having been to portugal for the third time i was so disappointed in my choice of appartments, this is a very sad and tired hotel, when we arrived we where seen to very quickly, almost too quick, !! we where told what floor our appartment was on and the floor to get to swimming pool , restaurant, etc,,,,,,,,, try takin all that in ! so we get into the lift,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and get to floor 5,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, step into corroridor,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and yep we are in total darkness, couldnt find light switch, it was horrible,,,,,,,,, the corridor was so long as our room was at the very end, anyhow, we decided to make the most of things as the room its self was grand, we tried the restaurant only once, once was enough ! I would say in all honesty i would not go back to this hotel, the staff where lovely of what i saw of them, the beds changed every two days and the kitchen given a quick lick with the mop, and i was appalled that only one toilet roll was in the bathroom ,,,,, there is also a very stale smell at all times in the corridors, paint flaking off the wall, all damp, on the ground floor leading to the beach, there was a puddle of water on the tiles , yip inside the building coming from the ceiling,,,,,,,,,, the electrics didnt look to healty so to be honest i wont book there again, its not the staffs fault, just the guys who own the place, so come on guys spend a little money on the place,

We stayed here for 1 week which was just right. The hotel is huge spread down the side of a cliff with 10 floors but 3 lifts. We were on the 9th floor which is level with the reception. When we arrrived we were dealt with quickly. The staff were all polite and spoke good English. The apartment had large rooms, we had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2 balconies. The apartment was basic but had all the main things needed. The main issue was how tired it was. Some new furniture and a lick of paint to drag it out of the 70's would do it wonders!
Someone came in each day and changed the bins & towels, once to change the sheets which was rather pointless as it was the day before we left. The floors were not cleaned at all which led to rather dirty feet on the kids. As there were 5 of us we tried to use the sofabed in the lounge, but it was broken and fell apart when we opened it. As it was late the 1st night we waited until the morning to tackle the issue.
We dealt with Fatima on reception and to save moving rooms we asked for an extra mattress so the 3 children could share a room. She aranged for a camp bed, extra sheets and pillows quickly without any fuss or bother. She was very helpful and made the stay a pleasant one.
There was a shop and several places to eat & drink 5 minutes walk from the hotel where you could get all the essentials. We did not hire a car so this was ideal. The prices in the shop were more reasonable than in the town.
The beach access was on floor 1 in the lift, then a walk through dark corridors to get out. There were sensors on the lights which came on as you approached. After the 1st time going through it was fine. Alternatively a walk down steps through the gardens got us there. The beach was clean and in a bay area. The current was strong with sand that pulls you down so careful with small children.
The pool area had a small pool and larger pool. The other guests were all sensible with nice children. As the gardens and area surrounding the pool were all fenced & gated it was secure for the children to paly without constantly following them around.
We walked into town 3 times which took around 20 minutes with 3 young children. It was very hot so a stop in the shade and some water on the way. The town has a lot of restaurants and a variety of shops, bars etc. The beach was not as big as the one at the hotel. We got a taxi back for just under $5 for all of us which was cheaper than the bus! We did attempt to get the land train but it went for lunch and did not come back for hours so gave up. The tourist information office was not particularly helpful when trying to find out info.
There are not many money exchange places and the hotel does not offer this facility. We found it cheapest to get money out from the Barclays or Santander cashpoints.
The tv area/lounge in the hotel has been freshened up and even offers free Wifi, if they continued this throughout the hotel it would be more like 4 star.
Overall the stay was good and we were lucky to have fantastic weather. If you prepare for the tired apartments you will be laughing!

A very depressing hotel experience indeed!! It is in a terrible state of disrepair and dirty. We stayed for 2 weeks, bed and breakfast. The breakfast was "buffet" style and the same breakfast was presented to guests every day for the whole two weeks.

The apartment itself wasn't terrible although the furniture was basic. It's also on a hilltop and quite secluded so you will need to hire a car as access to the town and shops impossible with young children.

The staff are not outwardly friendly but once approached, are fine.

where do I begin.........the hotel is very shabby. Electrics are unsafe. We were promised a sea view and air con - we were given a room with no sea view and no air con. staff not very helpful. We were given an alternative room with air con just in main lounge area and not bedrooms! the fridge broke down and we lost 50 euros of food - the hotel would not accept responsibility and did not privide compensation. Pool area generally run down. room service is poor - toilets not cleaned in the whole 10 days of the trip. All furniture is stained and chipped. Corridors are dark and damp. This is a vey unpleasant place but is in a great location next to the beach. You have been warned!!