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Albufeira Hotels and Apartments N - R

Natura Sun - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Heather & John (25, 31)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from the Algarve after a week allocation on arrival.
Not impressed with the Natura Sun Appartments, our room although well equipped wasn't very clean, the sink and loo were badly cracked and glued back together.  The bathroom and kitchen were old and tired and in need of a refit.
They do however, provide a washing machine and microwave which were excellent.
Cleaners come everyday to sweep the floor but they don't change the bed linen at all.
As for the pool and bar it too wasn't bad but you couldn't get a sunbed as the usual towels were out all day even if the beds weren't being used.  Bar food expensive and not very appetising.
The noise from the bar kept us awake til about half past two every night even though we were facing the road, but because there is no aircon (ARGH) we had to sleep with all the windows and doors open which contributed to the noise.

Out and about Albufeira is really nice, the usual strip with bars and restaurants, old town with much the same and a beautiful marina where we spent a day lazing about on the side watching the fish and boats.  It is brand new and has music playing all round, hardly anyone there, very chic bars and restaurants and we loved it.

The beaches are lovely, not too busy and if you walk along a bit you can find a bit of peace and quiet.  I was expecting it to be busier, we went in english school hols but it wasn't like spain gets at all. Much less developed and quieter. No big groups of lads etc much more family place, not suited for 18-30s. Watch out for time share gits with the line...are you british...are you over 28?

We hired a scooter one day which was great and went to Villamoura - gorgeous place, you should stay there instead, much more cosmopolitan and chic.  The roads are good and it's easy to drive, no mad drivers like greece.  The scooter place at the top of the road hires them out for 20 euros plus free insurance and helmet but that costs 10 euros!(not free then)

All in all a good hol, wouldn't recommend allocation on arrival as we watched people being dropped off the coach to some questionable places and we were disappointed with ours; but really you get what you pay for! £200 each for a week isn't going to get the ritz.....

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Natura Sun Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Jul 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Carina Bond - Middlesex (Ages 29, 22, 6)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading other reviews on this site, I was starting to dread booking this holiday, however when we got there we were pleased to find that it wasn't bad at all.  

We booked the property as a late deal 5 days before departure so only studios were left which we thought may be a bit small for the three of us.  We were pleasantly surprised by how spacious and well-equipped the apartments were.  There is a large hallway with dressing table and mirror and space for cases.  The bathroom was a good size with toilet, bidet, sink and shower over the bath.  It was perfectly clean, my only complaint was that the shower holder kept moving so that you had to constantly readjust its position!  The kitchen was quite big with large fridge, coffee machine (dunno how to use it though!), washing machine that we used on a couple of occasions and a full oven with grill and hob.  There was a good selection of cooking utensils but like most self-catering apts, the glasses were not big enough!  You only get a small tumblers or tiny tumblers!  There is also a boiler cupboard with more space to keep suitcases.  The living room/sleeping area has two single beds and a sofabed with tv (don't expect to watch anything in English other than Sky News), a table and chairs and a large wardrobe.  If you like good pillows, take your own! You only get 1 each and they're not exactly luxury!

On arrival we were not too happy to find that we had been allocated a ground floor room next to the bar as we thought we would be kept up all night with noisy drunks.  The First Choice rep offered to move us but assured us that the music stopped at midnight so we decided to stay put and see how it was.  In the end it turned out to be fine and actually an ideal apartment for us to keep an eye on our little one while he was round the swimming pool and the pool table.  We were able to walk off of our terrace straight down to the pool and get sunloungers just off our patio so we could leave our room open while we were outside to let the air blow through and it meant we didn't have to carry all our towels and stuff down everytime we wanted to go for a swim.  The pool was a good size and was never overcrowded even though the apts were fully booked.  There is a rope between the shallow and deep ends as the drop is quite sudden and steep so it was good for the non-swimmers.

We didn't use the bar for drinks or food as we bought all our stuff from the local supermarket and sat on our balcony listening to the entertainment.  It looked like the usual snack bar stuff such as pizzas, toasties, chips, etc.  Dunno if it was any good cos we didn't see many other people eating there either!

The nearest supermarket is Marrachino.  To get there go to the top of the road, turn left and then cross over and it is under the Oura Praia Hotel.  Had a good selection of local and English stuff and was pretty cheap.  We went there and got stuff for lunch on several days and were able to get warm, freshly baked baguettes.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants within the local area, however we did not use these as we preferred the more traditional portuguese restaurants.  There are a couple of good ones along the strip, especially Portofino and O Poeta.  These are both at the beach end of the strip.  Otherwise I would definitely recommend getting the tourist train down to Albufeira as the square has loads of restaurants to choose from and some good entertainment by street artists in the evening.  We ate in Bravo's twice which is a bit pricey but good food and service.  Wouldn't recommend Pampas (should've known from the name!) as it wasn't that great.

The beach was about 10 mins walk but don't go the way that the rep tells you to as it is the long way round.  We found a short cut through the Clube Praia da Oura and it is good cos on the way back you don't have to walk up the hill.  If you follow their signs for the shortcut to Oura Praia, you can go up in the lift and miss out the hill!  We certainly wouldn't recommend the resort or most others in the Algarve if you are disabled or have walking difficulties as the whole region is quite hilly.  Anyway, beach is lovely with rocky areas to sit in the shade.  Be careful not to get caught in a cove when the tide comes in or you may get wet feet!  We found the best time to go was in the morning when the tide is out cos you can see where the rocks are under the water and are less likely to stub your toe!  There are watersports for the more adventurous.

Some of the beach front restaurants looked ok but after sitting in one for 15 minutes without even being brought a menu we decided to leave.  The staff were not particularly bothered so we decided to look elsewhere and found a really nice snack bar called BJ's which is by at the commercial centre by the watersports.  they do tasty chicken with chips and salad for 7 euros and were very friendly.  We ended up going there 3 times.

We would definitely stay at the Natura Sun Apts again if we decided to return to this area.

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Natura Sun Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Falcon/First Choice June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Party of 3

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Natura Sun apartments are excellent and I would have no complaints about them you even get a washing machine which is a god send!!!  they are very spacious and the pool area is lovely.  The resort is lovely too and prices are really cheap beer e1.50 average meal e9.00 per person with wine but along the strip it's more expensive so shop around 

all in all I would go back to the Natura Sun again but Falcon seem to have dropped them from the brochure shame.

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Natura Sun Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : J Mitchell - N Yorks (49, 38)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a great week at Natura Sun. Stayed in a studio which was HUGE!  Nice peaceful location facing back of apartments overlooking residential area.  No noise from bar/pool at all.  Fully fitted kitchen (took our own travel kettle). Loads of wardrobe space.  Decent size bathroom with LOADS of boiling hot water.  FOnly fault is lack of air conditioning which made it VERY hot when getting ready to go out at night and also when trying to sleep.  First Choice rep there 6 days a week and very friendly and helpful as were apartment staff.  

Visited Praia Oura beach daily - beautiful sand (best I have seen in Europe) and lovely breeze.  15 euros per day for two comfy loungers and straw sunshade.  Beach sellers with water, melon, pineapple and not overpriced either.  Great bars above beach for a meal, snack or cold beer.  Strip was lively with good choice of bars and restaurants but also good restaurants on street at top of the road from Natura Sun.  Paulu's Italian was very good and also recomment Geordie Pride (turn right at top of road then left at supermarket and its on right hand side on way down to strip).  Had delicious home cooked Sunday lunch there...mmmm! Old town was quaint but very busy and it was quite hard to find a table in the bars where you could have a drink and watch the world go by.  Didnt use the pool area at the Natura as preferred the beach (and we were not travelling with kids), having said that it seemed very nice and not too noisy at all.  Would be very safe for families with young children.

Loved Albufeira, would recommend the climate, the Portugeuse people were very friendly, great value for money apartments - go there..you wont be disappointed!!

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Natura Sun Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Neal (38) Sarah (35) Millie (9) Charlie (6)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a week at the Natura Sun Club Apartments.

On first impressions, the apartment seemed really large and spacious and looked quite pleasant.  There was a large hallway, and off the hallway was a large bathroom, a twin bedroom with large wardrobes, a separate kitchen with microwave and washing machine, and a large living area where there were two sofa beds, a tv and a table and four chairs.  Off the living area was a large balcony.  So at first we thought it looked ok. 

After a closer inspection we realised that the cleanliness of the apartment was quite appalling.  First of all, the bedroom absolutey stunk of - to put it politely - urine! and the smell only got worse after you'd slept in it all night.

The bathroom was shabby, the toilet seat was a cheap thin plastic seat that slid around every time you sat on it.  The taps were old and dirty and on the first night there, my husband had a shower and the bath taps just kept turning and we couldn't turn them off for about 10 minutes!

The kitchen was disgusting!  There was a washing machine but I would never have used it as it was filthy, the microwave was the same. There was a cooker hood that had about a 1" thick layer of grease and dust. Luckily I took some antibacterial wipes so I had a good clean around the kitchen and bathroom.  And there was even other peoples 'bodily hairs' on the floor around the fridge and in the corners were the cleaners never cleaned!  The worksurface was bodged around the edge with loads of silicone sealant, my 6 year old son could have done a better job.

The pool area looked ok, but it was impossible to get a sunbed.  People just left their towels on the beds constantly, so they were guaranteed those beds everyday!

First Choice rated these apartments as 3 star plus, I would say they are more like 2 star.  They are the worst apartments we have ever been to for cleanliness.

We were happy with the resort and thought it was quite cheap, you can buy a bottle of rose wine from the marrachino supermarket for 1.89 euros, thats only about £1.35!!  And the beaches are great, very clean and loads of space.

I would recommend the resort and I would go back again, but I would not recommend the Natura Sun Apartments. 

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Natura Sun Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Falcon - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Tracey &  Mark (37, 36)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

ad a fabulous apartment on top floor (a deluxe apartment according to the map )with massive balcony and 2 sunbeds - heaven!!!  Apartment was very clean and comfortable.  Very well equipped.  Staff very pleasant and helpful.

Swimming pool was freezing but your body got adjusted to it eventually!  Not enough sunbeds at pool but a good grassy area available also.

Bar entertainment wasn't up to much - it seemed to be one guy singing for a few evenings and one karaoke night.  Not much crack! 

Location very good - plenty of eating places nearby. Lovely fish restaurants in Old Town Albuferia with excellent views.
Several supermarkets very nearby.

Local tourist train cheap and cheerful - especially when you don't fancy walking too far in the heat.

Went to AquaShow - worth the money.  Slides good fun and bird show interesting.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choice  feb 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : julie and billy scotland

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

apartmnents were ideal very clean  we went in february. one day of rain (the day we arrived) the weather was fantastic for the time of year beautiful blue skys and sunshine, temperature drops at night though so if going in february make sure youve got a winter jacket with you. 

the beaches were beautiful loved portugal and would definately go back   

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Natura Sun Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : me hubby and 3 kids

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We returned to the natura sun exactly one year after having a fab 2 weeks in 2005, when it had been quiet and family orientated.  Unfortunately now the bar is franchised out, and belts music and drunken revelry until 3.00am, and no amount of begging for the noise to be turned down makes any difference AT ALL.  following 2 weeks sleep deprivation, cranky kids and matchsticks holding our eyes open, we returned home, in need of another holiday!

all other aspects of these apartments were fine, if you are going there ask them for a QUIET ROOM- even though we did and got put directly above the bar!!!

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Natura Sun Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Vince (43) Cass (41) Alex (13) Ella (10)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

We have just returned from a great two weeks in the Natura Sun Club Apaartments.

The apartments were lovely and contained everything needed including a washing machine which was great for those "yuky" sun creamed towels!!! 

The bathroom was enormous although there were a few cracked tiles.  The kitchen had everything needed and was very clean although perhaps a little rough round the edges.  One thing to mention if you read this in time is to take your own kettle as one is not provided.  The bedroom is great and has two single very comfortable beds, a dressing table and a wardrobe so large I defy anyone to fill it.  There is also a safe in the wardrobe which you can get the key from in reception.  It costs 15 euros per week (£10.50) and 15 euros deposit.  The living room had two large sofas which are made up as a further two single beds and very confortable they are too!  There is also a dining table and four chairs, sideborard, two smaller tables and a tv.  The hall is spacious and there is even a cupboard/room in which to store the suitcases!  The balcony is enormous and has an airer on which to hang wet stuff.

The pool area is lovely and not to large so that smaller children actually get some freedom.  The pool itself is freezing but you dont seem to care when you've been sitting in 45 degree heat for most of the day!!  There is also a bar attached to the apartments from which you can get a very reasonable lunch for about 4 euros (£2.80).  They also sell ice creams, crisps, drinks including tea and coffee and some sweets.  They also have sky tv and will put on football matches, the cricket, Eastenders or anything you ask for.  There are two women and two men who run it and they are so nice and so helpful - especially Luis!!

The nearest supermarket is about a 3 minute walk away and is open from 8am until 10pm every day.  Go to the top of the road and turn left and then cross the main road.  You cant miss it its call Marrachino and has everything you want.

The strip is about a 10 minute walk away and has bars, shops, cafes etc (although all of these you will also find at the top of the apartments road.)  Go to the top of the road and turn right and carrry on walking for about 3 or 4 mins.  You will then come to a road on your left which you need to go down and you will find yourself halfway up/down the strip.

A couple of good restaurants in the strip is "O Ramos"and The Sizzling Stone (Steak). Linekers Bar is good for watching the world go by and having a game of pool.  Would not recommend the Paella Restaurant.

Alberferia Old Town is about a 5 minute taxi ride away and this costs around 5 euros including a tip (£3.50). Bravo's is a lovely restaurnt (we went there about 4 times!)  As is the Vegas Bar which on a Wednesday night has the most fantastic singer called Tom.  The staff are also great and the cocktails are fantastic - even the kids non alcoholic ones!!  The Vegas Bar is definitely worth a visit.

We went on four trips.

The Jeep Safari - although expensive (120 euros £85.00- is well worth it.  Even my 13 year old son who has no interest in anything but PS2, Football and Golf though it was good.  You also get lunch on this trip which consisted of Soup (which was the best soup Ive ever tasted!) Chicken and Chips, fruit and squash and wine.  You leave around 9.00am from the apartments and you get back about 5pm.  A truly great day out!

Zoo Marine is a mixture of mini funfair, waterpark and mini seaworld.  The dolphin and sealion shows are good, the funfair is a sweet distraction from the sun (!!) and the swimming pool area is lovely at the end of the day.  This trip was about 80 euros about £50.00

There are two waterparks you can go to Aqualand and Slide and Splash.  We went to both and preferred Aqualand.  Aqualand has sunloungers, rafata umbrellas, is slightly smaller and has a wave machine.  My two children were able to go off and I didnt worry about them at all.  In Slide and Spash its a bit bigger but 20 times more busy and I didnt feel I could let them go off on their own.  Slide and Splash has a lovely area for smaller children but it may be too busy for real small children.  Aqualand also has a childrens area and is better because its quieter.  Both parks cost around the same but in my opinion Aualand is the one to go for.

The waterparks and Zoo Marine are got to by catching a coach at the top of the road outside a pub called the Dubliner.  If the coach you are waiting for is late or drives straight past dont worry.  The coach will eventually arrive and if it goes straight past it means that its full and another coach will be along within about 5 mins.  Something we weren't told by our reps!!!

Us four all had a fantastic time and its the only holiday that I have been sad to come home from.  In fact I am trying to talk my hubbie not only to going back to Portugal next year but also to go back to the Natura Sun Club Apartments.  Its a great base - close enough to the action, but far away enough for peace and quiet.  FANTASTIC!!!! 

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Natura Sun Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Pauline, Rob, Maureen, Trevor 

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we've been to these apartments before and were as impressed as much the second time around. 

Rooms were cleaned 5 times a week, towels and bedding twice a week. kitchen was great a washer, cooker and microwave what more could you want. when you come out of the apts turn right then left at the top down to the island and turn left it takes you to the Coyote bar, 1.25euro for large beer. if you turn right at the island its a good carvery at Susans bar (part of the hotel on the corner) also a decent chippy. if you carry on past the chippy for about 10 mins it brings you to the strip where there are loads of bars and restaurants, it's busy at night and a bit like Blackpool all lit up. Both supermarkets are reasonable plenty of cheap beer. if you turn right at top from apts and go to the supermarket on the corner there are a few bars up that road, we had a lovely sunday lunch at the Geordie Pride and if you carry on past there you can also get to the strip. 

so enjoy your holiday.

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Natura Sun Club - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice- May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Jane Redding -29, 24, 3

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we stayed in the Natura Sun Club only last week i was dissapointed with the advertisment stating Kids Play Area which when we arrived consisted of a pool table and a foos(spelling?) ball table which i'd say have seen the best of the last 10 yrs! very bad. the hotel was ok very old and could do with a bit of a face lift the sheets as i read in another review on one of the beds were defintly not changed all week i know this as my son spilled chocolate onto one one night and at the end of the week was still there.

i thought the area was lovely and would go back again i recomend Papa Jo's which is up the hill and the second set of shops on the right great service and great food and Paulus italian up the hill and left that was also lovely. BEWARE  of Gheraldo's a 'steak house' which is also up the hill and directly on your right the service here was slow and although advertised a steak house there were two type of steaks on the menu, i ordered an omlette here and my partners steak came out befor mine (after 40 mins) when i did get mine i cut into it to find a giant hair in my food not very nice at all the staff were not pleseant and very rude when i pointed out what i had found 

otherwise the area was lovely nobody to bother us i did not see one time share tout up here where as in the old town they are everywhere we just walked by them i would recommend this area of Portugal unfortunatly not the Natra Sun Club...sorry!!

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Emma Barker - Stoke on Trent (27,29,3)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I booked this holiday as a cheap holiday so was a bit warey of what it would really be like, however i need not have worried at all.

The apartments were lovely, very clean and the staff friendly, we were overlooking the carpark which was a bit noisey as the dustbins were there so heard the bin men coming very early in the morning to empty them but not too bad really. The only other thing was that i had booked a late check out which in the brochure stated until 6pm, the reception however tried to say it was only until 2pm. First choice agents in the resort sorted it out though but just beware and take the brochure with you to prove what it says.

We enjoyed the resort and liked the strip the only thing really is the beaches are not that easy to get to the main beach is down a hill called cardiac hill and believe me that is how you feel when youve pushed a pushchair up it in the heat, the only other way to get to it was through some apartments that seemed to be mainly timeshares so got hassled a bit by people trying to sell us one.  In the end we just said we were under 25 as they cant sell you one then.

Would recomend this resort and apartments though especialy if can get them cheap enough. First Choice excellent tour operator

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice- March 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Angela  and Peter - Staffs (50, 49)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the Natura Sun in March 2005. I have just read another review from a couple that were there at the same time as us. My opinion differs entirely from theirs.The room we had was on the second floor. It was great, roomy and clean with a full sized kitchen which is something I've not had before. It was nice to have the kitchen seperate from the living area.We both had showers twice a day, following on from each other and had no trouble at all with the water supply.

We ate out at Annabels which was just up the hill, turn right and cross the road. The food was good and prices reasonable. The beaches were lovely and the weather was perfect.

Having said all that I wouldn't go again simply because of the time share touts. Something needs to be done about them, they are ruining the Algarve. Most were persistant but Ok but some were very rude. Please don't scratch any cards off or go with them. Just say "NO" firmly even rudely if you have to. In the square in the old town we counted 8 time share touts that we could see, never mind the ones hiding ready to pounce.It got to the stage that myself and my husband walked seperately on different sides of the road! (they only approach couples)It's not what you need when you are on holiday and to be honest we nearly came to blows with one guy who told us something nasty when we said we weren't interested.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice february 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : sophie manchester (26,40)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Myself and my partner booked an allocate on arrival and we were put in the Natura Sun Apartments.
First impressions were it looked ok. we reached are apartment which was spacious with a hugh balcony all was going well, but the cleanliness of the room was very poor. We only booked to stay for a week so we just managed and got on with it. Although the cleaners(who were all friendly) did come in every other day, but it didn't seem to make any difference. the room had its own washing machine we thought what a great idea but i wouldn't reccommend anyone to use it, it was in a disgusting state.

After an early flight we both wanted to freshen up (have a shower)unfortunatly there was only enough hot water to last for one shower so the other person had to wait 6 hours!!yes 6 hours!!! before it heated up again.  we couldn't belive it.  we told reception that there must be a fault with the boiler in the room and they said they would send someone to have a look at it.  wether anyone came or not we will never know but the problem was not fixed and we had to rota in who was going to have a shower in the morning and who was going to wait until the evening. very annoying.

apart from that we hired a car from the top of the road (very friendly) and we also ate alot at the country kitchen (if you love your english food this is the place to eat the steaks are hugh)!!
weather was very pleasent for the time of year we went (64 degrees).
I would like to point out that the reception staff at the Natura Sun were friendly it's just a shame the standards of there rooms were so poor.
Would i reccommend anyone to stay at the Natura Sun? simple answer NO!!

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : mum john kim tracey steph  72, 50 48 45 16

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

apartments great. maid service good no problem with anything.go and enjoy 

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: Falcon Oct 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by :

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked this holiday last minute, and we really enjoyed it. The staff at the Natura sun were very friendly and helpful and the rep was good also. The apartments were of a good size and very comfortable and quiet at night . I thought the advertised 'childrens play area' was a disappointment as this was one of the things we were looking for for our 2 yo son. The metal slide was literally boiling to touch at 10am in the morning and the swings were too high of the ground to be safe. Also the tiles around the complex were quite slippy-especially when it rained!

The beach at Praia Da Oura was lovely, though you have to be reasonably fit to get to it! The tourist train from the strip to the old town was a winner with our son as was Zoo marine which was a great day out. We also enjoyed the jeep safari. Old Albufeira town was quaint and atmospheric.

Our favourite restaurant was El Bolera, lovely mexican food and we found it better  quality and value for money than some of the restaurants down on the strip. If you are looking for night entertainment or 'childrens disco' try Oura Praia or Club Praia da Oura complexes nearby. In the month that we went there was little entertainment in the complex where we were. They did have a short parrot show on the Friday night though which our son liked .

WE enjoyed the holiday  and I would like to go back to the Algarve again.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Corbin Family with party of 11 ages from 50 to 7

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arrival at the above apts, we were greeted by a fab pool area,only to find that the apt itself was nothing to write home about,there was 4 of us in a one bed apt and the only storage we had was 6 small drawers and 1 wardrobe, bathroom was quite shabby but pretty clean the only good thing was we had a pool view. We did see the cleaners, but I am convinced that our bedding was never changed in the whole 2 weeks!.

There is really nothing to do at night a part from going to THE STRIP!!! oh joy of joys, only can describe it as the same tat different day, the blackpool front of the Algrave!!!, not impressed as you can tell.

The Old Town was really lovely and a must visit both day and night taxi fare form hotel is only 5euros each way but its a lovely place. During the day there is a free coach from the hotel that leaves about 10am and returns at 4pm.
We had some nice meals. The Chinese at the top of the road was really good value, the Geordie Pride was excellent and we went here for my husbnds 50th, but the very best place was Frog's pizzas on the strip fantastic!!!!, three days before we came home we found the bar called Two Fat Ladies where we went for breakfast absolutley fabulous and the ladies there we a screem a must visit but don't leave it till your due to come home like we did!!!!

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : (65,42)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were put on the second floor which seemed fine but the balcony was tiny and at night there were some very inconsiderate people who banged their doors when entering /leaving their rooms and the noise would echo very loudly causing many sleepless nights.

Local courtesy bus to Old Town was excellent as was beach there too.Many good restaurants just up the road from accomodation ie Country Cockerels Whale and chips was excellent and the Golden Palace Chinese at bottom of main road and Bomgarfos.Local supermarket supplied most things and had a reasonable choice.First Choice rep Ellen was superb and a great ambassador for First Choice.

Do not go to the Algarve if you do not like hills or the occasional steep walk as there are plenty.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : jenny witts - bristol (51,34,15months)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the apartments were very spacious and clean. we had a cot which didn't cost us anything. major problem we had (apartment 124)was the sewerage pipe blocked so we had a flood twice in one day on our second day. We had to move to a different complex (by montechoro hotel) for 3 days this caused a great inconvenience as we had a 15 month old baby. So if you stay in that apartment and notice water through the hallway and toilet don't assume it came from the sprinklers outside like we did. 

The pools are nice although cold at first plenty of inflatables to use. We didn't have a problem with sunbeds or umbrellas. Didn't eat at the bar we thought it was overpriced and the beer was 2.50 euros. Good place to eat if little ones in tow is Rovers Return they have a ball pond, tele and a few toys to keep them occupied. Annables do a good lasagne. Geordie Pride does vegetables and mash if you get fed up with chips with everything (turn left by the Alisuper and its further down from the Cockerel on the right) you can also go down this road to get to the strip. Turn left at the top of the road from the apartments bear left at the roundabout and go to coyotes, the beer is only 1 euro (cheapest place around) and the staff are really nice) the food ain't too bad neither.

the beach is ok to get to but bit of a hike to get back. Very nice once there but the sand do tend to stick to you quite badly , the sand at fishermans beach is very soft, don't park yourself too close to the sea it creeps in on you we nearly got washed out 3 times. 

We got to fishermans beach by the tourist train (3 euros, kids under 5 free)this is half way up the strip on the left side and runs every 20mins right through the night so its cheaper than a taxi! don't get conned by the girls with scratch (promotions) cards they say you've one and that nobody else have, you will have to go to a hotel and watch a video for one hour about holidays and then gives you the option to buy (you will get pressured) don't go it is a con you will only win holiday vouchers of which you use towards one of their holidays.

Anyway to sum it up albuferia is very nice, weather was excellent, apartments were nice, shame about the mishap we had which quite spoilt the holiday for the first week but this haven't put us off of going again sometime.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice-Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Diana, Peter and Patricia Turner ( 55, 46, 12 ),

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked our holiday at the Nutura Sun Club after reading all the positive reviews. Peter has M.S and is partly paralysed down the left side, which causes difficulty walking, and he tires very easily. We had read many other hotel reviews, all which mentioned steep hills so the fact no mention of any hills when we booked made Natura seem the ideal choice.

We explained over Peter's condition to the Travel agent when booking asked them to check there was no hill and that we could have a ground floor room. First Choice help line said there was a slight incline and we were given the impression ground floor room would be guaranteed after booking.

After paying for our holiday we were not guaranteed a ground floor room. This upset us so we e-mailed first choice to ask why a ground floor room could not be guaranteed. There were no lifts and I could not carry Peter and his wheelchair up flights of stairs.

We were then sent a disclaimer from First Choice to sign. They had decided The Natura was now on a hill and was not suitable for the less mobile, as there were no lifts. We could not have a refund and had to pay extra if we wanted a different place to stay. Also if we did not sign the disclaimer we could not have airport assistance.

Luckily we did get a ground floor room guaranteed before our holiday and it was perfect. We just had to walk out of the door over a bit of grass and we were on a sun bed round the pool. We were very happy at the Natura everyone was so nice.

The First Choice rep Ellen Nash was fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble for her. She had lots of knowledge on the Algarve and could answer any queries you had. She booked all our trips and was always friendly and helpful.

We should have talked to Ellen before attempting the walk to Santa Eulalia beach. That was a bad mistake. I thought that it was going to be impossible to keep hold of the wheelchair it was so steep just before the last turn. I got very upset but a lady who did not speak a word of English was taking her children on the beach took one handle and I held the other and we managed it between us.

We were then charged twenty euros to hire two sun beds and parasol for the day. I only expected it to be about ten euros. We could not stop for the day. The toilets and restaurant were up many steps. It would be a good idea to take a cool bag for days on the beach if you are less mobile.

It was impossible to get a taxi back so Patricia and myself pushed Peter up the hill. I still do not know how. We did not have the energy to go back to the Natura to get showered and changed so went to Annabells for our tea straight off the beach. We must have looked a bit rough but they still made very welcome and we enjoyed a lovely meal and cold drink.

Albuferia is not wheelchair friendly, the incline is quite steep in parts from the Natura to the main road. The Kerbs are even worse once the front wheels were up I had to lift all Peter's weight up. I did not find this easy but it did not spoil our holiday. I am not very strong but we did get lots of offers of help, which was very appreciated. 

The courtesy bus to old Albuferia stops at the top of a lot of steps so that is not easy for the less mobile. We found it easier to get a taxi. Well worth the five euros.

We enjoyed trying out all the restaurants on these reviews. The Cockerel did a full English breakfast with cuppa P.G tips or ground coffee very tasty and only three euro fifty cents. The hotel bar also does a good breakfast but charges six euros and your drink is extra.

To get to the Cockerel you go to the top of the road from the Natura, cross over and walk right until you reach the Alisuper. The Cockerel is just down that road. Another restaurant we liked was Mary Ann's. Carry on down the road passed the Cockerel to the Kelt and Kilt. Mary Ann's is behind that. The food is lovely and with two adult meals you get a free child meal. That pleased Patricia as she could have one of the lovely desserts.

The Airport staff were fantastic both on Outbound and Return flights. Only problem we found at Faro airport was that once you go to your gate there is only one toilet. If your plane is delayed and you need to go there could be a long wait.

I would recommend Alberferia and the Natura Sun Club so long as you are reasonably mobile. You need to be fit or have a fit carer to assist you if you use a wheelchair.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Julie (44), Mark (41), Kevin (15), Kelly-Marie (9), Mum, Dad & David (29)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Returned back three weeks ago from yet another fabulous holiday at Natura Sun Club Apartments.

This time we were given an apartment up the top in the three storey blocks which was much better as last year we were down near the bar and it was a bit noisy.

We noticed that there was still a shortage of sunbeds but it did not bother us too much as we just got lilos and grabbed a bed whenever we could.  One good thing we noticed was that people weren't getting up at the crack of dawn to place their towels on the beds, it was all very civilised and people were waiting until about 8.00am before going down giving more people a chance of having a bed.

We noticed this year a change in the entertainment at the bar, for the better I have to say.  Last year we had to endure 5 nights of karaoke (which is OK if you are a fan of it which we were not), but this year it was only a Friday which was bearable, this time they had a singer one of the nights and a bongo player another night which were new additions to last year, both very good.

For eating out and good old fashioned english food I still highly recommend Annabells.

For those of you who have not seen my review from last year you leave the hotel and turn to the right at the top of the road, turn left and its on the opposite side of the road next to the Danish restaurant.  The food is fabulous at Annabells and as always the staff very friendly and hospitable.

We still went to the Royal Chinese restaurant as well because that is also another place which is well worth a visit (out of hotel, turn right at the top of the road, turn left walk straight down to the roundabout and it is in front of you).

If you enjoy a good old english roast dinner there is a restaurant called Susans Carvery (I think!!) which does a carvery and all you can eat for 8 euros on a Wednesday and Sunday.  Susans is at the back of the Oura Praira restaurant.  To get to it you go to the top of the road, turn left and cross the road as if you were going to Annabells, walk straight past Annabells towards the Marachino supermarket.  Next door to the supermarket is the Oura Praira hotel, you can get to Susans by going in the front entrance of the hotel or stay on the path and walk towards the roundabout and turn right, you will see the back entrance to the Oura Praira and you can get to Susans from there.  It was absolutely delicious and you had the choice of chicken, beef, lamb or pork.  Try for yourselves, you won't be disappointed.

One restaurant to avoid is the Mexican El Bolero.  WHAT A RIP OFF!!!  Had to wait literally ages and ages for the food and when it came it was so miniscule that we went away feeling extremely hungry.  A total waste of money, don't bother with it.

The strip is the place to visit if you are into buzzing nightlife.  We use to go down there each night just for a walk really and to look in the shops.

Don't be taken in by the beggars on the street, they are more well off than you think.  They make themselves dirty and scruffy just to get the sympathy vote.

Last year we done an excursion to Zoo Marine which was fantastic.  This year we decided to go to slide & splash.  Now if you enjoy waterparks this is a must.  We had a brilliant time.  Well worth the trip.  Myself and my mother-in-law also went to Quarteira market but I would not do that trip again, it was a nightmare, very crowded and extremely hot.  Some cheap bargains but if you don't like crowds then I wouldn't bother.

We decided to grab a taxi one day and went along to the Algarve shopping centre.  We were pretty disappointed as there was not that much there really but if you are missing your McDonalds, KFC, Burger Kings etc, you can get all that there, apart from that we found the products in the shops quite expensive.

Fishermans beach we think is still the best beach to go to.  You get the courtesy bus from outside the hotel which leaves at 10.00am Monday to Friday and brings you back at 4.00pm.  This takes you to the top of the square at old Albufeira, you can see the beach with the beautiful white golden sand.  Sunbeds and umbrellas are the same price as last year, (15 euros for 2 beds and one umbrella), be warned though you are not allowed to put up your own umbrella, there are certain areas of the beach where that is allowed.  I put one up for my daughter in front of my bed for my daughter to play in the sand but was made to take it down but was told I could buy another one of their umbrellas and put that up - NO THANKS!!, she had to make do with finding shady bits by the beds instead.

St. Eulalia beach which is close to the hotel I am told is nice but cannot comment on it as we never went to it, but I do know and will stress there is quite a hill to walk to reach it, so not really advisable if you have a disability of any kind or are in a wheelchair.

Taxi's have not gone up in price either the minimum price is 5 euros.  If you were to go into old Albufeira in the evening and were getting a cab from the hotel that is what you would pay.

Once again we were not disappointed in anyway with our stay again this year and are returning yet again next year for the third year in a row, this time with my sister and her family.  I may be a saddo returning again but we enjoy it so much we just want to keep going back.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Sarah (14)Janette (39) Gary (38) Mandy (14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from an amazing holiday. We all had a great time as it is in the perfect location for me and my friend to go off without the parents. It was a peaceful place, however if you fancied a bit of excitement you could walk 10 minutes down the road to the lively strip, which was full of gift shops, resteraunts and bars! 

There were some lovely restaurants, one in particular that looked over the 10minute walk beach, which was an oriental resteraunt. There are some fantastic days out that you have to take advantage of, especially Zoomarine, where you can also swim with dolphins, which is a real highlight to the holiday! 

It was definately my best holiday ever and i think everyone elses to. We may even be going again next year! For anyone who is considering going, GO! you won't regret it!

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice august 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : jacki linzi grant 47 13 14

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we booked a superior studio for 3 excellent size very clean..extra large terrace. could even play football on the terrace it was so big.  John the bar manager very helpful and also Fabiana who cooked our food at lunch times very nice. we tried Papa Joes at the top of the road excellent.

The complex is full of families which was great for making friends. we met friends from manchester and also derby and dublin.The pool is very nice just the right size for the amount of people staying there.  Ellen the rep very helpful always on site. John the bar manager organized football so all the boys played a match which help them to make friends. 

The location of Natura Sun Club is ideal nice quiet residential within walking distance of the strip and also good choice of restruants.I felt it was a safe place for children even the pool maintenance man Walter was friendily. Most people shopped at the supermarket at the top of the road which was convenient, bar prices for soft drinks were 2 euros for fanta or coke which you can buy in supermarket for 50 cents, the weather was excellent it reached 45degrees when were there so at night it was very very hot to sleep. 

Whilst we were there we were told Sir Cliff Richard would be playing live on the beach we went to the concert and had a great evening which ended in a fantastic firework display. The fishermans beach is lovely every day a free bus takes you to beach at 10am and collects you again at 4pm.

We went to the algarve shopping centre not that impressive though. Quite expensive, though some lovely jewellery and shoe shops.

We would be happy to go back.  The Portugese people are very nice a nd very welcoming

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - july 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : sheila hawkins-southampton41,41,41,40,19,15,14,13

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from a fab holiday,accomadation had everything you needed apart from a kettle so if you want early morning cuppa take a travel one, staff were very welcoming and friendly, the whole resort was kept very clean and tidy.
the strip which was a 10 min walk was buzzing at night with clubs pubs and restaurants try to eat off the strip as it is cheaper.

if you turn right out of sun club go to top and straight across the road you will see the rovers return they do a fab sunday roast, but anything spicy on the menu is spicy and will blow your head off.

if you can hire a car, we had a deal pay for 3 days get car for 5.
also if you want to go to the waterparks shop around up in the town they offer 10-15% off ticket prices.zoo marine is well worth a visit.
anyway have a great time we did, and if you ask john the bar manager to sing you a song he will(great voice)

bon voyage xxxx

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice-June2004-July2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : G-Lancashire 20, P-Staffordshire-21.

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We just arrived back from our hols yesterday.-We had booked to go through allocation on arrival but garenteed 3 * in Albuferia area,

We arrived at Natura Sun Apartments it had an ideal location.It was literally 2 minutes from bars and resturants or about a ten minute walk from the nightlife of the strip. It was secluded enough that it was not noisy at night times but was not far away if you wanted a night on the town.

The beach was about a 15 minutes away  which was not too bad but up a bit of a hill on the way back!. I would advise anyone to go to the resort of Albuferia. It had plently for kids, families, couples and groups of friends.

The negatives regarding our apartment was that whilst we were there two families had there studios broken into - so sleep with the balcony doors and windows shut!!!! that was how they got in whilst they were sleeping!
Our room was very basic although we did have satelite tv and a washing machine! but we did have a problem with little bugs that looked like centipedes!

Other than this, the maids were great and cleaned everyday bar tuesday, reception staff were very friendly and helpful as was the barman John. It was little for evening entertainment on the site, karaoke and a live one-man band. No kids club at all. The pool was nice and always seemed clean althought there was a lack of sunloungers and we had to be up at half 6 to put towels down.

I would advise people to stay in this resort and there wasn't anything major wrong with the apartments as long as you sleep with the doors locked! enjoy your holiday.

P & G.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Michael, Esme & Louise Weston - Bath (28, 26, 2)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a great two weeks and didnt want to come home.  The resort has everthing most people would require, it caters for all ages.

There are loads of resturants (all v good), in particular, Papa Joes, which conveniently was just up the road.

The accomadation was suberb, it's located just off the main road and 10 minutes walk from The Strip.  The rooms are cleaned 6 days per week and are of good size.  The pool is clean and safe with plenty of sunbeds or chairs.  The snack/drinks bar is open very early to very late and offers a good variety.  The staff are very friendly and that applies to all portugese people outside the hotel.

The complex is totally British and all rooms are via First Choice.  A rep is on site full time, 6 days per week.

If you have chosen or thinking of choosing the Natura Sun Club, you wont be dissapointed.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - March 2004

Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Davies Family (51,53)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just got back from a wonderful week.  The accomodation is the best I have had in Europe (long term budget holidaymaker).

The food is wonderful and the best we found was the one at the top of the road, Bom Garfo.  This is a Portugese resteraunt that is for the locals.  They have a self service area where you fill your plate then they weigh it.  This can work out very economic.  We ate of the al'carte menu and didnt have a bad meal.  The Cliff top walk is very much a euphamism!!!  It is a track over the cliffs with sometimes no other way round than to hike up your shorts and get your knickers wet!!!  Good job it was warm.  Everything everyone else has said is true.  The only downside is the noise from scraping furniture from the rooms above you.

Oh and if you want pie and chips then the Strip is the place for you.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - March 2004

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : D J & A Mansell - 52 and 49

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The appartments are in the Santa Eulalia area of new Albufiera.  There are at least 20 bars and restuarants within a 5 minutes walk. A ten minute walk will take you to the strip (bars, restauarants, clubs) whilst Albufiera old town is about 2 km away.  With the exception of the old town the area is more functional than picturesque, but if you hire a car (we hired one from Prudente car hire about 25 yards from the appartments) there are some lovely places to visit - Cape St Vincent,Lagos and Sagres for example.

we had lots of good food during our holiday and only one infifferent one - that was in a place called the Silver Pint almost opposite the appartments.
We enjoyed Annabells (English food and proprietors, El Bolero (Tex-Mex), Cafe Martinique and several others.
The studios are beautiful, clean, spacious, well appointed and well maintained - we would go back there without a doubt.
The First Choice reps were all very good and had a welcome presence at the airport.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First ChoiceDownes - 2004 / 5

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Downes family-Dundee/Arbroath {52,48,47,30,28,27,23,22,4,2}

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

It was a pleasant suprise ,on arrival.Appartments were clean and tidy and roomy.Staff were friendly and very helpful.It was  child friendly,swimming pool for adults and one for the kids.

"It's Twoperfect",I said to my husband,big mistake.Three days after arriving ,water started to leak from the bathroom roof, in three separate area's.Report it to reception and staff member,duely arrived ,looked at it and said  just keep an eye on it.Bathroom at this point sailing with water.Towels placed all over the floor and two bucket placed ,to cacth the water.Toilet and bath could not used , due to water,had to use the facilities in other members of our party.But on awaking it was much worse, water was now not only running down bathroom wall's but also enterancewall.As we were going out for the day ,we told reception that this was not exceptable and wanted moved.They said they would sort the problem out and they did. but room remained very damp and a musty smell developed.So if you are unluck , you are unluck enough  you may get our room 103, let's hope not.

This how ever did not deter us from having a great holiday, so much to see and do in the area.But for a great place to eat, go to G,rasshoppers , which is at the top of the road,on the other side.All the locals eat there,which to me is a great recommedation.

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Natura Sun Apartments - Santa Eulalia (nr Albufeira)

Operator and Date: first choise - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : mick hughes. southhampton

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

great area for a first ever holiday abroad, it was better than we had expected, food, go to hoff van holland,left at the main road and on the right (2 mins)or sunset on the strip left at the main road to the roundabout right and about 200mts on or just passed that the sizzling stone, beaches try  Santa Eulalia beach, at the roundabout left for 300mts and right at the signs, tours we recomend the jeep safari and the boat trip..have fun we did!!!!!!!!!!

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Naturmar - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : M Phillips - leeds

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The apartments were a good size and in a great location only 5 mins from the beach.  There was a bit of a hill back to the apartments so it would not suit people who have trouble walking.  Although the apartments need a bit of TLC they are clean and tidy and quiet.

The resort is great - there are some lovely places to eat and although it is not lively, there are still some great bars with great atmospheres.

I would recommend it to anyone and will be going back.

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Novochoro Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama-may2006

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : paul gorwood-clogherhead 44,4,10,36

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we went to albufeira in may and had a great time after they moved us from the novochoro apartments.
when we got there we thought this looks nice ,the apartments are new and a good size but the place is in the middle of nowhere they told us at panorama that it was a ten minute walk to the beach, it took us forty five and on the way back it's all up hill.
at night the dogs that are kept by the people living near the apartments barked all night. in the morning there was no hot water.then there was the building site overlooking the pool.
we were moved after two days and on the way home met a couple who were staying at the same place as us who paid to go home a week early because the place was so bad .
and they also told us after we left everyone started to come down with food poisoning so not the ideal place to spend your holiday.

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Novochoro Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Irene Booth Cheshire 58,59

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These one bedroom apartments are lovely and brand new.Huge bedroom and large living room separate kitchen with microwave electric kettle toaster and brand new modern cooker top, fridge and all crocery pots and pans were new.Big balcony which stretched passed the living room and balcony.

If only the area it was in was as ideal. From the balcony to the left you could see the small swimming pool and the reception and bar area which opened at 9am and closed at 8pm.Straight ahead you had the full view of the rear yard to a car hire firm with a car wash at the end of the building facing us this was very noisy at times if we happened to be resting before getting ready for our evening out. 

To the right of the balcony was a patch of waste land on this and in full view was all i can discribe as an old wooden caravan patched up with pieces of wood and board and someone was living in it.From the kitchen window you had a patch of dried land and on the other side of it was the Cemetary.What a shame it was where it was like an oasis in a desert and quite a long walk to the Strip approx 20mins if you can find the best way to go.

The cleaning service was exellant every other day the appartments were cleaned beds made and new towels can not fault it.Albufeira and the beaches and the Montichoro Strip with plenty of good places to eat and drink is my favourite place and we will definitely go back but not to the Novochoro.

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Oceanus Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: july 06

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : carol and john newcastle

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel is very clean and the staff are freindly. olhos d agua has lots of good resterants, the ambrosia was very good try there chicken and prawn kebab, its the best ive had.the gallean bar down by the beach is run by sharonne and dena, they really do try to help with where to eat and trips to go on.they have the best entertainment in the village and cater for all ages, a must.

we will be back

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Oceanus Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Style holidays June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Donna Niman - manchester (33,32,4,2)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Oceanus was a well run, clean and modern apartment block. we went self catering and found the facilities more than adequate. also the staff were great. My parents joined us for our second week and they were half board. My mum is vegetarian and was concerned about the lack of veggie food on the Al Cantina restaurant . However the rep was great and the staff at Al cantina went all out and cooked great veggie food forher every night.

The reort is nice, pretty quiet with a couple of british bars but some great restaurants - try Blues and Fratellis.
We would walk to Marie Luisa beach some days for a change but both that and Olhos dagua beach are nice.
We did the historical algarve half day trip and zoomarine - both excellent. the kids loved zoomarine and we found it great value.

the oceanus is locateed in a great place for both buses and taxis and we visited Vilamoura - lovely, Albufeira - ok, and the strip - rubbish!

The downsides... there is nothing much for kids in this resort ... it could really do with a play park and some kids entertainment. the weather was not so great which they said was unusual for this time of year but 3 days of cloud and rain was grim. there is also a lot of building work going on which mean that by next year the resort will be getting bigger and might lose some of that small town charm.

Was really impresse with syle holidays too. Would go back on holiday with them.

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Oceanus Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook March 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : linda geof smith-swinton

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

as our holiday was in march the area was quiet, and the weather was mixed.but we spoke to the bar and restaurant owners who were very nice and helpfull.if you stay at the oceanus pay a visit to the  top 10 bar stuart the owner will give you a warm welcome and provide you with lots of nibbles on your tables. a visit to tiffanys for an indian meal just turn left out of the hotel and walk down the road for a few minutes.allan and ann have just taken over the sol bar next to the top 10 bar a lovely couple so take yourself down there as we left before it opened we are sure it will be a success. 

hotel great area quiet but it was march, people lovely cant wait to go back for the second time. if you go down the strip look out for the timeshare boys and girls if your in a group split up they seem to make a beeline for couples or families.

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Oceanus Aparthotel - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Sunworld - July 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : A Anderson - Craigavon   (46,41, 16,12)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel staff very helpful & friendly. Accommodation spotless, cleaned every day.Everything provided for in kitchen area, inc oven, kettle and toaster.Cutlery and crockery spotlessly clean. Maintenance around aparthotel excellent. Snack bar at pool area very good value. Excellent local restaurants (eg Tavertinos & Fratelli's), good value for money, good variety of restaurants. Area (olhos d'agua) in general small and quiet, but growing.
Olhos d'agua beach small. Short walk to Falesia/Biliruchas beach worth the walk (as it is a blue flag beach)- superb!!
A secret l really dont want to share!!!

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Onde Verde - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Sunny Seek Holidays July/August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Keith,Sue,Steph ,Carl.Yorkshire.46,41,16,14

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked through the internet, flight with Jet2, no problems.We organised the apartment and transfers with Sunny Seek Holidays,on arrival we were met by the driver who informed us that " we would be going to another complex first so that our apartment could be cleaned " , i pointed out that nobody had been in " our " apartment the previous week , but this had no effect.

We were taken to this other complex and told he would be back in " about " 2 hours.When he did turn up over 2 hours later he sat down and had his lunch with the owners/staff of the complex ( obviously he was on friendly terms with them ).It may be my cynical nature but i got the impression that dropping guests at this complex was a well used tatic , get the guests to buy some food while they wait so that the driver gets a free lunch !, we may never know.

On arrival at the apartment block the driver took us up in the lift , i pointed out that the apartment we booked was on the ground floor and opened straight out onto the pool area, he would not be convinced !, expecting him to try the door and not being able to gain entry i let him carry on, i could not believe what happened next, the key fit the door !, the dog inside went berserk !.When i asked if the same key fit all the apartments in the block the driver said " the door was already open " , the doors could only be opened with a key so he was mistaken , again.We eventually got into " our " apartment , on the ground floor with direct access to the pool ( as i said )some five hours after landing.

The apartment was advertised as a two bed / two bath apartment with satellite t.v.,cooker,bbq etc,there was no satellite t.v because the set top box had been removed so you were left with five channels of Portugese t.v.,there was no no cooker just an empty space below the hob !, the bbq had not been cleaned all year by the look of all the cobwebs on it !, an outbreak of food poisoning waitng to happen. 

The pool and sunbathing area were always clean, no sun beds with this apartment though, if you sat on any that were scattered around the pool area the owners of these sunbeds would soon let you know that they belonged to them ( even though they did not intend using them !).

The Old Town is very busy at most times of the day , especially in the evening, the various restuarants around the square are always touting for your business.The Bank restuarant serves good food but struggles with its service, i had to ask three different waiters for the bill the one time we went there !,O Fernando's next door has a smaller menu but the food and service is much better, the Oasis next door to that is no more than a cafe bar serving evening meals so avoid that one.If you like chinese food go no further than Alibaba's, one of the best we have had , home or abroad , just off the old town square, fast attentive service.If your a curry fan go to Tandoori Knights, also off the old square, but the other side to Alibaba's.Once again good food and attentive service, very welcoming.For that afternoon snack try Augusto's Bar on the street down to the old square.The Lemon Tree, a british run bar, up the steps away from the old square serve good british food and draught beer.If self catering try the Modelo supermarket for your weekly shop , very competative.

And finally if you have a disabled son/daughter ( as we did )with you, be prepared for the locals and some of the tourists to stare at you like you were aliens !, the staff at Alfredo,s restaurant just off the old square were especially ignorant.The driver redeemed himself somewhat on the pickup back to the airport , he was on time and did not deviate on the way to the airport !

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Orada Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Fly Globespan - June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Dobson/Mitchell 31/33/27/23/3

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Stayed in these apartments for 2 weeks from
18th june - 2nd july.
Stayed in a 3 bedroom apartment room G124 and it was amazing.
3 bedrooms 3 bathrooms 6 balconys over 2 levels.
These apartments are located in the marina area of albuferia and about 20mins walk to the old town or 5 euro taxi fare.
The old town has some of the best resturants to eat from and i would recommend "the bank" resturant situated in the square.
Best beach from these apartments is the san raphael beach which is about 15mins walk away.
Note however that the restaurant at this beach is very expensive so would suggest taking your own drinks and snacks,we were stung for 20 euros for 2 hamburgers and fries with 2 cans of cola....
For nightlife you need to go to the old town or the strip "oura" where there are plenty of pubs and clubs.

All in all we will be back at these apartments again and would recommend them to anyone.

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Orada Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Globespan - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : David H -  Scotland

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

First impression of the Orada Apts. tends to be a bit of a shock. The complex is a multi coloured eyesore from any angle. It looks as if the architect came up with the idea during a nightmare involving Lego.  Once inside though, it soon becomes apparent that it is actually a very spacious and well designed place.

The 2 bedroom apartment that we stayed in was on 2 levels on the second and third floors. The lower floor comprising the lounge/dining area, kitchen, one of the three bathrooms and a balcony. The upper floor comprising the (huge) en suite master bedroom with seperate dressing room and small balcony, second en suite bedroom with small balcony to the rear and access to a massive balcony overlooking the gardens with space for sun beds(unfortunately not supplied). The ground floor houses the one bedroom and studio apts.

A word of warning here, the balconies are surrounded by rails that a toddler could very easily crawl through. They could be VERY dangerous of you are travelling with young children.
That said, the apt. we stayed in was well equiped with dishwasher, washing machine, toater and iron but oddly, no kettle.

All the apts. are individually owned and furnished so there may be some variation in equipment etc.
The gardens and pool areas are nice and well tended, with a main pool and a couple of smaller ones for the kiddies. There is a snack bar adjacent to the pool which serves the usual drinks as well as omelletes, sandwiches, burgers, ice lollies and so on.

There are a further three restaurants, a snack bar, amini market and a stationary shop within the marina developement adjacent to the apts. but not much else, as this is a new 'developing' area.
Trvel into the Old Town is easy with a twice hourly bus service stopping just outside the apts. Cost is a reasonable 1 euro each. A minibus taxi is also available on site, and costs 5 euros into the old town, well worth it as it can seat 6 people. The other alternative is to walk. A 25 minute stroll will take you into the town square, but involves a steepish hill both ways. Perhaps not a good option unless you are reasonably fit.

As Globespan is a 'budget' carrier, you are on your own when you get there. No welcome meetings, no evening entertainment, no reps on the bus or anything. It's the sort of place that would suit independant travellers who have been to Portugal before and know their way around a little.

Overall, a nice quiet place that I think will improve as more restaurants, bars and shops open up. But definitely not suited to those who want to be at the centre of the action, or enjoy 24/7 organized entertainment.

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Orada Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Globespan - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Hazel Jess (31,31,34)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Apartments were excellent.  Huge living space in 1 bedroom apt.  Kitchen equipped with Hob/Oven, Microwave, toaster, large fridge freezer, washing machine, dish washer, ironing board and all the utensils you could need.  Large swimming pool with little pools to the side for younger kids and good snack bar serving the usual salads, omelettes etc at reasonable prices.  Down side was area is newly built and still lacks atmoshphere.  

In the Marina there are a couple of bars and restaurants open, lovely shop that has fresh bread and pastries and a small supermarket, however a lot of empty units still.  Once the area is better developed I'm sure it will get a bit more lively at night,(perfect for families), however, for the time being people appear to all head for the Old Town or Strip.  

Old Town is 5 Euros in a taxi ( pretty much everywhere seems to be 5 euros), only problem is on busy nights you might have to wait a while (Waited 30 minutes on a Sat night).  Didn't attempt the walk to the Town as we were only there a long weekend, it looked quite a trek up a fairly steep hill and back down again. 

Taxi from Airport to resort was 45 Euros - on the way back the receptionist booked us a transfer which was 30 Euros.  This worked out slightly cheaper than the transfer with Globespan and gave us about an hour extra in the resort at each side of the weekend.

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Apartment Orion (Valmangude III) - Albufeira

Operator and Date: sunweb september 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : liz,peter,kirst&john(36,41,33,47)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have JUST returned from what can only be described as the best holiday we have ever been on!!!

Albufeira was amazing from the food to the water sports.The accomodation was in need of a revamp but was cleaned thouroughly every day.We have to mention Angelus bar which gave us lots of entertainment and laughs also Tom who does the karaoke whats the secret ingredient of the white sangria?The walks along the beach and some rocks to the little secluded bays were perfect as was the cruise to the grottos.I have to say that all the food was superb but if I have to reccommend 1 it would have to be The Three Palms(in Portuguese). 

I will end by saying I cannot do the resort justice so just GO there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Oura Praia - Albufeira

Operator and Date: June 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Natalie (from eldest being 56 to youngest at 6months)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We all (20 of us!!) arrived at the Club Praia da Oura to begin our holiday in Portugal only to discover we were not to stay there, that we had to stay in the Oura Praia. We were a bit dissapointed as it was the beginning of our holiday, after 2 hours trying to get our luggage from the CPO to the oura praia we were exhausted and sweating buckets cos we did luggage for 20 and three buggies!!
We checked in and had to pay 100 euros, and a given a card to use as a tab!
The rooms at the hotel were great, spotless and i had no problem getting a cot, the rooms had air con and were cleaned and beds changed every second day.
the food in the hotel was a bit expensive.

The pool area was nice and i'm glad we ended up in this hotel rather than the CPO as it was mobed down there, and we couldnt get into the entertainment at night with a buggy, so what was i supposed to do with a six month old baby?? hold her all night!!
We didnt bother going back down there, no point really the hill walk up was a nightmare.
Up the strip there is fantastic entertainment in a family pub called COCONUTS, it starts about 9pm, but you need to be in there for 8.30 to guarantee seats. The games are excellent for children from 1 to 12 and then afterwards there is bingo and adult entertainment, hypnotist, cabaret etc til about 2 or 3 in the morning.
When we checked out we had no probs getting our deposit back, they didnt even check the room!!
I would recommend the Cockerel for a meal, its on the way up to the strip, all homemade food,mmmmm!!!

I wouldnt rush back to Albufeira, but i would recommend this hotel before i would the CPO!!

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Oura Praia - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Panarama - May, June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : M O'Neill - Cork (40,39,9,5)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at Oura Praia apts, which were close to the Club Praia da Oura complex.  We had a nice apt, well equiped, with a distant view of the sea but we couldn't help feeling disapointed that we weren't in the Club Praia da Oura apts as they were closer to the sea and had a lively atmosphere which would have been better for our kids.  As it was we spent a lot of time walking over the road to get to the kids club and swimming pools which were set in beautiful gardens. I suppose we did have air cond. in our apt which was a relief as the temp went up to 30C.      

We hired a car for 4 days for 110euro, fully insured which was great value and had air cond.  We drove to Sagres(very windy, bring a jumper!) Lagos - lovely town, Silves - interesting town with castle.  Brought the kids to AquaLand which was brilliant.  We got our tickets from the agents next door to the Oura Praia and it worked out cheaper than it would have if we'd bought them at Aqualand. Rides were brilliant, but there were a few not in use.  My son went to Zoomarine with the kidsclub and thought that was brillaint too.  Everyone was raving about it.   
Great places to eat : Neto's for chicken Piri piri, Bord d'Agua on seafront nr Club Praia da Oura- lovely Monkfish Cataplana only 20E for two sharing, lovely atmos, with good musician. Eurasia for great vegetarian buffet - 8.00E eat as much as you like, just off the Strip. 

We went for 2 weeks which we found a bit long as we felt we'd done everything and we're not mad into sunbathing.  Kids loved it in the pools however and the beach was great although the waves were scary!  Albufeira town was being dug up so not very attractive, but the beach was nice, if rather crowded.  We caught the little touristtrain for 3E from the strip, great fun for the kids.  Great bargains to be had on the strip- real leather belts for 4.50E and pretty straw hats.   

This is a great resort as there is something for everyone. Enjoy! 

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Ourasol Apartments - Praia da Oura, Albufeira

Operator and Date: 24 April to 8 may 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : laurence 65  jean 63

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The apartments are ideally located for the beach and the strip where all the bars and restaurants are, but there is a steep winding hill to climb to get to the strip.The staff are friendly and helpful.
When we arrival we were allocated room 401,on entering the room we stepped back into the sixties it was like a bare whitewashed garage with no balcony and small windows it was damp dark and dingy smelt as if it had not been opened for a long time
We refused the room and were allocated room No 10 this was still sixties style with old wooden furniture and fittings but it had a balcony and it was clean.

During our stay we had to ask to get the towels and bed sheets changed.Alot off the rooms in these apartments do not have balconys and do not get any sun in them,other people complained that their clothes were damp.
These apartmemts were advertised as 3 star by Med hotels in our opinion they would struggle to be rated 1 star.
These apartments urgently need refurbishing to bring them up to the 3 star standard.

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Ourasol Apartments - Praia da Oura, Albufeira

Operator and Date: August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Leighton Phillips - Port Talbot, South Wales (37,33, 12)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The apartments are ideally located, although they are on a hill - the beach and "The Strip" are in close proximity. 

We were given Room 102, which was basically grotty:  smelling of damp; the fridge door wouldn't shut; the smoke alarm was hanging off the ceiling etc. We complained and were given Room 103 which was not a palace, but was was cleaner with a nice balcony and a more homely feel.  Nevertheless, the apartments do need an overall paint and gutting, but they are basic and adequate.  They are 3 star without a shadow of a doubt,and for me, not altogether family-orientated.

The resort itself is excellent and will cater for all groups.  The beaches are wonderful and clean, even if they suffered from extremely high tides during the daytime.

We stayed in the New Part, which has had mixed reviews. There are a marvellous array of restaurants, souvenir shops and bars/clubs.  Wild & Co (a very plush restaurant, but expensive), Renos and the Golden Garden Chinese Restaurant (which is right off the main Strip, opposite Wild & Co, and is immaculate) are advisable places to eat.  The choice is good.

The Old Town is well worth a visit and is quaint - we really only "scratched the surface" but it has plenty to offer, if you fancy a bite to eat or to buy something for your holiday or some souvenirs.  It needs patience to explore and this might be better done during a cooler day.

Some of the main attractions are found well away from Albufera.  Algarve Zoo is certainly worth a visit (under 12s go in for free), biut Slide 'n' Splash was our favourite - it is a great Water Park, with plenty to do; patience may be needed during peak periods because the queues do get quite large (although we were waiting on average 10-15 minutes).

The expensive way to travel to these isolated destinations is via a taxi (there was a taxi rank just to the left of the entrance to the Strip).  From there to the Zoo was about 35 Euros return, whilst Slide 'n' Splash was 70 Euros return.  However, it is the most convenient way and avoids the time dictations and numerous pick ups caused by arraning it through a travel shop/operator.

The Portugeuse people are, in the main, very friendly (especially in the restaurants).

I would certainly go back, but not to Ourasol Apartments.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : 28, 26

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These apartments are located at one end of the 'strip' but not so near as to be disturbed by any of the late night noise. 

They are clean, spacious and the facilities are up to a decent standard.  As stated in the brochures, towels were changed twice during the week and sheets once.  You can request additional changes throughout the week but these will be charged for.

Facilities include outdoor pools, pool tables, pool bar, games room (although this consists of a pool table and 3 very outdated arcade machines), tennis, indoor pool, gym, internet, jacuzzi and sauna. 

There is no night time entertainment, but the location is only a couple of minutes walk from the strip so this isn't a real problem.

Safety deposit boxes are located in the wardrobes and can be hired for 25 euros - of which you get 10 back at the end of the week.

The strip is a bit 'Blackpool-like' - you will have seen it all before... karaoke, neon lights, names such as 'Matt's Bar' with the menu consisting of X plus chips, shops full of the same souvenirs with 'Algarve' stamped all over them.  Not a problem if this is what you're looking for, but if your expectations are higher then you are likely to be disappointed.

The old town however is better and has a bit more about it.  There are some good restaurants, including El Ruino which is on the sea front and Bravo(?) - an Italian place approaching the square.

The beaches are very impressive - beautiful and clean, although the sea is a bit rough for young children.

At the time of writing, there is still some building work going on in the old town, but it was nowhere near as bad as we had been led to believe before we arrived.  It's certainly not enough to spoil anyone's holiday.

Please beware of the scratchcard fiends - "Are you English?" they ask on the first day you get there, and then proceed to tell you about all the wonderful things you could win if you get 3 symbols that match on the card, and surprise surprise, we did.  Best just to ignore them!

Also the pavements are very slippery when it's hot, depending on what shoes you are wearing at the time!

Only other issue was that of the beggars in the street - either children sitting on the pavements or mothers holding babies.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - April 2007

Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Bill 53, Alison 50 and Thomas 5

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

1 week at Easter 2007
Just returned from our 2nd stay at the Ouratlantico.
Great location, very near "The Strip" but far enough away not to be disturbed at night.( 5 minutes ) Outdoor Pool a little bit cold at this time of year but the indoor pool and jacuzzi were 1st class.
Suggest that the Ouratlantico could do with a little entertainment on, even a barbecue night.
Many places to eat and drink all close by.
Try Mary Janes at the side of the Scottish bar Kilt & Kelt, good food very friendly staff, ( half way along the strip ) Call in and say hello to Guario at the Oura Bar, over the road from the new Happy Hour Chinese Buffet. Still trying to teach me Portugese, great place to watch the world go by, only small but Guario and his staff make up for it. Everyone is made to feel welcome.
Try Annabelles just around the corner, for good quality English food.
If you like Chinese Food try The Royal at the top of the road. ( Excellent )
At the moment all of the area around fishermans beach is dug up and undergoing a big refurbishment, should be nice when completed, could be summer this year.
The Wally Train is 3 euro's for a day ticket, worth every cent.
We will be going again in a year or so.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice_August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Nobby - 46,46,17

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel room was excellent & clean, pool was good but missing tiles on the bottom (this includes the indoor pool). Sunbeds around the pool were always in short supply and you had to pay for the use of the cushions. Pool bar is small and there is no evening entertainment. The "Strip" has many Bars and restaurants, and I would recommend The Kilt & Kelt & American Diner for burgers, Senhor Frog for pizzas and salads. For live music visit The Wild One and Macs Bar.
Nearly all Pubs/Bars put there prices up after 10pm.
The fisherman beach is very good and gets very busy, be warned theres a steep hill to reach it. Old town is worth a visit, lots of history and character (start at the Main square).

Now the bad side !, The pavements are awful where we were, there very slippery and we witnessed 3 people fall (incluing my wife) and not through drink.!!
The other is the "scratchcard touts" who will drive you mad if your British with your family, they will be found at the end of the strip by the bus stops/phone boxes or driving around on mopeds hunting there victims down. They will not bother the locals so I walked around with a Portugese paper.
Cab drivers don,t hang about and the Train bus is good fun.

I would go back again.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - December (New Year)

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : John & Sue Hodgetts  Worcester  50-46

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was the first time we had been to Portugal during the winter so we didn't know what to expect but the friends we were with had been the year before and raved about it so we gave it a try,we were not disapointed the hotel was very clean and well laid out the indoor pool was very clean and I am told quite warm although I didn't try it the staff were always very helpful
I'm sorry but I thought the welcome party was a bit of a waste of time
The pool bar and the onsite supermarket were both closed for the winter but it didnt matter as there were bars and a supermarket close by
The Beach was about 10 minutes walk away and very clean the bars along the beach were very good with a good selection of food and drinks

A few of the larger bars on the strip were open but many were closed for the winter
New years eve the whole place came to life. New Years Eve we went to the Old town on the train 3euros each the train ran all night so when we were ready to come home at 3am we got back on the train
All the people we saw seemed to be having a good time we didn't see any trouble
Overall the food was very good the beer was good value and the weather was excellent

We had such a good time we are going back this New Year 2006/7

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Falcon/Sunway - June 2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Deirdre - Cork (28, 31)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These are absolutely fantastic apartments! We were lucky enought to stay in a duplex, kitchen/living area (with 1 balcony - with a table and chairs) downstairs and bedroom (with 2 balconies - 1 with a table & chairs) upstairs.

It was v hot for the first two days, 39ºC so we figured out that the best idea was to leave the two doors to the balcony open otherwise it was way too hot to sleep. The apartments are fitted out with everything you'd need, they were very well maintained - as was the whole complex.

We went to the meeting with the rep on the first day (weren't given any choice really as she dragged people off their sun loungers...). Wasn't very impressed in that she brought in some other girl who tried to push some free tours on us after which we'd just have to look at a little video about their product??? Needless to say this turned us off booking any tours with the rep at all... Booked a day long jeep safari with the shop just at the corner of the strip. The staff there were extremely helpful and pleasant, their prices were also lower than those suggested by the rep. The safari was excellent, the guide was brilliant, we really saw parts of the Algarve that you'd never see in a car or wandering around by yourself.

A word of warning about the beach, maybe it was just the week that we were there but the sea was REALLY strong. Getting in and out needed great timing. I saw loads of people knocked, there was no way young children could have swan safely there.

Would have no hesitation in recommending these apartments to anybody.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Andrew & Donna  - Mansfield (41,41)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first holiday in Portugal and decided on this accommodation after reading reviews of other hotels and apartments.

We arrived around midday and our studio was available at 1 pm.  We ended up in the studio above the on site mini-market.  The other studios are located in the main part of the complex with the apartments.

This studio, designed for 2 adults and 1 child, was large and octagonal with a well equipped kitchen (toaster, coffee maker, fridge, microwave, oven and hob).  There was plenty of storage space and a reasonably sized bathroom.

There is an onsite pool bar, although you will pay more than at bars and cafes off site.  There are 2 pools (1 for children) which are cold and only for the brave or foolhardy (they may get warmer as the season progresses).  There is however an indoor heated swimming pool along with a jacuzzi and sauna.  There was not a problem getting a sun lounger at this time of year. Reception was clean and tidy and all staff were helpful and polite.

To get to the "Strip", turn right out of the complex and it is 2-3 minutes walk.  There you will find a roundabout which is at the top of the cardiac hill way to the beach on the left and the "Strip" on the right.  Straight on takes you to old Albufeira.  Timeshare touts of all nationalities litter the strip and generally leave you alone if you are polite and firm with them.

Alternatively turning left out of the complex takes you past the Club Praia de Oura (CPO) and a gentler road down to the beach and a quieter part of Albufeira.

The strip comprises of the more livelier bars, restaurants and shops, the better of which are El Ranchero and Rick's bar.

About half way to the strip is the Sizzling Stone, which is a holiday must to try their speciality of serving your meal (steak, fish or chops) on a sizzling stone, which you then cook to your own liking.  First time visitors should not be too alarmed at the giant bib they wrap around you neck. You can also have the same meals cheaper without the sizzle if you prefer and the kebabs are also worth trying.

Next to the Sizzling Stone is the Sunset bar and restaurant which is equally as nice - the kebabs are wonderful.

In the quieter side of Albufeira is the Oura Bar, which is Portugese and cheap and is located down a few steps or ramp on the same side of the road as the Ouratlantico just after you have passed the CPO on the right.  Following the road round you come to Annabels which is an English bar/bistro which caters for people wanting british food.  We found it very good for breakfast/lunch.  A liitle further is the Rovers Return (another English bar) and the Silver Pint, which is a very nice Portugese restaurant.

The beach is clean and made up of coves with a few beach front cafes and restaurants for you to while away the time.  Better beaches can be found in old Albufeira, especially Fishermans.  This is about a 30-45 minute walk or a 5 minute taxi ride.  The bus is 1 euro with stops just before the strip in each direction. 

A cautionary word about First Choice.  At the welcome meeting they go through the usual sales patter for their tours and phone cards.  Their tours were significantly dearer than those advertised in the apartment and local agents.  Although we didn't go on any, other holiday makers there at the same time did and found them value for money.

Phone cards were available for e15 from First Choice, but a Galaxy phone card could be obtained from the shop immediately outside the complex on the left.  This cost e5 and gets you 146 minutes to landlines in the UK and is very easy to use.  It lasts for 60 days and we have brought ours home for a friend to use on their holiday next month.

We were also advised (but didn't bother) to pre book adjoining seats at e11 each on the plane due the check in procedures at Faro airport.  Apparently they are supposed to open a lot of gates and it is a free for all.  We found no problems, with the usual 2 check in desks being used with an additional one for the premium seats (which was then used once all premium passengers had booked in).

Overall we had a very nice time in the Algarve, which was helped by 7 days of sunshine - it had rained during the previous week.  We wouldn't hesitate in returning to this resort and these apartments in the future.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira, Praia D'oura

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : John Croft  - west Yorks  58,58,37,37,35,29,6,2

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The apartments are very clean, roomy and the staff are very helpful.  The complex is compact and has a very friendly feel to it.

Eating out:-
Sizzling Stone & El Rancho at the bottom of the strip are both Ok.  We avoided the strip as it is is not our scene really.   There is a wonderful Japanese restaurant -turn left at the gate  and it is next to the supermarket 5 mins walk.  Next to it is a good Italian.   We also found the Sands salad bar in the parade of shops at the bottom of Cardiac Hill.  The lady (from England) has only just opened this year but it absolutely brilliant. Ideal for a midday snack when on the beach  The restaurants in Old Albufeira town are all good.  We ate at Ruina's fish Restaurant one night.  Expensive at  (£120 for 4 plus e4 ew for taxi)but the best I have ever had.  Also try the sardines anywhere.

Phoning home.  My wife bought a Galaxy card for e5 at the wine shop just left out of the gate.  You get 145 mins and can use it on your apartment phone for no extra charge.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Karen and Alan (50, 41, 15 and 12)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had 2-weeks in August 2004.  Apartments were clean, spacious and adequate.  No air conditioning as stated in the brochure. 

Pool, too small.

No enough loungers, but is there ever in August anywhere in the Med.

The strip was like Blackpool in the Med.  The beach was lovely.

Rep at the hotel was great, Kaz, always there and would do anything.

Would not go back, but would recommend, we do not normally go back to same place.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice-april 2004

Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : sisson-colchester(51,47)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Very clean complex,pool outside very cold,but most are,indoor pool very warm,only faults on holiday were we were told building work should end march04 but there was alot going on 7am-7pm. Also large group of yobs arrived after couple of days,upset a lot of guests,lots of local places to eat La-bamba,sizzling stone to name a few,

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice March 2004

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Hugh Morrison, London 32, 32

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I was very pleased with the Ouratlantico apartments.

We had a very spacious two storey apartment with three balconies, very nicely decorated with good quality furniture and fittings. The kitchen was excellent.

There is a good sized outdoor pool (beware the icebergs in March) and an indoor pool and jacuzzi. The staff were helpful. There is not much in the way of entertainment so if you want non stop bingo etc go somewhere else. Clientele mostly elderly British couples.

Praia D'Oura is part of Albufeira, not a seperate resort as some information makes out. It is about one mile from Albufeira old town and five minutes walk from the excellent beaches. They are quite rocky so remain relatively unspoilt. The sea can be quite cold and rough though.

Now...as for Albufeira itself...the old town is quite nice and by some miracle retains a fishing industry, there are a few nice old buildings but its mostly given over to tourism for the older British, German and Dutch people.

The newer part, based around 'the strip' is basically 'Romford on Sea' - a neon lit playground for what might be politely termed 'British Other Ranks'. If you like wall to wall karaoke, fish and chips, non stop football and tatooed men with their guts hanging out, it's the place for you!

If you don't, then I'd suggest hiring a car and exploring the rest of the Algarve - you can even drive to Lisbon or Seville in 2 or 3 hours.

To be fair, there are some quite nice bars in Albufeira (Rhythm and Blues Bar and the Caico, a Brazillian bar). Other places of interest are Eddy's cafe (best cooked breakfast I've ever had, all for 3 Euros, and a nice little second hand bookshop in an arcade on the strip).  The atmosphere seems friendly enough - basically something for everybody except those looking for the 'real' Portugal.

It would make a good family holiday destination for those on a budget who just want relaxation, or for younger people who want to drink as much as humanly possible. The two groups seem to co-exist happily, at least in the low season.

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Ouratlantico Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - March 2004

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : William McCallum Northants (55' 55)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

No complaints whatsoever with the accommodation,it was spotlessly clean.All the utensils were supplied including microwave and toaster.As usual with self-catering the pool area was a let down with only 24 sun loungers(and no parasols)for over 60 rooms.

The location is excellent,only a short walk to "The Strip",but far enough so that no noise is heard late at night.Do'nt worry about "Cardiac Hill" as you are at the top and to the right.Fisherman's wharf is roughly a 45/50 min.walk,and 5euros in a taxi.The nearest restaurant to the apartments is "The Sizzling Stone", which does excellent meals, especially the steaks.

All in all for a self - catering 3* holiday booked late from teletxt we had no complaints.
Must give a mention to the rep,Sarah Ronan, though we did not attend the welcoming meeting she still called on us 3times during the week to check that everything was going ok.So well done to her,and First Choice.

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Oura Estrela Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Via Directa - 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Alan Tucker-Birkenhead(35,44,8,7,6)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Great holiday,the resort is very clean,the room was very big even though it was only 1 bedroom,the pool area was very clean & spacious,also no problem getting a sunbed!the only gripe was that the maid always called at awkward time but apart from that the staff were really helpful.the immediate area is quiet but 5 minutes away is the lively strip or for 5 euros in a taxi ,the old town.just beware of people giving out scratchcards and telling you its a major prize its a timeshare trick!

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Paladim Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: thomas cook july 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : kelly 29

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had requested a pool view at the hotel as the brochure said some rooms overlooked a busy road.  We arrived at the hotel to be told that we were in an apartment yes youv'e guessed it overlooking the busy road!  The road was very busy and there was a fire station at the end of it so all you could hear was traffic and sirens all hours of the day and night, there was also a major roundabout outside the hotel.  We could not sit on the balcony because of the road and because the fan to the air con was situated on the wall so it was like sitting in a fan oven.

Even though the hotel is listed as a 4 star it was more like a 2 star.  The hotel itself is very run down dark dingy and shabby.  We were in a studio apartment which had a pull out sofa bed which we had to pull out and make ourselves the light fittings were dangerous.  Check out was at 11am and as our flight was not until the evening we asked if we could pay to keep our room on, we were told this was not possible which was very inconvenient to us.  We found the staff and the people in general very unhelpful and very unfriendly.

Albuferia the old town is very nice.  There is street entertainment and lots of bars and restaurants, there is lots going on. The beach was vey nice although we had to pay 12 euros for 2 loungers and an umbrella for the day! Did not bother to visit the new town as heard bad reviews about it.  Be warned its about a 15 minute walk into the old town down very windey and steep roads the pavemnets are made up of ceramic tiles which are very slippery and dangerous.  You can get a taxi for 4 euros but they are very few and far between so be prepared for a long wait.

All in all we were vey dissapointed for the money we paid £380 each for 7 days.  We would not visit Portugal or the Paladim again.

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Paladim Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - May 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Karen and Marc - Fife, Scotland (25,25)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from this hotel and was our first visit to Portugal.
The hotel itself is situated in the centre of Albufeira and is a 10-15 min walk either way from the old town to the strip.
However if you don't like to walk as quite hilly you can get the tourist train which stops outside the next hotel along and stops in the strip and once again in the old town and a full day pass is only 3 euro an adult.
We found the hotel extremely clean and the staff were lovely. Would recommend a pool view room though as the front rooms look out over a busy main road. 
The pool area was lovely and when we were there, there were plenty of sunbeds to go round.  The poolside snack bar was good and in happy hour a pint was only a euro.
The entertainment was okay there is a parrot show for the kids where the parrots go on bicycles and a singer comes in too. 
Most nights we went out for dinner after 9pm as the restaurants tend to be a bit quieter and in both the old town and the strip there is a great variety.
On our last night we could'nt be bothered going to a restaurant so we went to Ye Old English Chippy which is located at the bottom of the strip and was fantastic.

For trips we went to splash and slide, we were dissapointed with this as first when you go in they want an additional 3 euro each for sunbeds which I thought would be free at least.  They have a vast green to put your towels down but they water the grass all night so most of the grass was soggy and all day too.  Eventually we found a nice dry patch.  Be warned the food is expensive and really bad we had cold chips and burger and a tiny juice for 26 euro !!!!  You can take your own food so I would recommend this.  The slides were good and lots of them at this time of year no que either.  Could have done with a lazy river though.

We also went to zoomarine, this was a great day out the dolphins and sea lions are loely and the shows are both done in Portugeuse and English.  Plenty to see and a big swimming pool too if you fancey a dip when we were there is was 27c so was really nice. The food here is reasonably priced and very nice.

We found the resort as much as we liked it had too many older people, whom we found when returning home to the airport extremely arrogant as I was pushed out the way at check in and when we got on the plane first because of or seat rows I heard 'we should be first' - worse than toddlers.
Trust me I had to bite my tongue.

All in all lovely place but would not go back.

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Paladim Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook - 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Moyra and Claire (50 23)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arriving at Faro airport the Thomas Cook rep was ready to greet us and our baggage arrived quickly.We all boared the coach and waited and waited and waited. After at least half an hour of waiting the rep told us that we were waiting for two more flights to arrive - we were not told this when booking the holiday. From landing to arriving at the hotel it took 3 hours - longer than the actual flight from the UK. We could have been told this when booking the holiday but Thomas Cook obviously decide to withhold this vital information - so be warned!!!

On arriving at the hotel we were very pleased to find that it was exactly what we were expecting after reading reviews. Very clean and staff friendly nothing was too much bother. I had emailed the hotel to request a room over looking the pool they had promised they would do their best and they did - it was lovely.
Being self catering we had enough of everything to eat in the apartment if we wanted to also the hypermarket was just next door - very convenient and cheap.

The hotel was situated within walking distance (approx 15 mins) of the beach the old town and the strip however do beware of the pavements they can be slippery and flat shoes are by far the best.

The Old Town is lovely a haven of restaurants(Bravos well worth a visit)and street entertainment. Everywhere you look there is another street with something different happening. The church is well worth a look and take your camera for some worthwhile photographs.

The strip is fine if you like plenty of bright lights and loud music - you do have to go there just to say you have been.

We walked to the Marina - go to the tourist information centre for a map and directions - its about 20 mins of cliff top walking with lovely views and quite different when you get there - well worth a visit.

Just down the road from the hotel is the best cake shop ever 6 euros for two enormous pieces of cake and coffee - you will definately go back for more!

The boat trip from Fishermans Beach to the caves for 10 euros each is well worth going on - again do take your camera as the rocks, caves and beaches are quite splendid.      

Albuferia really does have something for all ages and i would recommend the resort we didnt have time to visit anywhere else so will definately go back one day and make a point of visiting nearby places

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Paladim Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook Direct - September 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Ike Collins - Enfiled (London)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Fantastic holiday went for 2 weeks with my girlfriend and her two mates. The Paladim is located 15-minutes walk from the strip, and 2-minutes walk from the shopping centre. The locals are nice and friendly. Always wanted to go Portugal had finally did had a wicked time as well. A very mature crowd out there, the majority were senior British citizens from 25 - 55, well that what I saw, but a lot of young people as well. They got some nice restaurants and a meal will cost you 20 euros and the plush restaurants. The cabs are real cheap, cost the group 7 euros to go to the strip. The paladim is lovely, they do a real nice full English for 5euros. Plenty to do and go too the water park and do the bar crawl. The rep Rob is a great bloke asks him if Thomas cook doing any activities, which they always do and make sure you get involve.

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Paladim Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : alison hay (40,39,14,13)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from this apartments,they are very clean and clean towels every day. The strip is about a 10 to 15 minute walk and mostly uphill, the old town is the same distance in the opposite direction all downhill,pool bar prices are cheaper for their drink than they are in town,recomend going to a place called cottages to eat very tasty.taxi was only 4 euros into the strip,take taxi to the nike outlets loads of shops only 7 euros. Slide and splash well worth a visit,loads of beggers but just ignore its all an act.

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook - July 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : London (24  & 29)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from 2 weeks in the Paladim in Albuferia.  Stayed in a studio, apartment 01 which was directly above the Eden bar downstairs which is open until 1am so on Saturday and Mondays when they have karaoke its not worth getting back to your apartment until after 1am as there is no way you'll get any sleep as we found out on the Sat we arrived.  Got home just before midnight as tired from the travelling, couldnt sleep at all until after about 1.30am as after karaoke they close up the bar then make noise moving all the chairs around.
Thought the hotel and rooms were very clean, new towels in room everyday. 

As a few people have mentioned, there are not enough sunbeds to go round.  If you want any sort of sunbed at all, you have to be down at the pool by 9 - 9.15 at the latest.  All the good sunbeds are gone by 8.30 though.  We couldnt understand why the hotel doesnt just buy more sunbeds, it has the room for it then people would stop complaining. 

During the day by the pool, Eden bar is good for drinks/snacks but when we were there it tooks ages to get served for anything, need to get more staff during the day.
Its in a central location for both the old town and the strip but it didnt really have many restaurants/bars around by the hotel so if you wanted a nice dinner/quiet drink you have to go to the old town or strip.

15 minute walk to the old town or 20 minute walk to the strip.  Old town good for young couples like us as nice restaurants plus some nice bars that stay open until 4am for drinking.  One restaurant we have to mention is the chinese restaurant next to/above McWorld in the old town, called Bamboo.  AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS.  Service was terrible,  no aircon and the food was just disgusting, we couldnt eat any of it - food poisioning on a plate.

In the strip go to Wild & Co restaurant, food was lovely but a bit more expensive.  Liberto's is a really nice bar and they have good live music then dj until late. 

Enjoyed the holiday overall, would go back to Albuferia but wouldnt stay in Paladim again.  The Paraiso was just next door and that looked really nice.

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 06

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Mr + Mrs Fergus (Honeymoon) 42 + 39

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just wanted to pass on what a wonderful time we had. Loved the apartments, the people + the friends we made there.Good position between the old + new town so we could make choices as to where to go.Would highly reccomend going to "Zoomarine" for a day out - it was brilliant.

Will definately come back to Portugal one day   

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook,   May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Phil and Pat, Wirral,

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Very good value "Budget" accommodation. Rooms clean and comfortable, Pool excellent for Families. The location is by the "Watches Roundabout", surely one of the busiest roads in Portugal. You will experience constant road noise if having a room at the front. Nearby the "Mondello" retail area is a shoppers paradise.

Locally, try eating at the "Picapau" excellent value for Families. The "Strip" is a 10 minute walk away, a TAXI costs 4 EURO'S. Some very good eating places there. The "Costa Rica", the " Kilt & Celt" is very popular for all ages, the "Cockerel" serves an entirely "British" menu and is well worth a visit and you will probably go back for more!. 

The "Old Town" square is a building site at the moment, more "Block n' Mesh" than you see in most lifetimes. Try "Zansi 11" friendly family restaurant, for a good drinking bar the "Geordie Viking" by the Taxi Rank/Train Stop.

If you choose "Albufeira" instead of other popular resorts. You may be concerned that you will be subsidising the very active "Bull Ring" there.

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Style  Feb 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : E Dunstan - Cornwall  33,48

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in the Paladim Aparthotel in Feb 2006. We travelled out of season so lots of long stay older people were here.  It is about 10 min walk to old town where they were digging up the square to redo pipe work so not to much to see.  The strip was an experience.  There were lots of time share touts here trying to give you scratchcards and even though you say no they are very persistant they will even drive around in cars stopping people.  Would recommend Luigis to eat as well as County Cockerel Kitchen both do good food at reasonable prices.  Best way to get around is on the Tourist Train 3 euros for the day.

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Dave Pearce Billingham

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

To repeat what has been said, it is a well appointed well positioned self catering hotel with everything you need within walking distance. The rooms as has already been said are not 4 star as we know them but clean and adequate as you wont be spending that much time in there anyway!!

The one downside with the resort was the timeshare....no matter what they say it is timeshare at the end of the day and the touts spoil nearly every holiday destination with their 'unique' attempts at duping the unweary.....beware....there were lots duped....

Would I go back is the big question....yes!
There are water parks to be had which can be booked locally or for a few euro's commission your rep can organise it. Dolphin world was quite good but the food is the usual fast food rubbish (take a packed lunch and plenty of drinks)

As a family of 3 with a 4 year old we had a very enjoyable time

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Tour Operator was Thompson :) - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Lee 21 and Gemma 19, Stockport, Greater Manchester

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in the Hotel Paladim for a week in September 2005.  We have both been to Portugal before (separately with our parents, when we were younger) so decided to back here for our 1st holiday together.

Our choice of accommodation was a good one.  The rooms were clean. Fresh towels were given each day (except Sunday) and bedding was changed once half way through our stay. Rooms had a microwave, 2 hobs with a kettle (this whistling type) and utensils such as cups, plates, glasses, knifes, folks & other things you would need whilst in self catering accommodation.  However we only cooked once as we found Eden's bar beside the pool did good food at reasonable prices.  We did however fill the fridge with cans and Sagras from the supermarket as these cost 2.00 euros each at Eden's and less than that for 6 at the Supermarket.

Luckily we were given a room with a pool-view, as the other side of the hotel was on a very very busy road.

The nearest and largest Supermarket 'Modelo' is a 1-minute walk when you do a left from the hotel, a future 2 minutes from this is McDonalds & KFC but the food was so good everywhere else we did not visit either.  Opp. Maccy's is the train station for the road trains that runs every 20 minutes from 9:00am to 3:00am the following morning.  The other 2 stops are at the Old Town and The Strip.

'The Strip' is a 10-minute walk if you turn right from the hotel.  This is the much livelier part filled with bars, nightclubs and a few restaurants.  We recommend the little Irish bar here Devlin's for breakfast.  2 sausage; 2 slices of real bacon; fried egg; toast; beans and plum tomatoes for 5 euros.

'The Old Town' is a 15-minute walk if you do a left out of the hotel and is a much quieter and cultures part to be.  Still full of restaurants and bars the old town is based around a main square with small stalls for your holiday nic-nak gifts, artists and entertainment.  We preferred this part as most of the restaurants are on the sea front, which is lovely, and romantic and very good prices.  And unlike those on the strip were able to offer alternatives such as rice, potatoes and vegetables to the usual chips and salad with your meals.

Average prices whilst eating out:

Chicken Piri-Piri with 2 side dishes (chips and salad) 8 euros = £5.70
Steak with chips and salad 14 euros = £10.00
Soft Drinks 2 euros = £1.40 (remember to ask for no ice)

* The nearest beaches are 15 minutes from the hotel at the old town.

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : W Phillips - Cardiff (42,43,19 & 15)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Spent two weeks at the Paladim in August 2005 on a self catering basis.  Resort has a nice beach, all the usual souvenier shops and dozens of restuarants and bars.  As Portugals busiest resort, there are ALL the usual attractions located at either the "Strip" ( a street of bars ) or in the more traditional old town.  Theres not a lot more to add other than if you've ever been on a package holiday, you've then seen all of this before.

The Paladim is a well appointed "4 star" hotel (probably 3 star is more accurate) with the usual basic facilities.  The room was a reasonable size and the a/c worked well.  The hotel is very clean and well maintained. There is a good sized pool and well priced "Edens bar" alongside, that serves good food and operates a happy hour with lager at 1 euro!!!

Only real downside is that we found the outside noise to be quite high, as there are busy roads to both the front, side and rear of the hotel.

There is a Modelo hypermarket next door and KFC, Chinese, McDonalds etc all within a 2mins walk.

All in all its pretty much what you'd expect from a standard package holiday resort and hotel.

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook- july 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : neil  + denise    50,46

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from an exellent two weeks at the paladim.
A small apartment block,very well managed with helpful and polite staff.
We were disapointed at first with the room as it appeared quite small with only a sofa bed with pull out extention.No way is it four star accomodation.A thought shared by other residents at the time.
However,we soon got used to the room and it was perfectly adequate for our purposes as we were out all day anyway.
We were always able to secure a sun lounger but you have to be there well before 9 a.m. to do so,even though management ask that you wait till after 9.

Edens bar is reasonably priced for food and drink and the staff hard working and friendly.When we were there a full english breakfast was 4.50 euros and that included the onions(!)
It was fairly quiet poolside and there was a huge amount of inflatable toys that you could help yourself to.Evening entertainment was sparse.twice a week and quite laughablebut we were out most evenings.

The apartment area was fairly quiet but be prepared if you venture out as the roads are VERY busy.Zebra crossings are every where,but not every driver stops.
A 4 euro taxi ride takes you to the strip if you like chavs. The old town is a 10-15 minute stroll and well worth it.It is the most beautiful and vibrant area with stalls cafes and resteraunts lining the narrow streets and the main square.there is entertainment all round and the food is excellent.
We had a wonderful stay in Albufeira but it's a case of been there,done that and we'll go somewhere a bit quieter out with the apartment area next time.

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Direct - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Ann Rogerson - Scotland (56)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Aparthotel was very central.   Only two problems were:-  Very busy road at front, which we were subjected to, not having been granted the pool view we requested.
Second problem was seagulls which were always present at the pool - either bathing in it or using it as a toilet.   We never managed a day's sunbathing at the pool without being 'bombed' on by these birds!   It was impossible to discourage them!   The management needs to do something about this problem!  

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Hotel Paladim - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Brynne & Debbie Hirst - Leeds(32,31,5 & 1)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Paladim apartments are clean(maid service every day apart from sundays) and well equipped with air conditioning, toaster,tv, microwave and hob and kettle(the whistle on top of the hob variety)No oven if wanting to cook however.We did not find this a problem and the food in Eden's bar(on site) is very good.There is a goodsize adult pool and splash pool for the kids and plenty of sunloungers for everyone.You do tend to get a lot of noise from apartments above you so do wish we had been given a top floor one.There is entertainment a couple of times a week in the bar which can go on til after midnight(not so good if you are in apartments next to the bar as we were and have little ones).

The apartments are situated next to a busy road so a pool view is a must.It is at the back of the resort and nowhere near the beach but is quite central in terms of location to the strip and old town.THE STRIP with all the shops/bars/restaurants you could want is a 5-10 min walk away.The old town is a good 20 min walk the opposite way and well worth a visit with its bars/restaurants and square with street entertainers . Get the minitrain or taxi there tho' as it would be ok walking down but a killer going up as it is situated down a steep cliff.Fishermans beach is also in the old town and is the nearest beach.Another beach can be found at the bottom of the strip down cardiac hill.

There are loads of supermarkets nearby with a huge Modelo shopping centre next door which was handy.

A mini-train stops just to the left of the Modelo and is an ideal way to get around as it stops at the strip and in the old town.It costs 2E each(under 5's free)for a round trip but you can get an allday ticket for a little more.Taxis charge around 5E to get to the old town.

The downside to our holiday was that on arrival we were dropped off with our cases at the Parasio Hotel a five min uphill walk away as the coach driver refused to stop outside the Paladim due to the traffic. We were then walked to our apartments by the rep which was not a good start with kids/cases/buggy etc in tow.Be warned as this happens regularly.We did complain and were given a £50 holiday voucher as compensation.

Overall, for a lazy poolside holiday which is what we were after,we really liked the Paladim apartments and the resort itself but would probably try to get somewhere nearer the beach next time we visit.

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Hotel: Paraiso de Albufeira

Operator and Date: Sunway - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : 32, 32, 11, 9

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a 2 week stay at Paraiso Hotel. This is a 4star hotel but definitely doesnt't rate to a 4star in my opinion. The furniture in rooms and reception in badly need of refurbishment as are all worn and tatty looking. We had a 1 bed apt and it was huge and kept spotless by the maids. Got clean towels nearly every day.

There is a big problem getting sunbeds at this hotel they are all gone by 8am and i believe people were up at 630am to put their towels down. I thought this was very selfish and it should not be allowed to happen. The guy in the hut never smiled once when gettin the matresses from him. The entertainment at the hotel was very good day and nite, the reps work very hard both during the day by the pool and at nite in club glam. Great fun for the adults and kids.

I thought the hotel staff were very unfriendly, one or two would smile but the rest were sour faced especially some of the reception staff. A smile or thank you goes a long way. They defintely need to go a course about customer relations. Even when we checked out they just took the key and that was it! The prices at the snack bar are very dear for wat you actually got. ?4.50 for a "baguette" which was half the width of our baguettes over here.

I found the resort itself to be dearer than i'd expected so we went all inclusive for 3days, the food was just okay, nothing special.

The "strip" was awful, over crowded with people. We walked into the old town couple of times and found this to be lovely, and had a nicer atmosphere. The fishermans beach is lovely too.

We went for a meal in Grandmothers kitchen in old town, as was recommended an we were disappointed. We waited over an hour on our main dish and when i told the waitress we were there an hour she just said there's many people b4 u and stormed off, never even apologised or checked on the food. So eventually when it came my "medium WELL" steak was pouring with blood. Just swapped dishes with my partner as wanted to eat and get out quick.

So all in all we will not be returning to this hotel or resort, weather was great for the 2wks though.

Tip: If you have kids swimmin in the pool make sure they were ear plugs as my daughter now has a bad ear infection from the pool.

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Hotel: Paraiso de Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Cooksley (41, 39, 10, 9

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel is very clean and rooms are very spacious. Maid service was excellent. We were self catering, so cannot comment on the food. All the staff were very helpful apart from the Thomas Cook rep, who seemed to be a bit offish when one of our friends had a problem with there room.Our children really enjoyed staying at this hotel because there were a lot of children their ages. Entertainment in the evening bar upstairs was very old fashioned, same entertainment every night but different man singing. Glub Glam was ok, but a bit stuffy and dingy as this is right at the bottom of the hotel. The rule of the hotel sunbeds is noone is allowed to put towels on them to reserve them, but this does not seem to be enforced enough. The solution to this would be to get more sunbeds as there is plenty of space on the grass to sunbathe. Old town is really nice and family friendly. All in all the hotel is clean and friendly and very central for shops, bars etc.Would go back again, but the hotel could do with a revamp.Aqualand is also worth a visit

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook - July 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Gary & Lisa Hart (62,38,29,12 & 18mths) Edinburgh

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Spent 2 weeks, All-Inclusive, at the Paraiso and found it to be half decent.
The one bedroom apartment we had was huge, and the cleaners kept it spotless. We had a good view over the pool area.
The pool area was good, the pool bar served your usual burgers & baguettes. Thankfully we were All-Inclusive; as the prices were on the expensive side.
We used the large grass area next to the pool for sunbathing; as to get a bed by the pool, you had to be up for 6.30am!

I felt the reception area was a bit drab; it doesn't help when you have large groups of teenagers hanging about drinking their carry-outs from the hotel off-license; vandalising the furniture! I was also at a loss as to why the air-conditioning was turned off in the reception area in the evening, it did get a bit sticky!
The bar area was nice, although not very big, given the size of the hotel.
Entertainment, which was of your typical holiday type, was confined to Club Glam, which was next to the restaurant in the basement; served only by LIFT 6!
Saying that; the best entertainment of the 2 weeks, was watching the reception guy & the handyman chase a rat about the reception area with a broom; it was like something out of Fawlty Towers. That was the only rat we seen, by the way!
We found the food to be ok, but by the 2nd week we ate out a few times in the Old Town; as it was getting a bit bland.
This hotel has the potential to be excellent; but it seems to have let things slip a bit in my opinion; I'd struggle to agree with it's 4* rating!

The resort itself was a bit of a let down; I had heard so much about "The Strip"; but I found it very ordinary!
The Old Town on the other hand, more than made up for it. It is a bit further away than The Strip; but it is worth the extra walk. It has a lovely friendly, family atmosphere, with superb restaurants lining the main square. I have to recommend Bravos Steakhouse in the square; the T-Bone is to die for!

On the whole, I did enjoy my 1st visit to the Algarve; although having been to Cyprus a few times; I would have to say, I would go back there before going back to Albufeira.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: THOMAS COOK -- JULY 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : ade + jane mcgee    connor + matthew     west mids

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from the paraiso and was very pleased with the hotel and accomodation ,rooms were excellent and very spacious.Lots of reveiws are quite critical of the food here , this i would personally have to agree with its very basic unless you are a CHIPS lover as you get that with every meal.We were all inclusive and i reckon that that is the best way here as the food and drink seemed a little expensive . The sun loungers were preety much gone by about 8.30 am  but we managed to get one every day for the whole fortnight without too much bother , very spacious pool area with a large grassy area ,which was nice once it had dried from the over night sprinklers.The hotel staff are very friendly and help with anything you need .

The thomas cook entertainments team here are very good , watch out for jay (james) he is an absolute star in the making ,he has energy to burn day and night , made us tired just watching him .The rest of the team are very good too and entertain you in club glaam and around the pool each day .also a mention to the kids club reps who are also very good here .

On the whole we had great weather and really enjoyed our first visit to portugal , we are looking to come back here next year and would have no problems reccomending it to anyone

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: thomas cook july 07

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : 29, 27, 25, 25

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from a week self catering at the Paraiso and loved the hotel.  The staff were great, very friendly without being in your face and found the hotel very clean.  The only downside we found was that the snack bar and poolside bar were very expensive for self catering guests.  e11.00 for 2 vodka and cokes in a plastic cup, e22.00 for 2 tuna baguettes with chips plus 2 small sprites.  There is a Modelo to the left of the hotel where we stocked up on food for breakfast and lunch.  Also the wine is VERY cheap here!!

The strip is only a 10 minute walk from the hotel but I found the old town to be slightly further away, approx 20-25 minutes.  The Strip is great for a boozy night out but there's not much in the way of fancy restaraunts.  If it's a nice relaxing meal you are looking for head for the old town.  The Bank and The Mexican are both excellent restaraunts.  The average cost for a 2 course meal, plus wine and beer for 4 is e80 - e100, depending on where you eat.

Also - take a cardigan or shawl with you as it tends to get a bit windy at night.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone and will definitely be going back in the next few years.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: thomas cook  july 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : debbie essex

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a weeks break on the 21st july 2007,this hotel is not a 4 star as stated,it is very big and the studio rooms are very very small,and if you dont mind getting up at 6.30am every day of your holiday to get a sun bed you will be ok,if not you will have to sit on the grass all day.
The thomas cook reps and entertainment team were very good.Just one last thing take plenty of money we stayed self catering,and spent £1000.00 on food and drink for the week.oh the weather was great.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : June Lawson 55,53,35,40,16,13,11,9,4

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have not gone self catering for many years now so I have to say my expectations of accomodation are quite high now.  So here is my oppinion.  It was possitively OK although the hotel is only five years old  is already in  need of some minor repairs, door handles falling off ect, but the worst thing was my son who has a four year old daughter the patio door in his room did not lock and he was on the forth floor.  Made at least seven complaints about it to reception and the rep. They would come and look and do nothing or make a temp fix, so if you are given room no 411 be warned. Our room was constantly infested with insects room 418 so look in the drawer for our weird instructions to avoid them. 

The entertainment was the usual stuff. Very strict about the pool rules which is fine but there is one member of staff who is very rude and if you are not poolside with your kids he will have them removed from the pool to somewhere else I am not quite sure where he took them.  We never left our kids unsupervised but they were warned not to go anywhere with him. 

The last thing I will say about this place is if you are self catering it is a bit far away from the Strip and Fishermans Beech.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook  - July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Cath, Ian, Rebekah, Raegan & Gemma

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from the Paraiso after spending a week All Inclusive.
On the whole the hotel was lovely, very clean, friendly staff (from the maids to the entertaiment staff) with good facilities. 

Having never been all inclusive before, i found that it had both its good points and bad. It was fantastic for the kids to be able to go and get drinks and ice cream around the pool which saved us a small fortune. Also enjoyed the breakfast - lots of choice from continental, cereals, waffles & sauce, breakfast breads, english (of a sort!), juice, fresh fruit, coffees etc (oh and chips!!!). Lunch in the restaurant was nice with delicious soups, salads, fish & meat dishes etc. Evening meal was a little disapointing but always something edible! If like me you like to eat out with good waiter service in a "proper" restaurant you may be intially disapointed but because the rest of the hotel is fine just lower your expectations a bit and its fine. Did have some nice meals though, just a bit of a shock at first! My tip is to get down early when the candles are still lit and sit at the very back of the room behind the hot food buffet (its quieter and less intrusive there). The food at the pool bar is a bit bog standard - a toasted ham and mozerella sandwich for example is literally warmed in the microwave  for 20 seconds but the kids liked the burger and chips.

The rooms are MASSIVE though, very clean (thanks to the brilliant maids), sheet and towel change every day but one, can't find fault. Everyone hogs the sunbeds by 8am but there are plenty of grass areas which are fine if you are on AI as the mats and umbrellas are free (charge to SC guests) and beds usually become available by about 2.30pm. Entertainment staff are good, although we choose not to join in , they are certainly not in your face. I found the pool just the right temp, i know some people on here have complained its cold, but we found it beautiful and i didn't hear any other complaints either.

The drinks are fine with plenty of choice, but only free til 11pm. The cocktails are delicious but are half price on AI (3.50 euros) and we found the bar staff just as attentive and polite to AI guests as they are to SC guests.

All in all a very relaxed and enjoyable holiday, would go back there again. recommended especially to families (PLUS we didn't see any evidence of yobbish, bad mannered families and children, everyone was very nice)

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: thomas cook - june 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : edensor - (44,43,18)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

when we arrived the first thing we noticed, it could do with a lick of paint. we arrive at 11am and we could not get into are room till 2pm. there was only 1 out door pool and it was used for the games with the reps so they needed another pool for swimming in. for breakfast u couldn't have a full english but u could have chips! the snack bar was excellent! 

i would recommed going all inclusive as its expensive for self catering. its ideal for familys with young children but not teenagers.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook - June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Cox Family 39,36,10

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Went to the Paraiso at the beginning of June, weather very hot the first week, but overcast three days on second week which wasn't too bad because we walk up to the new marina at the old town which is still being developed. Still got quite a lot of building work at the old town, but a must in the evening too have a look around and listen to all the music and street entertainers. Hotel was very clean and all the staff were friendly. 

Entertainment team have to provide the entertainment every evening down in Club Glam, which is a lot for them to do a different show every night, it was a bit repetative, could have done with some boy bands and other entertainment just for a change. They had alternative entertainment upstairs in the bar, but a man on a keyborad didn't do it for us and there was no atmosphere. Pool was ok clean and not too crowded, but I think in the Summer holidays it would stuggle to cope with the extra people as it is not the biggest pool, lots of area around the pool, grass areas etc, BUT we often struggled to get a sun bed after 9.00am, people do rush down and put on their towels despite being told not to.

We were all inclusive which was not what we had expected. Slush puppies were not included, we had to pay 1.25e which was supposed to be half price, but you could get them up the road for that price. Also in the dining hall you could get a jug of wine in there, but in club glam you could only have it by the glass or had to pay extra for a bottle, which mean't that you had to keep getting up all the time as they would only serve you two alchoholic drinks at a time, very stricked on that. The food was a bit grim, worse place we have ever been for food. Every meat course was made up from the cheapest meat you could get,always chicken on the bone, which we were sure were actually bugie legs, they were so small. Rubber beef and pork, although they did have a chef carving beef one night and that was ok, be aware the roast pork we had one night was still bloody inside which several people were complaining about. Can't comment on the fish dishes, as we don't like fish, they may have been ok. Everything was really dry, they very rarely had any source and when they did they were either really runny with no taste or greasy. The Soups were lovely, best thing on the menu most nights. We often had just soup and a roll and then cheese and biscuits as the meat was yuk.
Tip. Get your afters first as the best ones go very quick and all the stoggy ones get left, they would not replace the good ones until the others were nearly all gone. 

Although We have moaned about the food all other aspects of the hotel were fine and it is place convienently for the strip and old town. Clay Oven was lovely for all you indian lovers out there, just head towards the strip, it is on the way.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomas Cook June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Owen & Vanessa +2 (37,34, 3, 1)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Thomas Cook rate this hotel as 4* and I would not agree with this.  We stayed on all inclusive basis so ate mostly in the hotel.  If you want to eat chips breakfast lunch and tea that is fine!!  Breakfast was OK, lunch was good but dinner was just passable with alot of fried food.
the hotel just tries to do everything on the cheap, using small plates, charging for cocktails.
The pool was freezing and the childrens pool feels like it was going to be a jacuzzi and was turned into a kids pool, it is tiny.  During peak season I can't see how the pool can accomodate the number of guests.

On the plus side, the ents team are fabulous they work tirelssly to entertain morning noon and night and are great people, thank you.  The rooms are big, clean and airy.
Location is great with 2 big supermarkets within 5 mins walk.  The Strip and Old town are about 20 min walk but all uphill on return.  Taxi only 4Euro though.  Great beach but the sea is quite rough. 
The Old town in lovely really nice restaurants on the front, but very few highchairs.
A lovely resort, nice hotel but if you are expecting 4* quality you will be disappointed.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Simpson - May 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : A Simpson (25, 26)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back from a week at the Paraiso and couldn't have asked for better apartments, they were spotless the maid service was every day with our towels being changed twice in the week and our bedding changed once.  There was plenty to do around the hotel complex and was only a 10-15 minute walk to the old town and the strip.  Albufeira was a lovely resort very clean and the food was great too.  We enjoyed breakfast every morning at the cafe two minutes from the hotel on the left can't remember the real name as we called it "the yellow place".  

Would definitely go back

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : (Nicola Jones - Birkenhead (35, 32,5))

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was a fantastic holiday, yes we had crap weather but the entertainment staff well and truly made up for it from morning right through to evening, they where truly wonderful at their jobs, and so where the kids world entertainers, who looked after the children through the day time. 

The outdoor pool was cold when you first got in but all pools are.  The indoor pool was heated and not cloudy, very clean and safe.  Whilst we where in there, which was most of holiday because of the crap weather, a group of people came around and took samples of the swimming pool and the jacuzzi water and came back the next day and and retested. 

The rooms where clean and consisted of 2 single beds and a fold up bed for the little fella, it also had a small kitchenette which was not used expect for the fridge.

We feel the value for money was great for the all inclusive option, there was a good variety each night and could select salads, baguettes, pizza, hotdogs, burgers, chicken nuggets the usual crap throught out the day.  Air conditioning was included in the price and sunloungers, mattressess and parasols, which added up when you need three mattresses.

It is perfectly situated between the old town and the strip and is very close to the biggest supermarket called Modelo so if you are self catering it will be cheaper to go there.

This was really an unforgetable holiday, even though we had clouds and 1 day rain.

Thanks to all the staff at this hotel for making our hotel so good.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Hotelopia/Flyglobespan - Oct 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Steven and Kirstyn (21, 18)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a week at the Paraiso staying 1st week in October. After spending two weeks all inclusive in Sharm El Sheikh (Coral Sea Resort) in June knew we would have to lower our expectations of this hotel.

The hotel was in the Thomas Cook brochure however we booked it online ourselves through Hotelopia and got a flight with Flyglobespan and paid at least half what Thomas Cook wanted for a week self catering here! Therefore we were very pleased at what we got for our money. If we had paid the over £900 Thomas Cook wanted for the two of us to go here we would have been very disappointed with this hotel!

We decided to go self catering as read some reviews on here complaining about the food and preferred the idea of eating out as 'the strip' and old town have loads of restaurants.

Had read some frightening reviews on here about the studio apartments and how it was just sofa beds and pull down beds. However we got a lovely room (342) with two single beds (easily pushed together). Apartment was also much larger than we expected! Loads of storage space, more than we had in Egypt in June! Kitchen and Bathroom good size too. Being on the third floor was ideal too, as we were just along from reception and did not have to use the lifts at all or use any stairs, and could be in our room within seconds of walking in the hotel! Given the price we paid did not mind looking out onto a carpark either! Corridors were a bit strange, very dark with wood flooring at the edges, with lights that came on as you walked past them (like a lot of the lights in the hotel), which made it seem a bit dingy at times.

Did not really use the pool/outside of the hotel until our last day, as on arriving we judged that it looked rubbish compared to what we had experienced in Egypt and we preferred to go to the beach at the old town most days! Pool was too small and to one side of the hotel. Did not use, and after reading some recent reviews on here about ear infections glad we didn't! The waves in the sea at the old town are amazing, although do be careful as you can get very hurt by them! My girlfriend in particular got some nasty bruises and cuts from being knocked over by them! The grass around the pool etc was also quite disgusting as it was wet (must be sprayed at night), and there were muddy areas and big pools of water in the grass, some of which were funny coloured! The minigolf was a good laugh though which we played on the last day!

Did not experience much of the entertainment in the hotel, went down one night to see what it was like, walked in a bit and walked back out, very tacky and loads of kids running about etc, and this was at about 11 or 12 at night! Daytime entertainment seemed ok, however as mentioned we only experienced this on the

We mainly chose to go to 'the strip' at night for dinner and drinks. Would recommend the clay oven Indian (as an earlier post did) and the Chinese up the very top of the strip (going up on other side of the main road that separates the strip in a little square, the one at the very back), and would avoid the Chinese on the main part of the strip (it looks very nice inside, but the food certainly aint!).

For drinks would recommend El Mar at top of strip, always got a good laugh in there! Although pricey after 10pm. Afterwards the places down the side streets have good prices, the Mustang Bar was buy one get one free till midnight which was great, went there quite a few times (Down past the big modern place that plays live music half way down the strip).

Not sure if would return to Albufeira, bit too quite for my liking, granted we did go in October (weather was great!). However we were only looking for a wee week away with hopefully some good weather, which we got, so all in all was a good holiday!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - October 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Keith Evans & Marissa Harvey - Dudley (34, 28)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Accomodation: This was the best accomodation we've both ever had on a package holiday. We had an apartment which was very big with a kitchen that actually works, (once you figure out how to use the oven that is, nothing a quck call to reception won't sort out). Cleaned everyday bar one and clean towels aplenty.

We overlooked the road, but it didn't really matter as it was never really noisy and you've got the beeb to watch on the tv as oppose to
the balcony!

The Pool was fine, plenty of room around it to lounge and no rush for beds. Still busy at this time of year though.

Eating out, we went self catering and had some very good meals along with a few mediocre ones, generally we found the beach bar to the left was better than the one to the right, by the old town section of the beach!

Doce restaurant, British owned, does the best fillet steak I've ever tasted. Just follow the cars with the advertising on, you'll see them!

The strip was pretty samey, the best place by far was the Wild & Co at the top, juggling bar men and live bands etc, with a more eclectic crowd!

The piccadily bar in the old town had good music, and atmosphere!

The beach is great, however it's 15 euro's for two beds and a shade, a bit steep! But fine if you only go a couple of times,

Be aware that you can't get in your room till after 2.00pm on arrival day, not too bad for us as we arrived about 11.00am, they're strict as well, belive me we tried!!

Great holiday, recommended,

9/10.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : pauline pierce- fakenham (58, 53,52,49)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

been back a week from the paraiso. this is the 3rd visit same 2 weeks(last 2 in Sept), once again a supberb holiday. weather good, food good, staff good and friendly and helpful. one or 2 gripes though pool dirty for about 3 days, complained and to give credit it was sorted, also there was a lot of broken chairs. See you next year at the paraiso.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Ashley & John  FIfe 28/31

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Just got back from one weeks holiday at the parasio... reading some of the reviews here i seem to think they were at a different hotel from me as i had a great time, however, some of the points raised were valid!

We booked self catering and would recommend anyone doing so to upgrade to AI as it works out to be better value for money... it cst ?40 per day per person for a min for 3 days... seems expensive but baring in mind that it is 3 meals per day and unlimted drinks til 11pm at night. We found that at the snack bar it was ?18 for just 2 hots dogs and chips with juice... the hotel is in a good location but if you want to eat out every night it is a bit of a trek... it is quite expensive buying drinks in the hotel and saved by upgrading. Would recommend 100% going to the chinese resturant next door to the hotel, it is amazing!!!!! We went there twice and it was fab and v.cheap too. For a main course each and 4 drink it come to just ?26. The food in the hotel is good, the breakfast buffett is nice with good variety, wasnt too keen on the lunch menu but that is just me being a fussy eater! The evening buffett is lovely again with a lot of variety. No complaints there!

We arrived in Sept so nearly out of season so it was quite easy to get loungers by the pool. However, they are broken so most of them should be replaced.

The rooms are very spacious and it is kept spotless. I have been abroad to many locations and this was the best room so far, the beds were hard but not that bad!

The entertaiment is a bit lame for a young couple like ourselves.... the club glam has thousand of kids running about, espec at 11pm at night, not our cup of tea there! In Bar Auro next to the reception it is cabaret night every night, this is were the adults tend to be, it is quite repetive, maybe best cabaret for a few nights... a couple of the acts were fantastic though and really kept the crowd going!

The hotel itself is spotless, the reception area is lovely with internet access and nice comfy chairs!

The staff are nice and pleasant. The reps do a great job and work very long hours, they do the daytime entertainment and orgainising events such a quizzes, water volley ball etc and then keep you enterained til 12ish at night.

On some of the reviews reagrding the pool, on one day the pool was closed for few hours so it could get a good clean but some people did ignore advice of the reps and go in there any way... i was hearing from reps of the cleaning process and being honest couldnt fault anyone there as people are in and out all the time, with oils and suncream on. It can be a bit hazzardous mind you as it isn't clearly stated where the deep end or shallow end is and the steps can be bit dangerous. 

I would defo go back and book AI and go start or end of season as don't think i could be doing with it being that busy as a lot of the reviews state! I would also recomment it to people too!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - September 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Jan Groundsell - 48,46,17,14

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:   

The Hotel is centred between the 'Strip' and the old town. Both are not too far and a pleasant stroll, with very similar shops and restaurants. Access to the beach is via the old town and if you don't fancy the walk, it is cheaper to get a taxi than the 'dotto train' as the train is 2 euros pp and a taxi is 3.25 euros. The beach is lovely, but forget snorkelling, the sea is constantly fairly rough.

The hotel itself is very nice with helpful and friendly staff. Cleanliness is good with the exception of the reception seating area, where the seats and carpet are pretty grubby. There are 1 or 2 slopes in the pool area that do make you feel slightly nervous in case you slip, but it is well maintained and a large, pleasant area with a food counter and a bar. There are signs that forbid the reserving of sunbeds with towels in consideration to ALL guests, but despite those who can/will not read them, there are plenty for everyone. I would definitely echo the comments in a previous review regarding the hardness of the beds and pillows - the worst I have ever encountered, but I would still recommend this hotel for its overall standards.

Several of the local restaurants are pretty poor but 'Aquaflavie', which is nearer the top end of the strip is excellent and reasonably priced. The Ancora Grill is also pretty good, which is also on the strip.

If you see a guy with a scratchcard in his hand asking if you are British - run. TIME SHARE. One of you will get a winning ticket and they will assure you that it will only take 90 minutes of your time to claim your prize. What they don't tell you is exactly when the 90 mins will start, so whenever you want to leave, they will tell you that you haven't completed it. The 'void if removed' bit of the scratchcard which apparently reveals which prize you have won has absolutely nothing under it when scratched off.

All in all, a very good holiday. I hope this helps as I always check out this site before booking, so I'd like to return the favour.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Bucks (22,23)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a lovely week away at the Paraiso and would really recommend it if your looking for a relaxing week away.

We went in September and the weather was great everyday reaching about 26/27 degrees, The evenings can however be a bit chilly so pack a cardi/jumper.

The hotel overall was fine, very large be warned you will get lost a few times especially using the lifts! We went self catering in a studio/1 bed apartment and was very clean, with a good sized bathroom (and lots of mirrors!!) We also had asked for a quiet room and ended up on the top floor and the views (even over the roads and front of hotel) were good. I would definately recommend this as the pool facing rooms will be very noisy from the entertainment which starts at 10am - 12pm!! The only thing i could moan about regards to the room would be the bed as its a pull out sofa bed, and if like me and my partner as looking to foward to some quality time together may have a few problems!! Also we just pulled the sofa bed out on the floor as didnt know what else to do with it, it was only when the maids came 3 days later they put it up properly for us!!
Other than that the snack bar was fine and good food to snack on, and plenty of sunloungers and umbrellas to sunbathe on.

The only downside was the childrens entertainment (which is obvisously great for the kids not for couples!!) which was very noisy and in your face even way out of season!

Also would say this is more of a 3* star property as have stayed at many 4/5 * and doesnt really compare.
The resort was fine, half way between new and old town. The beach is a bit hard to find, you can see sea everywhere but cant get to it (you even ask locals and they dont know!!??) Spent most of our nights in the new town great places to eat if your self catering and very reasonable, Would definately recommend the Steak house and grill, and the clay oven (Indian). Avoid the Chinese (the Big shanghai) as me and my partner both had food posioning after that and the food was ready in 5 mins after we ordered!!

All in all we had a very relaxing break, great if your looking for a good late deal (although we booked 6 months ago and paid in total nearly £900!!) lots of sunshine guaranteed and good base and fab for the kids.  Not sure if we would return to Portugal again as not as friendly/polite or clean as Spain/the Spainish and wont travel with Thomas cook again due to the very small and very packed flight.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: September 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Jacqui - Wirral  39, 36, 18 and 1 year

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is a fabulous hotel set in a great location. Everything is within walking distance. Turn right out of the hotel and you are at the "Strip" in 5 minutes, turn left when you come out of the hotel and within 10 minutes you are at the old town with the famous "square".  I am a very fussy traveller, my last holiday being 5 star hotel in Barbados.  However after having a baby, needed to go somewhere closer to home this year on a short flight.

I was not disappointed.  The hotel is spotlessly clean, rooms and all areas of the hotel are luxurious. Staff are friendly and the entertainments team are superb. 

If you have booked all inclusive, the food is wonderful of a very high standard and something for all tastes and age groups.  You can actually pay all inclusive to the hotel direct when you arrive which is 40 Euros per person - much cheaper than in the brochure.

I loved it so much, I'm going back next year to the same hotel and I haven't done that before !

If you want a luxurious meal out and enjoy seafood - go to a restaurant called RUINA which is famous in Portugal.  It is based in the old town right on the seafront close to the sand sculptures on the beach. Had the best Turbot I have ever tasted. Very romantic setting.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Christine Bell - York (48,47,15,13,4)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

As I took time to look at the reviews prior to the holiday thought it was only fair to offer our opinion.

In a nutshell the holiday and hotel were both excellent. Would struggle to complain about anything.

Did not find the beds uncomfortable, obviously not like your own at home but did not expect that.
The food was plentiful, freshly prepared and varied. We were AI and felt we saved a lot of money as with 3 young children we would have spent a lot on soft drinks and snacks. A couple of the snack/pool bar staff were unfriendly but not rude as previously suggested.
The entertainment team were excellent, don't favour Butlins type cabarets etc but this was above the standard of that and the team worked hard to rehearse and put together new shows in the 2 weeks we were there. We never saw the same show twice.

The kids are very well catered for infact we hardly saw them during the holiday, they made loads of friends and it was heartbreaking to watch them all saying goodbye at the end of the holiday.
We visited the Strip and the Old town (no sign of building work), both are a max 15 min walk (amongst our party was a 4 yr old in a buggy and an asthmatic!!) A taxi was 4 euros but from the Old town there was always a long wait.
Would not hestitate to recommend this hotel and most people we spoke to were on their second visit.
Negatives if I was pushed, had to get up around 7.30 during our first week to get a longer in a spot by the pool(as we had 4 year old) Loads of sunbathing area but not enough loungers for all. This would be inexpensive for the hotel to rectify.

Also 11p.m. at night is early for AI drinks to cease. All agreed that it should be at least midnight, as all people do is stock up from 10.30 and the queue at the bar then is very long!!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook  - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Miss Deborah Paget - Birmingham (66, 66,45,12)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having booked this holiday 12 months previous and requested a pool veiw, we were disapointed on arrival to find we were overlooking a main and busy road.
The plus points about this hotel were that the rooms were clean, spacious and well equipped.
The entertainment team worked very hard but we found the games were restricted according to age. eg. only over 16s could play water polo, over 13s for water basket, over 16 to be in charge of your groups quiz and over 13 for the 10.30 game. My daughter who was 12 was in the middle of this category. She couldn't go to the kid's clubs because she was too old and she couldn't participate in all of the games because she was too young. She would need an adult to accomny her for most of the activites.
The hotel was well situated,a big row of shops (the strip) was only a 15 min walk away (5? in a taxi), there was also a supermarket a 2 min walk away and also a macdonalds.
Unfortunatly, the negatives out weigh the postivies.

The food was very dispointing. We found it very repetitive. It wouldn't have mattered so much if the food was nice to eat!
The breakfast area was like a school canteen with no organised queing system.
The lifts were forever breaking down and, because we were on the 7th floor, we relied on them. The average wait for a lift was 3-5 mins.

The place was full of uncontrolable kids, grumpy OAPs, and under-age teenagers drinking alchol. While we were there, an ambulance had to be called because a 14 year old girl had collapsed at the dinner hall due to too much alchol.
The entertainment was good, the shows were fantastic, but the only downfall was you had to be there a hour before to get seats.
For under 10s it was brilliant too. There was a Dynamite Disco where the little ones could get up and dance.
But for the 10-16 year olds the nights were CRAP. There was nothing to do. It was no use watching the shows because they couldn't take part and the only other place they could go was the games room which wasn't that big.
My daughter and her friends found a place to sit with a few chairs where they could sit and chat but they were told by secruity they couldn't sit there.
My daughter forever complained of being bored on the nights.

Hope your early risers, because if you don't reserve your sunbed by 8am you won't get one till 4pm in the afternoon.
The pool is no where near bigger enough for the size of their hotel. There was no room to swim or have fun with out continuly banging into people.
Do not change your money at reception, there is a little bank next door that does it for free.
We will not be returning to this resort or this hotel, some people must be easily pleased.

ps: We were told SPECIFICALLY BY THOMAS COOK that we could NOT book swimming with the dolphins at zoomarine. Only to get there and find it was FULLY BOOKED FOR 2 WEEKS because you COULD book from england. We were severly disapointed.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : D & M - Wootton Bassett (55,38,16,15,13)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

a.  Hotel:

Looks modern but disappointing.  Decor tired and dated throughout and public areas often untidy/dirty. Swimming pool and area far too small for 800 rooms. Depths unreadable and pool steps not edged. Kids and adults allowed to dive in unsafe areas.  One of our kids picked up ear infections from pool.  Didn't spot during our 14 nights whether pool was ever cleaned even after, allegedly, someone was ill in it. Could feel litter in pool. Beware - there is no natural shade at all in the hotel grounds (which are basic) and temps were in mid to high 30s.  Insufficient sunbeds and parasols, the latter limited to one per party. Lifts unreliable. We went All Inclusive but kids wrist bands allowed them only to obtain one item at a time. Pool snack bar area dingy and unwelcoming! Games room has torn flooring in many places and adjoining tots entertainment room seemed squalid.  Portugese rules require caps to be worn in indoor pool. Staff were generally friendly, efficient, approachable and provided an acceptable level of service.

b. Apartment: (Room 801 - if you're lucky to get it.) Curtains off rails. Chipped floor tiles. Sofa bed split. Splash marks on walls in second bedroom. But extremely roomy, clean, comfortable and well equipped.  Plenty of cupboard etc space. Separate kitchen is a definite plus as is a separate wc in addition to bathroom.  Sleeping comprises 2 bedrooms each with 2 single beds plus sofa bed in lounge which can convert to a double.

c. Food:

Too British (though hardly surprising as a mostly Brit hotel).  Chips for breakfast and roast beef on Sunday not our idea of continental quisine!
Breakfast/buffet dining room reminiscent of a 1960s motorway service station, a truly awful environment in which to eat.  Evening dinner restaurant not much better.
Limited kid's choice even for fussy eaters! Generally acceptable quality, however.

d.  Entertainment

Entertainment absolutely dreadful for adults.  Kids (ages 13,15 and 16) thought theirs poor too!  Twenty minutes on the first evening was enough to know it wasn't going to improve and it didn't.   Club Glam lives up to all the tack its name implies.  The disco was poor and a reps invitation to a Sunday night pub crawl around the Albufeira "Strip" is not what I pay £4,000 for.  Daytime entertainment comprised a quiz and standard pool events.  Adult evening entertainment was repetitive and not matched to the audience.

My stepson had to be taken to a local medical centre as a result of his ear infection.  Rep did nothing to help but  have to say that the local medical centre's service was first class.

e.  Summary

We would revisit Albufeira but would definitely not stay at the Paraiso again!  This is not what I expect
of a  4 star hotel and anyone who rates it good or above must be easily pleased! Opening up the hotel more to other nationalities would ensure a higher standard.  Local amenities were very good and very close to hand but, sorry readers, loud-mouthed and over-indulgent Brits who didn't/couldn't/wouldn't control their kids made the first week of this holiday an embarrassment to be British.  If you appreciate standards, avoid this hotel! We originally assessed this holiday as just about adequate and in the cold light of returning to England, have no reason to change that view.

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Hotel Paraiso - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Mark, Liz, Emma, Helen, Mark (48,50,15,15,11)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is a lovely hotel in a lovely location. The weather was fantastic for the whole 2 weeks we stayed so that goes a long way to having a good holiday. We stayed All Inclusive and found the food served very nice and varied. There was plenty of choice even for the most pickiest of people. The rooms were very spacious, probably the biggest rooms we have ever stayed in. The beds were hard though, as mentioned in previous reports. The service at the bars and elsewhere was excellent and everywhere was very clean. Towels and sheets were changed regulaly so no complaints there. The strip is about 10 mins away as you turn right out of the hotel and the Old Town is about 15 mins away as you turn left. I suggest the clifftop walk to the Old Town as this is a lovely walk for an evening. 

I only have 3 complaints :
1) People reserving sunbeds early in the morning and not using them until the afternoon, sometimes very late in the afternoon. It didn't affect me personally but there were a few unhappy people who rebelled in the end and just took the unoccupied beds. There are plenty of signs and requests in this hotel but they all ignore them.
2) Children and teenagers running riot. We may have just been unlucky but on the 2nd week there seemed to be an influx of people who just let their children do what they wanted. Small children running about in the bar and restuarant, screaming and causing mayhem. Teenagers in the corridors after midnight ringing the doorbells and spitting on floors and walls.
3) Very small children around the pool in the evening, unsupervised, sometimes as late as 21:00. What were the parents thinking of! Thankfully there were no incidents of children falling in but it was shocking.
Anyone reading this with small children or teenagers, please have respect for other people on holiday and keep control of the kids.

All in all, I really enjoyed this holiday and even with the complaints I have, which is to do with the other guests and not the hotel, I would recommend this hotel to anyone. You will have a great time.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook / JMC - August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Theobald Family (40,40,15,11,10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the Paraiso for 2 weeks all inclusive from the 5th August 2006. This is our third visit to the hotel in 2 years. The furniture in reception looks a bit shabby now and so did some of the furniture in our 2 bed apartment, still good size place with 2 bathrooms though. The food I thought was better than last year although the "hot" breakfast is always luke warm to cold every day! The entertainment supplied by Jonny & his team was good and kept most families entertained. 

The pool was the real downside this year, for most of the 2 weeks it looked milky white with black algae looking stuff in it. Reps in reception said it had been passed but every family we spoke to or saw all had someone with an ear infection. 2 of my families ears were so bad they had to see a doctor, in worked out £126 in english money. They were only given ear drops no antibiotics! They had to see our own GP when we arrived home, my daughter's in still bad now and we are awaiting a hospital appointment. We saw an outside worker checking the pool with large industrial rubber gloves on up to his elbows and the next day while cleaning around the white grid of the pool he wore a gas mask! And they told us it was ok!!

Despite that we had a good holiday and would return sometime. We have been told the hotel is being refurbished at xmas so hopefully the furniture will look like new again.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Jenny Matthews - Hartlepool (45 , 47 , 14 , 12)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We came back from the paraiso last night so i thought i would type this now while the holiday is fresh in out memory. EXCELLENT is the best describing word for this holiday and i highly recommened. We recommed you to go all inclusive like we did because the drinks and food in the hotel are expensive if you are self catering, $2 small plastic cup drink , $6 for a frozen alcholic cocktail, $ 2.50 for chips, $4 hotdog, $4 for hotdog and $50 for extra cheese! We worked out that if we were self catering it would cost us $52 for a evening meal in the restaurant!

We Stayed In a 2 bedroom apartment and it was huge! .. It had 2 alrge bedrooms, 2 bathrooms each very clean with a large bath with a shower in, toilet, large sink and mirror, b-day and drawers etc.

The Food Was Extremely good quality although there was not much choice but catered for every1 in our party. The pool got cleaner as the holiday went on but at the end and begining there wer a few little blacjk bits but nothing at all to worry about. GO TO THIS HOTEL AND YOU WILL HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME! They had chocolate milkshake and orange juice etc for breakfast as well as the food obviously!!

The Cocktails and beer were free to the all inclusive but had 2 pay half the price for the named stuff lyk bicardi breezer etc! .. The pictures you may have seen on the internet luk just like the real thing unlike some hotels wich just look completely differnt! .. PORTUGAL IS THE CLEANEST FRIENDLIEST PLACE WE HAVE BEEN AND WE WILL DEFINITELY GO BACK! .. another good point is when you go in shops they dont pounce on you and try to sell things!

We read reviews about ther strip but didnt no what to expect. It is about 10 minutes walk away and it is a row of shops and bars which is very lively at night. The Old town is quite a long walk away about 25 mins but i would recommed to get the train which is 3 euros a day. We also went to the beach wich a courtesy bus takes you but we walked! The sea is extremly clean and warm! I would recommed vilamoura as well with lots of big boats etc!  GO ON THIS HOLIDAY AND YOU WILL HAVE A FANTASIC TIME! .. have fun!!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : 44, 42, 14, 11

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel and the actual one bed apartment we had was excellent.  The staff are very friendly and the hotel is situated in the middle of the old town and "the strip" so there is plenty to walk around in the evening.

However the food is not good, especially breakfast.

We booked this hotel as a Thomas Cook Supersun thinking there would be loads for the kids.  Wrong.  During the day there is a kids club for up to 12yrs, however my 11yr old has never been interested.  The animation team - their activities were for over 13s unless accompanied by an adult!  Again my 11yr old was left with nothing to do unless one of us was dragged along with him - this is not why we booked this hotel.

Both boys did the Brasilian Soccer School which they loved.

Portugal was brilliant - however don't bother with the jeep safari, much better hiring a car and explore for yourselves.  Expect queues at all the waterparks.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Gordon Winsor 47,46,10

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just come back from the Paraiso after a 2 week holiday.

I have to start by commenting on the rooms. We stayed in a studio appt and have never encountered such hardship. The beds were extremely hard sofa beds and an even more uncomfortable fold down camp bed with three slithers of concrete as pillows. Do not go here on your honeymoon or try to get romantic as the beds are hell on earth.
We went AI and found the food to be good at all times of the day, although I do not think there is any alcohal in the drinks at all.

Thomas Cook states in its broucher that there is 414 rooms, in fact there is over 900 in this very large hotel/time share/appartment complex with a small pool, at high noon it was very crowded. On the plus side due to the fact that residents were 94% British,5% Portugese and 2% German you could get a sunbed even at 12 noon, however finding a space to put it was another task. The Thomas Cook Entertainments team led by Johney were excellent and kept my daughter and her friends well entertained.

Albufeira was a bit of a disappointment, once you did the "strip" and the Old Town a few times there was little more to do. The hotel is in the middle of nothing with a 15 walk to the strip, 20 min walk to the Old Town and a 25 min walk to the nearest beach. The area around the pool is dangerous to the exterme with kids and adults slipping and falling all over the place,even getting in and out of the pool is hazardous, also beware the beach it is not a safe beach for young kids- it gets deep radiply with very large waves, large enough to knock you over.

I booked this hotel on the comments of others on this site but having been and experienced it I would not go back and it is the first hotel and resort in over 20 years of travelling which i cannot recommend to stay at, mainly because of the studio rooms.
Believe me there is a lot better out there for your well earned money.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Sam & Nick (19 & 23)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was very nice, probably the best hotel in the resort. The weather was brilliant, reaching a max of 34'. Everyone was very friendly and the meals were great with a wide variety to choose from. The pool is fantastic, the only downside is that the life guards round the pool are very ignorant. Everyone gets up to put out the towels on the sunbeds at 6:45am, when me and my partner came down we found that his towel had been taken off his bed and his bed had been taken by one of the life guards who had given it to a portugese couple, we thought this was very unfair. Other than that, i cannot fault the hotel itself.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook- July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Laura Pritchard (19, 16, 51, 46)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from this hotel and I would definitely recommend it!!

The hotel is very smart and clean and the majority of the staff are extremely friendly, the exception being those who work in the hotel's shop- though this is normally the case.

The hotel is situated between the strip and the Old Town, both of which are worth a visit, but some complained that it is too far from the beach. This is stated in the brochure, and if this was the case then they should've booked somewhere nearer to the beach.

The food at the hotel was great, ranging from chips and pizza for the kids to beef and yorkshire puddings and Mexican night. We went All Inclusive for the fortnight, which was a godsend as the free drinks during the day were definitely needed! I would certainly recommend going All Inclusive as you got free mats for the sunbeds and there was a lot of choice available to eat for free from the snack bar throughout the day, including icecream. The slush was even free. The only downside was that you had to pay for drinks after 11o'clock. But this isn't too much of a problem if you start to pile them up beforehand, and the prices are very reasonable.

The entertainment was first class! The entertainments team worked from ten in the morning till midnight in order to keep us entertained and definitely succeeded- they made our holiday! They were extremely friendly and couldn't do enough to help you make the most of your holiday. Their shows were outstanding. Jonny was a gem and his team were a credit to him. We would like to thank Jonny, Jimmy, Sasha, Sammi and Vanessa for such a fantastic fortnight!!! 

We would definitely return!.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June/July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Al & Co (30 Something, 30 Something & 4)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After staying here last year for a week, we dragged the family along for a 2-weeker. Great place especially if youve got kids. The daytime entertainment around the outside pool area is constant and entertaining. The Beaches are beautiful. The weather was hot, hot, hot (around the 40 degree mark) and the water (pool & Sea) cold, cold, cold!

The Hotel Staff & Reps were all friendly and willing to help, especially when we asked to be moved.

Warning - dont stay in the Penthouse as we were moved there and on our last week had a break-in. Security up there was rubbish. No CCTV but easily accessed.

The 1st floor bar in the Hotel was too quiet and hot for us but the Ground floor club was good. Entertainment every night (I believe) and lot of dancing for the young ones and the walk down to it via a red carpet is very VIP!

We went Self-Catering and found the local restaurants & bars cheap enough and the food - although much the same - we found was nice enough wherever we went. We quite enjoyed the few Restaurants 1/2way to The Strip.

The Old Town was Very lively and busy in the evening! Everywhere though seems to be cobblestones - be careful in your heels as you can do a lot of walking and watch for leg-cramps and Heartburn after all the food.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook  june 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : gemma n lisa      grimsby

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from this excellent resort, it was the best holiday we've had.  

The hotel is fab, friendly staff, great apartment and lots of activities, which you are encouraged to join in.  The location is great , in the middle of old town which is scenic and "the strip" which has bars and shops and lots of restaurants, about 20 mins walk either way.  Went to zoomarine which was excellent, its a zoo with shows and entertainment and also a small theme park and a large swimming pool area. 

Well worth the money. Lots of other things to do to, but we did lots at the hotel and ran out of time, which means we will have to return next year, can't wait!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Brad & Sherree (21,21) - Manchester

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We thought the Hotel was fantastic.  We stayed AI, but had a 1 bedroomed appt, which was huge!  Beds slightly too hard, but that was the only fault we could pick at.

We found the food in the hotel brilliant, and for the 7 days we were there ate in every night (Which is very unusual for us).  There was a choice of three main meals every night, none of which were repeated during our stay.

The reps and entertainment in the hotel were good.  There were 4/5 reps, 4 entertainers and 2/3 kids enterainers.

Although only young, we found the strip a bit too roudy, and preferred to go down to the Old Town.  Plenty of cafebars to choose from, and not a huge selection of shops.  We went to The Rock Bar most evenings.  There is the resident band on each night who were very entertaining, and would play any requests.

All in all, a good holiday and very relaxing!  Would recommend this hotel to anyone!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Travel Value through Teletext  June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Denise & Frank  -  Yorkshire 51 & 54

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked this at the last minute on Teletext Holidays the company was Travel Value - all the arangements were done efficiently

Flight was Excel Air, accomodation Thomas Cook.

No problems with flights took of & landed on time, in fact 15 minutes early coming back.

The Hotel

Very good, clean, apartments spacious, although we went AI we had a 1 bed apartment.  It was nice to be able to make a cuppa.

Food very good although lunch menu was somewhat limited with hot choices but always a extensive salad bar.

Restaurant where evening meal served is downstairs through Club Glam, took some finding and had to direct other people throughout our stay.

Quite a variety, different nights included Tex Mex night, Roast beef & Yorks puds,  Roast Lamb & Mint sauce, Italian.  Always chips & pizza for the kids.
Different fish on every night and 2 salad bars.
Food not as hot as I would like and I have found that by the end of your holiday it gets a bit repetative if you eat in every night. 

Choice of drinks limited had to pay for a Baileys although it was half price for AI guests and after 11pm you have to pay.

Pool area very nice with bar & snack bar lots of surrounding grassed areas.

Predominately English clientel.

Entertainment - Reps very entertaining in Club Glam, different shows each night but in Bar Aldo they need to update the entertainment as every night was a different, quite boring, singer. 

Location

In between the Old Town & The Strip 15-20 minutes to either.  If walking to the old town beware it is a very long & step hill to get back.  You can hop on the train which runs every 20 mins, its 3 euros for an all day ticket and goes to the strip and then down into the old town.

The Resort

Much the same as other reviews, you could be anywhere abroad as there are the usual shops bars etc.

All in all a very nice holiday, Portugal is very clean (although Faro airport is not the best)

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Mick (Liverrpool) - 3,7,10,14,15,28,32,34,38,65

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had been looking forward to this since we booked last year, went with missus, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, kids and mother-in-law. Overall this hotel and resort did not disappoint.
Rooms are spacious with air conditioning and satellite TV. The main pool is great, and ideal for kids within there depth (0.8m), altough the toddlers pool, is very small.
There are plenty of sunbeds available around the pool, and a mass of grassed area in the grounds for sun bathing.
Thought the pool side bar was expensive, kids slush(2.5E), small beer(2.5E), (You can get 6 x Carlsberg Bottles in supermarket nearby for 2.29Euros, so I suggest you pack a cool bag & ice packs). Pool side snack bar; hot dog 3E, burger 4E.
Other bars within the hotel are approx 4E/pint although we found measures & prices vary per bar. All world cup games were on in different bars within the hotel.

We went to the strip most nights which was a ten minute walk for the fit/abled, (4E taxi for the Mother-in-law & young kids). We found Coconuts2 as the ideal place for the kids with party games, prizes, bingo, karaoke, and live shows, something different every night (DJ Martin very friendly).
In the hotel the kids entertainers were very good at entertaining the kids. However, the same reps/entertainers provide the rest of the entertainment, and this was dodgy (to say the least) at times. The girls sing solo very well, but the fellas sing like, X-factor rejects, but when they all sing together you think, what the hell is that, surely they don't get paid for that?

Overall, as I said at the beginning we were disappointed, and hope you have a good holiday. Hope you find this useful....
Happy holiday.....Tait/Boardman Family

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: thonas cook june 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : tracey bircumshaw - mansfield 45,43,9,9,

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

lovely holiday overall. excellent kids club. especially josh who my kids loved! special mention to Jonny and the gang who kept us well entertained and inparticular the stage school.  just a few gripes perhaps petty!  beds very hard and very rude in the pool snack bar.  Apparently it is our fault that she can't understand our English!  you must speak very slowly!  Apartment excellent, definately worth paying under occupancy.  food good although a couple of dodgy nights.  We read the menu and if we didnt fancy anything we ate in the eva restaurant and paid half price as we were all inculsive. First time with thomas cook, definately better service than we have ever had.  the reps were excellent. 

all in all a good holiday.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook -May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Espley. 52,44 12 & 10

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Thomas Cook staff really friendly & Helpful. Sorted out noisy neighbours straight away. Hotel fabulous, plenty of daytime entertainment, especially for the kids. brazilian Soccer on while we were there about 37 euro's eachchild for 6 days.

On arrival at hotel yo can't check in before 2p.m. so be prepared for a wait if you get there early in a morning!
The Old Town is about 15 minutes walk but the new Town "The Strip" is further than prevous people have pu, it must be at least 20 - 25 minutes walk away. We always got taxi's coz of the kids(only 4-5 euro's each way)

Can't really comment on hotel food as we didn't eat there, looked like all a la carte stuff and quite expensive. Drinks are dear too, glass of coke(small) 2 euro's, best to get cans in bulk from the nearby supermarket. Cafe's nearby aren't brilliant, that was the only diappointment of our holiday we didn't have many nice meals out, they were quite expensive and you didn't get much! About 45-50 euro's per family.
KFC and McDonalds nearby so that helped.

Praia da Oura beach really nice(bottom of "The Strip") but don't bother with Falesia beach.
Zoomarine was nice cost about 100 eur's for family of four, rides are free in there, and there's also a swimming pool, so take a towel.

Only downside to hotel was that the nightime enetertainment in the bar was boring and repetative,bloke on organ, woman on accordian, all Portugese and boring. Down in Club Glam, the reps did a good job but again got  abit boring. This hotel needs more internatinal type entertainment, i.e. comedians X factor rejects or something like that!
Thoroughly enjoyed this holiday as my children left me along to sunbathe for the first time in 12 years!

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Hotel Paraiso - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Mike/Caroline (44,37,14,13,7,4)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just come back from this lovely hotel and resort,we all had a great time especially the kids,,hotel was lovely and clean with nice friendly staff, we were s/c but didn,t find it expensive at all,,we ate in the hotel as well as going to the strip and old town,,can,t fault anything about this holiday we all came back feeling like we had a good time.the hotel rooms are spacious with all you need for self catering,we had a pool view which was great and plenty to do for all the family around the hotel,,,the reps were great,were very helpful and informative..the kids club are great too,they kept our youngest two entertained.Although the hotel is in between the strip and old town its not a long walk to either and the taxis are cheap too.the beaches are lovely and we enjoyed long lazy days on them.

We would certainly go back to this resort and hotel again in the future.

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Hotel Paraiso - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - April / May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : 50,45,17,12

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from an excellent one week, all inclusive stay at the Hotel Paraiso. The Hotel itself was very impresive and spotlessly clean.The room was well furnished and very spacious, although a little confusing to get to! The pool area is large and well maintained with plenty of sunbeds, so need to get up at the crack of dawn! The majority of staff were very friendly and helpful, with the exception of Rute on the outside snack bar. Our all inclusive option was very well catered for although the selection of alcoholic drinks are rather limited, and only available until 11pm. 

Overall a very enjoyable holiday.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Ruth Phillips - S Wales (66  52  29  27  1)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We returned from the Paraiso yesterday so thought I'd post something now it's fresh in my mind.

Hotel was large and spacious.  Lots of pool area space and sunbeds.  Large reception and bar area.  Self catering apartment was also very spacious.  We had a 2 bedroom apartment which had two large bedrooms (one en-suite) and a hallway, kitchen and living area, lots of room even with a 1 year old creating havoc!  Also had balcony.  All clean and tidy.  Bed linen clean and cot bedding spotless.  A little bit disappointed as at time of booking with Thomas Cook we requested a ground floor level and pool view, instead we get floor 5 and a view of the main road which as I said was disappointing but nonetheless didn't spoil it all.

Hotel situated about 10 min walk to "The Strip" - lots of shops, bars and things to do there.  Favourite restuarant was "Paradise"  good cooking, large portions and tasty grub.  Cracking Sunday lunch at Erin's Isle, definitely recommend. 

Hotel also about 15 mins to the old town.  Went there once.  Pretty beach and nice views.  Loads of construction work going on down there (which reps warn you about) - noisy, dusty and definitely not pushchair friendly at the moment.

Zoomarine definitely worth a visit.  Didn't want to book the trip with the reps so booked taxi at reception - taxi about 10 euro.  Baby loved it, lots to see and do.  Dolphin show and Peter Pan sealion show worth a visit.

Staff friendly.  Only grumble for the entire holiday was a flight delay on the way home which is hard work with a 1 year old.  Not that much to see and do at Faro airport for 3+ hours.

Much enjoyable holiday and would probably return in a few years.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Stu and Jo-M/cr   38,37

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in a S/C apartment in May in Paraiso.  Check in time 2 oclock on the saturday but not a problem as the bar was open and it was sunny outside and as its such a short flight it didnt bother us at all.
Apartments were very clean, toel change 6 times a week and room tidied with it, excellant service from all staff acroos the board.

Upgrades to All Inclusive were available at 40? p.p per day and minimum 3 days. Great if youre with the kids as they can do and get as they please. Our apartment was looking out to the road but we didnt seem to have any traffic noise at all, If youre lucky to have a pool view then, you cant go wrong. We tended to eat in most nights as facilities were excellant, not our normal pattern when away S/C so cannot really say too much about the eateries.  We did have a curry from the Clay Pot which was average to me.  Nice coffeee shop, out of the hotel and turn left for 2 minutes walk and you cant miss it, under the Brisa Sol Hotel.  Also if your S/C then the Modelo supermarket was very good value for money.

Located pretty central to ''The Strip'' and ''Old Town Centre'' - 1o and 15 minutes walk respectively, ---Strip is lively tho some drinkd prices can vary but search around and you'll get what you want price and drink wise.

Old town was fairly quietish though numerous more bars were due to open as it gets more into the season so would be lively at night---Best bar by far for us was The Rock Cafe Bar-situated in the main square area- live music every night, pretty much same most nights(set wise) but definately worth a visit-Armando is the biggest and nicest guy we met and the barmen excelllant as well as all the musicians, so well done to all those.

Happy hour round old town is basically all day till 6 or 10 o clock dependant on bar, beer is between 1 and 2 euros so good value, but once finished prices double, again look around.  We tended to get out between 9 and 10 which is not our normal pattern abroad but found that to be best as it was busier then.

The Square and a few surrounding streets and roads??Well, most people going would have heard about it being renovated, and this is true, it resembles a building site and you have to feel for the local businesses who surely will have been hit by these works, though i would say to anyone, ''Dont let it put you off''
Albufeira is a lovely place and when works are complete will be even better so travellers just bear with it- lots of people will be complaining no doubt about the works over the next few weeks but not worth it, most people are on the beach all day, and like previously stated it doesnt seem to have affected some bars but obviously has others, a shame but it has to be done.

Well i hope this is a little use to somebody, We had a fantastic week and cannot fault it, Hotel, area, weather, Fantastic.

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Paraiso - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Apr 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Tracey Watford - Hertfordshire (40, 20)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What a fantastic week away.  My first holiday abroad.  The hotel was very clean, the staff were very polite and helpful.  We went to the strip about 3 times.  It's only a 15 minute walk away and we found a couple of English restaurants where we had some nice meals.  We are going back next year but all inclusive this time. We did self catering as my daughter is vegetarian but as we sampled the food in the hotel a couple of times we found that it catered for all.  Eva, the a la carte restaurant in the hotel laid on a wonderful meal for the two of us which cost 28 euros, which weren't bad.  We tried the buffet one evening and OK you could go up as many times as you like, which we didn't though but without our drinks it cost us 18.50 euros which we thought a little expensive for a dinner and a bit of cake so we didn't go in there again.

In the evenings we stayed in the hotel.  The entertainment staff were excellent.  I ended up on the stage taking part which was a right laugh.  Sangria was flowing and everyone was happy.  Met some fantastic friends there also. 

The rooms were kept really clean, we had an apartment.  Maids bought round fresh towels every two days, loo roll supplied and clean tea towels.  We found it really quiet in the corridors at night.  Thankfully we weren't disturbed by anyone.

We arrived on the 29th April 2006 and although it wasn't peak season there was quite a lot laid on by the entertainment team.  Weather was around 27 degrees and sunny apart from one day which was cloudy so we both picked up a lovely colour.

Overall we had an excellent time.  Couldn't fault it at all.  For a first time holiday abroad I would recommend it.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook april 06

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : tony and trish lewis 52-53

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Myself and my wife spent a week at the hotel self catering we did not sample the food but the accommodation was excellent was clean and well laid out the cleaning was done on a regular basis sheets and towels also changed regular .Staff we found were very friendly and courteous the whole hotel was clean .pool-area was well set out and clean .

Point of note for all you people who like to eat out we found an excellent restaurant up on the STRIP called VENEZIA REST , Gavin O'Brien was the manager he along with his staff are very helpful and enthusiastic . The food was really very good and as an ex chef of 25 years i was impressed by the standards and the service . The food was always hot and plentiful especially the kebabs which are massive in all respects .We sampled most of the menu over the week and could not find fault .Decoration in the restaurant is bright and cheery tables are clean . VALUE FOR MONEY WITHOUT A DOUBT . please try yourself .

Area around the town is fantastic and if you are prepared to go out of town you can find some beautiful beaches We certainly will be returning to the Algarve again without a doubt And our choice of accommodation will be the Paraiso hotel

I might point out all the children that were there and there were a lot seemed to really enjoy themselves and the JMC Team were brilliant in the entertainment side of the hotel  

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: April 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Hedley - 40, 49, 14

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel is very much as descibed in other reviews, Location not perfect as it's 20 mins walk to both the strip and old town but it had a great supermarket Modelo nearby and some places to eat.Having said that we got taxis to both and they were never more than 4 euros . The room/apartment was huge and plently of space with a well equipped kitchen & fridge etc . Beds very hard . Pool area great as loads of sunbeds ..none of that getting up early lark and free parasols and mattresses for those on AI . Food very good and fresh at snack bar at pool but restaurant was very repetitive and not exciting . Drink - wine in restaurant wasn't up too much but being on AI you drink it , we did buy a couple of bottles of wine though and did eat out several times which was a great change.
The bar drinks are not very strong unless you buy the international brands and there is a happy hour 6-7pm which includes cocktails. Entretainment very amateurish but they tried very hard and were a lovely bunch of friendly individuals .

The real downside was that the hotel Staff were not very welcoming at all and not friendly , I have to say that I found this very disappointing and almost as if they found us to be an annoyance . I'm just glad that we didn'thave to speak to them very often. 

We did enjoy our break but would not go AI there again... self catering and eating out for us . my son 14 + enjoyed it very much playing football , pool etc and made lots of new friends so all in all a good family holiday

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook April 06

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Jim Mckeon 54,44,5

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Very large hotel, kept very clean. Stayed in a one bedroom apartment and paid the under occupancy, it was well worth the money. Be advised, ask for a quiet room as it can get a bit noisy at night.
Although it is situated half way between the strip and the Old Town it is not close enough to either to walk to in comfort.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook october 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Yvonne Medlam

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first visit to portugal, we only went for a week. We went self catering, there were 6 of us, we had 2 1 bedroom apartments they were beautiful and very clean, they were decorated really beautifully. Air conditioning worked by remote control in the bedroom n living room/bedroom. T.V had quite a few english channels to watch including sky news. You can hire a safe in your room for a small fee plus refundable deposit. the hotel is beautiful throughout and spotlessly clean. 

Our rooms were cleaned every day except tuesday, bedding changed once a week. The staff were very friendly and helpfull throughout the hotel. The pool area was also very clean and the snack back area was spotless too with the chef n bar staff dressed very smartly. There was always something going on in the hotel and not just for the kids for adults too, quizes mini golf tournements, table tennis volleyball in he pool and out. Its just brilliant for all ages. 

There are plenty of sunbeds for everyone and for a small fee of e1.50 u can hire a cushion for your lounger for the day. Inside he hotel there a few little shops, gift shop, mini supermarket and beer off where the prices are very cheap for booze cheaper then the large supermarket just up the road. We went on 3 trips, arranged through our rep, 1 to the zoomarine we all enjoyed this very much, 1 a mini cruise 3 hrs, it was ok wont do it again the seats were very uncomfartable, the sea was quiet choppy n quiet a few people including 1 of us went below to be sick. Also we couldnt understand or hear the tour guide properly, there were snacks n drinks for sale on board but no one had anything, we were asked if we would like to swim in the sea but no one took the oppertunity. 

Our last trip was to slide n splash, this went down very well with us all, its totally brilliant if kids like swimming n slides we had a fantastic day here will deffinetly go again, you can hire lockers for a small fee which is great if you take clothes to change into or video cameras etc. Just up the road the Brisa sol hotel you can catch a mini train for e3 pp and use it as much as you like that day. It only makes 3 stops 1 to the srip, old town and back to Brisa sol. In old town the beach is beautiful and clean theres a small charge for sunbed hire. 

Old town is a lovely quiet area we enjoyed it and there were little street shows going on in the daytime and evening. The strip is much more livelier we found quiet a lot of english bars there. Senhor frogs do great pizzas and you can take away what you don eat. 1 thing that surprised me was every restaurant had someone outside trying to get you to eat there some were a bit rude i found. Also we tended to get pestered by men selling watches n flashing items. You can barter with them and get items much cheaper. 

Just up the road from the paraiso is a large supermarket with many shops below and pizza hut. A bit further up the road across the main road is macdonalds and KFC, macdonalds seems to be cheaper then over here and u can also get lager to drink, there is a chemist also. Unfortunatly just ouside the hotel there are many fellas trying to give out scratch cards that are time shares, they tell lies too by saying they know the Thomas cook reps. We didnt stop in the hotel much in the evenings as we wanted to visit the strip and old town. Also the drinks in the bars were quiet expensive. We have booked to go back next year but for 2 weeks as we all had a brilliant holiday. We are going self catering again as it gives us more freedom, there is the oppertunity to go all inclusive it has to be for a minimum of 3 days and costs e40 per adult and e20 per child per day. 

If your reading this before you go, all i can say is you will have a totally awesome time we did, we cant wait to go back.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Bernie Parsons-Manchester(51,46,9)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well what can i say,this holiday was excellent.We stayed at the paraiso from the 11th september for two weeks,the reps were amazing with both adults and children.

The food was great and soo much choice,the rooms were spotless,when i say rooms its because we started off in a studio which was a little small but that was a mistake on our part.The start of the first week myself and my daughter got ill, nothing to do with the hotel we had been out and had lunch while my husband stayed at the hotel to watch some football.The next day we got sick but my husband was fine,the reception staff and the cleaners were brilliant,they upgraded us to a one bedroom at no extra cost.After a day in bed we were ok,

The entertainment reps are so hard working and go out of their way to make your holiday fantastic,welldone sara,john ,jenna,matt and kazza.My daughter went to swim with the dolphins which was the best experience ever we bought the photos and the dvd from the zoomarine and the whole of her school has looked at them and love them.I would recommend this holiday to anyone with children ,the kids have a great time and the adults get to relax.We met a lot of nice people on this holiday and have kept in touch via email.

We will be going back.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Faye, Lee & Dylon Rees - West Sussex (28,26,2)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just come back yesturday from the Algarve and it was a wonderful holiday for our family.
The hotel was wonderful and the rooms were very clean and very spacious.  We had a very large balcony looking over the pool with our own sunbeds if needed.
The facilities in our room were very good (microwave, toaster, kettle, cooker, hob etc) we were self catering but we have spoken to alot of people staying full board and they felt the food at the hotel was very good especially for the children.
There were lots of room around the pool with plenty of sunbeds available.
There is a great area for the children to play in (2 swings and a sand pit with plenty of toys to go round)our son loved it.

There is plenty of restaurants around the area the old town had some lovely restuarants (Bravo) had a great selection for lunch and also for dinner.
We also ate at the strip which has alot of restaurants to choose from (sizzling stone) is highly recommended as you cook your own food at your table on a sizzling stone!
We went on three trips zoo marine which is brilliant for us and our son and there were lots of things to see.  We also went to Krazy World (zoo) not good and would not recommend going as its very small and not much to see 1 elephant/3 camals etc!
We also went to the gypsey market/Vilamoura that was good could pick up some great bargains and have time to go onto the beach and look round.
There were 5 reps at the hotel and they were brilliant very helpful and friendly.

My husband lost his wallet on the coach coming back from one of the excursions and we called one of the reps and by the following day they had his wallet back to us with money and cards in place.
We would recommend this great hotel for families and couples who want a brilliant holiday.
We will be back soon.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : ste & loo & kids

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After just returning from here all i can say is WOW the whole place is fantastic.we stayed in a one bed apartment which was really nice & very clean. Towels were changed all the time room was cleaned six days a week.The reps were great with the adults & kids always entertainment, fun & games in and around the pool from water volleyball to five a side football competitions, one of the games the reps love to play is the volleyball when the reps play against holiday makers but be warned if you don't like getting beat don't play because they always cheating but its only fun.We stayed self catering and used the strip to eat in a placed called LA BAMBERS its  superb. the beach at the end of the strip is lovely well worth the walk even though it is a step hill. 

After the time we had we will definately be going next year.So if your going here don't worry its BRILL

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook July 05

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Caroline Meadwell Newcastle 32,41,6

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I feel we must have been in a different hotel to the rest of the reviews. The Paraiso is awful! On first inspection it looks good then you see your appartment. The studios are tiny 3 of us shared and had to have all bed pushed together to fit them in then had to climb in and out of the bottom. We were told by Thomas Cook when we complained that the hotel was only a 4 star due to the entertainment which was only really for kids. We were S/C and spent 3 nights of the 7 eating at the indians they were excellent. If you want a luxury AI holiday dont go here go to the Carribean it will be cheaper in the long run and def luxurious.
Oh almost forgot the Thomas Cook reps couldnt be bothered.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook -  July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Mary 68, Yvonne 42, Fiona 16

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday 

Opinion: We booked our holiday All Inclusive as it was the best option for us.  Pleasant welcome on arrival. Room 544 allocated was at the front of the hotel overlooking the car park and road beyond -  we did ask for a quiet room and although veiws were not up to much, it was so peaceful and no traffic noise whatsoever apart from the odd emergency vehicle two-tones. Nice to enjoy a drink on the balcony in the evening before dinner. 

Room had two beds and folding bed, also kitchenette which was handy for a cuppa and chilling drinks. Food was ok, Breakfast and lunch in one dining area was good, plenty of choice, evening meal average with only a couple of choices at night, but the desserts were amazing.  Didn't book any trips through reps as I always find them expensive and would rather do my own thing. Went out of hotel and turn left, a couple of hundred yards up among the shops is excursion shop run by a south african lady, really helpful.  

We went on the Moena cruise on the catamaran which was lovely - inlcuded time to swim in a lovely lagoon. Also booked Slide and Splash there, 3 euros per person cheaper -  don't forget to ask for OAP prices, 4 euro reduction!  Slide and splash was good  but small, as most parks appeared to be. Four hours was enough. A small train runs  between old town and strip, all day ticket only 3 euro, oap and kids 1 euro per journey -  if you are using this train a few times worth buying the 3euro ticket for everyone. Went to Fishermans beach for the morning, train back for siesta, then train to strip at night, then from strip to old town, old town then home. Train stop is at Brisa Sol hotel, 10min walk left out of hotel. Worth looking at the big supermarket Modela, also an upstairs and shopping mall downstairs with nice boutiques.

Found the portugese people lovely , hotel good , really clean, food average but din't go hungry. This hotel mainly caters for those with families, the daytime programme starts around 10am with screeching young reps yelling over microphones what is going on, this being belted out of speakers around the extensive grounds so no quiet areas to relax -  there was no getting away from them. 

Will not be coming back here as I like to try different locations, highly recommended for families though wanting a holiday camp feel.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Allison John Maria Lorna (49, 46, 16, 10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well  what can I say.  The hotel was excellent.

We went on an all inlcusive holiday and it was excellent value for money.

The rooms were spacious and were cleaned every day. Breakfast and lunch are served in a canteen style dining room and the evening meal in a more elegant dining room. The food was varied and plentiful and tables cleared away quickly.

The swimming pool is large (if a little cold at times)and there were plenty of sunbeds (free if all inclusive).

The Thomas Cook team worked extremely hard and always had a smile on their faces. 

My only critism is the quiet bar is a little too quiet and the entertainment provided in this bar is a little boring.  The main entertainment is in the basement of the building which, I am told my children, was good.

Book a holiday at this hotel and you wont be disappointed.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Anthony and Michelle - Coventry (both 18)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a week in Portugal.  It was the first time we had been and we were very impressed.  We couldn't fault the hotel or the location, both were amazing.

We stayed in a studio and although previous reports have commented on how bad the beds are we found them to be fine just a little hard but nothing we couldn't cope with. Although the studios do over look the car park and road we didn't find it noisy at all.

In other hotels we have had problems in getting sun beds, as normally they are in short supply. However despite this hotel being massive, we never once struggled to get a sun bed, even at 10.30 in the morning. We wouldn't recommend going all inclusive.  We went self catering and there was a huge choice of restaurants which were all quite cheap and those who did go all inclusive didn't seem overly impressed with the food.

While there we went on one trip and that was to slide and splash (the water park.)It was great fun and well worth the money there was some excellent rides but isn't the best water park if you have young kids as the rides are quite big.

We found some great restaurants these were: Bravo steak house and Bravissimo italian above it (both located in the old town square). Tim Tim's chinese which is near Mcdonalds (5 mins walk from the hotel) and Bailotte Italian which was lovely.

Hotel was located brilliantly in between both the old town and square. Being young we thaught we would prefer the strip however we spent most of our nights in the old town. There were a wide variety of bars to go to, and the strip was mainly for groups of lads and girls. Therfore it sometimes got a bit rowdy. The Vegas bar in the old town was very good and had live music every night.

Overall our holiday was excellent and i would recommend this to anybody. we will defo be returning in the future.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Pauline Ramsay - Edinburgh (41,40,13,9)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from the Paraiso after 2 weeks All Inclusive and I can truly say this is a fantastic Hotel.  We had previously been there 3 years ago self catering but noticed how expensive the drinks were around the pool so this is why we chose All Inclusive this time.

The food at the Hotel is fantastic with the breakfast being quite typical but still lots of choice (not quite the same as eating out though). For lunch you have the choice of eating inside at the buffet restuarant or the snack bar by the pool which had lots of choice and was cooked freshly while you waited.  Lots of ice cream throughout the day as well (my kids had loads).  During the day you could also get a choice of about 5 different slush puppie at the pool bar which went down very well with the kids (and adults).  I think the price of drink and food during the day was very expensive if you were not All Inclusive.  At night the restuarant downstairs had a great selection with at least a couple of nights they had a chef carving a fresh roast for you.

Our room was a 2 bedroomed apartment which was huge but even the one bedroomed apartments are very big. 

The entertainment team were great with lots of activities throughout the day. 

We went to the Slide and Splash water park which I think is the best of the four there are.  It was very crowded though but the kids enjoyed it.

The Hotel has a wine shop inside it and the prices are very reasonable, there is a small shop just outside the Hotel which is slightly cheaper but not much in it.  I was quite surprised at the airport coming home, as the drink was more expensive although the cigarettes were the same, so make sure you buy your drink before you get to the airport.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - june 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : sally swain - sutton coldfield 34,30,30,28,3,3, 10 months

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arrival at the airport we were greeted by friendly reps who directed us to our coach.  transfer only took 45 mins and we were third drop off.
first impression of hotel was just how big it was, impressive though.  reception area large and very clean.

we were taken to our rooms which were 1 bedroom apartments.  I must say that they were probably the biggest and cleanist rooms we have ever stayed in.

we opted to stay all inclusive.  breakfast was good but never very warm.  lunches were nice in both the outside, pool bar restaurant and the main restaurant.  evening meals started off great with a hot and cold selection, aswell as a carvery but this really deteriorated after about 7 days, evening meal just got worse with less to choose from everyday.

entertainment team were great both day and night, worked really hard and everyone loved them.

pool area is huge but be careful when swimming under bridge, signs everywhere saying no jumping but no-one took any notice and one lady ended up with a broken arm.

we visited the old town of albuferia nearly everyday.  the views are amazing and there are some lovely little bars and restaurants. there is a mini train that you can catch just 5 mins walk from the hotel to the old or new town. 3 euros one-way or 5 euros for a day pass.  you can walk to the old town in about 20 minutes, great walk there but all up-hill on return.
walking time to the new town is about 15 mins, the strip is great for the young but very very lively for families. BEWARE!!
overall a great holiday, would go back!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: ramsey travel june 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 37,36,16,15,13,5

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a two week stay at paraiso. I would recommend this hotel to those looking for a family orientated holiday. although my 5 year old didn't go to the kids club (to shy) the kids were well entertained and it was free. The entertainment team are excellent and deserve a medal for the amount of time, energy and effort they put into entertaining the guests.

We opted for self catering and didn't eat at the hotel but there are plenty places up the strip  or down the old town. Our favourite was Tom and Jerries for meals and the kilt and kelt for breakfast.We were allocated a 2 bedroom apartment and we were pleasently surprised at the size of it. Two bathrooms which was a godsend with 3 teenage girls. Maid service every day except Tuesdays, clean towels daily and beds changed twice a week.
Staff were polite and friendly with excellent  English.

Drinks in hotel can be expensive but we bought our beer from the shop in the hotel or at the supermarket for drinking around the pool for 1 euro or less a can. 3 euros at bar. At entertainment at night took my vodka in a water bottle and bought the lemonade at bar. 2 euros rather than 5. kids also bought their drinks from shop in hotel.
So to all of you who are unsure go for and have a fantastic holiday.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook -june 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : alan ,mandy and boys- winsford

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just came back from a week in the paraiso,what a fantastic hotel!there is not one bad thing to say.would recommend any family to take a holiday there.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Sharon 28 Jeff 40 Newcastle

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Arrived at the Paraiso and was very impressed with this hotel, and the room we had a 1 bedroom apartment was very clean and of excellent standards.
The only down point I would say would be the location especially if you dont like walking in the heat.
The pool was very busy so we used to go in later on in the evening when it had quietened down.
We had a pool/sea view room I wouldnt of liked to of been at the front facing of the hotel.
We wont return to the algarve, have been to better resorts.

We werent too impressed with the food either but I had a bad experience at OASIS in the OLD TOWN so beware, I was eating chicken piri piri only to discover it was full of blood inside hadnt been cooked, I complained but the waiters/management didnt care a less.
We went to a chinese twice on the strip that was nice.
A week was long enough for us in the algarve.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Jacksons - 39, 29, 11, 9 , 7

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We travelled to Albufeira 29th May 05 for 7 nights staying at Parisio de Albufeira.  

On first impressions the hotel is very grand although we were a little disappointed at the rooms we had been allocated. (We travelled with parents and brother & sister in law who have a 12 year old daughter).  They had been allocated studios, which basically were just a living room with 2 sofa beds in.  For the money they paid, they expected to at least all have proper beds and maybe a bedroom would not have gone a miss.  However, decided not to let that ruin our holiday. 

We had opted for All Inclusive and must say it is excellent value for money.  We ate from the pool snack bar most days which did the usual burgers, hot dogs for the kids although, you could go to the restaurant area where there was a good selection of food.  We went out three nights from the seven, which we had planned to do anyway, but the night-time food was rather "school dinners" and very repetitive, so it was good to get out for something different.
Definately recommend Snr Frogs for gorgeous pizzas!

The hotel is huge, in large grounds, so even though it was very busy with famillies, you still dont feel on top of each other.  With the grounds being so large, you can let the kids explore too, without worrying that they have left the premises. (This would be very hard anyway as there are huge fences around the grounds, which is another good safety point).

The rooms were spotless, cleanest I have ever been in and the cleaners were in every day.  The pool area is very good, although he pool could do with heating up a bit.  What made our holiday though was the entertainment.  It was second to none, always something going on for the kids and the reps were so entetaining and good with the children.  They must put in long hours, as they can be organising a game at 10.30am and be doing a show at 10.30pm, but they never stopped smiling. Our kids loved it, and it made our lives much easier.  The kids are already asking if they can go back. 

The weather for end May/beg June was red hot, 37 degrees the day we left, so all in not much to complain about. I would definately recommend the Parisio de Albufeira, with the All Inclusive option, if you dont mind venturing out the odd night.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook  - May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Hazel Dunlop - Retford (47,37,15,12,11)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a one bed apartment, it was a bit crampt in the living room for three beds so we moved one into the bedroom with us. The apartment was spotless & everything was available, maids called every day & towels were changed regularly.

Our main critism was the entertainment, in the quieter bar the entertainment was very boring & catered more for Germans, in the dark & dingy bar downstairs the first half was for youngsters not for my children, & the main nite entertainment it was uncomfortable.

Drink were expensive & pay at the bar & not waiter service overwise you don't get your change. I think this is more for fully inclusive people as food was very expensive especially at the side of the pool 1.50euro for half a pint of lager, in town you could get a pint for that.

Also not enough sunbeds for everyone, always fighting for a chair or sunbed. If you want a parasol you have to pay 1 euro a day, if you want a mat cause you have sit on the grass 2.50 euros. In the brochure it states two indoor pools, one is free but you have to wear a swim hat 2.50euros a piece, the other pool is completely seperate from the hotel & is a health club about 15 euros to enter.

Our holiday was good & we made good friends especially if you like your good old english food visit 'Mary Anns' on the strip or for chinese visit the 'Jade' both are excellent & very very friendly.

We visited the resort 2 years ago but stayed at the hotel Brisa Sol just up the road from were we stayed this time. We will definetely visit again but not at the Prasia de Albufuria.

If you want self catering then this hotel is for you, if not stay at a hotel that doesn't cater fro fully inclusive.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Orchid Travel (Teletext) - May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Peter, Jean & Laura - Wigan (46,44,12)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just come back from our holiday in the Paraiso and have no complaints at all about the hotel. Most things have been covered by other reviews on this site. The entertainment around the pool is excellent, but very family orientated. This is not the place for couples looking for a quiet holiday.

We went self catering and the facilities were superb and the rooms were huge. Note that the Supermarkets only open around 9am, so if your thinking of doing your shopping early on your first morning you'll be out of luck.

The only downside to the hotel was the distance from the resort. While the strip is around 15 minutes walk, getting to the square in the old town can take around 25 minutes, however taxis were cheap at just short of 4 Euros to the Fisherman's Beach. It is also 25 minutes walk to the Praia d'Oura beach, but don't be put off by people telling you about 'Cardiac Hill' I've walked up much steeper.

A couple of nice places to eat were the Ancora just near the crossroads on the strip (great peppered steak) and Lisa's who have restaurants on both the strip and the old town (which looks over a street onto the entertainment below). Try the Mexicana Pizza at Lisa's!

If you go to eat out in the old town, be prepared to be harassed by people trying to get you into their restaurants, they can be a pain and actually put us off going into one or two.

Don't be put off by the long taxi queues at night in the old town, the taxis are very frequent and we never had to wait more than 10 minutes. There are plenty of dogs around, but I'm not sure if they are strays - they look too well-fed, they tend to ignore humans and go about their own business.

I would recommend the Hotel Paraiso to anyone with a family looking for a lively holiday. The facilities are excellent and made for a very enjoyable holiday.

ps Orchid Travel organised transfers with a company called Via Directa, who didn't turn up to take us back to the airport at the end of our holiday, meaning we had to get a taxi at the very last minute. We are told that Via Directa are usually very reliable, but - beware.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC via Travel Value - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Garry & Tracey - Epsom (28, 34)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Albufeira - Algarve

My partner and I went to Algarve for 1 week. Stayed at Paraiso Albufeira.  Apartments were fine, very spacious and comfortable.  Had a 5 person apartment to 2 of us, for £165 for flights and hotel only.  We hired a car for one week at a cost, all in, of £150 (Euro 216.50) inc CDW.

Got our deal off of teletext holidays.  Travel Value was the firm very good.

Generally, Algarve is quite expensive as far as drinks and meals go, but the quality of food is very good.  The Paraiso is situated half way between Montochoro (the strip) and Albufeira old town.  We spent all week in the old town as it doe shave some character, unlike most of the Algarve.

Food was spot on and our favourites were as follows:

Granfinus - Sirloin Steak topped with mozzarella + chips and salad was a favourite.  Euro 7 for meal + Euro 2-3 per drink.  For 2 x 3 course meal, looking at c £30, quite reasonable.

Castelo Do Bispo - Quaint and high end fish restaurant, on top of hill overlooking Abufeira marina.  Sea Bass was lovely and we are only starting our fish tasting!  Bottle of local wine + 3 courses each = Euro 100 (c£65)  Reasonable by UK standards for what it was, but expensive by local standards

Casa Do Chefe - About 5 mins walk from the Paraiso.   This is a lovely, smart restaurant with fantastic service.  If you want somewhere with a little extra, this is it.  Food was great, Tracey had Duck and I had Piri piri Chicken.

All in all, 2 courses + bottle of local wine came out at Euro 55 (c £30)  Not bad at all and very good service and food.

Cais Velho - Lovely seafood restaurant right on front of Albufeira old town beach front.

Food was adequate and fairly priced.  Similar to Case Do Chefe re: quality and service, but with a sea view.  Certainly worth a punt, for the view alone.

Out and About

Very Costa del Sol looking on the whole, and surprisingly Albufeira was the best we saw, out of Lagos, Quateria, Villamoura etc  Praia de Roche is hideous, avoid at all costs.  These views are based on a couple who wanted a relaxing holiday, but with a few pleasant views as well.  If you are looking for a beach holiday and nothing else, Algarve is perfect.  Do not be fooled however by the different names for different beaches.  The Algarve is one big long beach, named at different spots as you go along it.

Summary

All in all a pleasant saty with great food.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Victoria Tranter - Middlesbrough (21, 20)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Paraiso hotel is by far the nicest hotel that we have stayed in. Although we only had studio apartments the room was kept nice and clean and was good enough for us. The food in albuferia both on the strip and the old town was very nice and had no complaints. Because it was April time we went it was quiet but bars were still open and still lively enough. Finally the weather was a lot warmer than I expected it to be.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - April 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Michael Shaw - Leeds (35, 32, 13, 11, 9months)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My family (2 adults, 2 children and one infant) stayed for two weeks at the Paraiso (Paradise) Hotel in April 2005.  In total out holiday cost £2250, all-inclusive through Thomas Cook and, in summary, we can safely say that this is the best value holiday we have ever had.  Added to this was some first class entertainment by the T Cook team, but more of that later - I have summarised below some of the more interesting hotel facts.

Entertainment - At the very top of the list because the T Cook team kept us all entertained every day and night for the full two weeks.  Given that it was only April (winter season), there were daily activities round the pool (quiz/pool games/golf/volleyball/etc) and for at least 4 hours each evening.  The evening entertainment was excellent, comprising a mix of kids stuff, competitions, cabaret, theme dance nights, singing, pantomime, comedy and TV quiz shows.  Well done to Matthew and the gang.......... Note that the hotel recently appointed a Portuguese entertainment manager was is looking to reduce the English entertainment and replace this with more Portuguese speaking/singing acts - from the sample he presented to us, this would clearly be a 'very' poor decision and readers should check what will be provided when they visit this hotel.

Accommodation - Advertised as 4 star, but to us, the hotel appears to have been rushed during construction, using cheap products (carpets, kitchen, bathroom and ceramics) and poorly finished (a little rough around 'all' the edges).  However, the quality was no less than we expected, our studio apartment was great.   The other services offered by the hotel (maid, waiter, reception etc) were between 4-5 stars - well done to all the staff

Food - If, like me, you are willing to try a variety of foods, then this hotel offers a wide range.  If you like purely English stew/dumplings and chips style dishes, you may be disappointed.   Personally, we ate something different at every lunch and evening buffet and loved every bit of it.  Being all-inclusive, we ate regularly, even from the posh-menu on several nights (all inclusive get 50% off these menu prices - so if you stick to the all-inclusive wine, starters, deserts and kids meals, you adults can have a personally prepared king prawn, piri-piri or steak at very little extra cost)

Drink - What can I say - loads of free ones for all-inclusive and if you want the flash cocktails and more expensive drinks, all-inclusive guests get 50% off.

All-inclusive - We were treated no differently by staff than those who were paying for meals and drinks - a real testament to the attitude of hotel and staff.

Outside Pool - Massive and ccccccold, although once you got in, it does warmed up 10ft in the deepest end.  Inside Pool - Great for kids when the sun got too hot outside.

Time of Year - April - Well the weather was great, with 11 days of glorious sunshine and two partly cloudy days - what more can I say.........  The hotel was around half full, so there was no dash to reserve sun beds and 'no' queues in the bars or restaurants (I can imagine this being a problem in high season)

Criticism - Only one, and this was enough for me to reduce my overall score from 10 to 8.  The hotel is advertised as family and couples, and this is the type of guests we saw every day.  However on day 10 of our break, 200 young adults arrived, all of whom worked for a Dutch entertainment firm.  They were being treated by their employer at the hotel on an all-inclusive basis, so spent all their time round the pool and bars disrupting the guests and T. Cook entertainment.  The hotel 'did' take measures to keep this group away from other hotel guests during dinner.  However it is advertised as a family/couples hotel and the management clearly decided that the revenue this group could generate was to great an opportunity.  Shame.

In summary, this is an excellent hotel/entertainment, at an amazing price, let down only by a poor management decision.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - March 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : J Price - N.Wales (31,28,1)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went self catering on this holiday and booked a 1 bedroom apartment seeing as we had a toddler with us.  The kitchen was equipped with everything you could ever need and the whole apartment was spotless. Cleaners came near enough every day and changed towels for us.  

The hotel was excellent, it looks impressive and it really is.  All staff we spoke to were polite and helpful.  We only used the indoor pool as it was too cold for the outside one but you do have to wear swimming caps. V.atractive! Our only grumble about the hotel was the childrens playground could do with updating and there were no activities on for children while we were there because it was out of season.  

Albuferia itself is split into 2 areas the old town and the strip.  We walked everyway as it's only about 10-15 mins each way.  The nearby supermarket Mondelo has everything food wise and there's a great self-serve restaurant Em Casa which is located just 2 mins from the hotel. This is very popular with the locals which is always a good sign! The Old town is exactly that so don't expect anything too fancy, we ate at a lovely restaurant called Casa de fonte where we ate gorgeous sea-food under lemon groves on the terrace.  There is also entertainment in the square which is surrounded by cafes so you can just sit and people watch.  

The Strip was full of British bars and tacky gift shops, the best meal we had there was at the Ranch where you cooked your own steak at your table on a sizzling stone! Quite bizzare but very good. We hired a car which we'd definetly recommend and drove to Silves and Faro.  You see so much more of the real Algarve.  We booked a trip with the small shop just down the road from the hotel, we went to Zoo Marine.  We had a good day there but the bus only picks up once so we decided to get a taxi back rather than wait another 3 hours for the bus, taxi was less than 10 euros.  Beware all the stray dogs too there are loads of them. 

All in all would definetly recommend this hotel, one of the best we've stayed in!!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Style    Feb 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : John Carson  -  Fife  59, 57, 11

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Paraiso was excellent.
We went Self Catering and found the rooms to be large, clean and well equiped.  The cooker and microwave for instance were immaculate.  We overlooked the pool area and, being in Feb/Mar they were never used but I can imagine that in Jul/Aug they will be very busy.  The indoor pool was small but adequate.  The hotel was clean and as many of the other reviewers have remarked, the staff were always very pleasant and helpful.
The hotels situation is bang in the middle of Albufeira and to go in either direction, to the Old Town or to the Strip cost 5 euros (£3.50) in the taxi.

Yes I can recommend it as it is much better than many other hotels I have been at in for instance Majorca, Benidorm etc etc. 

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2005 / 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Pat F - Liverpool (44,40,15,11,9)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first time abroad in a long time and we chose an all inclusive option at the Paraiso de Albufeira in Portugal.  We were not disappointed, the staff were friendly, the hotel was excellent, some things were a bit dated but everything was spotless and nothing we asked was any trouble.

The food was always hot and there was plenty of choice for our three children who are normally quite fussy. 

The only fault we had was that there was a lot of building work going on in the Old Town of Albufeira which made it difficult to negotiate.

I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who wanted to visit that part of Portugal.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2005

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Matt - Brighton

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The holiday was great mostly because it was fun there was quite a bit to do and the hotel was good.During my stay i meet some new people which made my stay more pleasurable and i secretly fancied Meg but she didnt know but i recommend people to go to the beaches you can catch a great tan lol. All i can really say it was a good holiday and i recommend people to stay and go to albuferia because its fun and a good experience.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Orchid Travel - November 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : 32, 29

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went to the Algarve in the middle of November but still managed to have great weather and an absolutely fabulous time! This was our second time in Albufeira and we recommend it to anyone!

On the whole Paraiso do Albufeira is  fine (the first time we stayed in CPO). It was very clean, the staff were friendly and the room was cleaned every day. The kitchen was new and well equipped. We were however suprised to find out that the first of the advertised indoor swimming pools was very small and shallow (I guess ideal for children) and the second could be used (together with the steam room, jaccuzzis, gym and classes programme) only at extra cost. As we always choose to be self catering guests we would have to pay for using the facilities and that's not the point of cheap deals, is it. In CPO all available facilities came for free even to us. Anyway, as the weather was great we spent all day on the beach (about 20 minutes walk away).

One thing to recommend which we discovered this year were self service restaurants, one of which called La Em Casa is almost next to the hotel. The place was packed with locals which is always a good recommendation. It is canteen-style and you can choose any food from a variety of options and you pay 8 euros for 1 kg, which was a real bargain. There is a takeway option as well. The food is very tasty and definitely Portuguese.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook-October 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Harveys' (50,47,16,17)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Holiday was amazing!!Excellent value for moeny and look forward to going back!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Orchid Travel - October 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Barrie Durrent - London (59,61)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Hotel is superb. If you are still undecided as to whether to go self-catering or all-inclusive I would recommend the all-inclusive option as the food is excellent. The locally produced spirits are good and one of the draught beers is Fosters lager. Since neither my wife or I are red meat eaters we had fish for most lunches and dinners and it was simply superb. The salads are excellent as are the desserts.

The outside snack bar serves excellent filter coffee and yes - snacks and delicious ice cream. The Lounge bar can get a bit smoky in the evening. Since both my wife and I are non-smokers we sat on the  Lounge bar balcony in the evening but in mid October it was beginning to get a bit chilly.
We had an apartment comprising a bedroom with a separate lounge with a dining area including a fully equipped kitchen. The bathroom was excellent with a superb shower.

There is a Health Centre with a fully equipped gym with top quality equipment and its own pool, sauna and Jacuzzi. All- inclusive guests can use the Health Centre 3 times a week at no cost.

The old town of Albufeira is well worth a visit and the centre is traffic free. Its about 20 minutes walk to the old town but there is a free bus from the hotel. The Strip is just a long street of bars, cafes and gift shops once seen easily forgotten. If you walk to the end of the Strip you can get to one of the best beaches I've ever seen and then walk along it to the old town. I won't attempt to describe this route you will simply have to do what we did and find out for yourself and don't rely on the reps for any useful information.

If you can pre-arrange it I would suggest you request a room at the top of the hotel and facing the pool. We were at the top of the hotel facing the road. The traffic noise was never a problem however if you are at the front on the first level you will have a view of the car park or worse the loading bay.

The grounds of the hotel are spacious and there is no need to sit sardine-like around the pool. Sunbeds and mattresses are free to all-inclusive guests. Self catering guests pay for the mattress.

In conclusion this is an excellent hotel ideally situated although it could be a bit nearer the beach. Children are well catered for with a Kids Club during the day and disco in the evening mercifully in the basement and well out of earshot. There was entertainment in the bar most nights which was OK.

All in all a superb hotel and the best all-inclusive deal we have had so far.

I hope you enjoy your stay as much as my wife and I did. Looking out at a grey London day I just wish I was back in the Paraiso.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: October 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Clive Day, Alison Day (47, 45)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If you are looking for a relaxed holiday, then this will probably be it. 

Paraiso de Albufeira is a smashing hotel, its large with all of the trappings of a large hotel but service is good with a good coverage for all people. If you were young there were games and such organised, Mums and Dads got time for themselves and if you were looking for a quiet evening listening to local singers blasting out tunes from the near past then it had this. I would add that we had a car and that it was a godsend for seeing all of the area. Local car rental with a special offer of 5 days for price of 3 was excelent as was the car.

If its golf courses you are looking for then there are plenty within 30 minutes drive. Thomas Cook had a competition organised at Salgados for 35 euros (however club hire and the purchase of balls did increase this),Alison won the competition against 18 men which did not go down too wellbut as we had lost a total of 75 balls between the 19 of us it was quite understandable that precise hitting would win through. Mondal supermarket is just a short walk fromthe hotel to the left and is well stocked with fresh and tinned goods. All in all the country is very friendly with a relaxed way of life. Try it once and I think you will be sold.

Next time I take my golf clubs and try some of the wonderful courses that I saw.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - Sept / Oct 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Pauline Pierce (56,48,51,52)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we arrived back from the paraiso on sunday 3rd october having had a fortnight's break. we booked again for next year the day after and we are glad we did as there wasn't many 2 bedroom apartment's left.
this hotel is superb very very clean staff very friendly, this is the best hotel we have stayed in in all the times we have been to the algarve.

the 2 bedroom apartments are very spacious with 2 double bedrooms loads of cupboard and wardrobe space, 1 bedroom was en suite. kitchen had a good size fridge, microwave, full oven, tv.

we were self catering and ate in the a la carte restaurant 3 times and the food was excellent.the area the hotel is situated is about 10 mins walk from the famous strip,or the other direction was the old town of albufeira.the pool was a good size which is where we spent most of the mornings as the weather was so hot (28degrees)most days. all in all this was a perfect holiday where you could just chill if you wanted to. then we came back to the lovely british weather,(can't wait until next year).

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook-Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Becki and Mark-Manchester (24,27)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is lovely.  I would recommend this hotel to anybody who is looking for a lovely relaxing break.  This hotel is superb.  The staff on reception and in the bars are lovely and really helpful, nothing was too much trouble. 
The shops inside the hotel mean that you will always have what you need. 

The hotel is ideally placed a ten minute walk to the strip which is great during the day for shops and gifts, and there are loads of bars and restaurants.  At night-time the bars can be quite pricey same as usual european lively places.
The 'old town' is a fifteen minute walk left out of the hotel.  Its lovely too and any age will enjoy it.
We ate out at both the strip and the Old Town, its worth using the free mao that you will get at your welcome meeting it suggests some brilliant restaurants.  We are both vegetarian and we found that there were choices in nearly all the restaurants.

The 'big one' water park is wicked for adults we had a brilliant time.  Worth knowing that it cost 4 euros for a locker though plus 2 euros which is refundable.  But its a briliant day. 
As usual not worth booking through the reps for trips we went to the little ladys shop which is about three minute walk from hotel towards the old town, shes lovely and you get a discount.
I will recommend this hotel and resort to everyone, I didn't want to leave.

Book this if you want to impress your friends about picking a good hotel. (we went self catering, the room facilities are amazing and modelo supermarket five mins away to the left is a brilliant supermarket!)

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC-August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Louise Wilson,Ade, Kaz,Mark and Joanne (17,46,47,15,5)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Where do I start, in my opinion  Paraiso is the best hotel I have ever stayed in.
At first I believed it was going to be far too big but after a few days,I soon got used to it.

The hotel is so clean and all the staff are fab. Their are several shops inside the hotel,plenty of places to grab a drink and bite to eat, and the pool is very cold but if you go in August you'll want to jump in all the time.
Alot of people have complained it was too expensive at the pool bar, I think it was but I and my family were all inclusive which is the best option.

The food in and out of the hotel is not to be missed, their was something nutritious and different to chose from every day and night.

The beaches are beautiful the sand clean the sea sparkling the rocks so high...enough said.

The trips, We went to the reps night on Tuesday night at a casino, you get a three course meal and wine,then two shows, Chicago and the unmissable reps show, which was great.

We went to a water park which was fun and the best of all was Zoo Marine, The Dolphin show was spectacular and me and my mum even got to swim with them,ask your rep.

But I saved the best till last the people who really made my holiday this year were the entertainment reps. Day and night they worked so hard to keep everyone happy. From 10 in the morning till five,then back again at 8 till 12.

If you are going to the Paraiso you'll love them all, their are five in total: Donna  did fun fitnesse in the pool alot, crazy Kazza was just full of enthusiam, Julie Denning was great,Billy Elliot was also great and John Hal was really funny.
Each one of them entertained people of all ages each night,with disco for the kids and big kids bingo and then a show, all this happened in the Glam club.

I had a great two weeks because I was looked after in the best possible way by the hotel and reps...and the sun.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2004

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : 41,34,14,10

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Lovely hotel, friendly helpful staff, rooms are clean and plenty big enough.  We had a 1 bedroom apartment for 2 adults and 2 kids and there was another smaller room with another bed in.  Only complaint is the noise.  We were kept awake til the early hours by teenagers running amock in the corridors and outside on the grassy area near the pool.  It was high season though and this is a very big hotel. 

Didn't like Albufeira at all, the new town is horrendous, beggars at every corner and cheap 'tat' shops for miles.  The Old Town isn't much better, same tat different place.  The main square is OK but again you were ushered down the winding streets in a wave of tourists.
If you like hustle and bustle then you'll love it, but if like me you prefer Greece then you'll hate it!

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : 21, 29

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were on the look out for a late deal to any destination and we ended up with a 4 star hotel for a week on a self catering basis for £240 each.  The travel agent who booked our holiday booked the flight and accomodation separately rather than as a package, as she said a package deal would have cost £950 in total.  Whether this was to clinch the deal or not I don't know, but we felt our luck was in anyway because the hotel looked so nice. 

On arrival at the hotel we were not disappointed, however we only just found out at check in that it was necessary to pay an accomodation deposit of 100 euros per person.  Luckily, both of us had our Visa cards with us, however I felt we should have been told about this when we booked because it would have taken a large chunk out of our spending money had we left them at home.  

After we had checked in, we had our first encounter with the very strange lifts - they don't always go where you want them to!  Our room was a studio, and the travel agent told us that there would be a sofa bed and a camp bed available.  However, the sofa bed did not fold out, the sofa itself was the matress! The second bed came out from underneath it, and it was the 4th night before we realised that it had legs which could be folded out!  Neither of the beds were very comfortable, however it did not stop us sleeping, we just tended to wake up with sore arms and necks!  This however was the only negative aspect of the accomodation - we had a proper bathroom, air conditioning, satellite TV, a hob, oven, microwave, kettle, coffee maker, toaster, cutlery, crockery and plenty of storage space. Nevertheless, I think three people would find the studio a tight squeeze!

As far as entertainment in the hotel is concerned, it is all quite child orientated.  There were a few cheesy singers in the bar at night but it was never busy and as a result we didn't tend to stay at the hotel in the evening.  

The swimming pool is quite big with a very deep smaller part and a shallower part separated by a bridge.  However, we found it difficult to get near it till about 6 o'clock because we avoided the afternoon sunshine.  Every afternoon all the sunbeds were taken - lots of people leave towels on them so that they can come back to them, and the attendants do not do anything about it despite signs warning that towels will be removed.  However, around about 4 people start to leave so we managed to get a shot in the pool and some sun then. Make sure you get an umbrella though because it is very hot!  I could not believe how burnt people were allowing themselves to get!  There are drink and snack bars at the poolside but the drinks are very expensive, better to buy them from the supermarket!  There is crazy golf, tennis and football, however tennis and football are expensive and you cannot hire a football, you need your own!

If you are bring traveller's cheques on holiday don't change them at the hotel, they charge 5% commission.  There are loads of change stalls in the nearby supermarkets which give you a better deal. 

The Paraiso is between "The Strip" and "The Old Town".  Both are full of bars and restaurants, but we tended to prefer the old town.  Restaurants which we'd recommend are Casa de Fonte (Old Town) which serves lots of seafood and grilled meat.  It looks like it is indoors, but the roof is the branches of a lemon tree which grows from the middle of the room.  The Kohinoor Indian restaurant(Strip) is very well hidden but you will be able to find it with the free map which you get with your welcome pack at the hotel.  If you bring this map you receive 10% off the total bill.  The restaurant itself is not much to look at inside, but the food is excellent (except the pakora!) - we had 2 chapatis, a nan bread, 2 curries, pakora (this is just single bits of vegetables deep fried, not what we expected but ok)and 2 drinks for 26 euros which is not bad!  

A good value restaurant was LaEmCasa which  was right next door to the Paraiso.  We walked past it a couple of times and it was really busy with queues out the door, so we decided to try it one afternoon.  It is a self service restaurant which sells loads of different food - grilled chicken and fish, vegetables, salad, pizza, chips, pasta, soup, big chunks of pineapple, mango and melon... There were different foods each day as well as some traditional portugese food which gives you the opportunity to try a bit of everything.  You fill up your plate, have it weighed, and are charged 8 euros per kilogram!  This price includes a drink.  For 2, it was around 16 euros - which was a lot of food!  Go in the early afternoon when everything is still fresh though!  

We also went to the Royal Orchid Thai restaurant (Old Town)after having read a previous review - it really is a beautiful place and the food is excellent -thank you! Although it is a bit more pricy at 65 euros for 2 2 course meals with drinks, it is still cheaper than home and well worth it!  Ricardo's (Old Town) was quite nice - if you go to the top floor to eat you have a lovely sea view - and I would recommend Ricardo's mushrooms as a starter - stuffed with bacon and fried in garlic butter - mmmmm!  Bella Italia in the Strip was also lovely.  The only bad experience we had was in a restaurant in the Old Town which began with a V, something like Venedia(?)  We waited ages for our food and when it arrived it was terrible.  I ordered pasta amatriciana - spaghetti with tomato and bacon. However, when it arrived it was spaghetti with tomato ketchup and bits of thin sandwich ham.  The other meal which we ordered was a mixed meat kebab which was undercooked despite having been a long time coming!

Make sure you visit lots of gelatarias - the ice cream is lovely.  We tended to go for a meal and then find somewhere else for dessert!

Most of the bars in Albufeira are quite similar, selling cocktails with sparklers in them for about 6 euros each.  In terms of atmosphere, Cafe Del Mar at the strip and Las Vegas, Hot Shot Bar and the Geordie Viking (Old Town) were fun.  Prices are generally quite similar from pub to pub.

Watch out for English touts with scratch cards - same old same old - someone in your party wins and it's "nothing to do with time shares!".  Don't be taken in, we just told them we were going to meet people to get away from them - they are very irritating! 

If you want to go out on a boat when you are away, don't go on the big catamaran - go down to fisherman's beach in the old town and go out on a sort of motorised rowing boat with a real fisherman!  Go before high tide and he will take you through the grottos, show you the coastline and tell you about the area.  Avoid this however if you do not have sea legs!  It costs 13 euros per person for about an hour and a half+.  The beach is lovely but quite crowded, and you can watch the fisherman if you are out early enough.

There are loads of market stalls in the old town and I got lots of really nice jewellery for a reasonable price.  You can also buy pottery, leather goods, linen, lace, novelty items, sweets and souvenirs.

On the whole, I found Albuferia to be a nice place.  Although I usually want to be out sight seeing and exploring, I was content to enjoy the sun, beach, and food in Albuferia.  It is an excellent place for families and couples who want to relax and eat out, not so much for culture vultures.  Unlike places like Tenerife, it is not Britain in the sun, and has retained some of its original character particularly in the old town.  We found that a lot of Portugese people holiday there, as well as Canadian, Icelandic, German, French, Spanish, Irish, Scottish and English people. 

Overall, I had a lovely holiday in the sun in a place I would return to.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - May 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Lisa Curley

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Myself and partner Lewis stayed at the Aparthotel Paraiso de Albufeira in May 2004.  We booked an all inclusive package holiday through Thomas Cook and were not disappointed!

When we arrived at the impressive complex at approx 7pm and were quicky checked into our accommodation.  We booked a 1 bedroom apartment which for us and our 10 year old son.  The apartment was the most spacious we have ever stayed in and could easilly sleep 3 adults and 2 children.  The bathroom was big...and clean!!  We were on floor 5 and all rooms have a large balcony and have views of the pool.

After reading several comments about the food at this property all I can say we never experienced a bad meal throughout our stay.  The choice is varied and different every day.  Breakfast is continental and cooked.  The pool bar serves snacks such as hot-dogs, pizza, burgers and fries as well as ice cream and drinks.  For those who want to dine in the restaurant the food at lunch time is also varied. 
All the restaurant staff we found were helpful and friendly.

The only negative point I would say is that we would not have liked to have stayed at the Paraiso during school holidays as I would say that the q's would be endless but then this is to be expected at every all inclusive property.

The Paraiso is situated close to several supermarkets and is an ideal choice for guests on Self Catering.  All apartments are fully equiped and all have microwave, fridge and cooking utensils. 

The entertainment at the Paraiso is excellent.  There is something every night.  We had a Michael Jackson impersonater who was very convincing!!!  There is something going on every night and the JMC crew deserve credit for what they do. 

The strip is only about 15 mins walk away, plentiful bars and restaurants can be found here.

There are a choice of beaches to be found near the Paraiso.  The nearest is approx 15-20 mins walk, which sounds quite a way but it is a pleasant stroll (no hills)!!

The old town is approx 20-25 mins walk away but there are loads of cheap taxis to take you here, alternaively you could take the mini train which stops near the paraiso.  This will take you all around the resort and only costs 2 Euros per person.  The old town is beautiful and there is always something going on in the mian square, the best time to be there is around sunset.

Do NOT buy your excursions from the reps -they are a rip off.  There is a small ticket agent close to the Paraiso (on the way to the supermarket).  A must do trip is a visit to the Zoo Marine and the dolphin show is spectacular.  Also the gypsey market is well worth the visit.  Again, don't get your tickets from the reps - you can get the local bus for about a third of the price they charge (ask at reception for details of when buses go).

All in all, we had an excellent holiday and would definately go back to the Paraiso in the future.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - May 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Hooky, Tracy and Millie (41,29,3)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What a fantastic first impression!
The hotel looked like a palace from outside. Far better than any of the 3* that were normally stayed at. Amazing difference with this being a 4*.
The reception staff were very quick and efficient. We were in our room within no time.
We stayed in a one bedroom apartment on the reception floor and it was as big as a small bungalow. There were the three of us but we could easily have accomodated two more kids.
Even though we were All Inclusive there were all the kitchen appliances and utensils you would need for a Self Catering holiday at no extra charge.

The balcony stretched from one patio door in the living area to the other patio door in the bedroom.
The bathroom had a shower and bath with plenty of hot water day and night. The towels were changed every day except from one while we were there. The maid service was very good and the apartment was always clean.
The bedroom had loads of wardrobe and cupboard space and spare towels and pillows.
The apartment overall was very clean and spacious.
The hotel itself was huge, over 400 rooms. It took a little while to work out our bearings.
The breakfast and lunch area was different from the restaurant where we had our evening meals. There was also an a la carte restaurant which you had to pay for even if you were AI, but you possibly got it cheaper. We did not feel the need to have to use it.

All the meals were buffet style which is great for fussy kids. There was always something to tempt us.
The evening meals were served in a restaurant which is situated right at the bottom of the hotel. We spent a little while trying to find it but it is actually at the side of the nightclub in the base of the hotel. As with most of the 3* hotels in which we have stayed it is quite formal in there.

The nightclub is really trendy - the kids love it. They have there own nightclub hours up to about 9pm when they play games and have lots of music. The reps are excellent with the kids and they can join in no matter how young they are. They even had a parrot show while we were there.

There is other entertainment for the adults later in the nightclub. The reps also do adult shows. But if you prefer a more relaxed entertainment program then there is a bar area with very comfortable seating area on floor 3. Here they have a mixed nationality of singers each night. It is much more a relaxed atmosphere.
If you want to venture out of the hotel at night the strip is only about 10 mins walking distance to the right of the hotel. There are loads of bars, restaurants and shops in this area. But be aware if you continue to walk down to the beach from here you will have a hell of a walk back up again. The beach is down a very high slope and apparantly they call it Cardiac Hill (you will know why if you try to walk back up!).

During the day the pool area is fantastic. Some of the ground floor apartments, which do not have a balcony, step out on to a very nice grass area, which is then met by a big pool and a kids pool. Again you will be entertained by the reps around the pool area but there is no pressure to join in if you do not want to. You can get snack foods and drinks all day by the pool and the food is so much better than what we could compare to at a 3* hotel. Icecreams are served all day not just at certain times.

If you still want to relax but want to be away from the pool the the Old Town is worth a visit. The square is lovely. It is surrounded by tradition shops, restuarants and bars and little alley ways all around it. They have entertainment in the square during the day and night. The Old Town is very close to the beach. If you keep walking you will come to a tunnel in which you can see a beautiful beach and the sea. The Old Town is probably about 20 mins walking distance away from the hotel through little alleys (possibly a little longer with a pushchair).
Again the Strip also provides day entertainment.

To sum up the holiday...

Very clean. Friendly and helpful staff.
No problems with noise at night - we did not hear a thing.
Close enough to nightlife if desired.
Beautiful beach within walking distance.
Good food.
Good drink (Fosters included in All Inclusive.)
Excellent for kids.
Relaxing holiday.
Overall rating EXCELLENT.
(We have already booked up again to revisit in September. I even tried to book two days after getting home.)

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - March 2004

Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Narinder & Kim 36 & 41

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I read the reviews before after I had booked thius holiday and I was a worried, but I had nothing to worry about. 

I have stayed in Albufeira before, with the lads, in the Bellavista apartments, which were very good, JMC said it was okay to use the facilites of the Paraiso. I had alook around and thought this looks like a nice place to bring my Wife. The check in was swift with minimul delay and the apartment, slleps 5-6 people, was very clean large with plenty of storage space. The staff were very polite at the Paraiso throughout our stay. The apartment was cleaned every day and the towels were replaced every day as well. At night time the noise echoes in the corroidor so beware. The entertainment in the Bar Adao at night was okay/good but the drink the bar are expensive compared with the rest of the bars in Albufeira. On the whole a very good holiday as my wife enjoyued it. I wouldn't go to the Paraiso in the height of the season as I imagine it gets very busy.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : janice - leeds ( 46, 52 )

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel is spotless and clean,and it is a large hotel, we were a/inclusive.and there were people there self catering, and we spoke to a lot, it is a very expensive hotel for drinks,you will go through a fortune if you have kids. we arrived about 11pm so a/inc finishes at 11pm so we bought 2 pints of there larger, 6euros.also self catering have to pay 1.50euros a day for sun loungers. 

the worst thing was the meals,they were always cold. breakfast nothing much and always cold, no microwave to warm it up. lunch always cold.and evening meal. also not a lot of variety. so we stuck with the pool side snack-bar. it was a lot better at least if you got something hot it was hot.

would not go back to that hotel.dont rate it as a 4 star, stayed in better 3 stars.the entertainment staff are okay,but only do quizzes and killer pool, more for kids.also the pool is freezing.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : 

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I relly enjoyed Portugal. I wouldnt say it was the best holiday i have been on but it was very good!!! There is the strip you can go down at night time and there is also the old town which i highly reccomend. The old town is great. There are loads of bars, shops, stalls, restaurants, etc. It can get quite busy in the centre but i loved it!

The pool was always clean and the staff were alwys polite to you. There is also an indoor pool with a jacuzzi, but you do have to wear a cap!

I never ate in the hotel, i ate out every night. The hotel food was not meant to be that great! i would say you should go self catering not all inclusive.

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Paraiso de Albufeira - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : 45,45,45,45,17,16,13,13

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well we arrived at the hotel and to be honest first opinions were great looked fantastic reception was clean etc etc.

On the 2nd day me (16) and my cousin (17) went down the pool as you do and soon was talking to a load of other ppl there our ages and started to hang round with them. Anyway we all became dead good mates had a laf the facilities were good glam bar in particular and the football courts etc. 

However a few days into the holiday we was all in the pool havin a laf an stuff an the lifegaurd was on duty. we all jumped off the bridge over the pool which annoyed the lifegaurd, he came out with a load of abbusive language so we swam to the corner of the pool to see wot was wrong like. I wont go into details but a fight broke out.

Dont get me wrong like i know we shouldnt of jumped off the bridge but is this anyway to solve the problem?? I dont think so. Anyway me mate was going home on the sunday an this was on the thursday. The hotel said the lifegaurd was suspended for 2 weeks, as soon as me mate left on the sunday,guess wot, he was bak on duty on the monday but after another problem on the wednesday that was the lst we saw of him. 

Overall the holiday was good, had a laf, me new ppl, and got bladdered down the strip. if ye go the strip though, get a taxi bak. only bout 5 euros aswell

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Perola De Algarve Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice -  August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Mark & April - Chester (42,36)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Perola is ok but definitely not 4*, more like an average 3*. The room was very big but dated and was in desperate need of regrouting in places. The whole place echoed as well and I think women's heels should be banned from the complex - you'll know what I mean when you hear somebody checking in at 3am in the room above you.

Getting a sunbed was a nightmare in the morning and you brits should be ashamed of yourselves at getting up at 6am to "allocate" sunbeds. The Perola should adopt a fee to charge for each sunbed that will stop you selfish brits allocating sunbeds for your kids who don't even sunbath!!!!!! There was even a row between a british couple and a dutch couple who nicked their sunbeds! haha, the british guy even had to cheek to say that they were their sunbeds and they used them everyday - HOW DARE YOU! I was ashamed to be sat next to you!

The hotel entertainment was garbage for peak season. The hotel manager, ahem aka Brian Potter (Phoenix Nights anybody), was jack of all trades, come karaoke organiser / bingo caller / singer - PLEASE! I think tourist boards really need to get a grip of what us brits want out of a holiday.

The supermarket up the road is good and was just as busy as my local Asda. There was a cafe next to the supermarket which sold great food and excellent cakes (sorry can't remember the name).

The Strip was rubbish, I would class it as mini-Benidorm - the entertainment for peak season in ALL of the bars was abismal, absolutely awful and I think the bar owners should be ashamed of themselves, the old town was probably better but it was really busy during the peak times.  The best place we ate was Lisa's Italian - really nice food there. We did see approx 70 people queing for a taxi at 11pm !!! One of the good things about the Perola was you could walk to the old town and the strip either way in 15 minutes.

All in all, OK for 1 week, won't go to The Algarve again though - nothing to do and not much to see really.

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Perola De Algarve Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Lou - Cardiff (22,21,21,20)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I went to the Algarve with 3 girly mates. We wanted a sunshine holiday after our uni exams, nothing to wild but still somewhere with a good beach, plenty to do during the day and a good night life. We stumbled across this in the brochure and never looked back!

I've always stayed in good accomodation (4 star and above with family) so was dubious about finding nice accomodation that didnt cost the earth. We booked the Perola due to its good ratings in the brochure, and I have to say they were quite accurate.

The apartment we had was excellent. Clean, spacious and comfortable.  I can see why First Choice don't quite give the Perola a 4 star cuz it does lack a few of the added extras, but all the same the quality of the accomadtion was really good.

The pool was great, even though the sun is pretty much always on it, it still can be a little chilly wen you first get in.
This hotel is ideally located.  Its right by a big supermarket for those who will actually use the kitchenette (we ate out every night).  At the top of a fairly steep hill and along on the left u can catch the tourist train which if you are quite lazy (like we are sometimes) you can catch it right to the 'Strip', or on to the beach or right round to the Old Town.  The only pain is that it only goes one way, so if you didn't want to walk from the Perola to the Old Town it would take about 45 mins in the tourist train.  However there are an abundance of taxis around if you want something faster. Drivers are friendly, its on the meter so you never get ripped off or pay more than 4 euros to get around Albuferia even in the wee small hours.  Everythoing is quite accessible by foot and with the warm evenings in the summer its often nice to stroll down to the 'Strip.'

We all had a fantastic time.  We went on a lot of trips with the tour operater so did see a bit more than just Albuferia.  I would reccommend this hotel to anyone-families or groups of friends. It was fantastic!

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Perola De Algarve Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice May - 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Vicky - Medway

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Dreadful hotel, had to move to another hotel, although clean, there was just nothing to do, the rooms was in need of decoration - the whole hotel was, indoor pool was smelly and just horrible. It was very upsetting as we had paid £1000 for 2 adults, 1 child, if we had got late cheap deal then maybe not too bad but not when you paid this amount for a 3 + star rating and hotel is meant to be 4 *.

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Perola De Algarve Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : V Harrison-Kent (32,42,8

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just come back from the Perola De Algarve Apartments in Albufeira and wanted to warn anyone thats thinking of going that this hotel is no way a 3+ hotel as stated in first choice brochure, in our minds should only be 1 star. Was very disapointed when arrived. 

Had booked 6 months in advance, paid £250 each and £139 for child for the 3 of us and was disgusted at paying this amount for a dreadful hotel, The hotel should be closed down for a year and completely gutted and refurbished, redecorated - the lot, the indoor pool was the worst-smelly , cold, hit my head on the very low ceiling, tatty old pipes round the walls it just looked like an old garage with a pool stuck in it!!!, nothing at all for the kids to do, no kettle in room, just complete dreadful. 

After one day we asked if we could be moved to another hotel after moaning to rep for whole day but the best she could do was move us at our expense to 4*hotel and we had to pay another £200 quid, but anything to get out of there so we agreed and had for the rest 6 days a great time at the Vila Petra up the road near the strip. This was like a palace and hugely recommended hotel, perfect in everyway for us all. The only thing I would say about the Perola it was in a good area, reception friendly, just about clean but thats about it!  

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: september 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : c aubrey  herefordshire 52

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we have just returned from a holiday staying at patio village and found it to be very relaxing. the rooms were very clean and well equipped. the only disappiontment we found was the entertainment in the bar at night. we found that the hotel bus was very handy as we found it difficult to get a taxi from the town during the day. we have visited the resort several times before and always find the old town a charming and clean place to visit without being pestered every minute of the day by time share touts. 

we would recommend this holiday to anyone that is looking for a relaxing holiday in pleasant surroundings with friendly staff to look after them.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Amy Wright 31, 35, 02

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our holiday in the algarve, where we stayed at Pateo Village. Over the week, the accomodation was lovely. Apartments very spacious and clean. Had maid service 5 times a week, and entertainment was provided every night (which i admit wasnt very good but the option is there for you. Reception staff are the only let down, they are very rube and never seem to want to help. Our First Choice was Fantastic, extremley helpful, friendly and always around. We often went to her in the afternoon for a chat and she always had time for us, unlike some reps we have had in the past.
No security issues either with the rooms which i read, there was a problem. 

On whole a brilliant holiday!!

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : S. Ward - Notts (51, 42, 13)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Spacious good quality accomodation, ideal for families. Freindly staff in the restaurant and reception, who spoke good English. The fast food was adequate, and the service good. No security problems, using the 'safe' and door chains. The location was at the top of a long, never ending hill, and not ideal for children or elderly. Taxis cheap and better value than the courtesy bus, but long queues for taxis during day and late at night. The 'old town' definitely better than the nearby 'strip', and an ideal base for good restaurants and beach. All path cobbled and dangerous for ladies in heels!!

Only real gripes about the Pateo village were the blatant misuse of towels to reserve beds by selfish holiday makers of all nationalities, despite a 'rule' which wasn't enforced. Beds all covered in towels by 8am with little sign of the users for hours.

Rep friendly, but a slightly 'robotic' introduction, emphasising the sale of booked return seats (a rip-off for those who pay)phone cards and expensive trips.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Alison - Wiltshire (43, 33, 9, 7)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed a week over the half term and really enjoyed  it.
The apartments were spacious and still in a good condition. Maid service was great 5 days out of the 7.
All receptionists spoke decent English, and I would recommend investigating doing trips through the hotel rather than First Choice as they offered discounts, seemed cheaper and with the same Tour Company.
The shop was great to pick up fresh bread rolls and milk etc. It didn't seem too expensive but there is a small supermarket 2 mintues down the hill.

We had heaps of things we wanted to do but never got further than the pool! Never had to fight for the sunbeds and pool wasn't crowded. Kids made friends and weren't much interested in doing anything else.
Entertainment in the bar (only 12 tables inside with 4 on the patio) was 'ok' for a small place. Nothing really got going til people come back from eating out about 9.30pm onwards.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Neil - Greenock (42,32)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked a week at Pateo Village in May 2006 and were apprehensive after eeading reports regarding the lack of security. However we had no problems and heard of none during our stay although we did lock the door and keep the cahin on at all times while in the apartment and used a Security Vault in the room.

We found the accomodation spacious and well equipped but found that the coffee shop was expensive and served poor quality food, entertainment was extremely poor and the on site supermarket was about 20% more expensive than the other one just down the hill. The "courtesy" bus is a con as it is not free and works out more expensive than taxis. Our opinion of the accomodation was that if they could get more money out of you for any service then they would. Also the pools were freezing cold even the kids wouldn't get in.

Albufiera is great for eating out and reasonably priced - although I had the famed Chicken Piri Piri on a couple of occassions and must say I've had hotter soup.

Reps are only interested ins elling trips, phone cards and pre-booked seats on the retrun flight (don't do it unless you want to waste some money) - trips can be booked elsewhere cheaper.

Also had problems with late pick up on the way home which meant we were rushed through the airport with next to no time for duty free or food.

Thouroughly enjoed our second visit to the Algarve but just the above irritations which we weren't going to let spoil our stay

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Phil and Jenny (35,33,10,7)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at these appartments fearing the worst after reading about the security problems. However we were reassured on our first day that all locks had been changed , cctv cameras had been put up and chains placed on all doors. Whilst we were there we heard of no security problems at all so hopefully for anybody else going there this has been properly sorted for good.

The apartments are very clean and very big for 1 bedroom. The Pateo Village is quite small and so although you dont get problems with overcrowding there is not much to do activity wise in the day. The pools are great and although cold it is what you need after lying in the sun.

I was a little disappointed in the pool table and table tennis as they were both outside and not in the best condition. My kids would have played on these alot but were unable too and this was a let down.
Most things to be said about the Algarve already have been so I wont really go into that. We have been to the Algarve twice and would definatly go back again, the beaches are great and the people very friendly.

One thing to be noted is that if you pay for your kids to go to the soccer school you have to pay for the transport extra when you get there. This works out at 7E each per day so if you have 2 kids for the 4 day course it can be an expense you were not expecting.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Laura Skews - Essex (21, 27)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in Pateo Village last year and very much enjoyed it.  The resort is small and secuded, the rooms are clean and spacious with balconies which open right onto the grass area and pool.  Although the pool is very cold this is not a problem if you go in summer - you are just grateful for the cooling off!  There is a bar by the pool (I noticed some other reviews saying there wasnt but if must have been built since).  The bar serves hot snacks, drinks and ice creams and staff are friendly and speak good English.  We didnt have any issues with security and felt very safe. 

There is a small supermarket on site and doesnt seem as expensive as other reviewers have made out, we only bought the basics though as ate lunches in the bar and dinner in the Old Town every night.  Its true that there are very few leisure facilities on the complex which may be a problem for people with children however it was perfect for couples like us as it was peaceful during the day and within walking distance of the Old Town.

You do need to be prepared for a twenty minute walk to the Old Town although my partner and I never found it too much of a struggle.  The Old Town itself is lovely with great restaurents - we especially enjoyed sitting at one of the many cocktail bars along the cobble street and watching the world go by.  At the end of the Old Town there is a fabulous Mexican restaurent which we loved so much we went there twice in one week!  You do need to get a cab to the strip from the Old Town but there are plenty available and it only costs a few Euros.  We were a bit disapointed with the nightclubs as they all seemed to play the same music so most nights stayed in the Old Town sipping cocktails, watching the street performers and listening to some of the live music.

We went on two trips - the best being the Jeep Safari.  We would recommend this to anyone as it is both fun and interesting, a great day with v entertaining local drivers.  However we were slightly disapointed by the Zoomarine as there wasnt as much to see as hoped (possibly better if you have children).I think Pateo Village is good for couples who want a balance of night life and quiet time together but if you want a younger crowd and closer to the nightlife then you may want something nearer the strip. 

Overall a great resort and accmodation.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Sally  - Manchester (30,28,4,1)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at Pateo Village for 10 night stay. First impressions very modern and pleasant. Check in time was 5 minutes. We had to wait around for 30 minutes till the room was ready. When it was, it was lovely and clean, in my opinion quality self catering apartments, everything worked. TV had some english channels. Kitchen fully equipped with everything you could need.Full size cooker, fridge, plently of plates, crockery, pans the lot. Cant fault it. We were on the ground floor (due to baby) over looking the grassy area (good for sunbathing on too). Great stuff, good size patio. Bathroom was huge, bath and separte shower cubicle, large sink/vanity area. Hot water no problem as each apartment has there own water heater. Outdoor pools were good but water cold even with algarve temperature's at 38c, plenty of sunbeds too. Well stocked on site mini market prices not anymore expensive than other local shops in the area.

First choice rep's were always around, and dont hassle you to buy there trips etc.

Childrens playground was good. Swings roundabout, see-saw the kids on the site loved it and gives them an alternative away from the pool.

We had no problems with security whilst we were there. Rooms have got Safety Chain's on the door. We used ours all the time just in case.

Pateo village was up on the outskirts of the old town, quite a steady climb but i found Albuferia to be like that anyway, and it wasnt a problem for us. Taxis approx 4 Euros from old town back to apartments which is not bad and saves your legs!

Old Town at night was lovely, always something going on in the square. Music playing, those statue people etc etc. Nice restaurants approx cost of meal for 4, 25-30 euros.
 
The Strip was ok, but was more geared up for bars/disco's than the old town. So if you fancy a change you can go there.
 
Must try the tourist train, its a 45 minute round trip round Albuferia, 3 euros for day ticket, and you can get on and off as you like (it stops at 3 places only).

We will be going back to Pateo Village next year. We loved it.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice 05 june

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we have just returned from pateo village  one big down side to them is that there is nothing at all to do during the day the kids got fed up....the pool table was situated where the wind blew a gale and was 6 euro a time and there was only one table! not enough sun beds ! and the pool was a little bit dirty and the slabs very uneven also it was to far from anywhere .On the better side the appartment although basic was clean .beware if you go into the old town at night it is full of beggars

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Gary Davison Alison Berry 32,25

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I am very sad to report that Pateo Village has a SEVERE security breach.  I have just returned from there (26th May 05) after my room was burgled.  Our room was "done" on the 24th May, along with 2 other rooms the same night.  The burglers simply "let them selves in" with a key,  and took our money,video camera and camera.(which were locked away in our "inroom safe").  After checking various websites, I am very disturbed to learn that there are MANY MANY reports of similer thefts at this complex. Some have even involved the intruders actually entering the rooms whilst guests have been asleep in the SAME ROOM.  I have also since learned that some "master keys" were stolen some months ago!!!  Please be warned that this complex is NOT SECURE in the slightest.  Please be careful

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : N. Kitching - Scotland

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

These apartments have a security problem.  There has been a catalogue of break-ins so be careful.  We were burgled in the middle of the night along with 4 other apartments.  They stole my wallet and camera from the living room where we were sleeping without us even waking up.  The burglars must have had a key to the front door.  Another couple woke up and chased the burglars away.

Hotel say that they have increased security (new chain locks) but I would check with the rep and the hotel when you arrive.

It is a nice place but a bit out in the sticks.  Too far from the town centre or beach to feel like a real holiday.  We hired a car which was great for getting to other beaches.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - may 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : tarry - stafford ( 24,23)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we enjoyed our stay at pateo village we thought the apts were of a very good standard although the apts were out of town about 20 mins walk not ideal for those who dont like walking.
there is a hotel bus that runs every couple of hours to the old town for a one way trip was only 1 euro each 2.50 return taxis were of average price between 3 to 5 euros.
i would reccomend ladies taking flat shoes to go with every outfit as the resort is very hilly and cobbled streets!
we found a lovely friendly resturante by the beach in old town cant remember what it is called but it is on your right as you go through the tunnel.
food and drink is about the same as you would pay in the uk.
we enjoyed our stay 1 week was long enough dont think we will be rushing back!

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice -march 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : donna milburn -leicester( group of 8 from 3 to 50yrs!)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the resort was pleasant and staff very friendly and helpful
as others have said it was a way out from shops etc but that didnt stop the kids having fun.
this was my children (4 and 5 ) first times abroad and it was nice not to hot but not cold
there was no coffe maker in there as brochure says i dont drink coffe so no probs!
tv channels were limited and different everytime the tv was on we had cbeebies then sky news on the same channel!
there wasnt a pool side bar though it did look like it was coming, and there was alaundrete though we never used it

would recommend this holiday the beach was great and clean

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : brummies- birmingham 49,44,15,17

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Pateo Village Apartment was very clean & the kitchen was very well equipped, no complaints at all. Our only gripe is that you have to walk up & down a huge hill, no problem for us but senior citizens would struggle. There are only a few bars close by & walk of about a mile takes you to the old town which is full of bars & restaurants.There is a bus service from pateo village which is quite good, but after about 9.30pm you have to use a taxi if you are going further than the old town. We only went for one week, any longer than that you would need to hire a car as you are quite isolated at the top of the "HILL". 

We enjoyed ourselves but found a week was sufficient.     

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice-February 2004

Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : C&C   wales  (27,30)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We spent two weeks at Pateo Village.
When we arrived it was a scramble to get a room,there was a coach load of us so check in was horrendus we waited 4 hrs and by then fed up,when we finally had the keys to our apartment we were thrilled they were practically brand new,everything was spotless!!

when we stayed there was no entertainment & little to do although we had a tv that had many english channels.
Now we come to outside the complex,there  are two supermarkets within 10min walk but they dont stock much & were expensive,there is nothing near Pateo so you need  to walk down to Albufeira old town which is  around 20-30min away depending how fast you can walk downhill,but when you get there its very a charming old town.

Although first impressions of Pateo Village are that you have been dumped up on a hill (that was my first impression)
& you dont mind walking its a great place if you want a get away from it all break,as the actual appartments are faultless and cant wish for more.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: uniet -aug 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : brian clifford -essex(39,37,13,11)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Very nice place but we found it more geared up for younger family's .
Staff were quite helpfull but not in your face.Food was fairly priced  same as you would pay at home.
Taxi's were 5euros into town. and at night you had to wait for sometime to get a return. building going on across the road and was very loud early every morning.

We had a few trips out and would reccomend the jeep safari and the aqua parc. We found this part of portugal ok but wont be rushing back ,but it is worth a look ,and the temp's are good for young children.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice- april 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Sarah, clif, Sa, & Kate 36, 34, 5, 1

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The pateo village is quite new so the apt.s are in good condition. When we went it was nice and quiet and we found it the ideal size for us.  The rooms are equipped with microwave, a proper cooker with oven, tv, fridge.  the storage for clothes was a bit on the small size though, the room was supposed to be for 4 adults and a child, the children had the bedroom and we slept in the living room, not something i would like to repeat.  It has always puzzed me why electric points are put in the most dangerous places in holiday apts.  only place in the kithen for the microwave was on the sink next to the water. derrrr!

The brochure promised multi sports surface, adventure playground and launderette, however the sports surfave was only being laid when we arrived and the lauderette was merely a hole in the wall about to be constructed.  the "adventure" playground is a roundabout, a wobbly motorbike and two swings.  i have taken this up with first choice and they admit it was a mistake.  So, check what the brochure says and ask your travel agent to check that the launderette has now been built, if not complain.  We enjoyed our stay at the apts. the only downside is that the outdoor pools were absolutley freezing, too cold for our children to go in, I wonder if they will heat up in the summer.?  Excursions: Zoomarine was excellent, Krazy world very good for the children. Rep fairly helpful, but don`t be fooled by salesperson who attends the welcome meeting trying to get you to go for a day out at some villa they want to show you, its timeshare.

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Pateo Village - Pateo, Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - March / April 2004

Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : 60,57

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have visited the Algarve for many years and have stayed at many self catering apartments. This holiday was taken from 20th March to 3rd April 2004 and we did not know where we would be staying. We had booked a studio apartment.
On landing we were told we would be staying a the Pateo Village at Albuferia. We were very pleased to be going back to Albferia but we hoped it was not the Strip part.
We were in fact just outside the old part of the town.

On arrival the Pateo Village was a set of lovely apartments and we ended up on the top floor which resembled a small bungalow with a massive patio facing east west  with sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening.. There is entertainment but there was not enough people there to make it lively enough.
The only item we lacked was a patio table and despite requests we were never given one during the fortnight - it was too cold at 9am and 6pm to sit out anyway.

Our studio turned out to be a really good big apartment. Last year we stayed at the Paraiso on self catering we felt this was just as good.
The town is 15 minutes walk away downhill and didnt seem to take long - we took a taxi once to do a big shop from the Modelo supaermarket - but we found lots of different routes to explore to get to the town. 

We enjoyed the apartment and Albuferia very much and would willingly go back there again.

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Paulex Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: September 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Sally Butler 42 and 46

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hi, having just returned from a great week, I thought I would let everyone else know that the Paulex Apartments were lovely, very spacious and very clean.
They are situated about 5-10 mins walk from the beach and the old town. Its all downhill on the way there, but quite a steep walk uphill on the way back. You can use the steps by the beach but can walk up the hill behind the shops if its easier.

The old town is lovely, with loads of atmosphere at night,lots of places to eat and have a drink.
The beach is lovely, very safe for children, but can be bit windy and some days there were very large waves.
The boat trip from the four flags is well worth doing (weather permitting) for 12.50euros, and the jeep safari with Green Safaris is an excellent day out. Zoo marine is also well worth a visit and you can book on the day if you want to swim with the dolphins for 130.00 euros, well worth the experience if a bit pricey! All in all a great holiday, lovely weather, lovely apartemnt and great resort. Will definetley be back....

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Paulex Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: 2cantravel - 2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : george and elizabeth clyde 49-42

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived in the apartments around midnight,and there was only one old woman who could not speak any english, to meet us and we had to go and find her.
During are stay we seen the recieptionist
twice and he was not the most pleasant person we ever met.He charged us for the phone call to arrange pickup to go to the airport.
The room was large and well kept although there were steel shutters on all the windows and doors,that you were adviced to keep closed.
The hotel was at the top of a hill and could be hard to get to if you have walking problems. We where only there for four nights and that was enough,thank god it wasn't a fortnight.
Would we go back-no, Would we stay in the stay in the same hotel,definitly not.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomson-August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : 17 people- (from 9-50)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we arrived in Perola Do Algarve, and all 17 of us were rather disapointed. the coach stopped off at many destinations which looked above 4 star. we had to go down a very steep hill to get to our hotel which was situated at the bottom. Our first thoughts were good of the hotel, except for the location. the hotel looked clean and the staff were friendly. the rooms were spacious and clean. The pool is a fair size however the sunbeds are all cramped together and hardly any room. to get a bed you will need to get up around 6 o clock and put your towels out. there is a shaded area with palm trees around the back which is nearly always empty and a ideal place if you want shade. at the top of the hill outside Perola is a train which takes you to the 'old town' and the 'strip'. The strip is crowded and is for the younger people. at weekends the strip is known for the locals and gets very busy. however the old town is busy but for the middle aged people. there are many restaurants that are nice and cheap. There is a lot of entertainment in the old town which is good for familys.

if you want to get a cab into or out of the hotel it costs only 4 euro!!!!!
on the trips to the cruise boat and zoo marine it comes nearly an hour late as the coaches are full or another excuse they may give. Zoo marine is very very good. if you are planning to swim with dolphins...which i did its amazing and you can book on the day. well worth a try..once in a lifetime oppertunity!!!!!
the bars & restaurants i advise are:
-Lizas italian
-linekers
-central station
-garage bar
-matts bar
-liberto's
-charlies bar
if you are planning to get out of the pool in the perola visit the Brisa Sol next door..the pool is great and spacious and the hotel is a 4 star!!! unlike the perola which pretends to be a 4 star!!!! more like a 2 star in my opinion..!!!!

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: Thomson - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Jess - London (47,46,47,47,41,41,42,41,22,20,19,18,17,15,14,12,9)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The apartments are very nice and spacious and they are very clean. The pool area is nice and clean, although it is a bit of a fight for sunbeds! The food from the snack bar is adequate and the staff are friendly! If you find that the pool area is too full one day , the Brisa Sol which is next door , always has space and is a very nice place for families. The hotel is in a good position as it is situated between the new and old towns!

The beach is nice , personally I only went there once. The old town beach is a bit of a walk , it takes about 20 minutes. The beach is nice but is often very packed! I wouldn't advise the new beach unless you are willing to take a taxi both there and back! Walking down there isn't bad , but walking back isn't advisable as you have to walk up Cardiac Hill, and as you can tell by the name it isn't the greatest hill to walk up!!

In the new town , I would recommend eating at Big Shanghai ( a Chinese restaurant with an excellent reputation , a bit pricy but delicious!! I would recomment the crispy Aromatic duck and the sweet and sour chicken! ) and Royal ( a Indian restaurant as well with an excellent reputation, I would recommend the Chicken Korma or the Tikka MAsala Balti)!! In the old town I would recomment Madeira House . It has the nicest soup I have ever tasted and the swordfish is delicious!!

If you're Irish you would absolutely love Erins Isle which is situated right at the very top of the strip! It's plays great Irish music and has a great atmosphere! In the old town I would recommend Central Station for the younger people. It plays really good music and becomes a club as the night goes on!

All the children (including myself) went to Slide and Splash. Pesonally I thought it was a great day out as there is something for everyone! The queues are short and the rides are worth any sort of queue there is! While we were doing that , the adults were on Jeep Safari in the mountains and recommend it as it shows you the real Portugal. You visit little villages, eat delicious lunches at make many new friends! I would also recommend the Zoomarine trip! There are dolphin shows, seal and sea lion shows and many different types of animals. The best bit about Zoomarine was that the children went swimming with dolphins. It was absolutely amazing!! Portugal is the only place in the world that allows you to actually touch the dolphins, and allows you to have just over 30 minutes in the water. The dolphins are beautiful creatures and completely harmless and you will never experience anything like swimming with dolphins at Zoomarine!! 

The last trip we did was the Beach Bbq Cruise. The adults loved it and the kids had fun too! You're on the boat for two hours sailing along the south coast of portugal. You stop off at a lovely beach and the food is made fresh on the bbq on the beach! After lunch there is a game of football. in total you spend about 3 hours on the beach before returning onto the boat for a comfortable 2 hours back along the coast. (Sorry to dissapoint some people but this trip is exclusive to thomson!!)

Overall our holiday was fun and enjoyable!!!

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: skttours-may 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : ronnie barrow-leeds (60,59.59.56)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this is one of the best apartments we have stayed in .All three couples got a free upgrade. it is situated between old town and the strip.taxi fair less than 4 euros.you cant walk to either in 10 minutes.thers a shopping centre on the door step.lots of very good restaurants close by

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Paul,Garry,Mick,Dave,Geff 

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just  got back from a weeks stay at the Perola Do Algarve The apartments look a bit dated on the outside but they were being painted while we were there. The inside is very clean and the staff were freindly and helpful, The pool is well maintained and there were plenty of sunlouger's for everyone. 5 of us stayed in a double bedroomed apartment equipt with a television (free to use) coffee maker and double electric hob, no kettle though! one of the bedrooms even had a small bathroom!. The cleaner's regularly cleaned the room's and were very friendly.
I wouldn't hesitate going back to the Perola, it is excellent value for money. If your on a budget book the Perola Do Algarve.

The apartment's are situated more or less in the middle of the old town and the new town it's about a 10-15 minute stroll to either one. The new town is excellent for younger people (20's) the old town was more for us (36 to 50) Although the main square in the old town is being rebuilt and there is a lot of building work going on, it's supposed to be complete next month but i reckon it will be another 2/3 months at least. It's not a major problem though and all the bar's and resturant's are still open.
The best bar we found was The Rock Bar(The one with the Tall Guy stood at the door 7'1" honest!)He is a really nice guy though as were all the bar staff,kept giving us free shots! The resident rock band they had on were outstanding.There is also a resturant above the Rock Bar that is very good.
The Beaches around the old town are superb and very clean.
This is the first time me and the lad's have been to Portugal and we will definetly go back again in a couple of years and stay at the Perola Do Algarve. 

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Michael McFaul -56,54,21

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Located in the centre of Albufeira with a huge hypermarket nearby and quick access to the old town by taxi for c. 4 euros or the tourist train @ 3 euros for an all-day ticket.

This was one of the best apartments we have had - spacious with plenty of storage, good bathroom, endless hot water, TV etc. I was a bit worried about the electrical socket directly behind the kitchen tap though.
The old town is the nicest part of Albufeira though at the time of writing the whole centre was being dug up and re-designed - notices suggested the work would be completed by May 2006.
The rest of the resort including the 'Strip' could be anywhere - all the usual souvenir shops, bars and restaurants.
We hired a car for a few days and visited some of the mountain villages - Caldas de Monchique stnads out as a real beauty spot. Cape St. Vincent really does feel like the end of the world.

We had torrential rain one day but the rest of the week was mostly warm and sunny - actually hot on one day.
Prices similar to UK

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice October 05

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Trisha, Craig, Wee Craig and Nicola

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went in October 05.  Wasn't that hot but still, hot enough!  Definitely is not a 4 star BUT is definitely a 3 star!!  (I mean this in a very good way).  

Anyway, from the outside, Perola Do Algarve could do with a lick of paint. Inside the apartments is very spacious and very clean.  Maid service is very regular and always with courtesy!! Reception staff are friendly and very helpful too. Entertainment is not that good but with only a short distance (by walking - 20 mins or by taxi - 3.50 euros) from both the old and new towns, there is not a lot to moan about as there is always something in both places to keep you entertained.  There is a supermarket (quite big) just across from the apartments, so this is great if you are self catering as this has everything that you will need.  

We were only there for 1 week in Oct 05 but we ate 3 times in a Thai restaurant called the Royal Orchid.  It is absolutely gorgeous!!!  I mean the surroundings and the food!!  The food is out of this world! Not a lot of people know about this restaurant, not even some of the taxi drivers! But it is definitely worth the visit!  There is a lot of really good places for eating out but I would definitely recommend the Royal Orchid if you like Thai or Chinese food. 

Anyway, can't wait to go back to Albufeira, even if it is just to back to the Royal Orchid!!  Let me know if you have been there and what you thought of it.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Nicola McNally - Sunderland (40,34,16,9,7)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was badly situated but very well accomodating, we had easy access to the Strip and the Old Town with taxi journey costing only a couple of euros either way. 

We had a large supermarket, well stocked on the doorstep and reasonably priced.  We had never been to the Algarve before and really enjoyed it, the hotel entertainment was poor but we ventured into the Old Town mainly and it was excellent, there were live bands, street entertainers, lively pubs and restaurants and a buzzing atmosphere.  We recommend Ricardos (an italian restaurant) which was excellent, unless you like raw steak. All other meals were great, however, unlike El Rancho a restaurant at the Strip, the meal there was horrendous, we sent ours back.  We could recommend the Sizzling Stone at the Strip, it was very good!  Opposite our hotel was McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut, so there was enough to suit all tastes.  

The beaches were very clean with plenty of watersports.  The hotel rooms were very spacious but basic although were cleaned every day. Bedlinen was changed about 4 times in the week, towels everyday. The pool was large and also had a childrens pool.  It was probably a 3 star rather than a 4 star.  We would definatley go back but to another hotel, possibly nearer the Old Town.  

Overall a very good holiday.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : John - Manchester (48, 41, 12, 8)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The location of this hotel is possibly not ideal in that it is located at the rear of a shopping mall, with one of the car park entrance/exit opposite the hotel entrance which can mean dodging the traffic congestion during busy periods. The refuse bins at the side of the shopping centre do not smell pleasant during the hot weather. It is also on a steep hill, meaning a an uphill walk to the main road. The large supermarket here is very good though so there is no problem stocking up on provisions.

The Hotel apartments are very good, clean and comfortable, although in ours the bathroom was showing signs of wear and tear.

The hotel generally was kept clean and tidy with polite and helpful staff. Although it does look a little dated.

The area surrounding the pool could have benefited from a hose down as it was a little dirty. The concrete terrace around the pool was too small (at least for the numbers during peak season) and it proved almost impossible to get a sunbed after 9:30 as too many people 'reserved' them with towels but never used them until the afternoon. There was also a small grassed area at the rear of the hotel which could also be used for sunbathing. The pool was a good size and the kids enjoyed it.

The hotel ran a courtesy bus to 'fishermans' beach (which is very good), once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Otherwise it was about a 25min walk.

We didn't eat in the hotel so cannot comment on the food. We ate out every evening, but it was a good walk to find any decent restaurants (at least it provides plenty of exercise). We particularly liked Fabios Steak House. Plenty of good restaurants can be found nearer or in the old-town.

The hotel bar was, in my opinion, nothing special (charged e1.90 for a can of coke!) with at best 2nd rate entertainment, not worth hurrying back for in the evening. When they showed football matches the bar closed immediatley after the final whistle.

We found the best way to get around, apart from walking, was either taxis which are relatively cheap, of a day ticket (e3 each) on the 'noddy' train. You can go to beach/old town and the strip by using the train during the day and evenings.

The square in the old town had some good entertainers in the evenings as well as many bars, resaurants, shops and stall in the small street and walkways.

Overall though a good enjoyable holiday, I would not go back there again, but then very rarely have I gone anywhere twice.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : The Day Family (46, 44, 16, 13)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Returned yesterday from the Perola do Algarve apartments. The hotel was clean, The staff were very helpful but take a kettle if you are a tea/coffee drinker. Great pool for swimmers. The poolside bar is very good for snacks, Meals in restaurant disappointing. The Perola was in a great position surrounded by good restaurants and bars and a free hotel bus to the beach everyday. 

Overall a good holiday.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Kate - Cheshire (26)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

his hotel was very nice with good facilities. The apartments are spacious and were kept very clean with maid service 6 days a week. The self catering facilities are great - everything you need to cook a meal and a fab supermarket less than 5 minutes walk away. You don't have to pay a deposit for the TV or air con controls, but you will be charged 15 euros if you lose them.

Food from the hotel pool bar is nice and quite reasonably priced. As a word of warning, if you want a sunbed by the pool you will have to get out there before 10am at the latest! The pool is freezing when you first get in but soon warms up!

The resort itself is great, plenty of bars and restaurants, all within walking distance. Our favourite bar was Cafe Del Mar, but if you want cheaper drinks you're better off walking up the strip rather than down it. Old town has nicer restaurants - those on the front just up from Fishermans beach have lovely sea food dishes.

We would definitely recommend this hotel and resort to others.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: First Chioce (June2005)

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Very nice apartments a well stocked supermarket just across the road with lots of other outlets where you can buy everthing you need. there is a pizza hut to hand and a burger king if that is what you are looking for, avery nice coffee shop aswell serving sandwiches e.t.c.
There is a tractor train running into Albefara and to the beach every 15 minutes good value at only 6 euros for a day ticket using as many times and getting on and off as you please, this also runs through the strip at Montechoro.
The apartments were clean and towels were changed everyday.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : wendy 39  39 37 34

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Just got back from a week in this brilliant place,went on a girlie holiday.Staff at the hotel were extremely brill rooms were pleasant although i would not call them 4 star ,not far from the old and the new town only costs 3 euros 50 for taxi to either ,i would recommend eating at pampers in the old town .Macdonalds and pizza hut over the road ,would def go back there again .

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - March 05

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Heather Monney (17,40,42,11,42,41)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well i'm only 17 years old and every teenager at my age has to have a gr8 holiday as most of you would know. When we arrived in Albufeira it was absolutely scorching...the heat was gr8. As we entered the apartments the reception desk is the very first thing u see...there are stairs goin up to your right which lead to the bar...the barmen are gr8 in there a big hello to Jack(ma wee pal).

When we got in our rooms it was very spacious and my aunt and uncle were located right next door to us...it was very clean and very fresh with extra towels and sheets if needed...our rooms had pool view and the sun was straight at us. The apartments are in a horseshoe kind off shape which i really like.

The pool is a reasonable size with a small area for small kids....next to the pool there is a little snack place which is well shaded with seats and tables to get a snack....there are 3 main people who run this who are my little cook Francisco...my lady in red Berentia and the mad man Percoz. they are very nice and helpful and good to be with.

The entertainment is ok but not excellent...but you are only 10 mins from the old town which is very good and interesetin with a lot to do and see...and only 10 minutes from the "strip" which is all the bars pubs and discos...this runs for about 2 miles and is very good if you want a laugh and a party.

But overall i think this place and apartments are absolutely excellent and i am desperate to go back in June...so to all my little friends in Portugal The Daftttiiieeee will be back soon :P:P

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: first choise

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : kim 50 48

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

well it doesnt look to welcoming from the outside but it is rally nice we have just come back from a weeks break. there is no kettle but take your own if that is something that you might have a issue with. staff friendly and very  helpfull. the stink of sewage is actually a rubbish bin outside the marrket which gets changed every couple of days and to be honest you only notice as you walk past but what can you expect its a hot counntry. this is our second time in albuferia and we will be back. food and drink is cheap , beaches clean, locals friendly what more can you ask for. 

the old town is lovely and you just hop on and of the tourist train to get there if you arwe not up to the walk, its only 10 min s, we would thourghly reccommend it to young and old a like but there are a few hills and the gpavements are cobbled so perhaps not for those unsteady on thier feet     

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Dec 2004

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : John Thomas - Bristol

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed half board over the Christmas period 2004 and chose this hotel because First Choices brochure quotes a 'indoor leaisure' facilities, and a 'varied entertainment' program. We paid almost £500 per head and was expecting an enjoyable stay. 

Our room was good excepting the electrical socket for the kettle was at the back of the sink, about a foot from the tap. We quickly realised that the leisure facilities were closed and our evening meal was abysmal. Pre-plated and practically cold, also little selection. 

The entertainment turned out to be 'table tennis' and 'karaoki'. So many guests cpmplained that 25 of us were moved to another hotel. Some just went home early. The staff were great, but obviously not used to dealing with so many disgruntled custumers. First Choice has responded once, since Christmas to our demand for compensation. thanking us for our report It is definitely not 4 star. I have photos of the food and the other people confronting the First Choice rep, plus of course their names and addresses. Definitely a holiday to forget.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : D J Spencer & K Bonney - Bournemouth

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Here is another piece of insider information which some of you may find useful when choosing a destination or a specific hotel.

First you have to bear in mind that we booked a late deal at a good price and were prepared to suffer the horrors that are known as 'allocation on arrival'. The hotel itself is bang in the centre of the resort and boasts a 4* rating on the signs outside, but in my opinion is only a 3*. 

However the hotel is really very presentable and is horseshoe shaped, curving around a reasonable swimming pool, (the pool does lack any form of heating though and while this could be described as 'refreshing' I'm still waiting for genitals to return to their normal size as the shrinkage factor is high). This horseshoe shape creates quite a sun trap. It also creates a rush to get your towel on the limited numbers of sunbeds in good positions. This shouldn't be a problem though as the two beaches are pretty good ( not as good as the ones further west though eg;Praia da Rocha )and I would recommend 'Fishermans Beach' in front of the Old Town as it is clean and safe with plenty of places to grab a drink or something to eat

The apartments themselves are fairly large and although the decor is a little tired, eg; broken plug sockets, floor tiles, they provide just about all you need to enjoy yourself. We had a great balcony which caught the sun in the afternoons and there is a small colour tv with a few English channels, good air conditioning, individual radios in each room and they are kept very clean and tidy everyday by the 'invisible' cleaners. If you should take one extra thing I would advise a travel-kettle if you fancy a brew, and don't use the tap water for a cuppa as it tastes quite odd, although it is very safe to drink. Beds were comfortable and there is plenty of storage space for your clothes, etc. There can be a little noise from noisy guest, children usually, who are up early but we never found it a big deal. You can also pick up any items or food you may need from the wonderful hypermarket which is literally on the doorstep, don't get the wrong idea, the convenience really is a bonus as all the customers use the front entrance and the hotel faces the rear.

The staff were hospitable enough, if a little p!ssed off generally, although some of them made an effort to be polite, which really seemed to sum up most of the Portuguese we bumped into (literally). Out walking many natives seem to think they have a divine right to force you off the pavement and are fairly rude to be honest, even if you try to be polite yourself. This runs to pushing in front of you in queues or keeping you waiting, when all you really would like is to be served before you have died of neglect.

The resort itself has something for everybody (except clubbers!), ideal for families or couples, I would say the Old Town to the west of the hotel is the best place to go, with street entertainment everywhere in the evenings and, lots of bars and plenty of places to eat, although prices really are as much as Britain now generally speaking. 'The Strip' is east of the hotel and attracts the younger crowd mostly, a long street that runs down to the Praia da Oura beach which is lined with bars, pubs and restuarants. It does have a certain 'Blackpool' quality about it and is lively with something for everyone if that's what you're looking for.

As for First Choice who we went with I would have to say that the rep' at our hotel was enthusiastic and happy to answer our questions and give advice. The service they provided overall as a company was pretty good, but like I said we did get a good late deal from them at a very keen price and we were therefore happy with the service we got from them.

Would we go back? No, once you've done it we can't see the attraction of a second visit, there is enough mileage here for one good, enjoyable visit and as long as the weather remains good for your stay you should have a good time.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : I.M. Bolton, Wolverhampton 43,57,12,14

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The resort offered plenty of variety for an excellent family / couple holiday. Prices were reasonable for food & shopping. Security and policing were evident & good. Beaches were not overcrowded & were clean - generally very good. The resort is ideally located for day visits to the W. Algarve, Lisbon & Seville, as well as the many more local beauty spots.

The Pergola do Algarve Appartments were well located and well equipped. Near to a food/general hypermarket for all self catering needs. Restaurant / cafe facilities in the hotel were good & fairly priced - offering a good choice of self-catering or eating-in options. Our 2 room appartment was spacious, air con was good, cleaning / service was v. good.Hotel staff were polite, helpful & obliging.

Our stay was quiet, even though the place was busy, though we did sense that where parents failed to keep kids under control, things might be different.  The all-in package price through First Choice was good - though there are ibcredible variations in price on the internet site, dependent on airport & dates chosen.(ie a difference of over £1000 between dep from Bham & Manchester for almost adjacent week dates in August!).
Overall, an excellent choice for a reasonably priced, interesting holiday !

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Neil and michelle (31, 25)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just come back from 2 great weeks in albuferia, The apartments are very good spacious and clean. You can rent an Iron and toaster from reception for your stay only 15 euro deposit which you get back on return of items. Also you have to pay 15 euro deposit for tv and air con remote control also refunded at end of your stay. ok so there is no kettle but just boil some water in a pan !  I would say the apartments are of a good 3 star rating not the 4 stated but could not really fault anything about them. 

Pool area good some days a little crowded but beaches not far away and very nice. Old town is superb relaxing and very good restaurants on the sea front etc. The strip a little like blackpool but not bad either have had a great time at both. Will recommend costa rica restaurant on the strip very got meat dishes. apartments are close to the macdonalds kfc and pizza hut if thats what you like and shopping centre very good at top of road. 

The perola is situated in the middle of albuferia and a walk of 20 mins one way to the old town and 20 the other to the strip but taxis available all the time and wherever you go it costs 5 euros ! all in all had a great time and like dthe resort and apartments. 

Would definatley recommend to anybody who asks me.

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Perola Do Algarve - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2004 / 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : keily smith (44,41,14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is great. people are really friendly and love talking to you. The rooms are quite spacious, there was no kettle so we had to use a pot and put it onto boil but this didnt take to long. The only bad thing i would have to say was the bed and sofa bed was hard and quite unpleasant to sleep on. The pool was a good size (but freezing). There was a games room just on the side of the pool for young and older children. 

The food was great and worth paying for. not too exspensive. we were juist behind a big supermarket called modelo's which was a good supermarket you found everything you would want and need and at a good price. we were also in the middle of two places called The Old Town and also The Strip, they both were great the strip had loads of shops and mostly bars and clubs. the old town had alot more entertainment in the square and quite a few shops. one shop i would reccomend would be the (funky fish) it was a great shop and also had a tatoo studio on the top of it. shops were a reasonable price to buy presents and gifts. The cocktails were great and had quite a bit of alochol in (HAHA).

We went on two trips, on the jeep safari which was great we learned about there culture and what they do everyday. it was a very interesting day. We also went on Zoomarine, which was the most best thing that i done in portugal. it was breathtaking and a wounderful experience. The second best thing was that there was no mosquitos over there. me and my family didnt get bit once and we usually go home with other 30 bites, but on this holiday we didnt. 

The beach was great also, a very hot but cooling day the sea was really nice.  we also went to the marina which only cost us around 13 euros to get there and it was a good day out but very tiring my family and i must have walked a fair few miles and we were so tired by the end of the day. Food in the old town and the strip was very good in the old town i would reccomend tasca's it was amazing, and in the strip i would reccomend is sky blue both places were great. taxis were really cheap  the most we payed to go to the strip or to the old town was 3 earos 10.

This holiday was brilliant and i will go back.

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Poente Da Aldeia Apartments - Albufeira

Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra/SkyHolidays - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : RJJ (36, 38 & 10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our second year holidaying in Albefeira.  Although our transit to the resort was fraught with minor disasters - bus driver going the wrong way (a number of times!!), bus getting stuck in a narrow gap etc, we finally arrived and were immediately impressed with the frontage of the building.

Although in a quiet road, it was well sign posted and in an excellent position for the Strip, The Old Town and the Beach (Charlies Bar, the Supermarket and Taxis.  And 30 seconds from the Vilabel where we stayed last year!

The Hotel Staff were efficient (if not a little abrupt!.

Our apartment was on the top floor (3rd) my daughter informs me 56 steps up. althought there is a lift (you wouldn't catch me dead in that thing it looked highly illegal by British standards!!) The staff had been very accommodating to other members of our party with a small baby and had made sure their apartment was easily accessible).

The room itself was large and very clean. Lovely crisp clean sheets and brilliantly white towels.

Bathroom was well "used" but again very clean.  The bath wasn't very welcoming (rusty around the plug hole and subject to a few botched repairs) but the shower made up for it (plenty of hot water and very powerful), even though it was still over the bath.

Maid service was every day although most days was only to change the towels and make the bed (and separate them!!).

The swimming pool area was clean with beds & parasols well spaced about(but the pool wasn't brilliantly clean - lots of bits/leaves/insects floating about) and absolutely freezing.

The resort itself is very lively with plenty to do for the whole family.

The accommodation was excellent and would have no doubts about staying there again - thanks for adding it to your brochure Sky Holidays.

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Ponte Grande - San Raphael Albufeira

Operator and Date: Booked via Internet - October 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Paul Lewis- Gloucestershire (40,39,12,9,7

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

these apartments are very large and spacious ideal for larger familys (5 of us)they consist of two bedrooms each with two beds plus the sofa bed downstairs.the decour and fittings were also very good so from us these apartments got the thumbs up.the resort was very well maintained the pool good also we found the staff helpful when needed.
the only problem with these apartments was there location to all the facilities that you would need for a self catering holiday.

there is a small super market down the road but we found out to our cost very expensive another couple of restaurants and a chinese which was very good.
the beach was a good 15 minute walk but once there was very nice with toilet and eating/drinking availiable.
the definate mistake we made was not having a car i feel after visiting these apartments this is a must as taxi,s will not take 5 of you so that meant on one occasion i had to book two taxis,s to take us to the strip it cost me 20 euro,s one way.

to sum up we would definatley go again to the ponte grande but with out doubt have a car next time.

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Ponte Grande - San Raphael Albufeira

Operator and Date: Alpharooms - July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Steven - Edinburgh ( 45,46,13)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Ponto Grande - Excellent very large apartments. 2 bed , lovely clean kitchen, living area and 2 bathrooms one of which has a shower, the other a bath. we stayed from the 1st of july 2006 until the 11th, the air conditioning was fabulous and a welcome relief from the heat! The on site mini market sells everything you need, the restaurant does excellent food. The bar is resonable but closes quite early. Most of the staff are very friendly and chatty, however the reception staff ask for one euro to call a taxi! The resort is quite far from the main resort, around 10 minutes in a taxi. Down the road is a bar, a chinese restaurant and a supermarket. The beach is down a hill and is very secluded.

Old Town - Old Town is very good. There are lots of good restaurants and bars. Casanova,Bravo,Buddy's and Lisa's. The prices are very much the same as back home.

Zoo Marina - Zoo Marina is well worth a visit. It is a good size to walk around with plenty of shows and things to see. I recommend swimming with the dolphins (135 euros) it is well worth the money and is a once in a lifetime experence.

All in all a great time was had, the only downside was the distance from the main resort and next time we'll definately get a hire car.

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Ponte Grande - San Raphael Albufeira

Operator and Date: Independent - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Deirdre,Chris - Danielle,Craig,Danie