When checking out accommodation for this trip to Praia da Rocha, we just couldn’t pass on the deal at Club Amarilis, and hoping that 25 Euro a night wasn’t too good to be true decided to take it after reading the reviews. We were already familiar with the location – you must cross the road but the pedestrian crossing is just outside the apartments, and then its just a few minutes to the strip. From the moment we arrived the staff were very welcoming and friendly, often asking if we were enjoying our stay during the week. We were lucky to have booked the week of 17th to 24th October when the Algarve was experiencing an Autumnal heatwave !! There was a car park in the complex.
We had two apartments, one on the 4th floor and one on the 7th floor. While they were similar in size, décor and furnishings, there were some differences which may be worth noting.
The apartment on the 4th floor had (free) air conditioning, a fridge freezer, and a large flat screen TV; while the 7th floor one had no aircon, a regular fridge, and a small portable TV. The apartment on the 7th floor had a proper double bed while the one on the 4th floor had two singles pushed together.
The kitchens in both apartments were similar, and one of the best equipped kitchens for this range of accommodation that I have come across. Not wishing to eat out all the time having decent kitchen equipment makes life easier. There was an infra red hob, a microwave, kettle, toaster, and a very good coffee machine. The coffee pods are on sale in the shop downstairs at 3.90 Euro for 10. We were delighted with this because having coffee out is not always as good as we get at home. There was enough delph, cutlery and cooking utensils that we could have invited the neighbours round!!
There were a number of English channels on the TV, and we were even able to watch the rugby world cup final on a sports channel, though with a Portuguese commentary. As well as the outdoor pool area, there is also a lovely garden with some seating areas. The on site shop is adequately stocked but was only open 9 – 6, with lunch from 1 – 3.30. For anybody with a car, the Continente and Lidl are only a few minutes away. Baia Supermarket (on left when coming up to the strip beside Asian restaurant) has good opening hours, is well stocked and not expensive. I found a freezer with some interesting food, including back rashers which defrosted perfectly!
We were surprised that the cleaners came in every day including Sunday, and both apartments had a stock of extra towels, linen and blankets in the wardrobes. Both had an abundance of hot water at all times throughout the day.
The only negative we found was that they charged for wi-fi, but that wasn’t a problem as Taffee’s bar (turn right on strip) is just a few minutes away and has free wi-fi
- Amarilis Hotel Portimão
