Hotel berhampiran Pantai São Rafael, Albufeira

This was a wonderful honeymoon holiday in the Algarve. Thanks to the wonderful hospitality of the W Algarve staff. They were all so friendly and sharing recommendations on where to visit across the Algarve. The breakfast was delicious too. The hotel gave us a few surprises upon arrival (decorating bed with rose petals, congratulatory messages / writings on the walls and a portugese red wine front Duoro valley. What a great way to start the holiday. Furthermore, the W Algarve were extremely helpful on making lunch/dinner bookings in restaurants across Algarve. It felt like a private Concierge and we were very grateful for it. Hip and Portuguese design. Certainly would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Algarve. MUST have a rental car, there isn't much around within walking distance.

Lovely  new large hotel in a quiet area, not far from the W Algarve. The hotel was super clean, with large rooms, and the continental breakfast was decent with a good variety of options.I didn’t opt for the buffet dinner, as it was easier to order a nice burger from the bar, which was really tasty. I also tried the Portuguese steak sandwich, which just wasn’t to my liking, but the staff kindly changed it for the burger instead.The pool and spa areas were also spacious and well maintained.You do need an Uber or a car to get around, as there are very few shops nearby. There is one nice restaurant next door and a sports bar close by.The staff could have been a bit more enthusiastic or forthcoming with hotel information, although the manager Andrea, was especially helpful and lovely to talk to. As it was off-season, the hotel was very quiet, and the weather was a bit chilly, so the pools were not really in use. I would definitely visit again if the price was good.

Fantastische accommodatie! Alles was zeer schoon en de kamers waren comfortabel en verzorgd. Het personeel was overal even vriendelijk en behulpzaam – van de receptie tot de schoonmaak, en van het restaurant tot de bar en het zwembad. De zwembaden waren heerlijk en goed onderhouden. Ook het eten in het restaurant was uitstekend, met voor ieder wat wils. Een aanrader is om een Uber te nemen om meer van Portugal te ontdekken, dat werkte erg gemakkelijk. Wij komen hier heel graag nog eens terug!

What a lovely little hotel. I was attracted to booking it from the reviews of previous guests. As an older woman and always a solo traveller I don't like big chains/hotels so I was specifically looking for a boutique style. As soon as you walk through the door, a big smile is waiting for you. The only let down for me was that I specifically requested a room with a nice view as I'm an artist and had come here to paint. Unfortunately my view from the 1st floor was of the side street and neighbouring villas so I was disappointed in that. However i walked to Olhos De Agua (20 mins at least) and got a taxi to Albufiera (5 euros) and took my paints with me. I didn't use the pool as it looked in the shade. The bed was amazing, huge, nice pillows and linen. Kettle and coffee machine but no milk. Bathroom was a bit of a let down as the shower gel dispenser was broken so I had to use the shampoo for everything and on the spare toilet roll there was excrement from the previous guest maybe? The only suggestion I have would be a full length mirror.

This is by far the best hostel I stayed at, in spite of the number of occupants. I was lucky to have very quiet boys in the room. There’s only one bathroom, connected to the room, but it worked. The hostel is new, modern and spotless. The owner is very friendly. The hostel is also 5 minutes walk from the beach. It was perfect. It’s a long walk to Albufeira from the city buses, and not very clear where the FlixBus stops. I wouldn’t recommend walking from the train station, which took me 4 hours. There’s a local bus, don’t scrimp = TAKE IT. Or take an Uber, or Bolt. Or ask the taxi what he wants to charge from the bus stop at the train station ! The RedeExpress is where the bus station is (but not for the FlixBus). In summary, you can go to Albufeira by FlixBus, but it’s difficult to know where FlixBus leaves Albufeira from. That all said, Albufeira is very difficult in high season, TOO CROWDED, but the Portuguese are tolerant and very patient because they know that tourism is lucrative and has raised the whole country out of poverty. Residents enjoy cheap and / or free public transport on local buses (cheap monthly passes). Residents are respectful and kind. You can practice your Portuguese with them for a laugh, but they all speak English to varying degrees. Here you can meet real residents. On the beach, not necessarily in the pubs. I loved it here. Don’t miss it.

The room is spacious and has a nice vibe. It's a bit far from the beach and sea but the room is quite nice. It would be great if we have a hair dryer in the room.

One issue that needs addressing: sun bed reservations. There’s a sign stating guests can’t reserve sun beds, but it wasn’t enforced at all. We regularly saw beds left “reserved” for hours while no one was using them, which made it frustrating for other guests trying to find a spot by the pool. The main restaurant was decent but light on options for children who don’t eat large portions. A simple plain cheese and tomato pizza (no herbs or garlic) would go a long way for fussy younger eaters. The nightly entertainment could use some work — it felt slow-paced and wasn’t very engaging. Finally, a special thank you to Carlos on reception — he went above and beyond helping me sort out an issue with my laptop during the stay. That kind of service really stood out.

A Cozy Getaway with a Few Quirks I recently had the pleasure of staying at Block C in a wonderful location near the beach. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there, as the bedroom was spacious and beautifully designed. However, there were a few quirks that left us slightly puzzled. Locating the signage for the establishment proved to be a small challenge, but it added a sense of adventure to our experience. Unfortunately, the air conditioning in our room left something to be desired. It struggled to keep the temperature comfortably cool, and we often found ourselves feeling a bit hot. It would be great if this aspect could be improved to ensure a more comfortable stay. Nevertheless, spending evenings on the balcony was a delightfully cozy and relaxed experience. The ambiance was inviting and lent itself to unwinding after a day of exploration. The surrounding garden and environment added to the overall charm, and we truly appreciated the pleasant surroundings. I highly recommend visiting this place for a minimum stay of 2 to 3 days. Anything less would make the trip feel rushed, as there is so much to explore and enjoy. Despite the minor quirks, our overall experience was enjoyable and memorable. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have stayed here and would gladly return for another visit.

La struttura è datata e necessita di una ristrutturazione, soprattutto le camere e la piscina. In camera non c'è il phon, ma è possibile chiederlo alla reception. Le camere vanno rinnovate, sono veramente spoglie, basterebbe un po' di colore alle pareti e mettere qualche quadro colorato. Runner e cuscini in velluto sono ormai superati e inutili, finiti immediatamente dentro l armadio. In bagno, la carta igienica è talmente soffice, che si sgretola in mano, soprattutto quando in bagno si crea vapore quando si apre l acqua calda. Ci sono 2 terrazze solarium, dove ci sono solo dei lettini. Le terrazze mi hanno dato l impressione di essere abbandonate, se ci fossero degli ombrelloni e dei tavolini e qualcuno venisse ogni tanto a portare dei teli e a chiedere se si ha bisogno di qualcosa, sarebbe sicuramente una cosa diversa. Anche in piscina mancano gli ombrelloni. Inoltre, noi avevamo la camera sullo stesso piano della piscina, purtroppo dovevamo tenere sempre la tenda chiusa, altrimenti gli altri ospiti potevano guardarci dentro la camera, ed era necessario accendere la luce anche in pieno giorno, altrimenti non si vedeva nulla. Suggerisco di mettere, oltre alla tenda oscurante, anche una tendina leggera, che blocchi gli sguardi indiscreti ma faccia passare la luce. Sarebbe il caso anche di ristrutturare camere, bagno e corridoi. È un peccato, perché la zona della reception, con le pareti verde chiaro e il divanetto tondo è molto carina. La zona colazione è ok, ma purtroppo non c è varietà. Oltre al prosciutto cotto, si potrebbero usare, a rotazione, magari, anche altri salumi. Inserire anche uova sode o all'occhio, latte e yogurt senza lattosio, qualche formaggio, cambiate gusti delle marmellate, mettere cioccolata spalmabile, waffles al posto dei pancake, ecc... C è un bar, ma non viene utilizzato da nessuno, peccato. Il personale è sempre stato estremamente gentile e disponibile. Ricordo il sorriso di Carolina che ci ha fatto il check in e con una mappa alla mano ci ha spiegato tutto, un collega uomo, anche lui molto sorridente, che in serata mi ha gentilmente fornito il phon, e la signora con il quale abbiamo fatto il check out. Anche le signore della colazioni molto disponibili, e una volta ci hanno fatto entrare anche se siamo arrivati tardi. Do comunque un voto alto, per non penalizzare nessuno, ma fiduciosa che il feedback serva a migliorare.

Apartment no. 40 top floor 4 flights of 8 stairs, sea view Last minute 2 night stay location short walk to the beach and the *****, 2 single beds, decent size TV (if needed) kitchenette small but has what you need (has small cups, I need a decent size mug of tea in the morning) also came with washing up kit, sponge cloth and washing up liquid Bathroom, has complimentary hand gel and shower gel (empty) stall, laundry basket very large mirror plus a close up shaving mirror, 2 small bath towels, 2 hand towels and bath mat, hair dryer ( didn't use it) £25 per night (march 9th & 10th) , bad points : only 3 pillows and thin bedding no blankets in room air conditioner need a good clean and rooms need repainting(paint around air con and fireplace flaking off) shower gel was empty