do not go to this hotel
rooms are outdated in need of major revamp
no kettle nor hair drier had to ask at reception
asked for better room others we were shown just as old and worn out
area around hotel very nice

inside its like the black hole of culcutta well thats what we called it its old smelly and i,d never go back luckily we had freinds staying at the alfagar across the road,we were there all the time. i could.nt even make tea or coffee in the apartment the sink put me off.if you have booked this place use alfagars pool its lovely you can just go in we even used there bus for going to old town twice.the only good thing is the italian resturant downstairs salvatoris its fantastic we ate there 3 times the 6 of us loved it more each time its nothing to do with hotel and there food is delicimo felt the hotel was a bit far from the strip, in july anyway to hot to walk tried it twice all in all id give this place a wide berth. made my mind up im going to pay extra for 4 star accomodatoin from now as its a hit or miss this was a dumpm 1,300a waste of money as we only showered in it and slept well for about 4 hours and then we were on the go again as did nt want to spend any time thereyou have been warned give it a wide berth

My partner and I stayed at this Hotel 1st to 8th May 2008. The hotel is clean, the bedding and towels changed every day except Sunday. The staff were friendly but the room was tired, very dated, no kettle, no plug for basin in bathroom, very little crockery some lights did not work. We knew it was going to be basic and didn't mind or complain. Not 3 star more like 2 star. There is a fantastic Italian Restaurant called Salvatori's within the Hotel run by different people, the food is out of this world and good value, the manager of the restaurant is friendly.

This was inexpensive, clean and comfortable. Having read the reviews AFTER booking I expected it to be far worse. The kitchen was basic (we weren't there to cook though, just to make breakfast and drinks). We had to ask for a kettle and a toaster which were provided immediately. Air conditioning was very efficient although we had to ask for the remote control to make it work. The room was cleaned and towels changed regularly. Staff were helpful, although a little reserved.

The restaurant served good food in pleasant surroundings. The service was excellent. The restaurant staff were curteous and friendly, but not over friendly. they were very attentive, we didn't ever have to pour our own wine or water into our glasses. The tables were laid with fresh linen, the waiters and waitresses even unfolded our napkins for us.

The pool was adequate and not very often crowded although sometimes busy around late afternoon when many of the Portuguese guests would use it. The refreshment kiosk was run by the same people who ran the restaurant. It was possible to use the facilities of the snack bar belonging to the hotel next door which meant either walking through the bar or going back into the hotel, out through another door and round to the other hotel.

The town was about fifteen minutes walk away and the lovely beach around ten. For us this was no problem. The area had plenty of shops and restaurants and Albufeira was a short taxi ride away. The hotel provided a free shuttle bus, but that restricted the time we could travel. We preferred to be away from the busy part of town anyway as we wanted a relaxing holiday with a pool, a good beach and good food.

If you want a luxury hotel with ultra modern decoration and furniture and are unwilling to walk anywhere further than five minutes away this hotel is probably not for you. I feel from the reviews I have read that a lot of the opinions are just 'nit picking.' I have stayed in worse places and made the best of it. Some of the high expectations are somewhat unrealistic. You do get what you pay for and if you want a clean and comfortable base for a relaxing holiday in the sun with no intention of cooking, the Domino Do Sol is quite adequate. I didn't notice any of the other guests complaining.

Overall this was a cheap relaxing holiday in the sun. Ideal for two overworked single women!