We booked this holiday blindly( without looking via trip advisor and so wish I had) . It was supposed to be a celebration of my daughters year end exam results and a chance to relax in style in a "4" star hotel. How wrong did I get it. !!! When we arrived I thought we were just stopping outside of a private residence, there were dogs and cats roaming around a small court yard and very dim lighting lit up a small "cubby hole" off to the right. This was it, this was the reception this was our first impression this was disappointing with no marbled 4 star walkways no good feel factor no welcome. - What have we done ?. Once registered we were taken through total darkness to our rooms. Second big disappointment a smelly dimly lit cell was presented to us- named as STALAG LUFTT for the next week. ...... We awoke to explore the next day and search for the breakfst room - this turned out to be a rotundal summer house with a patio area and no room to sit . We waited and eventually went round the bar to choose from a minimal selection of cold meat, cheese and stale cereals, when we found a seat we noticed no cutlery, on enquirying we were told that you have to register each morning for breakfast and a pack of cutlery which is issued daily for use whilst you sat squashed on plastic chairs and eat from plastic tables - 4 star ! I don't think so. !!!!!! . Back to the room/cell. The bathroom adjoined our neighbours bathroom with a dividing wall but with one odd difference - the wall had an opening vent type window which enabled us to look into their room and visa versa not to mention the air circulating from each others bathroom. With no fresh air circulating this gave the whole room/ cell a horrible smell. The location of this hotel and the surrounding area is remote from any where and you will need a car. A taxi ride to the nearest resort Playa da Luz costs about 10 euros and 20 if you wish to go to Lagos. The 3 pools are shared and if like us your room is not around the pool area you will be hard pressed to get a bed as space and beds are limited. Plus the fact that when you do get a place you are overlooked by the rooms surrounding the pool and due to theclaustrophobic abience you certainly feel like you are encrouching and intruding on the fellow guests space - The surrounding area has beds lying around but the grass/patchy mud areas are unkempt and baron like a wasteland. The hotel suffers from a poor phone signal for mobiles and inded the hotels own signal for phones disappeared when I asked to use it to arrange a car hire. Once a signal had returned to the area ( about half an hour) I waited for the car to arrive and took a seat in the cramped bar area which feels like someones sitting room and on asking for a beer was informed the bar does not open until 6 pm and closes at 8 pm as no one uses it !!!!! THIS PLACE IS REMOTE - POORLY LOCATED - POORLY RAN - POORLY EQUIPPED - FAULSELY CLAIMED TO BE 4 STAR RATING - in summary I felt cheated of £1500 and would not recommend to my enemy

We liked the hotel very much. The family owing or/and running the hotel are extremely nice people, always ready to assist and doing everythig to make their guests´ stay pleasant and comfortable. We had luck with a big room next to the pool in the new part of the hotel - the older apartments, I am afraid are smaller. It was very good to have a kitchenette, where we could make tea and coffe. Breakfast was varied, nicely served on a veranda and accompanied by always nice music. Quinta do Mar Aparthotel is highly recommendable.

This hotel complex is a little bit out of town but that added to the attraction for us. It was very peaceful and the rooms were beautifully decorated, we had a one bedroom hotel room with a balcony and it had everything you would expect. The staff at the hotel went out of their way to be helpful and to offer advice to making the most of our stay, the only let down was the lack of restaurants within walking distance of the complex so we relied heavily on a car.