My wife and I went to this hotel with my parents as their joint 60th birthday celebration. You get exactly what you expect, in fact everything you expect from a Riu hotel. The village of Olhos D'Agua is lovel and try to go to the Casablanca bar, cracking cocktails!

My husband and myself stayed at this hotel for a fourth time from 29th Dec until 7th Jan 2012. Again we were not disappointed! In our opinion there is no fault to this hotel - if you are looking for a relaxing holiday with peaceful settings then it is fantastic.

The steps to the beach will be very difficult if you are unsteady on your feet as will the return walk up the hill from the town. However if you are happy to lounge around this great hotel and truly relax then you will enjoy every minute!

The staff in all areas of the hotel should be commended for their enthusiasm and friendliness, even at the end of the night after having worked long hours each day.

We will return soon and know we will not be disappointed.

A very well run hotel. Very professional and friendly staff.
The food is very good and so are the rooms. My biggest complaint.... I can not think of one at all.

If you are looking to stay in a good quality luxurious hotel set in a peaceful location then I would highly recommend that you book this hotel. I have just returned from the Algarve having spent five nights at the hotel from 31 December 2011 to 5 January 2012. This was my fourth visit and once again I had a really enjoyable stay. On arrival you are given a glass of sparkling wine while the reception staff finalise your registration. I stayed in room 3067 which is on the top floor of teh hotel which faces east and gives you a lovely view of the sea. In the morning the sun shines directly onto the room balcony, so as a result it is a real sun strap and you can sit and sunbathe all morning. When booking your room ask for one that is not located near an elevator or air conditioning units as some rooms do have these units outside. This will avoid the need to complain. However, on the occasions that I have stayed at the hotel I have always found it to be extremely quiet and peaceful. A room on the top floor should give you a better view of the sea.

The hotel has a fabulous dining room and you are allocated a table for your evening meal for the duration of your stay. At breakfast you can sit at anywhere. The Headwaiter and other members of staff greet you everyday when you enter the dining room. Given the wide range and variety of food that is on offer everynight, I would challenge anyone to criticises the whole dining experience.

During my stay I used the sauna and steam room every day which are located beside the indoor pool and jacuzzi. The only comment I made to the hotel was to suggest that a supply of drinking water was made available for quests using these facilities. There is also a small gym and wellbeing spa for massages etc.

Other facilities include access to the internet. However, it will cost you1euro for every 10 minutes you use the web. If you need to use the web for a prolonged period of time I would
suggest you visit one of the web cafes in either Albufeira or Vilamoura which will cost you about 1 euro for 60 minutes!

A 5 minute walk from the hotel will take you to the main street of Olhos D'Aqua where you can catch a bus to Albufeira (fare - 2 euros - one way) or Vilamoura (fare - 3 euros - one way). There are bus timetables at the reception. I found the bus service to be reliable during my stay.

Olhos D'Agua is a quiet village so there is not much in the way of entertainment apart from some bars and restaurants which are located down at the beach front. Again, these can be reached following a short walk down a hill from the hotel. Alternatively, if you want to get to the main beach this can be reached by a series of wooden steps. However, lets just say you have to be fairly fit to walk up and down these steps on a daily basis. Once on the beach you can walk all the way along to Vilamoura which will take you about an hour. You will find a large number of bars and restaurants located at Vilamoura marina. The main place for entertainment in the evening in Vilamoura is the Irish Cabin which has a live band on every night from about 10pm. If you plan staying out late, a taxi will cost you about 20 euros back to the hotel.

I quarantee you will not be disappointed staying at the Riu Palace.

Paul O'Neil, East Kilbride