William Barker
We stayed here between the 18th-25th October as a family.
Positives:
1. Beach - it is a bit of a walk so take the pram but it is stunning. One of the best beaches we have found
2. Kid activities - our kids were always entertained. From kids pool, crazy golf, kids mini disco, beach plus the kids club.
3. Rooms - we got upgraded to the 2 room suite which were really spacious and clean.
Negatives:
1. Service: very poor for a 5 star. It is almost none existent. To having to get your own drinks at dinner and or no urgency to take orders or serve family’s with young kids.
2. Premium service: yes there is option to upgrade but it’s not worth it. The additional bar only has one person serving which means long waits. Promise of filling up your mini bar in room never happened.
3. Pools: every day pools would have mud, pebbles etc as no paving around kids pool. Feels like a 3 star. Could do better!
4. Babies: you would think with a 5 star that asking for full fat milk would be offered but you have to ask and they were a little funny about it. Even though it’s an all inclusive. Plus I requested we have this in the mini bar. It never happened.
5. Water: water station in our block didn’t work plus only given one water per room per day. It was only when I insisted there be more we got two in each room.
6. Food: it was okay but nothing like other places we have stayed.
7. Restaurant booking: almost impossible to get anything until last 3 days of stay. Even though in some cases the restaurant was half full at best.
I wouldn’t go back to this chain as it’s not at the same standard of other 5 star chains and I would give it a 3/4 star depending on which topic was being discussed. Zafiro is far better.
Andrew Wilson
Nice looking hotel, staff are helpful but not worth the money paid;
1. You cannot get into any of the restaurants so end up relying on a buffet, we stayed for 4 nights and tried multiple times a day and still nothing. Even out of peak times we failed to get any booking.
2. The review below was correct, the food is disgusting. Ended up eating out most days.
3. Even though you put “do not clean” they still come in and clean.
4. When it rained it poured into our room under the door.
5. Location isn’t great, fine if you want to stay indoors all day but not if you want to explore. We had a car rentals so luckily could travel.
6. Good luck getting a sunbed, very bad system which allows people to put down a towel and go out for the day.
7. Pool disgusting, yesterday’s cups left all over.
Definitely won’t be staying again, much better places in better locations for a fraction of the price.
G S
Overall had a nice week at the resort, enjoying some winter sun.
The rooms were nice (separate room for kids and parents), wellness area was good, the beach was lovely, little train into Alvor a plus. Buffet food was ok (mostly) but the other restaurants were much more enjoyable.
Like many others have said, there are way too many guests for the size, not enough sunbeds (although ok at the adult only pool). Unless you put a towel down, you don't get a space and plenty of guests having to go on the lawn. Buffet restaurant is often chaotic, no tables set, no glasses to be found, noone comes round to ask if you want a drink.
Trying to get a seat in the evening to play some family games is impossible. Not enough seats, some outside the main bar very dark. Drinks very hit and miss, cocktail quality depending on who serves you.
There are a lot of small things that would make for an easy win. E.g. some information in the room what's available in the hotel, how to book things. How does the safe work? (No instructions, lady at reception said press 0000# to open but there is no# on the key pad). How many times can you book the restaurants? Replace toilet roll, coffee pods and milk in room. Put the paddle court booking system online.
We had a nice break overall and enjoyed it but wouldn’t come back.
Spencer Mildon
We visited to join our friends in celebrating their daughter's 4th birthday. A total of 5 adults and 3 children, and we had a wonderful time.
The rooms were new, fresh and clean, with some nice decorative touches.
The hotel complex layout is excellent with 3 main pools, another for children, and the best reserved for adults only - a good balance.
Entertainment was also good, particularly the Pluma building where we could leave the kids with supervision, and so enjoy a nice break :)
The staff were also excellent throughout, particularly in the restaurant where they provided a cake, candle and decorative birthday message. Very much appreciated. Many thanks Sonia.
On the downside, the food was only good, not great: quantity excellent but cooking quality less so and variety slightly lacking for our health-conscious tastes - e.g. no smoked salmon at breakfast. Possibly not a big issue for most!
Also, parking at the front was tight and would really benefit from some form of sun shade in the future. Maybe solar panels to also power the hotel, pools, etc?
Duupje2002
Edit day 10: we’re leaving the hotel in two days, the end of a holiday that we enjoyed spending with the family. We have to leave the hotel at 7am, to catch our flight. The hotel cannot pick us up from the room with a caddy car, as they start at 7:30. Wishing us all the best with getting our stuff downhill from the room to the lobby, traveling with a 9 weeks and 3 years old. It’s not a service we’re used to, simply for the excuse that the service is simply not available before 7:30 (maybe make it available?).
This brings for us the 3 back to a 2 star rating. We spend additional money for a premium service they offer, but the premium service is just not there.
Edit day 5: the staff is overall really friendly and we’re having a better time than on day one. So I will update my rating up from a 2. We’re with young kids and somehow there is a German Beergarten place in the middle of the resort surrounded by apartments. The place sound like fun, they play loud music from 20:00 till 22:00 or so, but… if you have young kids, it’s difficult to understand why you would place this loud music in the middle of the park, instead of down hill where the normal parties are and no apartments. So, concluding, I’m leveling up the service rate from 1 to 3 and the overall rate from 2 to 3.
Day 1:
If you’re looking for high end services, and think you’ve found it based on the pricing of this place, you’ll be disappointed. With one day in, and still 11 days more to go we are highly disappointed. Services is extremely bad, already started at check-in where we were greeted as “I need to work” instead of a nice welcome with maybe a welcome drink. The drink is there but you have to find it yourself somewhere in the corner and help yourself.
Towels are not available at all the pools, make you walk for 10-15 minutes back and forth. Drink you need to walk for yourself. With a bit of luck also this will costs you 15 minutes. There is no service at the pools.
We only had breakfast so far, at the premium breakfast, which was cold. Only the omelet station is somewhat okay. The coffee is bad.
The hotel room was full with bugs which had to be cleaned first after we notified the hotel.
I will edit this review the coming days, as this is only the first day we’re in, but the first impression isn’t great, and definitely not worth the premium price we paid.
It feels that everything is maximized for profit and not for service.
My Booking
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