We stayed for 7 nights in the Rio Apartments in September 2011. I wasn't expecting luxury as we hadn't paid very much for the stay. Reception was open when we arrived and the room (216) was clean. The cot i had requested was not provided but when i contacted reception it was brought to the room very quickly, there was a 5 euro a night charge for the cot. The rooms are dated and the beds are not very comfortable but there was plenty of room and 2 fans were already in the room which were very much needed. The cleaners only come in on week days and don't do much more than make the beds and empty the bin. The towels were not changed all week even after i asked reception to arrange fresh towels. The gardens were great for our 17 month old son to run around but the kids pool was too deep for him. The apartment staff were not very friendly, they did what you asked in as basic a manner as possible. The bar and restaurant, which are a separate business, are ok but we found the restaurant to be quite expensive. We ate in it once and it was the most expensive meal of the week, you can get better food at a cheaper price at the marina. Again, the bar staff were not very friendly. The marina is about a 15 minute walk and we spent much of the week here.

If you are looking for cheap accomodation as a base then the Rio Apartments are fine and in a nice area. If you want a better place to stay you need to pay more.

Rio apartments promises so much on first view however the apartments are as we expected very basic but in much need of maintenace. We arrived 11pm and thanks to tripadvisor we phoned ahead to make sure we had access to our apartment . Please be aware this hotel has its reception manned PART TIME and as such you will be left waiting unless you phone 24 hours ahead.
Once inside we were given apartment 124 , ground floor looking out over the front reception car park, not good as everyone and his mate are eye to eye with you on your balcony. We requested a move to an apartment overlooking the pool area and to be fair that is what we got. Reception staff are helpfull , however im sure 124 is a much complained about apartment as we did overhear others requesting a move (this does'nt seem to bother the reception staff as I'm sure its a regular thing).

The pool and area was clean and maintained each morning however again not in the best of condition.

Surrounding gardens were very well kept and quiet if you prefer to be away from the over populated sun lounger/pool area.

The marina and a lovely beach is about 15mins walk or taxi (4.50Euro) It's well worth the trip.

On the whole I would agree with most reviews , you do get what you pay for. Don't expect 5 star accomodation for 2 star prices. Ours was a 2nd cheap holiday week in the September sun and Rio was a base for that.

just returned from 1 week at the rio aparts. we thought it was a bit too basic for a 3 * .Self catering facilities were very basic we only had a kettle and our son & his wife in another apart only had toaster.If you take children beware ,the hot water in sinks & shower was boiling.ther is a major shortage of sun beds therefore towels appeared before 7 in the morning but owners didn,t claim them until much later,(ther are even less mattresses) The man
ageress did remove towels from unclaimed beds 1 morning but they were back next day. Don't expect to find any bars between Rio and marina to quench your thirst. We don,t know if its every Monday dut the restaraunt and bar was closed for staff day off. Would not go back

Myself and two of my friends booked a 7 night stay at this apartment complex, hoping for a comfortable and simple apartment within walking distance to the Vilamoura Marina. Rio Apartments definitely disappointed!

This place is a 2 star hotel masquerading as a 3 star. I would NOT recommend it to any other travellers.

The apartment we were given was clean but that was the only thing going for it. It was not comfortable at all, with faded furniture and dingy corridors. The lift was like a death trap and the pool area was old-fashioned.

The apartment we were given was located above the hotel restaurant and smelt strongly of cooking, even with all the windows shut! The bathroom door kept getting stuck and the whole place was unpleasant, so we requested to move rooms.

Luckily we were given a beautiful apartment down the road at no extra cost, which was a holiday home owned by Rio Apartments. It was a class apart from Rio's own apartments, so everything turned out ok.

Even though we loved our second apartment we weren't completely satisfied, as the Rio Apartments staff are unreliable and give poor advice. The reception was hardly ever open and usually displayed the 'back soon!' sign. Advice about public transport was confusing.

In summary, don't stay at Rio Apartments - even if you are looking for a simple apartment. The place needs a total facelift and is most definitely not 3 star accommodation.