for a snack and some shade from the sun.  There was also a lady selling fresh fruit at the side of the road next to the beach.

We did not go into Albufeira in the evenings, and instead ate at the local restaurants and in the hotel.  There is a restaurant nearby called Dom Diniz which has very good service and lovely food. I would recommend it.  A meal for two generally cost around 50 euros, including a bottle of wine.

We were looking for a relaxing holiday and so spent our days by the hotel pool and at the beach.  On arrival the hotel reception give you details of various trips you can do which they can book for you if you wish to explore the area. We felt that the only trip we would have done was Lisbon, but as it picked up at 5.40am we thought we would live without!

Overall, we had a great time at the hotel Baia Grande and the weather was lovely. 

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Holiday Hotels - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Lucy and Dan (17,18)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel is immaculate, very clean and tidy! The pool area is lovely, there are plenty of sunbeds, although you will find that some of the guests get up early to reserve the best ones! The pool bar serves a good variety of snacks and drinks and the prices are reasonable.  There is a small shop at the hotel that sells postcards, papers e.t.c.  There is also a supermarket which is a couple of minutes away from the hotel, this sells all that you will need!  We stayed on a B&B basis.  Breakfast is served from 7:30 - 10:00, there is a huge variety of food to suit all tastes.  The rooms are nice and spacious and are cleaned daily!

There are several local restaurants, these are all within walking distance, we tried three of them and they are all reasonably priced and serve excellant food!  If you are after a decent night life you will have to either get the courtesy bus which travels to 'The Old Town' once in the evening, or you could get a taxi which costs 6 euros(the hotel will ring a taxi for you).  The 'Old Town' consists of local market stools, shops, restaurants and bars.  We found that there was a good atmosphere in the old town.  Alternatively you could go to the 'Strip', this is slightly further out and will cost you 8-10 euros in a taxi.  The strip consists of lots of lively bars and restaurants, with a few local shops.  Both places are good, but we preferred the 'Old Town'.

The holiday overall was excellent and we would definately go back and would recommend the hotel to anyone

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Baia Grande Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: independent - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 36,29

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked hotel Baia grande through the expedia website and paid around £400 for the room for the week. This was for a sea view room. Flights were booked through flymonarch.com.

The hotel is on the outskirts of Albufeira, closer to the old town than the strip. Rooms are very large with ours having double bed, a Sofa and table and chairs. The TV has only two english channels CNN and Sky News but kept us up to date with what had been going on. Our Balcony was very small and we only had a side sea view. It was however very peaceful, was kept immaculately clean and had a very good air conditioning system.

We opted for Bed and Breakfast and the breakfast was very good with plenty of choice from continental to full english. Breakfast is served from 7.30am until 10.00am but does get a little busy in the final half hour.

We ate once in the hotel A La Carte restaurant and this is cetainly worth doing as the service and food was excellent. We had a five course meal with wine which in total cost around 60 euro so was not too overpriced for what we ate.

The piano bar is adequate with the usual limited entertainment and drinks are no more expensive than they are in town.

The pool Bar was the choice for lunch as there is little around the hotel and they therefore had a captive market. I felt that this was a little overpriced especially drinks. A can of fanta or coke was the equivalent of £1.60ish. The mini Bar in the room has plenty of space for your own drinks to be stored! Food at the pool bar was limited but adequate.

The pool itself was very good with plenty of sun loungers although the towel brigade were up very early and loungers with umbrellas were taken up well before 8 am!

All in all the hotel is a good quality four star hotel. I would recommend it especially to couples. There were not too many children there although there were some facilities for them.

The courtesy bus into town runs four times a day with the last run being very popular at 6.45pm. Taxis to the old town are around 4 euro so not too expensive. I believe that taxis to the strip can be around 8 euro though we didnt venture there so I cant verify that.

Taxi drivers in portugal drive extremely fast at times so make sure you wear the belt!! Avoid taxi no 78 at all costs. he thinks he is a formula one racing driver and we have never been as scared in a car before.

The old town square was very good with lots of restaurants. The ones around the square are very popular and they do tend to rush you a little. Food in all of these is much the same of average quality.

From the square you can either hit the beach by heading left or right. Two of the best restaurants are right above the beach. The one on the right has lovely views and is right above the beach ( cant remember the name though!)

The best was a restaurant called La Ruina or something like that. It is above the beach to the left and you have to climb a number of stairs to reach the roof terrace. The views are amazing and it a fish lovers dream. You choose the fish you want and they cook it on an open barbecue. It was delicius and a meal for two with wine was around £30.

Meals for two with wine range from £20-£30 in the Old town.

Drinks in the bars are around 3 euro for a pint of portuguese beer, 4 euro for a bottle of imported lager and 5 euro for a Gin and tonic or equivalent. Not cheap but nowhere in euroland is nowadays.

Vegas bar in of the alleys leading to the beach is good with live music on every night. The town square gets very busy to be honest with many different nationalities.

All in all both the hotel and the resort very very good and I would recommend them both.

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Balaia Atlantico Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date:  Mercury Direct - February 2007

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : William Fry - E Sussex (62 and 60)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel Balaia Atlantico is one of the best apartments we have ever stayed in. It's more like a selft-contained 1-bedroomed flat.  Modern and specious in design with a kitchen full of spotlessly clean equipment, etc. Could have done with some instructions on how to use the cooker but the staff are very helpful if needed.  We asked a passing-by guest to save time.  When explained it did seem logical.  We loved the piped music in the rooms.  The terrace is large with a a clothes horse, table and chairs.  One side of the apartments gets the sun in the morning only  (Up until 2 p.m though) but the other side of the apartments has the sun all  afternoon and into the evening. 
If intending to swim take a swimming cap as  they charge you 3 euros in the shop and 6 in the fitness centre itself.  Outside pool there is no need for one.  Don't need a hairdryer ladies as there is one in the bathroom which is quite powerful.

Mostly retired people were staying at the hotel when we were there - early Feb to 1st March.  Everyone was very friendly and it would be recommended to have breakfast as this is where you learn all about the area and interesting places to visit.  Plus we had quite a laugh each morning once we got to know many of the guests.  We had our favourite couples to chat to and one single lady, Elizabeth (if she's reading this) was one of those characters whose company was enjoyed by all.  It's true that it's good to have a car at some point during your stay as the hotel is a little out of the way but there's coaches that operate throughout the day to the various beaches and shopping location so you will never feel stuck out in the wilds so to speak.  Anyway the weather was wonderful so we were happy to stay by the pool when it became really hot.  There are beautiful walks over fields to the main road and then on to the beach if you are feeling fit.  Very quiet - you can just hear the birds singing.  Can't get lost as the hotel stands high on a hill which is always in view no matter which path you decide to take. 

Just one thing before completing my review.
There is a restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.  She is English her husband is Portuguese. They pick you up and return you to the hotel. This is a kind thought but the van could do with a complete clean out.   We were not impressed.  The Chief ought be told that he should wear clean clothing whilst cooking and talking to customers.  These were dirty and that towel hanging from his belt looked disgusting.   Cobwebs hung from the ceiling apparently, although I didn't notice them myself, and all in all it was not the best place to go for a meal. The open fire was the very pleasant part of the dining room but nowhere else in their establishment (not the bar area) was heated and it was a very chilly night we were there. The food was sort of reasonable.  We don't like fatty pork I'm afraid. Some guests we spoke to were stung over their game of billiards so be careful.  Find out how much they intend to charge before your game should you decide to give this place a try.

As for the Balaia Atlantico it is a fabulous place to stay.  You'll not be disappointed.  Although I don't know how busy it gets in the summer!!  
As for the hotel/apartments - fabulous!
Colleen and Lynn Fry.  

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Balaia Atlantico Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Going On Holiday - Nov 2006

Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Bill & Anne Holmes - Londonderry  ( 40 & 39 )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned today 14th Nov 2006 from 1 weeks leave at this hotel. How do I start, plesae read all these reports about this hotel and believe me when I say this is by far the best hotel I have stayed at, bar none. The hotel is ,modern , spacious , clean and quiet an we found it to be idealy situated to add to a very relaxing stay. Some people will complain about the distance to the main resorts but they are being very picky, you can use the hotels free shuttle bus to get there and back , very punctual, or you can go by taxi ( about 3 Euros ),the staff cant do enough for you at any time and are friendly and full of useful advice. I wont say too much about the rooms surfice to say that they are FANTASTIC .. every one faces onto the massive pool and they are cleaned every day. I will be going back to Portugal very soon but only if I can be booked into this wonderful place...

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Balaia Atlantico Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Findmeaccom.com July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : The White Family Caerphilly South Wales 46,45 &16

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was a lovely surprise.  It was a lovely hotel with very clean and modern spacious apartments.  

We were half board but the kitchen was vey well equipped for self catering including a modern microwave grill and a ceramic hob.  We were lucky enough to have an apartment on the first level which is the same level as the outdoor pool area and from our balcony had steps down to the pool giving us our own private access.  We were on the end next to the tennis courts which were very good although a little expensive at 12 euros an hour.  The cleanliness was excellent apartments cleaned every day and clean towels every day if you wanted them.  We were worried before we went that my son aged 16 would have a proper bed as he would be sleeping in the lounge area.  But we had no need to worry as the settee were proper beds in disguise.  

The food was very good previous guests had complained that it was not hot enough but we had no problems and the hotel had seemed to address this by suggesting that guests could use a microwave.  There were not many English guests at the hotel when we were there and as a result the food was not always tailored for the English palette, but we always found some things we liked and the breakfast was excellent.  Most of the other guests were either Spanish or Portugese but despite this the entertainment crew made every effort to involve all nationalities.  One in particular Angela was very good and organised a really good five a side tournament which my son joined in despite being the only British participant.  

Minor criticism would be having to pay for water with our evening meal, the price of the tennis courts and gym which incidentally was very very good with all up to date machines.  Ther hotel is out of the town  in the middle of nowhere but as we had a car for the week this didnt bother us.  Most of the British people we met seemed to have hired a car for a few days but as they booked it in Portugal they paid almost double what what we did for a week -we booked ours with our flight through BMI Baby.  

We had booked our flights and accommodation seperatley and were worried about finding the hotel from the airport at Faro.  We e mailed the hotel but the directions they gave us were useless.  Also as the hotel is new the AA route finder failed to find it and there are also no signs for it off the road.  If you need to find it by car come off the mottorway the N22 I think and head for Albufeira.  Once in the center you will come across a series of roundabouts with large things in the middle, - watches, snakes and a large globe with fountains.  Go straight across all roundabouts.  After the fountains roundabout you will see asign saying that you are leaving Albufeira.  Continue straight on this road and you will see a large sign on the left saying Vale Navio the hotel is the next right up a large sweeping drive (very impressive).  Didnt like the commercilised part of Albufeira (the strip) but loved the old town.  

On the whole a really good holiday   

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Balaia Atlantico Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Feb 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Wilson Family (41 35  9 & 10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This 4 star hotel has only been recently opened Sept 2005.  

We stayed self catering.  The apartments are very nice and well equipped.  It is a bit further out, however the coutesy bus is 4 times per day and very reliable.  The pool, (we didn't swim in it too cold )is lovely and there where plenty of nice new sun loungers.  There is a shop onsite and a gym You must pay to use the gym put can use the small indoor pool and sauna free (we had to buy a 7 Euro swimming hat)The staff where friendly, we didn't eat in the hotel 10Euro for a taxi into the old town which in Feb was being totally renovated. Tennis courts and a five a side astro pitch came in handy to entertain the children.  There was very little in the way of organised activities.  A bit of line dancing and portugese speaking classes.  

We only stayed 4 nights and had a lovely time despite the cooler temperatures  All in all this hotel deserves its 4* award

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Balaia Atlantico Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Find Me Accomodation.com - Dec.  2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Carol and Chris Southwell. 58 ,64

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Great 4* aparthotel, opened in September 2005, apartment had everything, apart from 2 coffee mugs which we bought.  Lots of sunshine.  Only drawback would be that the hotel is isolated on a main road, however the do run a courtesy bus, 4 x day in low season, more often when busier.
We would go back there any time, perhaps hire a car next time.

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Hotel: Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Aug 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Thorburn Family - (41, 15, 13)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The accommodation was fabulous, the best we have stayed in for some time. The room was very spacious with air conditioning which was a must with the August heat. The kitchen was well equipped and huge.The onsite supermarket was well stocked and reasonably priced. They baked fresh bread every day which was very cheap. The pool was nice but cold and the smaller children tended to use the inside pool more. The restaurant at the sister hotel next door was lovely and reasonably priced. Infact I think our cheapest meal out was there. It was a nightmare trying to get a taxi from the hotel. We tried three times with no luck - it also cost 0.75euro for the hotel staff to phone for you. The taxis back was no problem. Just wait at a Taxi Rank in Albufeira and it cost 3.90 euro back. The walk to "the Strip" only took about 15 - 20 mins anyway. The Bar at the hotel was reasonable but the entertainment was pretty average.The hotel staff were friendly and helpful and the Reps were available every day. I wouldn't recommend this hotel if you don't mind walking as it was quite far from the beach too - but the brochure details are accurate. All in all we had a great time and would love to go back to the Algarve soon.

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Hotel: balaia plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : kevin ruth sophie and kate 54,44,15 ,15

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a two bedroomed apartment which was very spacious,clean and well equiped.There was two bathrooms which each had hairdryers in. The kitchen had a microwave and a large freezer compartment which was very handy.

The pool area was nice the only problem was selfish Brits who seem to have taken over from the Germans in reserving sunbeds several hours before they use them !!!!. The reps asked people not to do this but this was to no avail. This problem should be addressed by the hotel staff going around and taking the towels off these beds.

We resorted to using the hotel next door which was used by Portugese people who did not feel the need to reserve beds. It was a much nicer, quieter place to relax. The food and the poolside bar was really nice there and it was run by a very nice man called 'Magic'.

The walk to the strip took around 20 minutes, personally we thought this area to commercialised although the two 15 year olds loved it.We only ate once on the strip and that was the worst meal of the week. Would recommend Johnny Hoopers [off the strip] for a meal and good entertainment [Tuesday or Friday nights]. You can book in advance.

Another good restaurant being the Koala restaurant just further down than Johnny Hoopers.

To find these places get the free map available outside some bars.

The old town was nice in the evening to stroll around eat and drink.The taxi from the hotel being 5 Euros or approx 1 hour to walk.

You can catch the local bus opposite the hotel to Faro and Villamoura [the bus timetable available from reception]. The bus service was reliable and would recommend visits to both these places.

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Karin Withers 47 and Husband

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Allocated on Arrival. Portugal has splendid Hotels so we took the risk. The Balia Plaza was a bit out of the way - 20 mins walk to the strip (good for exercise). Taxi is an essential to the old town but it only cost 4 euros to get there, and another 4 euros to get back. The accommodation is very good indeed. Really big and airy. Huge Balconies. The air conditioning is actually climate control so is very quiet - the best we have ever experienced, as I normally have to sleep with ear plugs to lose the noise of air con. However it is on a loop system with all the other rooms in the paticular sector. If it doesn`t work it is because some one else has played with the system. This only happened once to us whilst we were there. Don`t let me put you off at all. You just need to know.The advice is don`t touch the buttons except to turn on and off and you will enjoy real state of the art climate comfort.  

The pool was a disappointment as there are very limited sun beds, but there is a nice beach across the road and down the hill. There is a really good beach  - the avliros The sister Hotel (twenty steps way from this hotel) has a restaurant which was one of the most reasonably priced meals we had out here, and the menu and food was good. Restaurants to recommend in the area were the sister Hotel, The Koala Restaurant, just off the strip - the taxi will take you there and the Fishermans Restaurant in the old town. 

We would go back to this accomodation without hesitation.

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : John, Rosie, Kerri [41, 40, 19]

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed here for a week and we had a lovely time. 

The accomodation is spotless and the apartments are huge. Big seperate kitchen, 2 large sofas [beds], seperate bedroom,[pillows are dire, but get down to reception quick and you can get extra ones]. Bathroom [with a great shower] and large balcony. Towels changed daily and sheets changed during the week. Safety deposit box which you can hire from reception is inside the huge wardrobe in the bedroom. [30 Euros - with 15 Euros back when you hand the key in]. We were on 4th floor which had a lovely view over the roof tops of Albufeira. The bar area is large with some dodgy entertainment which is usual for holidays. 

The pool area is tucked away up a set of stairs, but it is well worth going. The pool is big with plenty of sun loungers. There is a very small childrens pool also. The pool bar serves everything from alcohol, snacks, and breakfasts. The service is slow, but worth it. Barman has selective vision which can get annoying! The Apartments are situated around a 15 minute stroll into the main Strip. Here we found lots of good bars and restuarants. The chinese was very good and reasonably priced. The Dubliner bar was a favourite. An irish singer/guitar player took requests and there was a party atmosphere. Only place I found that sold diet Irn Bru.

The beach is lovely. The loungers were 12.50 Euros for 2 and a shade. Jet Ski's are available for hire but very expensive at 75 Euro's for half an hour. [not many taking up the offer].  There is a nice restuarant right on the beach selling ice creams, alcohol, snacks and meals. The beach can be reached by the apartments opposite the Plaza, but we found it a nicer and easier walk just to head into Albufeira and take the beach road down. An excursion worth going on is the Jeep Safari. You are away all day. The drivers are a good laugh, full of information about the history of the Algarve. Lunch is included in the price and we had a great time. The restuarant which is adjacent to the apartments is good if you can't stomach the walk into Albufeira. We found the food to be above average and very reasonable. The service is excellent. All in all a good holiday, although a little out of the way. 

One word of warning. When you get dropped off at Faro airport on the way home - putting your bags through and getting your boarding cards is very well organised and painless. However, when you make your way through to the main departure area - it is bedlam! We had 8 flights all trying to leave at around the same time. The consequence was that thousands of people were trying to get through passport control and onto their departure gate at the same time. We stood for an hour and a half in this queue. Nerves were frayed and very nearly a riot with some people queue jumping!

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Lancashired (40, 39, 12, 9

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went with on a last minute, 4* allocation on arrival holiday in Albufeira.  We were very pleased with the apartments, they were immaculate.  The rooms were big, air conditioned and very comfortable with a large bathroom with power shower and constant hot water.  The maid service was very regular, if you were still in the room when they called they would call back later.  The pool was great, not a problem getting a sunbed at any time of the day.  There is a snackbar by the pool that serve baguettes with chips for about 4euros as well as salads, burgers and toasties which were all reasonably priced.  Drinks were a bit pricey at 2.50Euros for a pint of coke, beer or wine.

The entertainment didn't live up to much but if you have kids with you, you can use the First Choice sister hotel which is just around the corner, (you can see it on the hill from the pool side) they have loads going on for kids day and night, We found it better for the family to go there after an evening meal rather than walking around the strip which is mainly bars and restaurants.

If you like shopping visit the Nike factory shop in Guia this was just off the N125, there is a massive shopping precinct opposite with designer shops, cinema, bowling and a food court with a fantastic variety of restaurants including Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Fish restaurants and of course Mc Donald's, you can get a great meal for a more resonable price than anywhere we found.

Vilamoura Marina is a lovely place to go, only about a 20 minute drive from the Balaia Plaza, also the Gypsy Market (which is held on a wednesday) at Quarteira for your bargain perfume,  leather handbags and gifts.

The Zoomarine is a good day out with or without children, the dolphin show was superb! as was the tropical bird and sealion show. Loads to do on this park but if you feel you may want to swim with the dolphins book early, probably best to book before you leave England, the cost was 135.Euros - well worth a visit.

Aqualand just off the N125 towards Portimao - A22 is good for the swimmers as well as the non swimmers.  With steep siides, corkscrew slides, wave pools, rapids and a slow river where you just float around on a big rubber ring (you don't even get your face wet)I would definately recommed you hire your own rubber ring, this enables you to go straight on the slides(no queuing).

All in all The Algarve is a great place to go, we would go back tomorrow.

I can definately recommend hiring a car, with what you save in transfer and taxi fees it is well worth it.

We didn't see any creepy crawlies or get bitten by anything including mosquitos, at any time of the holiday. ENJOY!

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice June 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Deb,Dave,Jake,Sephron.Candy (40.44,17,16,14)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a good holiday at the balaia plaza for one week.

The flight with first choice was brilliant.When we arrived at the hotel the reps were friendly & helpful as were most of the staff.The hotel was lovely with a large pool and good snackside bar the only downside was you could never get a sunbed unless you got up at the crack of dawn so we took to using the pool next door which was always a lot emptier (you are allowed to do this as i asked).

The rooms were large with free aircon & plenty of hanging space even for us and there were 5 of us in a 1 bedroom apartment the kitchen was well equipped with a large fridge?freezer, microwave cooker ect our room had a large balcony with distant views of the sea, the bedrooms were large & comfortable except for the stupid little pillows we had that were no thicker than an inch it took us 3 days to get extra pillows & that was only after i complained to the rep and he sorted it out but even then we were only given 3 extra even though there were 5 of us, sounds like a stupid thing to winge about but try sleeping with towels & clothes under your head to make it more comfortable its not nice,the rooms were kept clean and towels changed regularly, the hotel also had a top class gym, & a supermarket were you could get everything you need.

If you want a fantastic meal turn left when you leave the hotel and walk about a mile to a parade of resturants go in the first 1 called o'assador the food was fantastic (try the cataplana)Also the walk to the strip was not fun took about 20 min you can get a bus outside 160e single or a cab (hotel charge 70c to order you 1) works out pricey after a week.Also another  great resturant on the strip was Luigi.Old town was nice but they wacked the prices up at night the strip had more choice(even for us oldies)and was a lot cheaper.

The beaches were lovely and the climb up & down kept  you fit, we tended to use the beaches nearer the strip as they had facilities (toilets,Food)

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice April 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Darlington (50, 49, 14)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from a last minute April booking to the Balaia Plaza, the reports say the hotel is quite away from the main activity, although this is true most hotels are as this is a large resort.The rooms are very spacious and although in need of some re-decoration they were cleaned on a regular basis. 

The hotel has a very nice pool area and pool bar serving meals during the day.Leaving the hotel all activity is to the right up Cardiac Hill about 20 minute walk to the Strip. There is a nice Chinese Restaurant at the bottom of the hill called the Royal Chinese, the meals were very good and reasonably priced. Breakfasts in the resort were all very good ranging from 2.50 to 4.00 Euro's. A larger was 1.00 to 2.50 Euro's. Most night we got a taxi back to the hotel which cost 4.00 Euro's. Surprisingly on a visit to the Old Town which is further from the hotel the price was the same. The Old Town is undergoing major re-construction with most of the streets dug up so although the beach was great we did not stop there to long. We decided to get a taxi from the Airport to the hotel, we used Poltour which cost 64 Euro return a lot cheaper than what First Choice offered and they gave a great service.

The weather was average with three reasonable sunny days out of seven four being overcast with some rain. If travelling in April take something warm for the night as it does get quite cool.

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Fiona - Kent (68,47,13)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have just returned from Portugal and we loved it so much that we are going again in the summer. There is so much choice to be had in Albufeira. If you want lots of noise and Sky TV footie then head to The Strip, this all goes on late into the night but we didn't stay past about 11pm.  Then there is quieter parts all around within walking distance.  Taxis are about 4 euros and are lovely fast Mercedes with polite drivers. The Old Town is worth going to, we walked there but wouldn't want to do it with kids.  There is a Tourist Train (on the road) that chugs about Albufeira where you pay once and can get on and off many times.

The best restaurants we liked were on the Strip - Portofino (at the Praia de Oura end) and Restaurante Da Silva (at the top end towards Montechoro) both excellent (not cheap but beautiful food, fish, meat, pasta, etc.) There were plenty of supermarkets, small and large, obviously the smaller the more dearer. Nice size one caleed Marachino only 13 mins walk from apartments, got to be fit though as a few hills.  Bus runs along quite frequently but I found it a bit expensive (3.20 euros, roughly £2.35, for 2 people and only on it 5 mins if that!) so decided to walk most days. No buses on Sunday.

The apartments were very good but i'll start with the badish points first.  They will not let you in to your room until 2pm or later.  My husband kept pestering them and we got in by 2pm but another lady and her son didn't get in until 4pm!!  We found out why when we got upstairs, very few maids for loads of rooms!  Anyway the apartment was so big with loads of hanging space and a big cupboard for luggage.  The bathroom was spacious but fittings quite old and need replacing. The shower head needed descaling and the water just came out in a big dollop!  The entertainment was a bit rubbishy but the you are on holiday so can laugh along with it really, except this singer who started off OK then just screeched so we made a hasty retreat!

All in all it was a lovely holiday with so much to see and do and the beaches are fantastic and heaven (and safe)for little children so just book and go.

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Somerset (17,17,25)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was amazing and such good value if you can get it last minute. The staff are brilliant big shout out to our barmen carlos and michael!! The pool is great and theres allways a spare sunbed. The prices at the pool bar are a bit hefty but other than that no complaints. The hotel bar had some awful entertainment but it is funny and the cocktails are ACE!!

There is around a 15-20 minute walk to the strip which is quite nice of an evening as its nearly all downhill as for the way back though its probably best to get a taxi which only costs around 5 euros. Cytotes is a midway point on teh way to the strip, theres very cheap beer and although its a bit tacky its a good starting point (this may be just for the younger generation however!) At the strip there is endless bars and clubs all having special offers on shots and beers. Matts bar has a very good atmosphere and good music.

All in all a brilliant holiday the beach is lovely but quite a trek. Alcohol and cigarettes very CHEAP!!

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: JULY 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : TANIA FITZPATRICK (33,30,6,3)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What can I say?  An asolutely fantastic hotel.  Very clean and modern.  Brilliant kids clubs and good activities all day if you can be bothered.  Food ok at the restaurant but its always better to go out and try a few places in the old town.  We were there in peak season and managed to get sun beds most days.  We took a trip to the Aqua Park but the place was really jam packed and took an age to get on any of the slides.

Only thing that bothered me about this hotel and that is that there is not much close by to it.  It's a 20 minute walk to the resort centre (with kids!)  and booking and waiting for taxis could take anything from 5mins to an hour.
All in all a brill hotel- it's just a shame that its not closer to the resort centre.

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours/Thomson - May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Donna, Sue & Kate (38,61,5)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from an excellent holiday.  

We stayed for 1 week at the Bahlia Plaza and everything was absolutely perfect, the hotel reception was lovely, and staff very friendly, the room were fab, so spacious, clean and very well maintained, maid every day except the day after we arrived,the pool area and pool were immaculate (water cold but very pleasureable) and again the staff were all lovely and helpful and very friendly. There was entertainment in the hotel which was fine, but we used to get out and about each night and just come back for the last hour or so. 

We used to walk the 15 minute or so walk to the strip in Albufeira and get a taxi back as the road was dark on the way back.  The food was great and very reasonable and the portugese people are just so friendly and nice.  I have been to portugal 3 times before but this was the bestest ever.  Would definatly book the same hotel again, well worth it.  Too many beggars in the busy areas but just say no and they leave you alone.  Taxi drivers were easy to flag down and so cheap we got a taxi to and from the old town and is was only 5 euros each way.

Hope to go again soon. xxx

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice May 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : V Robinson - Co.Durham 30,26,3

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from the Balaia Plaza. after the good reviews listed we were looking forward to the holiday and the apartments were realy spacious and clean.

There is very little near to the hotel and is a 15-20 minute walk to life to either side, so if you dont like walking in the heat like our three year old you do end up using a lot of taxis!

The free shutle bus is useful during the daytime.

We avoided all 'british' pubs restaurants etc like the plague and tried to eat authentic portugese dishes every night ( apart from one night when we went to the chinese Royal Palace which lived up to reports we had a banquet for 2 which was only 24euros and totally delicious!)

We highly recommend the cataplana, we had one with monkfish and another with seafood. The seafood rice is also very tasty. Piri Piri chicken wasnt as hot as we expected but was very nice.
And fillet steak portugese style is simply heaven!

You can use visa in the large supermarket near to the chinese and there is a cash point there as well.

The service at the pool bar was slow the staff are friendly but dont speak all that good english so ordering snacks can be a bit tricky if you want something left out or extra! Drinks prices at the pool bar a hefty 5euros for a smirnoff ice and the coke isnt even a half pint!

It was a lovely holiday the week went so fast! the weather was really good just cloudy one morning, but when the sun goes in theres not alot surrounding the hotel for kids to do

there is a well equipped gym which was about 27euros for a weeks pase but you could use the other facilites as well

the young girl in the hotel super market was lovely, then again our little boy did buy them out of kinder eggs!

there were plenty of sun loungers but it wasnt peak season so that may be different later in the year.

when you go home you cant put aerosols, hairdryers or nail files scissors etc in your hand luggage and you can only have one piece of hand luggage per person (plus handbag) and you cant buy tobacco one the flight home so make sure you buy at the resort or in the airport.

the flights were 15 mins early each way and the meals were edible for a change!

the transfer from the airport is only 30 mins, you are the second drop off and second off last pick up so its great if you have kids as you dont have hours on the bus.

First choice reps are clearly visible in the airport, their suits are bright pink and the rep goes on both transfers with you.

enjoy your stay!

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice April 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Eggleston 57,57

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was super,cleaners,reception even the girls in the minimart were really helpful.Only one downside,made a 23 minuite phonecall from our room(my mother-inlaw was in Hospital) cost 63 euros thats right about £45.after that we phoned from in town(phonecards are best)Sunday lunch(avaiable till 9pm) at the Cockerel is awesome,Lovely food( Portugese food)and cheap drinks from Two Brothers bar/restuarant.

The "Old Town" is a must,sitting outside having a meal or a coffee and (huge)brandy for 2.5euros and watching the world go by is so relaxing.Taxi to "Strip"where most of  the nightlife is 3.5 euros taxi to Old Town is 5.5 euros.Book your taxi from reception(charge is half a euro)Taxis only available from taxi rank or by booking from bar/restaurant,will go back again.

We were disappointed with First Choice they waited till we got to Faro Airport booking in queue before telling everyone that they were going to be strict and charge for any hand luggage that exceeded 5 kilos and if you bought duty free inside and exceeded your weight limit they would be confiscated as you were boarding the plane.

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice  -  April 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Phil Dore & Gemma Huff (Both 22)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was really great with big rooms, although we didn't really need all of that room as there was only the 2 of us. The kitchen was very well equipped with toaster, kettle, cooker hob and fridge/freezer. The balconies were very good sizes with a great view over to the sea. The hotel bar had some quite good entertainment on in the evenings and the prices in the bar weren't too dear. The swimming pool was a good size with plenty of sun loungers round the outside. The poolside was quite good with coffee and ice cream if you want or just stick with the beer.There is plenty for the kids to do, there is a seperate small kids pool, tennis courts and a little playground for them. The only downside about this hotel was that when we arrived at 11am the room was not ready for us because the check out time was the same and our room was not ready until 1pm, but other than that I strongly reccomend this hotel.

The resort itself is a little bit quiet, but very nice. The resort was about 2 miles away from Albufeira strip and about 3 miles from the Old Town, but it's only a cheap taxi ride there, about 4 euro's which isn't too bad. There is a really good beach in St. Eulalia, although it is a bit of an akward walk down some steps, but you can get down there by road, takes about an extra 10 minutes to walk it. There is a good bar/resturant by the beach, that serves food all day.

If you're after a couple of good days out go for a Jeep Safari, excellent day out with food provided with the trip. You get great views of The Algarve which you otherwise wouldn't get to see, and lots of stops for drinks and toilets. Another good day out is to go to Villamoura, about 2 euro's on the bus from the stop just across the road. Go to the marina that is there, it's got loads of bars around the edge of it and alot of shops too. If you like a bargain or two go to the gipsy market in Quarteria, you can get some great bargains there, but just don't buy cigarettes from there, it's a bit dodgy so we heard.

All in all it was a great holiday and we would definately go back there again.

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The Balaia Plaza - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : joyce alan jean roger  54,50,54,58

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel very spacious, could do with new bathrooms. Very clean very helpful staff.
Would not say this was 4* more like 3*.
Entertainment poor.It is a very long walk to the strip in the heat so take a taxi, they are so cheap.
The old town was our favourite, plenty to see and do.
Must have a ride on the street train.
We would go back again but somewhere nearer the entertainment as there were no bars near this hotel so it meant taxis every night.
All in all quite a good holiday.

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Balaia Sol Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: panorama- june 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : jackie & mick, co durham (44,43)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

APARTMENTS - these are great apartments. the rooms are spotlessly clean and cleaned regularly.We never went without clean towels etc. A big plus is how well kept the gardens , flowers etc are- everything is beautiful, The complex itself is well layed out with lovely courtyards. The minibus service is a good extra for 2 euros each you can get into old and /or new town. although I understand that a taxi into the new town is approx 4 euros so a taxi would be better if there were a few in your party- the reception staff charge you though for calling the taxi firm. Pool bar was good, although as in most places, alcohol is reasonable and soft drinks are expensive- £1 for a glass of wine but £1.40 for a can of lemondade. Snacks are reasonable are tasty. There is a small area where they sell water, milk etc, we got stuff there on our first morning. However the complex next door has a supermarket. We asked the rep where the nearest supermarket was and she directed us into town- 40 mins walk there and back, carrying heavy bottles of water etc, in the midday sun!!! The walk from the apartments into the busy area (the strip) is about 15- 20 mins. A bar or two along the way would have been nice, the balaia sol is a little bit isolated, you do have to walk/taxi/bus if you want any night life.

RESORT- Very busy on the strip, a bit too commercial for us but still ok. I'm not sure if i would have wanted to stay in albufeira for 2 weeks (we stayed a week) unless it was in the old town which we much preferred.Casanovas restaurant in old town excellant and reasonable, always busy and with lots of locals too.Renos bar on the strip is a good bar, a bit cheesy but good fun and good music

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Balaia Sol Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Janet Forster - Hartlelepool (46, 43, 16, 12)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I was a little anxious before our holiday, after reading some reviews - but we had a wonderful time.

The apartment complex, and our rooms were spotless, we couldn't fault it.  The staff were polite and efficient (not over friendly, if thats what you are looking for) but we didn't mind as we don't like to be made a fuss of.   It was a 15 min walk to the local 'strip' (shops, bars and restaurants) and although the walk itself wasn't too bad, you do have to walk very close to a main road (the pathway is quite narrow), so fast cars could be a little daunting especially with small children.  There is a minibus available 3 times a day 11 am, 2.15 pm and 5 pm to take you to a couple of places (including the strip) 2 euros each (return).

The complex was quite a way from the beach, though you could walk through the adjoining complex (numerous villas) and eventually come to the beach after about a 25 min walk.  One thing though to bear in mind is that the area is quite 'hilly' so not really suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
We had a great day out at Zoomarine (the kids swam with dolphins) and Slide and Splash water park. 
My husband and I took a taxi to Vilamoura, to meet up with friends (20 min journey about 28 euros return). 
You need to taxi or hire a car to get about - no public transport that I could see.

We had a great time - hope you do!

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Balaia Sol Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama  june 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : janet- john  42,42

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this is a beautiful apartment.the only problem is there is no supermarket on site.there is one on the next complex that is about a 5 min walk.we had a 1 bedroom appt. it was very spacious and clean.you can rent a tv remote for 15 euros a week that you get back when you return it.it has bbc1 one so you can watch eastenders.it is approx 25 min walk to the nearest night life but its a very pleasent walk.we did it 4 times a day.we mainly ate in the coach pub.they do a full english breakfast including a glass of fresh orange tea or coffee for just 4.50euros.back to the appartments the pool is cleaned every day all the sunbeds are washed and dried everyday.

we will be going back there again next year. anyone traveling there this year we hope you have as good time as we did. happy holiday

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Hotel: Bayside Salgados - Albufeira

Operator and Date: On The Beach - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Jan , Garry & Gina Frodsham 48,47,15

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The first impression of Bayside Salgados is that is situated in mostly dirt track, dusty and half built buildings. All over the Algarve there is a massive building program so you are going to hear and see building work, which is more than on reason why the Bayside rates are so cheap. When the resort is finished I am sure prices will double.

The reception and the bar/restaurant are very clean and the staff very helpful.

Our rooms were of a decent standard for a 3 star hotel, but would rate Bayside more as a 2 star hotel. They are very nice rooms, not too big and they were cleaned every day except Sunday although they don't change the towels or sheets every day, there was a notice on our door telling us when they did change them and if we ever needed anything we just asked at reception. Provided are all the amenities you would need including satellite TV and Air con ? but you must ask at reception for the remote controls for both (no charge!). Balcony doors lock both sides. Suggest you request a first floor apartment as they have balcony, whilst the ground floor opens on to a terrace or a lawn (and seem a bit darker).

We stayed half board - but if we were to do self catering the kitchen area had everything we would have needed, there was a large fridge and everything was provided even a mixing bowl and a tea towel! The cooking facilities were limited though ? a two ring hob - but we did have a microwave oven.

The food served in the hotel although basic it was good. The menu for the dish of the day didn?t explain what was in the dish e.g. Portuguese Fish ? it was actually fish done in a sauce of tomato, onion and garlic served with boiled potato ? very tasty! There is also a menu if whats on offer is not what you want the usual burger or ribs or steak averaging at about 5-12 euros.

Renting a safe is very cheap 12.50 euros for 9 days ? would recommend this ? it seems strange that when you rent the safe that they give you the key and also the locking system with it (rent one - you?ll see).

The Bayside is no where near a beach, but a hot dusty up hill walk will give you the first glimpse of the sea! From the hotel it?s a five minute walk to get to the beach, but it?s a nice large beach. There are two more cove beaches further along populated mostly by Portuguese ? no body bothers you and there?s the occasional bloke going past selling sandwiches or ice-cream. It costs 12.50 euros for 2 sun beds and a parasol. The beach at Gale which is about a 10 minute walk is superb - lovely soft sand and 3 bars / restaurants all nice with free toilets and showers.

The apartments are a taxi ride from Albufeira (cost about 7 euros) and there can be a 10 minute wait for taxis - but as long as you don't mind this then you should have a good time! Although most brochures and websites will tell you this is Albufeira it?s not. I would probably place this hotel nearer Gale than Albufeira. The resort itself is fairly quiet and a little outside Albufeira so we would get a taxi in of an evening.

There is a free bus, 3 times a day only taking only 8 people into Albufeira, and the driver is mad and moody (the man is a legend!) but be warned though he is one of the most miserable and rudest people you will ever meet. He always shouts at people for opening the doors or even touching them! Everything seems is too much trouble for him. It?s quite funny to see him in action. Usually the mid-day bus is busy and if you are there promptly at 12 O?clock and the bus is full he will come back for you ? if you are there waiting after that time he tells you in no uncertain terms what he thinks (funny when you?re not on the receiving end!) I think it?s an act he puts on for the tourists!

Eating out ? if you want somewhere to eat you will have to be prepared for a good walk. There?s a nice small cafe serving food (it is really the local bakery and they do nice sandwiches and drinks at very reasonable prices also. Further on along the road toward the beach (5 minute walk) is a restaurant/bar called O Faro very stylish with its flowing drapes but is quite expensive beer 4 euros a pint where as most bars its about 2 euros. Walking from the Bayside as if going to Albufeira is a small tea room with some unusual decoration in the courtyard and on the roof ? a model ox head with green glowing eyes and a cat on the roof with red glowing eyes but the lady and her mother make you feel very welcome and do nice specialty teas and snacks. The star restaurant is the Salgados Mar the food is fantastic!! They do typical Portuguese cuisine ? maybe a bit dearer but well worth the money. They make their own wine and a litre jug costs 8 euros ? really good value.

I would say to anyone who is visiting this hotel not to be put off by other reviews, the hotel was great. After reading other holiday reviews on the Bayside Salgados we were worried about staying there but when we arrived we were very pleasantly surprised. Recommended!

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Bayside Salgados - Albufeira

Operator and Date: July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Brenda 52, Andy 36,

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just back after 10 days Thank God! 

The first impresion of Salvados is dirt tracks, dust and half built buildings. The Bayside is no where near a beach, but a hot dusty up hill walk will give you the first glimpse of the sea! from there its a five minute walk to get on it,but its big and nice, Free bus, 3 times a day only 8 people, and driver mad and moody. Is it free for kids as every one had at least 3! nothing to do so everyone takes all their toys in the pool, even to play bat and ball! Eating out (Down dirt track) cafe food restarant prices.Balcony doors lock both sides no one told u slept 7 nites with door open and small child next to it! double check all doors as posters of lot of missing children.

would not go back to this part of portugal.

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Bayside Salgados - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Booked direct June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Couple 52 and 44 years

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The apartments at the Bayside Salgados are spotlessly clean, and provide all the amenities you would need (including sattelite TV and Air con). Suggest you request a first floor apartment as they have fab balconys, whilst the ground floor open on to a terrace and lawn (and seem a bit darker).

The beach at Gale which is a bout a 10 minute walk is superb - lovely soft sand and 3 bars / restaurants all nice with free loos and showers.

The apartments are a taxi ride from Albefuira (cost about 7 euros) and there can be a 15 - 20 minute wait for taxis - but as long as you don't mind this then you should have a super time!

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Bayside Salgados - Albufeira

Operator and Date: tavelrepublic JUNE 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : sean and pam (41 51)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just returned from the bayside.where to start?

we were allocated rooms on 1st floor of block next to pool.were told that if we went on to roof of our apartments we could use one of the 2 jaccuzis.however when we did indeed go upstairs that both were empty and full of cobwebs!stairs leading up to our room were terrible we could hardly get suitcases up them!they are small spiral ones!

there is a free bus into albufeira but be warned the driver is one of the most miserable and rudest people you will ever meet.he was always shouting at people for opening the doors or even touching them!everything was to much trouble for him.

the bayside is situated about 5 miles from albufeira and 2 miles from amacoco de perra.go on the tourist train in amacoco they take you round what is basically a building site with no explanation or commentary at all.did only cost 5 euros though.not a great deal to do there either.albufeira is a bit more busier but again there was loads of building work going on.seemed to be a load of beggars and timeshare touts to.we were talking to one couple round the pool who had received a call from the manager to try and charge them because there towels were dirty!!from what we were told this is a regular trick!

if you want somewhere to eat you will have to be prepared for a good walk.the nearest restraunts are miles away.for such a large built up area there are hardly any pubs or restraunts at all.you would be advised to hire a car while there we didnt and felt like prisoners all week.

would we ever stay there again NO NEVER.

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Bayside Salgados - Albufeira

Operator and Date: April 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Elkie, Paul, Jenny, Jason (22, 24, 23, 24)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading other holiday reviews on the Bayside Salgados we were quite worried about staying there, when we arrived however we were very pleasantly surprised.

The reception and the bar/restaurant are very clean and the staff are very helpful.

Our rooms were above standard for a 3 star hotel, they are very nice, spacious and they were cleaned every day although they don't change the towels or sheets every day, there was a notice on our door telling us when they did change them and if we ever needed anything we just asked at reception and they provided us with it.

We stayed self catering and the kitchen area had everything we needed, there was a large fridge and everything was provided even a mixing bowl and a cooks apron! There was no additional charges for anything like air conditioning, the safe or anything....

The pool was covered and heated because it was early season so I couldn't comment on what it would be like in the summer but we found it fine.

The resort itself is fairly quiet and a little outside Albuferia so we got taxi's in, the hotel is a short walk from the beach and the beach was really nice.

There are a few restaurants within walking distance, although we ate at the hotel and the food was good. We visited the Salgados diner which is about 10-15 minute walk from the hotel, it is very reasonable and it was the nicest food we had in our whole stay and we had eaten a few times in the old and new town as well as the hotel. The people who run it are English and could not be more friendly, they even gave us a lft back to our hotel one night when we couldn't get a taxi!!

I would say to anyone who is visiting this hotel not to be put off by other reviews, the hotel was great and although the resort is quite quiet it is only a short taxi ride into the old or new town of Albuferia.

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Bayside Salgados - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Independent with  Hotelopia - 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Mark 53 Gail 36 Warwick12 Leanne 14

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

A cheap hotel at a cheap price. Do not expect The Ritz. Clean and Tidy rooms grounds and bar/restaurant area.Friendly staff

All over the Algarve there is a massive building program so you are going to hear and see building work, that is more than on reason why the Bayside rates are so cheap. When the resort is finished I am sure prices will double.

YOU NEED A CAR there is a hotel bus but to get anywhere a car is a must. The beach is a good 20 minute walk away so are any food outlets.

A round of golf at the Salgados Golf Course will cost you about 100 euros.

The OCEANIA Supermarket is the best one around the Bayside, follow signs about 7 minute walk. Shopping Algarve has a massive hypermarket for serious shopping for just about anything.

Look out for restaurants with the wording CASSA DE PASTA outside this tells Portugeese workmen that they do good cheap food It is better to buy a dish of the day which there is normally a choice between ( good portion )Meat or Fish with salad or veg and chips or potatoes a wine and a sweet for between 5 and 8 euros. Lunch is best for this menu as in the evening things get a lot pricier.

There are a couple of 'English Bars' but we only went in Scoobies which was for the football type of people, and we ended up with upset stomachs from the food.

The Cafe next door to Bayside is terrible breakfast swimming in grease and Polish staff.Prices in the shop next to the Bayside are 25% dearer that in other local shops so be warned. The owner sits in the Bayside bar rather than see to his shop leaving young women to tend shop.

Apart from the beach ,pool and a pool table there is nothing in this resort for kids, so they end up kicking footballs against the walls of the apartments.

If you have a car make sure you visit SILVES and see the castle and also ALTE where there is a very special spring. Good restaurants at both of these places.

Zoomarine is very expensive. Aqualand 'The Big One ' is by far the best Waterpark on the Algarve.

Keep your kids with you at all times as a lot of children go missing every year not just Maddy as the press would have you believe. Look at the missing persons board in inland towns away from the tourist trails.

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Bayside Salgados - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Hotelopia oct 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Crockett/Neylon 35,39,48,52

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading reviews we were really worried about going to bayside as were a lot of other travellers we met while we were there. Well might i say you have nothing to worry about. The staff were lovley, polite , hardworking and friendley. The food in the restuarant was super, the prawns in garlic and oil wonderful. The apartments were spottless, maybe a little basic but we did pay a very basic price. They were cleaned every day and the towels every other day. We did hire a car as we like to get out and about but you could manage without a car, depending on what sort of holiday you like. The pool was great, everything was fine, so if you are going dont worry, we had no complaints at all.Weather for us in oct 6th for a week, high 80s, what more could we have asked for. 

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Bayside Salgados Golf and Beach Resort - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Travelrepublic.com - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Mandi Pugh - Buckley (37, 37)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were looking for a relatively cheap four night stay in Portugal and on the travelrepublic website spotted the Bayside Salgados apartments.

The price was £186 each for flight, accommodation and return airport transfer and suited us down to the ground.
After booking, I wanted to read a little more about the accommodation and was worried to read some of the reviews available. All anxieties were quashed, however, when we reached the resort.
I can see how some visitors to Bayside have been disappointed - the ground floor apartments did seem a little dark, especially if they weren't south facing ones but on the flip side, these were usually taken by families with young children who could easily spill out of the apartment onto the grassed area outside. What you lose in one, you gain in another.

We chose to spend an extra £20 or so to guarantee a room with a balcony - this was a good choice. We overlooked the pool and got most of the afternoon and early evening sunshine. There is building going on nextdoor - but 'nextdoor' was a good 15 minute walk away. It didn't spoil our break one bit.
Bayside staff are very accommodating and friendly.
Taxis into Albufeira were about 10Euros (about £7.50) which we took advantage of each night - they are easily available.

The accommodation price for our short break amounted to just over £50 for two people for 4 nights - you'd be hard pressed to get one night in a dingy B&B in Blackpool for that these days.

I would definitely re-visit.

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Bayside Salgados Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Easyjet - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Beers 26 - Logan 27  - Kilpatrick 25

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a 5day break in Portugal, we booked our Flights, Transfers and Accomodation with Easyjet and could not complain about anything, the apartments were clean tidy and spacious with all the necessary kitchen utensils including a microwave. We took full advantage of the roof top jacuzzi, which overlooked the entire apartments, and was clean tidy and safe. There was some building work across the way but it did not annoy us.

When going out at night it cost anything from 9 - 11 Euros one way into Albuferira, we didnt visit the "Old Town" but spoke to people who said it would be worth a vist, in all we had a brilliant 5 days with lovely weather and would recommend Bayside Salgados Apartments for couples/families or friends looking for a quiet relaxing holiday.

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Bayside Salgados Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Helen Jones, Maria Trollpe, S.Wales (26,29)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we arrived at Bayside Salgados i was mortified at the prospect of staying there for 10 days. We got ourselves checked in then set off to the supermarket on the free bus provided.Our first visit wasn't exactly a good experience, the heaven's opened up and the free bus decided not to turn up!we were like drowned rats in vest tops and flip flops and having just arrived we did not know any taxi numbers and the supermarket staff didn't either!After an hour of standing in the rain the bus eventually picked us up.

After the first day we began to settle into the holiday and just accepted that we would have to put up with the terrible beds and pillows and the basic apartment.(you will have to take your own kettle and iron as they don't have any to hire!!)

The rooftop jaquzzi was where we spent the remainder of the holiday,however they were not cleaned once during our stay!

The restaraunt on the complex is basic but Evan the bar man was good fun!You will have to wait approximatley an hour for your meal. We did not find any suitable pubs or restaraunts near the complex and one night we went to the main strip in a taxi and the taxi driver tried to rip us off with the change and it took us five minutes for him to give us 9euros change!!

When you order a meal, they give you bread to eat before your meal but don't tell you that you will be charged for it.

This complex was ok if your looking for somewhere quiet just to relax and not go out and about, i felt we were too far out to enjoy the real Algarve!!

We went to Gale beach which was very nice,it's about 15-20 minute walk and has a nice restaraunt which do lovely omlettes!

All in all,we got what we paid for.We did enjoy ourselves but couldn't wait to get back in my own comfy bed and show off my lovely tan!!

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Bayside Salgados Golf and Beach Resort - Albufeira

Operator and Date: August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : G Lappin - Northern Ireland (32, 42)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

first ground floor studio apartment we were allocated was awful.  It was damp, dirty, had cobwebs and resembled a `dungeon'.  We complained and initially were told that there were no other apartments available but after we produced a camera we were allocated a first floor one bedroomed apartment in a different block which was delightful.  It was very clean and spacious, towels changed every day.  No kettle provided.  Apartments are quite isolated and taxi fares to albulfeira mounted up but nearside beaches were lovely.  Bayside is actually closer to resort of Amacaco de Perra and you can walk 2 miles along beach to this resort.  No courtesy room provided at apartments.  Suitable for couples wants lots of peace and quiet but definately not suitable for families or young people who will be bored.

Splash and Slide was very enjoyable.  Found a good italian restaurant called `Latinos' on the strip in Albulfeira.

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Bayside Salgados - nr Albufeira

Operator and Date: Independent - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Thomas Family x 4 (8,12,42 & 45)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Bayside is clean, basic and quiet. We spent most of our days on the roof terrace and in the jacuzzis which are like private plunge pools. Some building work next door which didn't intrude noisewise, bit unsightly though.

For our family this accommodation and resort was fabulous. About 15-20 minutes walk to either Salgados or Gale beaches, both were lovely. No bars as such in the vicinity but many restaurants as long as you are prepared for a half hour walk before dinner. Recommend Salgados Beach restaurant for fish (they even gave us a lift back to the accommodation after dinner), Museu de Salgados on the main road was wonderful, and The Lighthouse near Gale beach was really good. Took a taxi in Luau Restaurant near Albufeira one night and setting and food both lovely. Also walked into Armacao de Pera (took us about 1hr 40 minutes) and had a lovely chinese. If you want Blackpool this in not for you, but if you want a relaxing break with good food it will be spot on.

Visited Albufeira Strip one night for shopping and hated every minute of it. 

I would definitely return to Salgados and would probably return to the Bayside too.

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Bayside Salgados - nr Albufeira

Operator and Date: Alpha rooms,com

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : 30,29,2

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

It was damp, smelly and generally in a bit of a grotty location. Squashed mosquitoes on the curtains, dirty cooker and filthy floors. Couldn't have stayed a night there never mind a week!

Very disappointed with the general lack of cleanliness in the apartment. Our view was of a green bush! And there was noisy building works going on just behind the accommodation.

We did not stay one night here, got in there, and checked out within 15 minutes. Got on the net and got a lovely 4 star hotel for £80 for the week and in the end had a great holiday. That was the Parasio Albufeira which I'd highly recommend.

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Belavista Avenida - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - May 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Tracey-30,Andy -39, Holly-7,Hanna-4

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After seeing this holiday on the Thomas Cook TV channel we thought it looked great and booked it straight away - then when I read the reviews on here i wanted to cancel!! I must say I'm very pleased I didn't. I was terrified of what we were going to but it wasn't as bad as i'd expected at all. 

The plane journeys were fine and on time but the bus journey to and from the airport were terrible.  The speed in which the coaches go through the bumpy roads, accelerating and braking all the time made my two children sick on the return journey along with two others.  I pity the poor people who would have to get on this bus for their trandfer.  My partner told the rep travelling with us the driving was unacceptable and many of the adults felt ill too.

Anyway, the apartments are very clean with maid sevice 6 days a week.  They are divided in blocks each with an entrance door.  You have to come out your apartment onto the street and back in the main reception to enter the pool and gardens area, this is quite an inconvenience when your kids want to play with the freinds they'd made.  My opinion of the apartments are that they are quite spacious, clean but a bit tired looking.  he taps dripped in both the kitchen and bathroom, the front bedroom was very dark due to the shutters which were fixed shut and the worktops in the kitchen could do with replacing.  Oh and there was no kettle, microwave or toaster.  The hob on the oven took about 20 minutes to get hot so if you want a cup of tea put it on in plenty of time! There is no entertainment in the complex other than Karaoke on a tues night so we used to go accross the road to the 4star Hotel Paraiso (Thomas Cook) The kids enjoyed mini disco and reps shows. I don't think we were suppose to!!They have two entertainment rooms but can get quite busy.

Zoomarine is an excellent day out and worth the money, Quateira gypsy market is an experience and very busy. The old town in Albufeira was our favoutite out of the two main areas, the other being the strip which is full of bars, souvenir shops and neon!!  The old town focus' on the square where they have entertainers throughout the day and evening.  The restaurants around here are very good although our favourite was Bravo's steak house and the upstairs italian part Bravisimo.

It only costs 3.10 euros to go anywhere local in the town in a taxi. This was the most convenient way to get around. You must pick them up at allocated taxi ranks because in the Algarve it is illeagal to flag a taxi down in the street.  Luckily theres a taxi rank at the end of the road outside the big supermarket.

I would go back to these apartments and definatley the resort although it would be nice to try somewhere else to stay.  We didn't experience any problems with break ins.  The apartment felt secure and didn't see any drug users or alcoholics as other reveiws state.  The road is fairly noisey but we were normally up bu 7.30 -8.00 anyway.  The cleaners didn't visit us till the afternoon so we were always out when they came.  The pool was very cold but once you braved it in it was nice to swim in to escape the heat as it was very hot.

No major problems at all and we met some very nice people - would recommend for a cheap holiday!

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Belavista Avenida - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - March 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : myself 32 hubby 38  and daughters 13yr 10yr 8yr

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have just returned from holidaying in the Algarve on the 6 March O5 we experienced very cold weather for five of the seven days we were there but i thought nobody can be blamed for the weather but considering we were sold a family holiday was appauling to say the least. 

we arrived at the bellavista avenida apartments we were situated on the fourth floor so you can imagine five suitcases three kids no lift NIGHTMARE The apartment was very spacious 2 big bedrooms 2 bathrooms but very in need of updating we had no kettle or toaster or microwave everytime myself or my daughter plugged the  hair straightners in or put more than 2 rings on the cooker my husband had to stand near the electric box because the elecric kept tripping. 

The apartment was so cold it was unbearable we had a small wall heater in each room that wasnt big enough to heat a small room never mind a rooms the size of these. I complained to the rep and was told to leave the oven on but i had three children i didnt feel that was safe so a member of staff brought portable heaters to the room and plugged them left them propped up against the wall five minuets later a big bang it had blown up and the electric tripped THANK GOD  once again my husband trasped back to the reception told them our children were crying in the dark and that the heater had blown the same member of staff appeared with another heater and plugged that in and told us leave it on all the time to heat the room up them heaters seemed to be ok but i never chanced leaving them on over night so u can imagine how cold we were put it this way we slept in jumpers. 

Another problem i found was the early morning bin wagon it seemed to be going up what i can only discribe as algarves M6 every morning at around 6.30am that woke us up every morning without fail not that i would of minded if there was plenty to do for my family but i found every where was closed even the snack bar at the apartments closed at six in the evening and all day on a sunday but the supermarket was handy aslong a you diverted the druggies and the drunks that gathered around it.  

We decided that we were going to make what we could of this holiday and because it was my 10yr old daughters birthday the next day we booked to go to the zoo marine through the rep we got up that morning packed our butties and set off to the bus stop to catch the coach to the zoo marine we waited for an hour the bus still hadnt arrived by this time my daughters were in tears we then went back to the reception and informed the rep she made a telephone call and said that a mini bus would pick us up but as it was midday by this time i felt most of the day had gone and i thought what if the mini bus didnt pick us up on our return we would be stranded so that was a disaster we didnt do anything that day . 

When the sun did come out on the friday we decided to sun bathe all day by the pool but that was ruined because the staff decided to mow the lawns and we forever having to move the sunloungers around the gardens.  My advice to anyone with a family holiday in mind is dont go to the alburfeira this time of year as we were informed by the travel company that this is an all year round family resort let me assure you it isnt and unless your young and just looking for a bed in the height of the summer season stay away from the bellavista avenida apartments

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Bem Parece Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: On The Beach Travel July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by :

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we sayed here last week, it was fantastic, rosanna runs the place, seemedly on her own, she isnt there much as reception is only open several hours a day, but when she was there she was very friendly and speaks very good english, she booked us a taxi on our departure straight away with no fuss and nothing was any boher for her, the studio we stayed in was small but suffiecient for two people on a weeks stay, there was a double bed which was made up fresh, and a small kitchen with everything you could need, fridge, two electic cooker rings, kettle microwave and toaster, a vegetable rack and plenty of plates, cups, glasses and cutlery pots and pans should you wish to cook! the pool is salt water and is kept clean daily by the pool man who comes each morning at 7am so its clean and ready for use by the time people get up early.

the rooms are kept clean by the friendly maids who come in every day and empty the bins and put fresh clean towels everyday.

there are a lot of stairs and hills around this area so people would need to have good strong walking legs, i wouldnt say it was suitable for people with walking diffuculties or the elderly, we are quite fir and had very sore calf muscles after three days but this must be a good thing surely?

the centre is full of nightlife with entertainment in most of the bars and street entertainers each night were different, the food is wonderful, never could fault any of it at all.

the beaches are wonderful they are very clean and sun beds and parasols are 15 euros for the whole day. there were people walking up and down occasionally offering fresh fruit and drinks and even foot massage!!!

all in all the bem parece is very nice and in a quiet area, (residential properties across the road)
with all that you would need for a quiet relaxing holiday with everything you would want just 15 minutes walk down the hill, .should you wish to eat/drink out and have a bit of fun,good entertainment for small kiddies, and teenagers will love the clubs and nightlife, and the parents will enjoy the food and bars
we enjoyed our holiday enormously and cant wait to go back next summer!!!

p.s the marina is just that, a marina, nothing else there to see.

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Boa Vistal Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: James - June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : 46,45

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

A Lovely 7 day holiday at the Boavista Hotel on the edge of Albufeira Old Town.Although the accomodation is sold as 4 star it falls short of this grading, however it was fine, well run, with lovely staff and overall can have no complaints ..I would stay here again without hesitation and would recommend it to anyone(although the steep hills would cause problems for the less able)The pool is a wee bit small and can cater for approx 40 sunbeds...we took the beach option most days where a 10 minute downhill stroll secures you sunbeds and parasols for 15 Euros(a bit steep but who cares your on holiday)

The Old Town is beautiful with loads of decent restaurants and pavement cafes.... our favourites were the Casa Da Fonte where you eat under a Lemon tree..the Atrium Portuguese Fado night was memorable for the food and entertainment..The main square is very busy and the prices are a lot dearer than the side streets...It is like everywhere else, commercialised however it genuinely retains a level of quaintness not enjoyed elsewhere...

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Boa Vistal Hotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Med Hotels- September 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Heather and Jean Southworth (22, 56)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Hotel Boa Vista is located in the old town of Albufeira, and is rated four star.
We spent one week here in September.
We arrived at about 9am and were told we were not allowed to check in until 2pm so if you go to this hotel make sure you don't arrive before that time.
It is about 10 mins walk from the centre of the old town and is a nice stroll down alot of hills to reach it, so take plenty of sensible footwear, stilletoe heels are of no use here! The walk back up is a bit of a killer especially in the midday heat.

Hotel Boa Vista may have been a four star when it first pened in 1962 but it definately needs a bit of a revamp, the rooms are very tired. We had room 415 which had spectacular picture postcard views over the whole bay and the pool area. Rooms were always kept clean though and were comfertable enough even though the beds are hard and mine had a terrible squeek! We never recieved our complimentary fruit and wine on arrivl though which we were told we would have but never mind.

We stayed on a half board basis and I would tell anyone who goes to just go B+B, as the food was not up to much and there are so many lovely restraunts in the old town to choose from. Meals were not held in the panoramic restraunt either as it is apparently closed for the winter so all meals were in the breakfats room which was a bit dissapointing as I had taken lots of nice evening clothes and people were going to dinner in shorts and T shirts. Unless you like all your meat rare don't eat from the barbacue which was held twice while we were there.
We did not stay at the hotel during the daywe would go into the old town or to the beach, when you have such a beautiful beach on your doorstep the pool area semmed very boring and dull.

There is no entertainment at this hotel night or day whether it is different in high summer I don't know.
The main square in the old town is just how most people have described it a nice place to stroll around, to watch people, to sit and have a nice coffee or meal.
We ate in town twice in the evenings at Casanova restraunt which is just before you get to the main square, and we hada very nice meal there. For a treat on our last night we went to the Atrium restraunt which is on the road leading to the tunnel to the beach. It is an old theatre hall and has balconies you can sit at overlooking the street, really sweet and  very nice food.
The beach Basket restraunt has fantastic views over the beach and is nice for lunch.

We took a trip to Villamora on the bus and it is very nice but not somewhere I would like to stay. We also went on a jeep safari operated by Mega Tours which was good fun, expect to get very dirty and bruised!

All in all it was a lovely holiday evn though we had a few cloudy and damp days, I think I would return to the Algarve to explore more places, a week is not long enough.

The Boa Vist hotel is not somewhere I would stay again the clintelle at the time of our vistt were not very friendly but it is clean and tdy and has super views, but do be aware the are alot of hills.

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Hotel Brisa Sol - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Self booked - Aug 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Calvin Smith - Notingham (38,39,13,6)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our 2nd time back at the Brisa Sol. Just a fantastic hotel and a great loation for a holiday.

Airport: Average airport no complaints quite easy coming and going. Hotel about 45min away in taxi.

Hotel: Brisa Sol is self catering. They do have a resturant with al a carte but everyone eats out at the strip or old town. The pool is spotless and clean and tested everyday. In the mornings there is a little rush for sunbeds but its not to bad, doors open at 9 some pepole are queing from 8.15 but i would go down at 8.55 every morning and eaisily get beds with umberellas. They do have a pool side snack bar which is priced ok. Right next door to the hotel is a supermarket which sells everything. Across thwe road was a KFC and a Mcdonalds. Not into fast food as a rule but nice on hols for a change. There is some entertainment at the bar in the evenings its ok we would always venture out. Next hotel along Hotel Gale had outside entertainment until midnight u could always pop in there and watch. Rooms are cleaned everyday and the hotel staff are very nice and helpful.

Out and about: Outside the hotel is the tourist train which takes u to both the old town and the strip to b honest u do not need to catch the train to get to the old town it is within easy walking distance. the strip is quite new and quite british lots of sky sports bars and lots of resturants a good one to eat at is The Cottage. But u will find your own. The old town is great in the square there is lots of outdoor entertainment (make sure you dont miss the pupet show) the resturants in the old town are a little more expensive but a lot better The Bank and Pampas r v good. In the old town is where u will find the beach. We went to slip and slide water park v good. And wot ever u do do not miss the marinezoo.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: travel republic-  july 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : The Byrons  (42,39,12,9)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a fantastic holiday at the Brisa Sol, the hotel is excellent, spotlessly clean, there are plenty of sun beds, and the swimming pools are excellent, the rooms are very clean, towels changed every day, we had a sea view and a pool view.The hotel is bang in the middle, the strip one way, and the old town the other. For places to eat out we reccomend, Tim Tims-chinese opposite hotel is fantastic,and Picapau's around the corner from Mcdonalds is also excellent. 

All in all a fantastic family holiday that we will certainly be doing again.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomson - July 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Chapman - Kent (43, 40,15,13)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was clean and the staff friendly.  A fantastic bonus was the fact that they did not open swimming area until 9am so you got a lay in.  Anyone putting towels out before this time, had them removed.  There were plenty of beds for everyone.

Thomson reps not too good - no one on bus transfer to or from airport and only saw our rep twice!

Resort fantastic, weather good, hotel brilliant, staff super - would go again definately.

Ideally located between old and new towns.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: airtours- July 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Gary + Family (45, 44, 16, 15)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our seventh or eighth visit to the Algarve and the third visit to the Brisasol. If my numbers come up on the Lotto, the Algarve will be my home !!
We had a few reservations about the Brisasol this time as we were informed (before booking)that remedial building work was ongoing in the hotel, though these worries proved unfounded as on only one occasion did i see a workman-(painting).
Positives-: Hotel is very well maintained, spotlessly clean, staff are helpful,clean pool,inefficient air conditioning has been replaced with new units-(supercold), food in the poolside cafe is good, faulty balcony door was repaired within 2 hours of being reported, i could go on and on- this is an excellent hotel

Negatives- As this is our third visit i feel a bit of a fraud listing negatives, these should be looked upon as nit picking really-
The hotel is situated on the main access road to Albufeira,the main bedroom is noisy at night (partly due to the crap-fitting external windows and doors)
The hotels pillows are filled with concrete, do yourself a favour, go to the Modelo (supermarket) next door and buy replacements (4 euros ea)
Couldn't access our room until 2 Pm, in fairness we were pre-warned this might be the case but this was the first time that it's actually happened
Hotel Bar is very expensive
Can't really comment on the Hotel restaurant as we were self catering but the general consensus seems to be that it's quite dire
If you've booked this Hotel for the first time, rest assured you've booked into excellent accomodation
One final word of warning (for the Ladies),Albufeira is paved with a locally supplied small stone cobble, these are everywhere and very very slippery, you may look sxy in high heels but you definately wont when flat on your a*se, TAKE FLAT SHOES.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomson July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Kelly Villiers - Leicestershire (26,26)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived in Portugal and it was lovely sunshine - such a difference from the rain of the UK.

The Brisa Sol was a nice hotel with friendly people and a welcoming atmosphere. The studio apartment that we had was nice, overlooking the pool and with a sea view - but we had to pay extra for this! The other apartments look over a busy road or a car park, so it was worth the extra money. We managed to get a lounger at any time throughout the day and found the pool bar food nice and staff extremely friendly.

Albufeira as a resort was not as nice as I had hoped - it was very clean. The old town and new town are a little distance away (hotel in middle) and the Noddy Road Train was always full with long queues - so we normally walked between the places. We were self catering and I was v. dissapointed with the food in all but 2 of the restaurants we visited during our week - the service was not all that great in most places too!

The Old Town has a lovely square with street entertainment, but again due to the time of year, all of the restaurants were packed full of people all of the time. The New Town is about a mile long strip of bar, after bar, after restaurant - which is good to bar hop! The beach is nice and there is a good selection of shops and things to do - Zoomarine is a must!

We went to Puerto Rico in February and I think our holiday there left a lasting impression on us, which unfortunately (despite having a nice holiday) Portugal just didnt live up to!

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Booked independently - June / July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Angie and Ben - Glasgow (28, 31)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We spent a week self-catering at the Brisa Sol in late June/early July. We booked a pool view studio but were lucky to be placed in a spacious and well-appointed one-bedroom apartment. The hotel and apartment was very clean and well fitted out, with a maid service and clean towels every day, and plenty of kitchen equipment if you wished to cook your own meals. Other good facilities include a spa with sauna, jacuzzi and steam room (3 Euros per person) and tennis courts (13 Euros per hour including equipment hire). It would be an excellent choice in the cooler months for this reason.

The hotel is well-positioned, near the old town and with good transport links to here and the 'strip' in Montechoro. Others have mentioned the train stop outside which is useful (and quite fun).

I've marked it down one notch for 2 reasons. Firstly, there seemed to be a real shortage of sunbeds, not helped by people literally queueing up at 9am to reserve them with towels (the Brits were the worst offenders, sorry). There were signs telling people not to do this as towels could be removed, but this was never enforced. We took to sunbathing at 4pm when some of the beds were vacated, as I didn't particularly want to get into an argument over a sunlounger. Still, it was frustrating that many of the beds lay empty for much of the day. The other slight annoyance was the noise from the main road behind the hotel, which could be disruptive late at night and early in the morning.  But overall, very high quality accommodation.

Albuferia itself is a decent-enough place with an excellent choice of places to eat and activities. The Old Town was quite picturesque and offered a range of restaurants including an excellent Eastern fusion place, seafood, steakhouses, Italian and indeed most other cuisines. Restaurants outwith the main square tended to offer better value. The Strip area too had some decent places, particularly on side roads away from the main drag (Blue Sky was a favourite of ours). The food was generally good quality and moderately priced, with main courses ranging from 6-20 Euros. The house wine was usually pretty drinkable too.

We found the evening scene a little tiresome though. Most of the bars were pretty samey, and not particularly cheap. The entertainment was virtually identical from place to place, usually live music or karaoke (i.e. Robbie Williams' Angels being murdered 7 times in succession). We hunted unsuccessfully for a quiz night or a comedian which might have made it more interesting. Even the ex-pat bar staff didn't seem interested, unless you were a group of young women. Not that I'm bitter ;-)

The restaurant touts were irksome, the timeshare lot even more so. They could be easily deflected though (speaking very quickly in a regional accent seemed to flummox them).  Oh, and 15 Euros for 2 loungers and a parasol on the beach seemed expensive.

Still, an enjouable place for families and those in a group. Or for those who like a home from home with British TV and a sing-song after some ridiculously decorated cocktails.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Emma & Chris - Blackpool (32 & 41)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Accommodation - The Brisa Sol Aparthotel was fantastic.  We had a room overlooking the pool and the sea. We stayed in a studio apartment and the standard of cleanliness was fantastic.  The cleaners came daily, linen in the rooms changed 3 times a week could not fault them except if you had had a few shandy's the night before and wanted a lie in you may get woken by the maids. (But hey you can sleep on a sunbed!!) The pool area again absolutely spotless.  Reception staff only too happy to help.  Bar prices in the Bar Algarve a bit pricey!
Location - in the middle of the 'old town' and 'the strip'.  About 10 mins walk to the Old Town.  The tourist train stops outside the hotel.  It's very very busy and they cram people on, taxis are quicker and in some cases cheaper.
Supermarket next door or across the road.

Eating out - A number of resaurants I can recommend.  Top of the strip towards Hotel Montechoro (up the slight hill) opposite the 60's bar, Restuarant El Bolero (Mexican) food fantastic.  At the bottom of the strip Wild & Co upstairs, in the Old town just as you start walking down the cobbled streets (past 'Suspenders' the geordie bar) a fish restuarant (sorry can't remember the name just before the bend in the street), and not forgetting Tim Tim's across the road from the apartments.  Tim Tim's cheap as chips good quality meal and drinks.

Entertainment - The Strip a bit disapointing - tacky no real bars that are just bars they tend to be mainly resturants with a bar attached.  Old Town a bit the same but had more character and a bit more lively.  In the Old Town check out Michel Miguel a singer who entertains in the street just down from the BANK bar.  

We would go back to the Algarve but perhaps not Albufeira.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomson - June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Maurice & Lesley - Gwent (70, 61)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our holiday and we both agree the hotel was excellent. Our room was on the second floor and overlooked the pool. We found it to be plenty big enough. The maids were very friendly and cleaned our rooms everyday with changes of fresh white towels.We spent most days around the pool which was kept clean and tidy. We visited the strip but preferred the old town. So many restaurants to choose from. If you did not want to venture far at night we found an eating place a few minutes walk from the hotel called Dolci Diner run by Linda (a Scottish lass who was so friendly and could not do enough for you). Her husband does the cooking and the steaks were fantastic (with boiled potatoes for a change)., The apple pie was delicious. The large supermarket next to the hotel was very handy, as was the cake and coffee shop the other side. Don,t even think of dieting! The little train situated outside then hotel was a must travel. 

All in all, a great holiday and we will definately be going back. Only drawback was the return journey to the airport - Thomson, it would have been appreciated if a rep could have been at the airport to help us instead of leaving us to our own devices! 

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: thomson - June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Alan and Natasha - Scotland (24,25)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from a great 2 weeks at the Brisa Sol, would recommend to all ages.  The little train that stops outside the hotel was great, for 3 euros it takes you to old town and new town and can jump on and off as you please.  We would recommend Old town for eating out at night and the new town for clubs and bars.  Next door to hotel was Modelo which was the supermarket that sold everything that you need.  

This hotel is central to everything, and if we ever go back we will be going here again.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Holiday City April 2007

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Carol Wilkinson (54, 57)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel very clean, certain reception staff need to go on customer care course.  Room ok very clean  Pool area great.  Meals! don't book half board.  No choice for breakfast and as for the evening meal one choice of veg, fish and meat.  Two choices of potato. One rice and one pasta. If you did'nt get the food as soon as it was brought out it was cold most evenings. One soup no cold meat with salad.  Fruit cocktail every evening and same cakes.  Complained and we were told only been self service for 6 months, room not really large enough, had many complaints but the directors wanted to do it this way.  Previously had been waiter service which was excellent.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: "lowcostbeds" - March 2007

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Lynne&John 49/52

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just returned today from the brisa sol, yes it is a great hotel to stay in,very clean, modern, well serviced every day if required, looking back at the previous reviews nobody has mentioned "Jonnie Hoopers", what a great night at his Bistro, brill food, great entertainment, and a quiz, you must visit on tueday/fridays only. the little train is great to visit the old town and the strip, for 3 euro's all day it's worth the money. visit pampus in the oldtown for a great steak and friendly service.
overall a good place to visit for all ages, and yes we would agree the portugese people are very friendly, we will definately be returning.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Easy Jet from Bristol Accommodation booked Separately with Travelrepublic March 2007

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Christine Rivers  - Wales (60, 57)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a week at the Brisa Sol.  We had a one bedroom apartment (no 401) it was lovely as there was no-one staying in the other 3 apartments on that side of the building.  The facilities in the apartment were adequate for making breakfast, I did not cook any other meal although I am sure that could have been done. 

The weather was quite cold when we were there 22 - 29 March but there was heating which was individually controlled in the bedroom and lounge.

The staff were very obliging and when we asked for a quiet room we were given one and everytime we needed to cash money whatever time of day it was never any trouble.

There are plenty of places to eat in Albuferia Old Town - we went to the Cave one night the starter was lovely but the main meal was cold and when my partner told them they just thanks for telling them and walked away.  The best place we ate was Alfredos which is about a 5 min walk from the apartments.  We also ate at the apartments on our first night this was also good although we did not try the buffet we had off the menu.  We also ate at Vivaldos which is in Praia da Oura, this was very good although a bit pricey and everything was individually priced (the meat, chips etc)the service is very good although there were only about 10 of us there the night we went.  I think it would be lovely on a summer's evening as it is close to the beach.

We hired a car at the airport and had a good look around the Algarve we also went to Lisbon - this can be more expensive than going on a trip as the tolls were 17.70 euros each way and then you had to pay to go over the bridge but it was well worth it.

In June 2008 we are going to fly to Lisbon and have a few nights there and then drive to Porto where we will spend another few nights, hopefully the weather will be warmer and we won't need thick winter coats.

All in all an enjoyable holiday and can't wait to go back as the Portugese people and very friendly and even in the city and more remote places most of them can speak some English.  The tourist information are very helpful so if you are like us and like to tour rather than sit on a beach I would recommend Portugal

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Travelcare - September 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Margot Fargher - Isle of Man (65, 63)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

As has been said in other reviews this hotel is first class - the standard of cleanliness is of the highest.  Clean sheets, pillow cases and towels every day and the apartment thoroughly cleaned every day too.
The swimming pool and surrounding areas were absolutely lovely and, again, very very clean.

The breakfast was disappointing - adequate but no real choices.

The location of the hotel is good in that you are away from all the noise late at night.  In fact it is the best of both worlds as the little train, which stops out side the hotel, ferries you to all the entertainment you need on either The Strip or the Old Town and then you can come home at night as late as two or three in the morning if you wish!

Walking is hazardous due to the cobbled pavements and, as usual abroad, lots of potholes to look out for.  Ladies shouldn't bring high heels, you just cannot walk in them.

Places to eat - well we had some wonderful meals out.  Tim Tims the Chinese restaurant accross the road from the hotel was excellent. Alfredos 3 mins walk from the hotel was also excellent, the Cabana Fresca on the beach at Albefuira but best of all was the Casa do Chefe just down the road from the hotel.  A little more expensive (60E)£42 - thats for two courses and wine.Not exactly bankrupting is it?

The worst meal we had was on the Strip. As you get off the train and turn right on to the Strip, two or three restaurants on the right is the Restaurante Doris.  We have to warn you that we had to wait three quarteres of an hour for soup and when it came it was cold.  We then had to wait 30 minutes more for our main course which was inedible.  People all around us were also complaining about the long wait etc. Definitely a no-no!!

We had a great night in a little bar further down on Strip called Henny's Bar -the 19th hole.  Music loud, but the place is full of atmosphere.

We had a wonderful day trip to Lisbon and enjoyed that very much although very tired after a full day starting at 7am and finishing at 8.30pm.  A beautiful city and well worth a visit.

All in all we had a great holiday and would recommend the hotel to anyone. Albufeira as a whole is very commercialised but still retains the old world feeling about it in the Old Town area.  Everywhere is litter free and the Portugese people cannot do enough to make you welcome.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : John Radcliffe - portsmouth (43,40,14,11)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just got back from a brilliant two week holiday. Well what can i say it was fantastic the apatrment was great clean spacious and well equiped. The pool was brilliant it was very relaxed you did not fell presured to do anything. The indoor mini golf was good fun a good playing surface ! The algarve bar is good and showed all the footty games ;-) . The girl doing the kareoke gets of the evening by playing 8 days a week and after 2 weeks you get a bit bored of it ! but all in all a excellent holiday 

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Webster - Sheffield (41, 39, 14, 10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from a week on the Algarve at the Brisa Sol Aparthotel. We all had a great time; the apartments, resort and weather combo would take some beating for us.

The Brisa Sol is a well appointed complex, situated midway between Albufeira Old Town and the "Strip". If anything it's closer to the Old Town (about 15 minutes walk - including around 70 steps although there is a slightly longer route avoiding these).

The apartments were very clean and very spacious, even if the decor was 70s/80s. We had a one bedroom place and there was plenty of room to live in and to store things, plus the aircon worked well. We had a pool (and sea) view, which the majority of apartments would seem to have (a few face out onto the main road - possibly a bit noisy but with First Choice you can pay extra to ensure the pool view rooms). Maid service EVERY day, clean towels, etc and this level of cleanliness was maintained throughout the complex. It was pretty much spotless all the time.

The complex itself was not over large and had great facilities; good pool with a diving board area and a tots pool too. There were plenty of sunbeds (if you wanted a particular spot the doors to the pool opened at 9am and you could get more or less where you wanted to be) and ample brollies also. In addition there was a decent sized indoor pool (free) plus a whirlpool, sauna and steamroom (small charge for these).

Also on site for the usual fees were tennis, squash, pool, snooker, indoor crazy golf and web access. The poolside bar offered good choice and was reasonably priced. The pool shut down around 9pm with no noise after this at all. There was an evening bar indoors that stayed open whilst there were people buying drinks and also this offered nightly, low energy and inoffensive, entertainment (generally solo guitar-singers plus the odd karaoke session).

In the evening we went only to the Old Town. Been to Albufeira before and done the "Strip". Fair to say that wasn't our thing, but if it is you would be close enough here to get to it by foot.

The Old Town seems to offer a bit if something for everyone; wide range of eateries to cater of all budgets and tastes. Some quieter bars, some not so quiet, but never too much "in your face". There are plenty of winding cobbled streets to explore and the centre is totally traffic free - at the core of the Old Town is the square with a real concentration of bars and cafes, plus street entertainment and stalls.

Overall this holiday gave us everything we needed. My view of the Brisa Sol is that it caters for all, but those with children from 3 - 8 might miss the absent kids club and evening kids entertainment, but for the very youngest kids and the older ones this was a pretty good base.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Neil & Claire Davies - Neath (38, 36)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a fabulous fortnight's holiday on the Algarve and would certainly recommend the Brisa Sol to all. Situated about 15 minutes walk between the 'old town' of Albufeira and the 'Strip', this hotel offered us the perfect base for our holiday. Conveniently, every twenty minutes or so, a 'train' stops outside the hotel which goes to both the Old Town and the Strip - this runs well into the early hours too!

The hotel itself is very well maintained by friendly staff who all spoke excellent English. Our room was spacious with a balcony overlooking a lovely pool. The maids cleaned on a daily basis and our towels were changed regularly. We were self-catering and the location of the hotel is perfect in that there was a large supermarket (Modelo) just a stone's throw away. There was also a coffee shop / patisserie attached to the hotel which sold a vast assortment of cakes and pastries.

Within the hotel there was also an indoor pool, a fitness room (running machine, rower, cross-trainer) and internet facilities as well as the Algarve Bar, which provided a relaxed atmosphere even if the local cabaret was at best average!

In fact, entertainment in the bars around the resort was pretty ordinary. All told, we must have seen about eight different bands but they all played the same songs! We never thought that our holiday 'anthem' was going to be 'Creep' by Radiohead! Our favourite bars were Matt's Bar and Wild & Co. on the Strip and Vegas and the Rock Bar in the Old Town. Oh, and for friendliness, try the Gold Spot in the Old Town, a Sports Bar with some real characters in Pete, Pat, Dave, Ian and Richie. They were all very welcoming and shared many stories.

Eating out was excellent - we didn't have a bad meal wherever we eat and took a list of restaurants from previous reviews on this website. However, here are our personal favourites. Firstly, the Sizzling Stone (The Strip) was special, mainly I suppose for its uniqueness (and we went there on my birthday!). For its location, perched above one of the bays, was O Penede (Old Town). We also liked Riccardo's Italian in the Old Town, where we sat on the roof and had a really good overview of the skyline. Finally, and don't eat on the day you go there because the portions were more than ample, was
O Manjar (Old Town) - I'm sure the Chef gets pleasure here in seeing his customers faces when their meal is served. After eating here, I was unable to drink for the rest of the night!
So, with a lovely hotel and plenty of choice in terms of nightlife, the only thing we needed was the weather... which was wonderful, mid-30's every day and, when there was cloud, the sun soon burnt through and these were the hottest days of all!

So everything was perfect... err, not quite. We were delighted with our flight times from Cardiff and arrived at the hotel at about 11.45 a.m. - only to be informed that our room wouldn't be available until at least 2.30 p.m. So, if you're going to arrive early, be ready for a wait, perhaps pack your bathers in your hand luggage and sunbathe by the pool!

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours august 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : paula ken emmet 42 42 14

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

bad start to our holiday no rep to meet us at airporthad to ask about to find which bus we were on.the hotel was fabulous excellent food and staff really lovelyentertainment poor in hotel we went to mollie malones were we had the delight of meeting amelda from tyrone and sean the resident singer. taxi cost 5 eurowhich was brill to go around albeuferiawe ate most nites in hotel as it was 13 euro for 3 course meal food was fabulousmy son made loads of friends and  ended up being a real cool pool player not enough entertainment for the younger kids at night to give mums and dads a break.weather was really hot up in the 40 s which i lovedoverall great holiday . 

we left on the day of the security alert but must say airport staff were excellent apart from the usual security measures our flight left on time and i must say i enjoyed the sense of humour from the pilot on our flight who tryed to defuse a tense situation and to say im glad we didnt land in water as i didnt like the idea of our life jackets with the whistle and light attracting the sharks ha ha.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice- Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : John - Hull

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from the Brisa Sol and have to say had a really good time.  

It was very hot but the air con in the rooms is outstanding.  We had a one bedroom apartment overlooking the pool.  It was spacious and clean.  We always found sun beds even though we did not tend to get down to the pool area until 10ish.  We used both the old town and the strip.  If you want cheap English staples, coconuts on the strip is worth a look although the staff are not the friendliest around!  Also further up the strip is a mexican.  It was quite expensive but the food and service were outstanding.  Went on a boat trip arranged via the rep.  It was expensive and not worth the money but it was good to see the caves.  

The only negative is that our apartment was under the hotel bar who usually had appalling singers on!  However would go again and really liked the brisa sol.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson  july  06

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Andy,Janice&Adam       44,45,13

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

excellent holiday just got back would definately stay there again couldnt fault the brisa sol and all its staff.

just one thing though if you dont get up for the stampede for sunbeds at 9:00 am  you wont get one mind you it was the end of july .location, excellent 15 mins to old town or strip  resturants not to be missed are augustos up the north east road from the top of the square, great service,very friendly,lovely food and the two resturants either side of the tunnel entrance  le tunnel  &  la casa fonte  all three are superb plus you dont have people looking at your food while your eating it! If you cant tear yourself away from the computer on your hols the internet cafe across the road is far cheaper than the hotel as our 13 yr old found out friendly staff safe for kids .The bakery next door is great for an afternoon cake to take back to the pool to wash down with a cold one  We did see the brisa sol in the brochure before visiting this site but the site is very good with honest reports ....keep up the good work

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : 32,33

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is our second time to this resort and we will go back again and again.  We love the old town, and this year we have seen lots of new bars and restaurants open.  We only go to the strip for one reason and that is the "sizzling stone" it is a fantastic place to eat - the steaks are superb!  The Brisa sol is a lovely hotel - very clean it is slighlty outdated but the apartment we had was huge and the cleaners came in every day. 
Only downside of the hotel is the pool side snack bar - food is nice but they take ages to serve you.
A good place to stop for breakfast is the "Lemon Tree" - it is on the way to the beach.
And make sure you pick up one of the freemaps around the resort they are very useful.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Danielle- Staffordshire (17,17)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have only just returned from Albufeira, can't wait to go back again!

Accomodation:

The Brisa Sol is a lovely hotel, immaculately clean. The only dissapointment we came across was that we arrived at 11am, having travelled all through the night but couldn't get in to our room until 2pm. However we managed to get them to let us use a small room to change in. Other than that everything was great, we stayed in a studio which was very spacious and included everything you needed. Cleaners came everyday and were also very friendly, as were all the staff really. The pool area is beautiful with a good bar selling a large variety of snacks and drinks which were nice.large pool however we did find the usual annoying people who reserved sunbeds and didn't actually use them until late afternoon! But we managed to get a couple everyday, even when we didn't go down to the poolside until 11 or 12, there were some free. Cannot fault the Brisa sol, would definitely stay there again.

Resort:

Albufeira is fantastic! I had stayed here previosly, 2 years ago with family but went all inclusive at another hotel so we stayed at the accomodation mainly and didn't venture off too much. I had visited the strip but had no idea just how big the old town was! It is beautiful, there were even street entertainers every night. You will be spoilt for choice for places to eat in Albufeira, we went self catering and it took us so long to decide, there are so many places! Do try 'Bravo's' though in the old town, a lovely italian restaurant- beautiful. The 'strip' was better for nightlife, good bars and disco's for those who enjoy that sort of thing, altough families will like it too as the liveliness of it doesn't start until quite late. There are some good restaurants here too- try Jade's chinese restaurant and the sizzling stone. We are not big fans of beaches- too fussy! we stayed around the pool everyday as it was so nice. However fishermans beach looked really nice, this is about 10 mins from hotel. However, if you walk right to the top of the strip and then down a steep hill, you come to Praia da oura beach which is just beautiful, Beach lovers will adore it! 

Am definitely going to return to Albufeira- sooner rather than later, can't wait!!

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Internet June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Ian & Sybil (48,52)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from Albuferira fantastic holiday firstly the Hotel Brisa Sol is most definately a 4+ Star. The maids were in every day, towels changed if requested.  The cafe just out side the front door to your left was excellent for breakfast  The poolside snack bar was very resonable and good food for a mid day snack. Evening meals we varied our places between the Strip and the Old town and found nearly all were of good quality,the only disappointing one was as you get of the Train at the Strip to your left.

Taking about the train this is one of the big pluses in relation to the position of the Brisa Sol there are only 3 stops for the train one of which is right outside the Hotel,

An example of a typical day is Jump on the train in the morning pay 3 euro's for an all day ticket, go to the Strip have breakfast, catch the next train(every 20 min's) go to the old town jump of go to the Fisherman's Beach. Late afternoon catch the train at the Old town back to Brisa Sol. Have a seista wash,change out again for 7-30 catch the train either get of at the Strip or go onto the Old town for you evening meal and a nights entertainment Your ticket covers you to   3-00am for your return journey.
ALL For 3 EURO's per person.

We found the Fishermans Beach the best as there appeared to be more shops Cafe's etc around it.
Do not be put off when you arrive at the train stop in the Old town as the area is not very impressive,but step of train, take the small steet to your left at the corner down and go down the hill to the bend straight across down a small entry now you can go left taking you to the Fishermans beach at the end of it or turn right and this will take you to the square. Either way you have a choice of Cafe's bar's restaurants etc.

First time in Portugal will definately be back. Ladies in June we found that a cool breeze always appears around 8-30 at night so a cardy or jumper is always useful to carry with you.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Icelandic  - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Angel (38, 40. 14, 16)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Conviently located , Brisa Sol is a great place to stay if you are staying in Albufeira.

The train (toddy train) stops next door to the hotel and for 3 euros you can buy an 'all day ticket' that will take you to all the hot spots in the area as many times as you would like throughout the day. You can buy one way tickets, as well as round trip tickets cheaper if you do not plan on using it so often. Taxi prices are really not so bad either.

Try to see the Bull Fight if you are there when it is on, quite entertaining.

We spent most of the time at the pool with our teenagers, but the beach is good as well. You can buy all your toiletries at the supermarket next door to the hotel, less to bring with you. The shopping center Modelo is great, the kids enjoyed Pizza Hut. Mcdonalds and KFC are directly accross the street.

Bring cash, sometimes we had problems with the cash machines and could not take money out. Cash only in most places.

'Old Town'- Bravo is a great place to eat.

'The strip'-stay away from Coconut bar on upper strip--horrible service and horribly cooked food.

Try Doris restaurant on the Strip, nice chicken piri piri.

Make sure you tip the cleaning ladies in Brisa Sol at least once a week. They are always friendly and always do an excellent job.

Most of all..have a great time in Albufeira.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Going Places Direct) Going Places - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Kerry Milsom & Holly Buckley (19)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have barely been back from Albufeira a week and can't wait to book and go again!

The resort and accomodation was fantastic.The apartment we stayed in was huge and very clean & tidy,the maids came each day without fail and were very thorough.The Brisa Sol is situated in a great location,no more than 20mins to the old town beach and strip.We caught the little train that stops right outside the hotel.It comes every 20mins and takes you all the way.The only bad point about getting the train is that it does go very slow and it waits at every 3 of the stops for at least 10mins,so if you are getting off at the very last stop you'll be in for a bit of a wait untill you get there.But at 6euros for the both of us for a full day its well worth it!!

We spent most of our time on the beach in the day.We went to fishermans beach(the main beach by the old town).The sea was very clear but maybe just a bit too cold for me.As you go down the steps from the old town to the beach is a cafe where we went for our lunch,not too expensive,the food and service was great plus lovely views.

We were self catering so we went to the old town for our evening meals.We found the best restaurants by the sea front.The waiters were very polite and the food was geat(big portions).The only negative point of eating out here is that it tends to be alot dearer than the strip.From the old town we would head off to the strip(the lively part)We found two favourite places to go,La Bamba and Renos-both R&B bars that can get very busy after 12,but there was a great atmosphere.We wanted to go to the nightclub Kiss that we had heard so much about but couldnt find it anywhere untill the day we were leaving.we drove past it on the coach!!Its at the very top of the strip,a little bit past the main bars on the corner.

All in all we had a great holiday!!Great food, great people, great atmosphere and GREAT weather!! x x x

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Stuart, Lara, Elizabeth (31, 30, 3)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we decided to take a break in the half term holidays we were struggling to decide where to go which didn't involve travelling for too long with a 3 year old(we were getting rather fed up with Spain). A relative who works in the travel industry suggested that we try the Algarve as it is only 3hours flight time (in fact it only took 2 hours 40 minutes, both there and back). She also suggested that we visit this site and take a look at the reviews. In doing so we short-listed a few hotels and took a trip down to the travel agents. All of the prices we were quoted seemed to be rather expensive but it seems that you pay more to go in the half term holidays than you do during the summer holidays. Nevertheless we booked anyway and the Brisa Sol Aparthotel was our first choice.

As it was our first time in the Algarve our first impression was of how clean everywhere was and this impression lasted once we had got to our resort and hotel. The hotel is very well maintained, the cleaners seem to be there 24/7 and they attend to your room everyday. My parents, who travelled with us, had a problem with their shower and no sooner had they mentioned it at reception than a maintainance person had fixed it within minutes. The service of all the staff was exceptional. The cleanliness extends throughout the resort and the beach. Oura beach is a must for sun worshipping and Fisherman's beach is a must at night for the atmosphere.

Our room overlooked the pool on a lower ground floor. It seemed to us that we had been upgraded - we had booked a studio but had been placed in a one bedroom apartment. The facilities in the room were excellent - a huge balcony with pool and sea view, a wonderfully equiped and immaculately clean kitchen area with microwave oven, a relatively new four piece bathroom suite, brilliant air conditioning, 3 telephones, 2 televisions (with bbc 1 and sky news), 2 large wardrobes and 6 drawers. There were only two downsides to our room - the beds were rather hard and we were situated directly below the bar(so if you needed an early night, forget it!)

The Brisa Sol is situated perfectly! Accessability is easy either by walking to the old town (quicker via steps) or 'strip'(a little further), or by taxi (a rank just outside hotel and turn right), or the 'tourist train' (just outside the hotel and turn left - a must for the children). Both are equally good value for money around the whole of Albufeira. At the moment 06/2006 the square in the old town is undergoing some drainage work and therefore is mostly dug up however this didn't deter people from heading down and most of the atmosphere was soaked up on 'Fisherman's Beach'.

As we were self catering we ate out all the time. Next to the hotel is the Modelo supermarket and shopping centre (downstairs) which was very convenient. We had lunch at the poolside snack bar which served delicious food and had a fairly varied choice. In the evening, we ate at a different restaurant every night and I can honestly say that all our meals were really tasty and excellent value (don't be tempted to nip over the road to McDonalds or KFC when you have got super Portugese food!). The hotel holds a bar-b-que on Friday evenings with the food, drinks and entertainment all included - at 38 Euros for 2 adults and 1 child we thought it was rather pricey but when you work out how much you have consumed and the price it would normally be it is rather reasonable. The 'Riviera' cake shop attached to the hotel is a must for a late afternoon snack but expect to queue up as everybody in Albufeira seems to visit.

Lastly I have to mention the Portugese people. This is the most friendliest place i have visited. The staff at the hotel, in shops, restaurants, on the beach etc. cannot do enough for you. I had the unfortunate upset of losing a wallet in the back of a taxi. Within minutes of informing the staff at our hotel reception, the wallet was back in my possession. I think I heard one police siren throughtout the 7 days. The people tended to say 'We'll see you next year' rather than 'Come again soon'. They obviously assume that people will return and they are probably right-it's highly likely that we will be visiting in the very near future.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - 2006

Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : T  Murray Northern Ireland

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I had read the comments in previous reviews and was looking forward to going to this hotel.  I was very disappointed.  I would not rate this hotel 4 star and would not say it was excellent. We were given a small room at the side of the hotel overlooking the car park and side of supermarket.  We had requested a pool view and we were unaware from the Airtours brochure that steps were involved.  There were no patio doors to the balcony.  You accessed the balcony via 4 steps through a very flimsy door which was only secured by a small bolt.   The room was not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.  There was building work at side and pool area and at the hotel next door.
We asked to be moved and moved after 4 days and had to pay an extra 66 euros (unlike previous clients who got a free upgrade to a 1 bed apt with pool view).
The rooms had the smallest kitchen I have ever seen.  The microwave was on a shelf 5 feet above the floor.  Not very safe for anyone who is small.
The entertainment was not very good.
Food in the restaurant was poor.  The buffet had a limited poor choice and the hot food was cold.
The bar and reception areas always smelt smokey.
The only good points were the location between the old and new town and the daily maid service.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland direct  august  2005

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : steve,sarah,james,sophie(50,35,11,8)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

You will not be disappointed with this hotel.Everywhere was spotlessly clean with maid service daily.We had no problems getting a sunbed even though we went peak season. Preferred the old town to the strip it had a much nicer atmosphere both are easily reached either on foot or by the train which stops right outside the hotel.Go to the brisa sol and i'm sure you will enjoy it.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - MAY 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : MELISSA-WALES (22, 22)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

I stayed at the brisa sol in may, i have to say it is one of the nicest hotels i have stayed in, it is very clean and is furnished nicely.  The hotel has a lot of facilities including, squash, tennis, gym, sauna, pools, games room, pool tables etc.  The reception staff are really friendly and helpful, the bar staff are nice too and their english is good.  The location is perfect as the land train takes you around albufiera for a very small fee of 3 euros.  

It is in the centre of new town and old town so within walking distance of each town.  The nightlife is very lively and you wont be short of things to do.  Marineworld is a great day out and crazyworld is good too.  The market by the beach is a fantastic day out but the people selling timeshares can pester you a bit. Overall it was one of my best holidays ever.  

Will recommend this forr anyone

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: March 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Tony and Lynn -   Leeds West Yorkshire

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a great holiday at the Brisa Sol in Albufeira. We booked the holiday independantly Jet2 Airlines from Leeds and we got a great deal on the hotel and transfers booked via TravelRepublic.co.uk. Our one bedroom apartment was very well equipped and spacious with a balcony overlooking the pool with the sea in the distance. We were on half board accomodation and ate at the hotel each day. The menu was changed daily, so we had the choice of a number of different meals throughout the week ie steak , chicken , swordfish, veal, lamb etc. With a well stocked buffet style breakfast either full English or  Continental inc  cereals, cold meat, cheeses, yogurts etc etc. All meals were very enjoyable. The staff were really friendly and helpfull and the hotel was clean and well equipped.

We found the hotels location to be ideal as it is equal distance, (probably a 20 minute walk) from the quaint old town, the lively strip and the beach. A great way to tour Albufeira is by the resorts "Thomas the Tank Engine" tourist train. It stops right outside the hotel, and only costs 3 euros for a day ticket, so you can hop on and off as many times as you want during the day untill midnight (great value for money).If you can negotiate a good room rate you will not be disapointed with this hotel.
Good Luck.
Tony and Lynn

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: seof book - dec 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Jemma, Nil & Baby -leeds 30,29

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The staff at the brisa sol were absolutely brilliant, they couldn't do enough to help. The food was pretty good and for a change it wasn't the usual chips with everything variety. The room was very good inculding satellite tv, kitchen facilites with microwave combi oven and a lounge and bedroom- we booked this directly through the hotel so i beleive the airtours rooms were different. Facilities at the hotel were very good including indoor pool and tennis courts. overall very good holiday.

location- the hotel is between the new and old town and it is about 15 mins walk to each( in opposite directions) there is a supermarket next to the hotel and complex with kfc,mcdonalds and pizza directly opposite the hotel.
Car hire is available from the reception and we booked with a company called visacar who were very good via reception.

We found a cheap transfer to the airport from the national tourist board which is located on the way into the new town and it was only 8e each as opposed to 15 from the hotel so if your doing it yourself this is a good option.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - October 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Paul and Debbie Combstock -  Norfolk - mid to late 30's

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just come back from a brilliant holiday.  Hotel is very clean and the bar staff especially Oscar and Victor made all the difference with their clowning and joking although Luis is a bit of a miso - nicknamed him Smiler!  Best places to eat - where do we start - Alfredos in the old town, Tim Tim Chinese opposite the hotel, Casa de Chefe in the old town is a bit expensive although very good.  You can see all the prices outside all restaurants anyway.  In the new town Mary Anns is good if you want some English food as is Erins bar which is very expensive.  Ladies beware, cobbled streets on a hill so watch where you walking especially if wet but all part of the fun.  To get to the old town take the little train which is just outside the hotel 3 euros for a day pass.  Modelo supermarket next to the hotel is very good value for money - some things are cheaper than at home.  

All in all a brilliant resort and hotel, definitely going back next year.  Very clean  resort very clean hotel.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Ash (31) Mark (35)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from 2 weeks at this fabulous hotel.  The staff all speak excellent English and are very helpful.  I would stress to pay the extra for a sea/pool view.  We did not have one and found we hardly used the balcony as it overlooked the back of a supermarket.  However, these rooms benefit from being bigger than the sea/pool view rooms that I saw.  We did not eat in the hotel as we were self catering so i cannot comment on the food.  The pool bar food is very nice.  A must is to visit the cake shop next door to the hotel.  They cater for snacks and meals as well as great cakes.  You will find many locals in there enjoying a coffee! 

The pool is very nice but extremely cold.  We had a couple of cloudy days and the staff opened the indoor pool.  There is a scramble at 9.00 in the morning to get the best sunbeds, but when we went down to sunbathe, usually around 10.30 we easily got sunbeds in a good spot.

The hotel is located within easy walking distance of both the new and old towns.  Make sure the first thing you do is get a freemap.

We found spirit drinks expensive in both the new and old town.  Annabels, despite being off the strip is well worth a visit for your traditional English breakfast.  Drinks are very cheap (even Smirnoff Vodka)although you could not spend a night out there as they do not have any entertainment. 

The geordie Pride is a must for Sunday lunch!  Also for breakfast and evening meal try Bravo on the square in the old town.  The portuguese steak is fabulous.  We ate at Bravo four or five times as it was so good. 

We also ate at Liza's Pizza's a couple of times.  In the old town the atmosphere is nice if you get a window seat overlooking the street where all the bars are.  Only 5 Euro's for a bottle of the house wine here too!

The only bad point about the holiday is the amount of people trying to get you into the time share scams, but you get that most places.

Can't fault anything on the holiday.  good for all ages, both the resort and the hotel.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Self booked - Aug 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Calvin Smith - Nottingham (36,37,11,4):

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Brisa Sol lived up to all what was wrote about it on this web site.
The Hotel:
On arriving at the hotel our room was ready for us to go straight into. Rooms was very spacious and the cooking area was basic but more than good enough. Our room looked out onto the main road at the front and the pool at the back (which is were our balcony was). Yes there was a little traffic noise from the main road but nothing that you noticed. Our room its self was situated over a posh cake/cafe which was used by most locals, thought at first oh no lots of noise being were we was but never heard a thing. The pool was fantastic, very very clean all round. Water was tested every day (which is something you dont see much of abroad). Poolside bar was good but to be fair not that cheap. We would often go next door to the supermarket pick up some fresh rolls and meat, or grill our own burgers and bring them down poolside to eat.
 People did tend to queue for the sun beds, but to be honest there was plenty to go round most people seem to find there own little spot and stick to it. A good hour after the doors would open there was always spare sun beds.Most people would go down about 10 mins before doors was opened.
There is also a indoor pool which you gain access to from the main pool area, small nice and v. warm my son spent as much time in there as he did in the outside pool.

Only ever ate once in the hotel that was on a portugise bbq night one price eat and drink as much as you like. To be honest very dissapointing. No one liked the wine and the sangria was like fruit juice (my kids could of drank it and not got drunk). Food was v. good and plenty of it. They put on some portugise dancers, ok nothing special.
The only slightly disssapointing thing wrong about the hotel for me was the bar quite small and to be fair not much in the way of evening entertainment.

Albuferia:
Right next to the hotel was a shopping centre with a large supermarket that was v cheap.Just like shopping at asda. On a sunday the supermarket would close at dinner, but across the road to the right (near to the watch roundabout (you know what i mean when you see it) was another one which was open all day sunday) this supermarket sold hot savory food and hot fresh cooked chickens yum yum.Facing the hotel is a kfc and a macdonalds.
Just outside the hotel was the tourist train stop. The train stoped at 3 stops outside the brisa sol, the strip and the old town. If you are going to the strip you need to catch it, long walk otherwise. The old town is well within walking distance. Up hill on the way back but not a killer.
The strip is v livley and v british all the bars have sky sports and karaoke. But dont let this put you off still a good night out there lots for kids to do popcorn/candy floss sellers on every corner yum yum. Everyone will find there own fav place to eat, ours was the cottage (towards the top of the strip) catered very well for our fussy 4 year old daughter. Right at the top of the strip if you bear right you come upon a large section of irish bars which is always good for a laugh.
Dont kwow why but found Albuferia to be packed with a lot of irish and liverpool folk.

The old town is just fantastic. In every way looks bigger than what it is. Lots to see and do. Food is about a third more expensive than on the strip but still good value for money. The best restarants are the ones that look out to sea. Even more expensive but well well worth it.In the square there is a restarant named Pampas steak house EAT there and try the salomn, the spare ribs and the mixed kebab. In the square there are lots of sreet entertainers which all adds to its magic.

Being that we went in august on the beach it does get v busy mostly with locals (rubbing in factor 4!). But still plenty of room.
We went on a number of trips. First to the market at loule not very good mostly junk for sale. You are better having a walk around its town its very nice got a interesting water fountain.
2nd We went to the atlantic water park were within the price you get a free bbq with salad (what you actually got was chips and chicken on a plate with a bit of lettace) not quite enough but ok.(we made up some extra rolls to take with us  and ended up eating them all)as for the rest of the park 9/10. Take my advice when you arrive buy a water slide mat (4 euros each) you will go 3 times faster!
3rd Went to the Zoomarine. What can i say 11/10 fantastic, in every way, its set out, its shows, everything. Make sure your in your seat a good half an hour before every show just to make sure you dont miss the pre show entertainment i wont tell you about it but you will love it. As good as the shows themselves. All the food and drinks are very cheap to say its a theme park. We took some extra food with us no need! do NOT miss the zoo marine!

All in all 10/10 holiday. I am one of those who never goes back to the same place twice but i will be going back fact. Only seen a third of what i wanted to see.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Ann - Merthyr Tydfil (53/55/11

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Fab ..fab..fab what can i say .. brisa sol has everything .. great staff ... great location.. great facilities .. easy to get to old town /  strip eating out so easy try la casa where they weigh the food you pass it on the way to the strip just past modela supermarket all yellow chairs in the front where you see the long queue this is the place .. on the way to old town call into the Geordie Viking very friendly couple Tony and Linda cheap prices .. pool area clean and tidy .. snack bar was excellent value .. my grandson who is 11 loved the indoor pool /games room .. bar reasonable prices for last drink of the night .. apartment was huge up on the 5th floor massive balcony first time to algarve will not be my last brisa sol here we come .. ps loved the portuguese people ...

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Rick Ellison - Manchester (46, 45, 16 13)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We picked the Brisa Sol having used this website for the last 3 years and been pleased with our results. 

The accomodation was good, very clean and lots of space with air-con in lounge and bedroom.  The only down side was the lack of good entertainment (only one singer out of three worth listening to) and lack of daytime activities. 

The pool area was vey clean and managed to get sunbeds and a brolly 13/14 days (free).  The supermarket next door was really convenient and well stocked for almost anything and also had a cash machine and phones. 

There was limited choice for restaurants in the immediate area but McDonalds and KFC were good for the kids.  We used info from the sites to visit restaurants recommended and we were not let down at all.  The indian "clay oven" is well worth a visit and the chinese Tim Tim and the brazilian Carne were very good.  The train/bus that stops outside is well worth using and buying the 3 euros return ticket gets you preference for getting on for any second or return trip.  Taxi's are cheap 3-5 Euros on average. The strip is very British and busy and the old town quaint but still busy.  Street entertainers were good to watch several different ones.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: alpharooms.com - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Joanne - Preston (46,42,15,13)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the Brisa Sol in Albufeira for two weeks, the accommodation and service was second to none, bedding changed every other day, clean towels every day. The hotel was very clean and the staff very helpful. The resort is very good which ever way you go whether to the Square (old town) or the Strip (new town). The only downside to the Hotel was it being situated on the main road - (excellent viewing for crashes! None serious while we were there though) so do expect traffic noise, but it wasn't that bad when you got used to it. 

Overall everyone had an EXCELLENT holiday, going back next year I think! Oh if you want to swim with dolphins at the Zoomarine book in advance as when we went it was fully booked up to 4 weeks in advance mainly due to the Portugese taking their holidays in August.

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland June 2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Charlotte, Portsmouth 27

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at The Brisa Sol Hotel (self catering) for two weeks at the end of June 2005. We were a little disapointed at the room to begin with as overlooking the supermarket next door. The hotel had also been described as 'newly renovated' in the brochere, but unless they had used a 'retro' theme, not sure if it actually had been!!! Please don't let this put you off though, the next day after a good nights sleep everything was great.

We didn't really use the hotels facillities because we hired a car and travelled around the Algarve's beautiful beaches. However from what we could see the hotels entertainment didn't appear very entertaining and the bar was another good 70's relic!!

The room was large and very clean, and if you are looking for a hotel with a good central location and don't plan to spend your whole holiday in the hotel, the Brisa Sol is an excellent choice.

We had some lovely meals in the lanes off the main square in the Old Town, but once we had eaten at the Casa de Chefe (only a short walk from the hotel on the the way to the Old Town)we didn't eat anywhere else (apart from McDonalds once when we had serious hangovers!!!). The food at the Casa de Chefe is superb, the restraunt itself is beautiful and the family atmosphere very friendly. The food was high quality which was reflected in the price (approx 40 pounds for two people)which is quite expensive compared to the restraunts off the square. You would pay treble this for this quality in England. All female customers were given a beautiful white rose on leaving the restraunt.....what you're supposed to do with it, I'm not sure, but a very nice touch!

We didn't visit the Strip as had heard it's very 'Blackpool' like, however we can't comment.

The square however was great. Excellent for couples and famillies. Have a stroll after your meal and an exspresso if you plan to keep up with the Dutch!!

We spent many evenings in Sir Harry's bar in the square which doesn't get busy until after 10pm where they have a great resident musician, Brian Cristopher who is a great artist and gets the party going. The nights Brian wasn't performing there was another act by the name of John who in my opinion is very talented. The Vegas bar was also a laugh the guys behind the bar are fun and pour huge measures!!, John also did a couple of nights here. If your into music Snoopy's bar is excellent for live acts. It looks like a real dump from the outside but is well worth a visit, especially if you are planning a late night as stays open until about 4am. The 'Dutch' bar off the square is also great fun as are all of the Dutch tourists you will encounter in Albuferia, 
really up for a party!!!!

The beaches all over the Algarve are excellent and if you venture away from Albuferia, very quiet.

We had booked to go to Brazil for June 2006 but it was cancelled by the tour operator. It didn't take much persuasion to re-book the Brisa Sol instead....

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Ryan, Charlotte, Charmaine, Kelly (25,22,22,22)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Brisa Sol was overall very good; location was both positive and negative. Firstly the good point was that the motor train that runs through Albufeira has three stops. One of them is basically outside the Brisa Sol hotel, therefore no need to walk up a distance to the nearest stops (which some hotels are very far away from) so very easy access via the train into the old town and new town. Only bad point would be how far away the beach is, although I think the majority if not all the hotels in Albufeira are not beach fronts. Approximately 10min walk to the beach, Albufeira is very hilly, lots of roads going down and up. When you get to the beach it's a steep stairway down.

Old town is basically as it sounds, cobbled stone paving with lots and lots of restaurants. Sometimes can be irrating to have so many waiters inviting you into their restaurant, one restaurant had about 10 people outside all holding their menus. It actually puts people off going near the place, instead of being attracted to them. Some very nice restaurants, I would very highly recommend having a look at the smaller restaurants down the side streets. These can be very good in both service and quality of food and choice.

The New town is basically a long strip of both bars and restaurants. Probably the liveliest of all the areas, again lots of touts. There is a very lively bar called The Garage, every night they had one of their staff outside with handcuffs taking people into the bar. Can be quite funny seeing people's reactions, as we went to the Cocktail bar next-door to The Garage a lot of nights.

One of our favourite restaurants was La Bamba in the New Town on the strip, very nice food and top quality service. Would definitely recommend them.

If you stay at the Brisa Hotel, on your way to the beach down the hill is a bar/food place called The Lemon Tree. An English run place which we visited many times before and after going to the Beach, very friendly place. You will also be able to pickup a FREE MAP guide from there showing all the places to eat in Albufeira.

Next-door to the Brisa Sol is a large Supermarket, again very handy to stock up the fridge with those essentials. Zoomarine is a very good place to go to, Brisa Sol reception are able to arrange it all for you with a coach pick up. Sea Lions, Dolphins, Birds etc on show. Some rides as well, Log Flume, mini roller coaster. Very good for children/families, did get a little boring though for us after a while. Especially the tropical birds show!

The train which tours round Albufeira is priced at 3 Euros for a one day ticket. 2 Euros for a one way ticket, so you're better off getting a one day ticket for endless day use. 1 Euro for children below age 5.

Overall, very nice holiday. Would perhaps not visit Albufeira again anytime soon though as I personally didn't like it as much as Majorca

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - june 05

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : lilley-- 30,35,1,5,2,37,35,10,12,5,

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My first impression of the hotel was it looks great! my first impression of the location was average as its inbetween the 2 towns a 15 minute walk to the old town and 20 minute walk to the new town. also quite hilly! not recommend to people with walking difficulties there is a train outside the hotel which goes to both towns what costs 2 euros per person. There is a super market next door but i wouldnt call them friendly! personally!
There is also a mcdonalds and kfc across the main road!

The old town we thought was brillant live entertainment such as a fire show and puppets which were fab.There is also many nice restuarants in the area and in the new town aka the strip!

We had 2 onebed apartments which were larger than we expected. They were cleaned but the floor wasnt as clean as expected! but otherwise the room was brillant alot of space but you dont spend much time in there any way do you just around the pool or beach the beach which is about a ten minute walk past the next hotel and follow the road there is alot of steps down to the beach which the sand is red hot!! well it was when we went! It is a fishing beah when you come to it but if you walk futher down to the right you can get to a nicer part of the becah ( there is life guards)

The pool is absoulty fantastic with a diving board and is also cool which is good when its 38 degrees! there is lots of sunbeds but you will have to get up early to get to them! The only fault i would say is that there is no day time entertainment in the hotel so you have to make your own fun

There is a games room which has your basic games pool, air hockey car games and a football game also mini golf for around 3 euros not exactly sure!There is also a indoor swimming pool which is red hot! and gym and jacuzzi
It is an expensive place but its a nice place to be! Altogether once you get into the towns you will enjoy it as there is many things to do and watch! 

We would return to Albufeira and the brisa sol apartments!!! Just one more thing dont hesitate to book here ((just a word of warning ladies take senisible shoes not a place for high heels cobble paving!))

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : steve and kath rathbone - 47 - 44 - CHESTER

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Brisa aparatments have excellent facilities and is situated ideally between the old and new towns, the pool area is excellent with plenty of spaces, although the usual situation of people reserving beds is a daily problem.
The cafe in the front of the hotel has excellent quality cream cakes and snacks - and the old town is crammed with qood quality restaurants - especially the fish restaurants.
Venture up the side streets for the restaurants used by the local people - at a lot cheaper prices.
The bar in the square called "Sir Harrys Bar" has a guitarist/vocalist called Brian Cristopher who is absolutely BRILLIANT!

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Brisa Sol Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - 2004 / 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : 41, 39, 12, 9

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our 3rd visit to the Algarve. The Brisa Sol is an excellent hotel, with all the extras you need, games room for the kids, small Gym, Large outdoor pool, indoor pool, snack bar etc. It right next to a huge supermarket, KFC, McDonalds and a chinese restaurant. 20 mins walk to the strip of old town - both are excellent. Pick up a "freemap" to find the best places to go. Slide & splash waterpark is fantastic for all the family. The local people are very well mannered and friendly. Loads to do, not enough time (2 weeks!) to fit it all in!!!

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Hotel California - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Med hotels July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : wendy & clive 43,40,18,17,17,16  july 2006

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked this hotel through Med hotels we booked own flights and transfers and everything ran very smoothly (would recommend ATS for your transfers from Faro excellent service) 

We found the hotel very nice, its entrance (That had Steps up to the reception that were quite steep and slippey did'nt see any ramps if your less able)is up one of the walkways off the main square in the old town, that is full of little shops, bars and restaurants(LOVE THE ROCK CAFE) the hotel spreads up and back over the roof tops of the shops. There are no sea veiws. 

On the sixth floor is the pool and breakfast room not a large pool but very clean and not crowded at all you could find a sunlounger if you went up at 2pm no need to put your towels out early. Breakfast was help yourself to cereals, ham, cheese, boiled eggs and cook your own toast (that was a bit slow) then you were asked if you wanted bacon, eggs, and sausage which was served to your table by the very helpfull waitresses. You could also eat outside on the patio area that served freshly cooked good quality food and drink cheep all day. 

Our room was large with a lounge area aswell the other two rooms were just bedrooms but very nice and cleaned daily all had remote control aircon and TVs. All rooms have balconys but they were all very different in size up to the 5th of 9 floors. Evening meals were ok choice of 3 courses you choose the night before what you wanted and you were waited on. No problems with any staff, reception was 24hrs.

Fishmans beach is a lovely sandy beach 5mins walk away. The old town square and bars off it were very loud and busy from 10pm through to 4am but you shut your patio door and could only hear slight noise no probs sleeping (This hotel is a great base for young adults that like the night life ours loved it.)

We will certanly go again to the Hotel California but next time B&B so we can take advantage of all the great restaurants on the doorstep.

Lots of building work going on around Albuferia and they are also improveing the square but this will soon be finished. Also would have liked to have hired a car but there is no parking facilites at the hotel or close to it. 

All in all a great resort and hotel a good allround holliday looking forward to our 4th visit see you all soon

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Hotel California - Albufeira

Operator and Date: travel republic- june/july 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : sarah-birmingham-(18,18)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My friend and i went to this hotel for a week and really enjoyed our stay.

Apart from the recpetion staff who seemed quite miserable, the staff were friendly. The pool area is very nice even though we spent most of our time at the beach. We found the hotel to be spacious and had a relaxed atmosphere. Our room was quite small but it was only meant as a base so it did not matter. I wouldnt recomend staying here if you are travelling as a family because it is very noisy at night, but for us it was perfect.The nightlife is good in the old town,defintely go to dominos for a good night out!The resort is extremely touristy as you would expect, especially with a 'Ye old english chippy' in the strip!

I will defintely be returning to portugal again and would recommend this hotel for younger people because of its great location!

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Hotel California - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Flybe.com & Last Minute.com - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Jenna, Norfolk (26 & 59)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is right in the middle of the Old Town, with great access to the beach, shops, bars, restaurants etc.  Staff were very friendly and room was excellent.  

Only downfall was it being located right on a pedestrian-only street, so when your bus/taxi drops you off you have a few steps to haul your luggage up and down.  Steps into the hotel can be awkward for unstable walkers.  Restaurant was on the 3rd floor which looked nice but was a set menu so went out to eat - very reasonabley priced everywhere, although most restaurants generally served the same food - selection of starters, meat dishes, vegetarian, desserts etc.  We ate somewhere different everynight (8 nights) and all places were lovely. Breakfast in the hotel was between 7.30am and 10am and on the 6th floor (on the roof where the pool is). There is an indoor room to eat if windy, but was very pleasurable to sit outside. Buffet style / help yourself breakfast with a selection of bread, cereals, toast, eggs, bacon, fruit and juices, plus tea and coffee. Bar was rather empty in the main hotel reception because most people went out to a bar.  

Loads of storage space in the rooms, with free aircon.  Another downfall was the noise. I was not botherered, but we were 3 floors above the street where bars and clubs bashed out music until 4am, and there is double glazing which helps, but people that need peace to sleep would not like it here.  All in all very pleased with hotel and accommodation offered.  

Would stay there again.

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Hotel California - Albufeira

Operator and Date: No Tour Operator - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Leanne Marks (25, 27)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is situated right in the heart of the old town which yes, can be noisey at night time however if you don't mind this then it is so central to everything. The beach is only a 5 minute walk and there is an extensive range of restaurants and bars to choose from depending on your tastes. The local taxi pick up stop is just literally outside the hotel so if you choose to visit the new town it's only 3.50 euro.

The hotel itself is basic enough however all the facilities we required were available there. Our room was adequate with television and air con and the maids thorughly cleaned the room and provided fresh towels on each day of our stay. The terrace pool was fine for the amount of guests staying in the hotel and we had no problems getting sunbeds (even on the mornings we were a little worse for wear an had a lie in!) Although we didn't have dinner in the hotel the breakfast and pool snacks were of a high standard.

Albuferia as a resort is excellent and I couldn't recommend it enough. For me personally, I prefered the old town as I felt it had more character and culture but was still equally as lively at night time however the new town is definately worth a visit as well. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to the elderly and people with young children as it could be quite difficult to get to sleep with the noise at night. Also there is no real form of entertainment for children during the day or night. However for what we were looking for it was ideal and I will definately be returning.

I would also like to recommend Domino's Cafe which is just round the corner. As a night spot its pumping with Rodrigo the DJ blasting out some awesome tunes each night. All the Bar staff really made our holiday and I like to say a really big thankyou. x x

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Hotel California - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Independent - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Anne -Cumbria  (60,60,35,34,33,31,10,5,7months)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

It was our first time in portugal but definitely wont be our last.

We have just returned from a weeks holidays
at Hotel California, the hotel was first class.

Ideal location in the heart of the old town of Albufeira and only 5 minutes from the beach the beach was fantastic really clean.
The food was very good but was not the childrens taste, so we asked the staff if they could have something else which the children would eat and this was not a problem.
The pool was not very big but the children had a great time in it we had it very much to ourselves, there was plenty of room on the terrace to sunbathe.

Great hotel we would definitely go back again.

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Casa Dos Netos - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - june 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : samantha roberts - coventry 11,13,17,41,43

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

when we wen to albufeira it was really nice.i really did like it there and i wantto go back there again.we spent most of the time in the pool.i am the youngest aswell and i really did like it there.it was the best holiday i have had it was great.we all really did enjoy it and we hated it when we were going home.it was a bit upseting but you have to go.albufeira is a big place aswell but it is a bit confusing trying to get to the old town but old town is really nice .we did not like the strip it was a bit boring.but the heat is very hot there which is also a good thing.i would suggest to go to the old town and to go to bravo's in old town.
and we did enjoy the beach aswell.and the accomadation was good aswell.the villa was really good and the pool was big and the whole of the holiday was very enjoyable.

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Casa Mitchell Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Barrhead Travel-April 207

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Colin & Kay (52)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Casa Mitchell is a small family run complex five minutes downhill to the main drag and the beach but ten minutes back up.
The comfortable self catering apartments are kept spotlessly clean by the maid. The pool area was clean and the garden/pool area well tended.
There's a nice pasteria opposite and the Austian bar round the corner offers good food and great value for money.
In all highly reccomended

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Casa Mitchell Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Andrea Whittaker - Walsall (41,41,17,16,14 )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arriving at Casa MItchell we were pleasently suprised we knew we were staying in a 3 bed apartment but never expected a house! 

The house was wonderful plenty of room for a big family, the kids loved it. It was spotlessly clean the maid came in most days and did a great job. The lady on reception, which is just over the road, was very helpful and really friendly. The pool was quite small but it didnt matter as there are only 12 apartments in a lovely garden area anyway. 

As for Albufeira old town what a wonderful place we loved it! The beach is beautiful and very clean and safe. The only downside is it all downhill and steps so would be unsuitable for those with walking problems. we didnt mind the walk down it was the trek back up. The town square is a place to be visited you name it you can see it. people of all ages having a wonderful time night or day, its a great place to sit and watch the world go by. There aare plenty of great places to eat out at but because im rubbish at remebering names i cant tell you any! youll have to trust me on that. There are plenty of Bars to have a good night out at we loved the Vegas bar and the kids loved Central Station but we also drank at Sir Harrys Bar in the Square. It is very safe to walk about at night we stayed out late most nights there is always lods of people about.The local police also do the rounds which adds to the feeling of security.

The local shops and small market up the hill are brilliant not to expensive and all very friendly, most of the shops stop open till well after midnight. We visted the strip, we went there on the little noddy train which is very good value as you can get an all day ticket for 3 euros each you can use it as many times as you like on that day. I personally wasnt that impressed with the strip but we did only vist in the day and its supposed to be greatat night. 

Over all i really loved the old town of Albufeira and will definatly be going back and i would recommend it to anyone who loves a good time and wonderful holiday resort.

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Casa Mitchell Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - JULY 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 33, 43

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Excellent apartments in close proximity to the Old Town.  Well equiped even providing an ironing board and iron, all very clean and modern.  The only thing we would say is that there could have done with being some more unbrellas by the pool as it got very hot, but other than that excellent accommodation.

Casa Da Fonte restaurant is excellent and very close by

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Casa Mitchell Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Easyjet - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : A Breen - London (47, 47)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a one bedroom apartment, which was well-equipt, clean and over-looked a very pleasant small pool area.  The family that run these apartments are very friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble.

There are lots of bars and restaurants in the Old Town, but we used to like to take the little train from the Old Town Square to the next stop and walk down to a bar called Floyds, a friendly bar run by an English couple.  The  quiz was great fun and there's a pool table and sky t.v.  Round the corner from Floyds is Fabio's, for a great steak.

The tourist train goes from the Old Town to the New Town and a daily ticket is only 3 euro.

We enjoyed Casa Mitchell and can't wait to return

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cerro alogoa - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : paul & christine (48,36)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from staying at this hotel. Booked what we thought was a 4* hotel, but in reality we thought it only warranted a 3*, maybe it was because we were in one of the rooms that hadn't been refurbished. We did peek into one of the refurbished rooms as we were passing when the cleaner left the door open and it did look nice.

We went B&B, a good variety of food available from a hot cook English breakfast to the more traditional continental one, with cereals, fresh fruit, breads etc, but to be honest we was disappointed with cooked breakfast, it was small boiled hotdog type sausage, boiled tinned mushrooms, sometimes covered in cheese, warmed tomatoes again covered in cheese if the mushrooms weren't, cheap streaky bacon, again depending on the cook, it could be either well done or undercooked, not at all what we was expecting from a so called 4* hotel, but then perhaps its down to our taste and expectations.

Had its own 'pub' Dog&Duck, bit dark and dingy, drinks expensive but ok for a nightcap or to take to room.

On the plus side reception staff very helpful, would order taxi's for you or anything you needed, you just had to ask and they were very happy to help. Rooms cleaned everyday, clean towels and bedding. Pool area very clean, lots of sunloungers but unfortunately even though the hotel had rules saying not to reserve loungers, people did, therefore if you wasn't down early enough or just wanted to sit around the pool for an hour mid afternoon, it was hard to get one (I know, we did go peak season!!)

Went to the 'Strip' once, bit like Blackpool with sun but without the lights on an evening, very English and tacky much preferred the old town, found 2 very nice restaurants, one was the Royal Orchid a nice Thai restaurant and the other one we didn't find until our last night but cant remember the name, instead of going down the steps to the old town, go straight on and its in the middle of a 'Y' junction (tourist train goes down the side of it) 5 course meal for 27 only does 2 set menus but can pick and choose off each , both restaurants had a very relaxing atmosphere, no rush and great service.

Went to Zoomarina, 21.50 entrance fee once in nothing else to pay, food and drink reasonably priced, well worth it, 4D cinema was brilliant .Was our first time in Portugal, all in all we enjoyed our stay but probably wouldn't go back to Albuferia would try somewhere more traditional Portuguese

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Hotel Cerro Alagoa - Albufeira

Operator and Date: SEGURO TRAVEL - JULY 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : SANDRA + JIM KERR KILMARNOCK (48, 48)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

just back from 1 weeks holiday in cerro Alogoa in July, had a wonderful holiday, After booking holiday we read a review in the judge in the Sunday Mail which quite concerned us.  A couple booked in October 2006 and were unfortunate to be in the hotel while refurbishment was going on.  Contacted our travel agent and they reassured us work was completed in April.  

When we arrived we were very impressed with the hotel, it was first class, we were in one of the refurbished  rooms. The rooms were very spacious and immaculate, we were half board and the food was very good.  Staff very friendly and helpful, rooms cleaned daily.  The pool area was lovely and plenty of sunbeds, freshwater pool, only problem was you had to go down very early to get a sunbed, people put down their towels and some did not arrive till a good few hours later.  Hotel staff started removing towels from sunbeds. Lovely inside jungle pool with slide if the weather was bad. Drink in hotel was quite expensive.  

The old town was lovely, plenty of places to eat and drink.  There was a small patisserie next door which had lovely snacks to eat and very nice to sit and have a drink, very reasonable.  The beach was lovely and very clean about 20mins. walk or you could get courtesy bus from hotel.  There was a train which you could go on for 3 euros all day.  The strip was about 25mins. walk away full of bars and restaurants, but we thought the old town was much nicer. 

Our first holiday to Portugal and we would definitely go back to this hotel.

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Hotel Cerro Alagoa - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook-April 2007

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : 18,24

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel Cerro Alagoa was lovely-the room was big and clean and we arrived to a bowl of fruit,a bottle of water and a dressing gown and slippers each! The room was cleaned thoroughly every single day. We overlooked the pool which was nice too!

The hotel has good facilities; the pool was huge and the whole pool area was very attractive, and there were plenty of sunbeds for everyone. There was a pool bar and place to eat which was handy. The reasturant in the hotel was also very nice; we only had breakfast but there was plenty of choice. There was also a pub onsight which was probably more for older people than us but we still had a laugh down there. There was also an indoor swimming pool,a lounge and some spa treatments.

The hotel had a mixture of ages and nationalites there,and I think anyone would fit in really and enjoy it.

As for the area,it was about a ten minute walk to the main town which was full of bars and reasturants; very englishy. We liked the 'cafe del mar';all different groups of people and a really good atmosphere. On the way are other reasturants though; we liked 'Big Shanghai.' Going the other way is the 'old town' which was a bit more peaceful but still plenty of reasturants,bars and shops. There is a mini train service which stops right outside the Cerro Alagoa and goes to the old town and new town (the strip). So thats quite handy if you don't fancy a walk and only 2 euros return! Also opposite the hotel is KFC and mcdonalds if you fancy the unhealthy option! There was plenty of supermarkets around too for people who are self-catering.

We didn't go on many trips but we did go to the 'zoomarine' which was like 'seaworld' in America with dolphin shows,seal shows,aquarium etc. That was a good day out and only a ten minute drive from the hotel. There was also water parks close by and many other trips to choose from.

Overall, I would recommend this hotel to anyone and the resort too which had plenty to do. A very good holiday-and it was hot!

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Hotel Cerro Alagoa - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays- june 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by :

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

hotel was very clean, towels changed every day, room cleaned every day, hotel staff were helpful and friendly. albuferia is a nice resort. the hotel is in a central location  for going to the strip and the old town.Food is excellant and cheap.

overall had a great holiday and would definitly go back.the locals are also very friendly.

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Hotel Cerro Alagoa - Albufeira

Operator and Date: JMC May 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Albert, Bob, Vic, Alex & Jeff (45 - 65)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Arriving at the Cerro Alagoa road-side is not as impressive as the brochure depicts from the poolside. However, the reception is quite modern and nicely appointed.

The five of us were allocated all on the ground floor although we stipulated rooms overlooking the pool! The rooms are quite roomy and are well furnished with a tele' phone and a minibar, which is an optional extra. My room overlooked the car park and in the near distance, a McDonalds - is nothing sacred? Although there is a road just beyond the small hotel car park, noise was minimal particularly if you kept the balcony doors closed. This might not suit some, especially in the hottest months, but the rooms do have aircon/heating.

The pool area is expansive and never seemed crowded whislt we were there, and there always seemed to be sun loungers and parasols available. There is a poolside bar serving drinks and light meals and snacks and that ticked all the right boxes. There is also an indoor pool decked out like a grotto - why? Swim hats must be worn by all. They'll even flog you one for a couple of euros.

The restaurant for breakfast was always busy and it paid to get there earlyish. The selection on offer was excellent and fixed you up for the day.

The the staff on reception were absolutely charming and always very helpful and polite. They were a delight to deal with.

Can't always say the same for all the bar staff in the Dog and Duck faux English Pub, located down in lower ground floor. The decor is naff and the service could be a bit slow. Just a meeting point really, not for longer, maybe OK for a nightcap.

Situated as it is, it's a bit of trek down to the strip but a taxi will cost you no more than 4 euros. Reception will arrange this for you. The old town is nearer and downhill all the way, but the great disappointment was that the main town square and all ajoining roads were undergoing major redevelopment.... Break out the Doc Martins. When they expect to finish this is anyones guess.

All in all, if you want a better than average hotel (4 star) then you could do a lot worse than stay at the Cerro, in the end you get what you pay for.

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Hotel Cerro Alagoa - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : c macdonald (36,35,7)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent