Hotel Conrad di Almansil

I know reviews are subjective, but I’ll try and be as honest as I can. Sorry for the lengthy review. Pro’s On entry to our room we were given a complementary bottle of wine, mixed fruit and macaroons, which was a lovely addition for our anniversary stay, Hugely appreciated and unexpected thank you! A beautifully presented hotel with gorgeous grounds and an opulent feel. The “ front of house “ staff were very welcoming ( offering a glass of water and a custard tart on arrival ( intriguing) The room was well kept and spotlessly clean , not huge, but well proportioned with quality linen and soft furnishings.The staff,( specifically Diana in the buffet, the head concierge and the check in were excellent, but in general they were adequate and friendly, but some seemed either demotivated or disinterested ( perhaps training issues?? Who knows..? Cons The breakfast experience was disappointing, no “staffed” egg station but a tray of rather sad pre-fried eggs and a tray of boiled eggs. ( in fairness one could order other egg dishes from the table, it just didn’t make for a seamless breakfast, & the “hot food “ was never particularly warm?. But the most disappointing experience was the poolside etiquette ( or severe lack of it) Around 90% of beds were “towelled up “ by 8am with about half a dozen people in-situ ,by 9 they were all gone with about a dozen people actually using them ( what added to the embarrassing behaviour was that most of the clientele were British ( who usually complain about such crassness‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️. ) This HAS been mentioned in other posts. There IS a “ policy notice “ somewhere but it’s blatantly ignored and totally unenforced by the staff. It just creates anger , disappointment and frustration for anyone who wants to use one there and then, when “reserved ones “ are left unattended till often lunchtime and well beyond! IF you have a policy? Either endorse it? Or remove it! Please don’t get me wrong, there’s quite a few really really nice elements to the hotel BUT, for me, it’s a beautiful but Typical Hilton . No “frills” with the exception of some complimentary cold water by the pool 1st thing in the morning. Given the Conrad’s PRICE POINT and status the overall experience was a little underwhelming. We personally wouldn’t return here when looking for a 1st-class 5*. I would have GLADLY given this feedback directly to the hotel, but wasn’t asked at checkout anything about how our stay? Or if we enjoyed it?. Again there’s some REALLY GOOD elements to this hotel, but it’s let down by faults that are easily remedied.