Beautiful setting away from the high-rise concrete on the Algarve. Administration staff were friendly and helpful. Restaurant service very slow and occasionally indifferent. Our favourite hotel in this region.

We spent 3 nights at this hotel and we thoroughly enjoyed this stay. Very picturesque huddled in the mountains and very much like Portmerrion in North Wales (The Prisoner).

A couple of the reviews on here are just about the Spa and probably do not do the hotels and general resort justice - although I appreciate many people will visit here for the Spa. We stayed in a suite in the D.Carlos hotel. Very clean and roomy and beautifully furnished. Nice bathroom. Lovely view from balcony. Good standard of cleaning. There is a large bar with pool tables etc available although the bar in this hotel wasn't open during our visit as the hotel very quiet- but bars and drinks available elsewhere in the resort.
We ate at the main restaurant twice where we also had breakfast which was good and the house wine is very good. I had steak and fish both of which were very good. Sausage bread was delicious.

Nice choice for breakfast - very good bread - nice choice of continental plus cooked eggs if required.
The outdoor pool was excellent and very clean. As the hotel was quiet we spent most days there on our own which was lovely. The water is cold but the warmth from the sun is a lovely combination.

Nice little resort with a few artisan shops and a gift shop and post office. A lovely little bar which serves snacks during the day.
My partner paid to use the gym, indoor pool and steam/sauna - about 15 euro which he enjoyed - but would have been good if these had been complimentry for hotel guests as quite an expensive hotel.

A couple of slight issues I would comment on. Bags took about an hour to get to our room. The chap on reception was lovely and polite and friendly but I think were perhaps short staffed as it was quite quiet. Also, one morning no towels by the pool. These are just little things and did not effect our enjoyment of the stay.

All of the reception staff were very helpful - booking taxis etc and helping out with local restaurants.

We spent a day in Monchique (about 10 minue taxi ride) Worth the visit. We walked up to the ruined covent which also affords great views across Monchique and the mountains. Nice square with lots of nice cafes. Even a great traditional barber where my partner had his annual holiday hair cut (excellent barber and very god price -just up the hill on the right off the square). We also visited a restuarant called Paradiso Monthana?? which is next to Las Rampas which has got rave reviews on this site but was closed when we visited. We had Piri Piri chicken which was delicious and the sunset and the views were fantastic. Local taxi would be able to take you there
All in all a very enjoyable stay. The resort is lovely - tucked away in the hills. Staff polite and friendly. Good food and lovely pool.
Would recommend.

Having visited quite a few spas on my travels, Monchique Spa is extremely disappointing. At 25 Euros each, plus 3 for a bathing cap (compulsory), it resembles a neglected hotel pool rather than the 'spa' you are promised. The 3 changing cubicles are in the same tiny room as the toilets and showers, which made for a soggy experience, as the whole floor was one giant puddle on the day we visited. The 'swimming pool' is a medium sized pool with massage jets, but due to the layout swimming is not possible, and if you are brave enough to use the gym upstairs, be prepared for old, broken equipment. Towels are not provided unless you ask specifically, and mine smelled of rancid massage oil. At this price, the place must be resting on the laurels of former glory, one hopes, as it is just one big rip off from start to finish. Unpleasant experience overall.

We didn't stay at the hotel, but came to the Spa for the afternoon where four of us had booked massages. Two unsmiling receptionists informed us that no children under 12 were allowed, therefore our 9 year old couldn't use the facilities. No one had mentioned this over the phone. When we asked what he could do while we were at the spa, one of the receptionists thawed a bit and arranged for him to use the hotel pool, but with "one adult only". By this time the first massage appointment was 10 minutes overdue and on asking we were told to go upstairs. No robes or further information about what to do was offered to those having massages, so we trooped upstairs. On entering the treatment room, there were no robes and the masseuse didn't leave the room as I undressed. The treatments were good, however, although expensive for what they were. When one of us finished her massage, she came back to reception and just stood there, unsure of what to do. No one helped or greeted her, so eventually she had to ask about the facilities, robes, etc. and wasn't even given the correct footwear that everyone else was wearing. There are no towels for drying after the spa unless asked for. The facilities aren't that good - the indoor spa pool which is like a giant jacuzzi, a small steam room, two saunas and a so-called relaxation room consisting of four loungers and some orange juice, which was difficult to relax in wearing sodden robes! The spa building is hideous, a concrete block. The receptionists seemingly disliked the clients, their attitude was quite rude and they were more interested in talking to other members of staff than us. You also have to buy swimming hats at 3 euro each, which rip immediately you put them on! I wouldn't recommend this spa at all - four massages and swimming caps cost over €200! You are not made to feel welcome by the receptionists. The little village is quite pretty though.