Holiday Inn Algarve

Came for New Years Eve to the resort stayed 3 nights Fab hotel we had a lovely sea view 457 friendly staff Outside pool area was a suntrap and the snack bar attendant was very friendly Would recommend this sea view hotel right on the beach

The big positive is the location right on beautiful Armacao de Pera beach with wonderful views from the bar, dining room and swimming pool terraces. Also good is the fact that the swimming pool is heated and usable all year round and the staff are all very friendly and generally efficient. The beds were very comfortable too. The big warning though is regarding the rooms which vary greatly in size and location. The first room allocated to me was simply not acceptable - the sleeping area was so small that you struggled to walk around the bed, the balcony was big enough for a single upright chair and had a rusty aircon unit as part of the view and the bathroom was ridiculously small - my friend (who was allocated a similar room) is a size 10 and she could only just about get into the shower sideways - no hope for a larger person. I upgraded to a sea view room at a cost of 20 euros a night. This bought me lovely beach and sea views and a larger bedroom but the bathroom was still tiny - I had to shuffle in sideways to avoid banging my arms on the door handles. Talking to other travellers, it seems that rooms varied greatly in size and the price that you paid your tour operator didn't seem to have any influence on room allocation - one lady paid substantially less than us and got a far bigger room all to herself! Buffet food is OK but nothing special and everything comes in a sauce or gravy of some sort. We were quickly bored with it after a couple of days and the 3 Gala menus over the Christmas period were very disappointing. Worth booking for the location but pay up to guarantee a decent room and only book bed and breakfast!

We booked this hotel through Jet2 travel. The hotel is in a prime location right on the beach with excellent walks all round. If you fancy an English beer & soccer on Telly, water dog pub over the road. We were bed & breakfast - nothing against the hotel but personally I hate twin rooms but not given a choice & once in the room I just couldn't be bothered asking for a change. The room was on the first floor, short corridors so no walking miles from reception. Reception staff very polite. The room was a little tired in its decor, the housekeeping was faultless but again things like towels were a little threadbare - on 2 occasions my towel had hole in it. We had a sea view but the balcony was very cramped though listening to the pounding waves as you go to sleep & wake up is unbeatable. Breakfasts are excellent you can get a proper continental or English breakfast or mix & match - I did. You need to be in mind you are abroad so allow for some differences no chunky pork sausage or back bacon but what there is, is very tasty. The sliced oranges - well I couldn't get enough of them. The staff are fantastic, keeping tables clean, ensuring food stations are replenished my only criticism would be the toaster - really need more than one & to actually get your toast toasted it needs to go through twice. The staff were totally caring & helpful with the more senior & infirm guests. There is a small gym, outdoor swimming pool & a room with board games, paperbacks to borrow & tour information.