Hotels met bar in Faro District, Portugal

During my 4-day stay, I managed to enjoy a bit of everything, from the outdoor and indoor pools to the sauna. There's free parking available near the hotel, so there's no need to use the underground parking (unless it's high season). The room boasts a beautiful view from the ninth floor, although I feel that certain finishes should be rectified for such a new, 5-star hotel; the balcony floor seems a bit loose, and the bathroom door drags on the floor. The area is a bit windy, which you can feel through the window at night when it's quiet, but it's nothing too major. Breakfast was 'average'; I missed having natural juice, which I think would be justified given the price. The pool bar also does a good job, and their wraps/sandwiches are tasty. The sun loungers are also very comfortable.

The hotel has a good location, about a 10-minute walk from the city center. However, the layout is confusing at first and feels like a labyrinth. The room was spacious but lacked basic amenities—not even a tea sachet and cleanliness could be improved. The staff were kind and helpful. Parking is paid, but there are free options nearby and a large parking area five minutes away for just €1. Breakfast was good, and the pool area is spacious and enjoyable.

The hotel was easy to find and in a great location right in the heart of the old town. It’s about an 8-10 minutes walk to the marina, and there are plenty of shops and restaurants close by. The room was tidy and comfortable, although it wasn’t cleaned during our stay, so it seems you may need to request housekeeping if you want it. Breakfast was quite simple with just the basics. We also appreciated the 12 pm check-out, as it gave us a bit more time to rest before our afternoon trip.

Experience started badly at check-in when they refused to add my wife to the booking as Trip.com’s mobile  “deal” was for one guest in room.  Snarky reception person rude and borderline hostile - this was our third stay at this property and as in the past, we felt a subtle bias against us as non-Portuguese.  The Front Desk Manager got involved and he refused to comp. me my wife’s addition to our room and said we had to pay euros 40 for her two day’s breakfasts.  He appeared unkempt with s dirty shirt and was unshaven .  His attitude was aggressive and disrespectful in the extreme.  We asked to be relocated to a higher floor from the 2nd floor and he informed me that there were no sea view rooms on upper floors.  This was patently a lie as the initial receptionist told me that the hotel was not fully booked. While I was in discussions with the front desk receptionist, a hotel guest came up and complained that her room was bery hot.  She was told by the same snarky receptionist that the aircon was off due to a system changeover and she should open her balcony door! When I asked the same question later on to another receptionist, he said that they could give me a fan.  She was and English lady and when a Portuguese guest arrived to check/in, that dame clerk was all over him with handshakes all around.  Other staff around the property didn’t seem overly friendly to guests as well. It is unforgivable for any hotel, let alone a supposed 5 star property, not to have its HVAC system operable and even worse, not to advise guests of the issue. Our room was spacious, if a little warm, but showed the ravages of time with chipped furniture and surfaces.  Also, not too impressed by the powdered coffee presented in the room, or a euros 3 charged for a bucket of ice. I cannot recommend this property for a stay in Portimao and there are a few other more undated hotels nearby.

Not my first time in Faro but chose this hotel for the rooms with balcony marina view. The hotel has a rich history and has been around since 1960s and its undergoing refurbishments in some areas. The old rooms look dated and could do with better cleaning as previous occupant’s hair was found in the bathroom. We loved the design & aesthetic looks of the new refurbished areas such as the spa, bathrooms, gym, pool & sauna but shame that there was a water leak in the indoor pool ceiling and rusty bits on the stainless steel railings. Considering it’s completed in Aug 2025, the hotel may need to do more due diligence to ensure the safety of guests. As a non Portuguese speaker, I felt that the check-in staff can make more efforts in being warm and welcoming. I noticed that this hotel is one of the few hotels ive been that check-in staffs are seated instead of standing, making the process somehow casual & less welcoming. I also called in to make a request for a late check out and received a hostile response by a lady who said ‘No. We need the room back’. We just got married the day before arriving & we are here to also celebrate my honeymoon & partner’s birthday. Weeks prior to arriving, I put in a request if the hotel could do a birthday special for him but this was not acknowledged. As an avid traveller who has stayed in many hotels around the world, I am a little dissapointed with the lack of personalised attentive service provided by the hotel. If the view & location isn’t a concern, I recommend the nearby 3HB hotel. We enjoyed our stay there. AP Eva senses have a great deal of potential, but they may be complacent at going beyond, as they are currently the only hotel at Faro marina. Additional employees like the elder gentleman pianist & hotel hairdresser were the warmest I’ve come across.

The best four-star hotel, I will go to portimao again because of this hotel, there is a very comfortable balcony, there is a swimming pool upstairs, the hotel also has a free shuttle bus to the beach, there is also a spa but you need to book in advance, the breakfast is also very rich and fresh. There is also a well-equipped gym, everything is very complete. It is also very close to the starting point of the pier to take a boat to see the caves and dolphins, just 3 minutes away. Great!

A beautiful hotel surrounded by magnificent gardens. We'd barely arrived when something unimaginable happened: a blackout on the Iberian Peninsula. The hotel managers responded in an exemplary manner: they provided information, provided everyone with a water bottle, and served cold meals and free grilled dishes in the restaurant in the evenings. The emergency generator also ran for a few hours. So, despite the uncertainty, we felt well looked after. Enjoying the sun by the beautiful pool area is also nothing to be sniffed at. The breakfast buffet was varied, including a good selection for vegans and vegetarians. We really enjoyed, among other things, the delicious, sweet fruit.

Interesting quirky location full of historic character. Very friendly welcome. When receptionist saw on passport that it was wife's birthday, we were given an upgrade and bottle of bubbly in room! Buffet breakfast fine, but it would have been good to have bacon on the hot-food selection. Our suite was quite spacious, but only had a standard double bed - OK for us, though others might want to request a king-size.

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.

Spotlessly clean hotel with extremely welcoming staff. Swimming pools were a bit cold but that’s the only downside. Breakfast selection was very comprehensive. It’s a slight downhill walk into town so prepare for an uphill walk back. 2nd time here and will definitely be back.