I stayed at the Porto Do Mar in Feb 08 for 2 weeks with my friend. We found the hotel OK for us although a little quiet and it is not the greatest location as there is not much surrounding the hotel - restaurants etc to walk to.

But the rooms were fine - showers and bathroom was clean, we had a slight problem with ants after afew days but it was nothing major..

overall good service from the guys on reception and the pool was great.

I would say keep the flyers you get at the airports! We managed to book all our trips and tours ourselves or asked reception to book it for us and saved alot of money compared to doing it through the thomson rep.

We booked a week at the Porto Do Mar hotel on the basis of the excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. Perhaps, therefore, our expectations were too high, but certainly if you're considering staying at this hotel, there are some points not mentioned in the other reviews that are worth consideration.

I'll start with the bad as these points haven't really been covered in any of the other reviews.

In our opinion, the hotel certainly is not up to a true 3* standard.

The Bedrooms are dated and very tired. Ours had broken and missing electrical fittings, a rusty minibar and safe, cracked bathroom tiles with grey grout. Curtains were stained and towels were threadbare.

A minor point, but no shampoo's or hairdryer were provided in the bathroom.

On checking into our room, we found an army of ants in the bathroom. Tired and weary we said nothing until the next day when the bathroom could only be described as "infested". Our thomson rep didn't seem too surprised by this and talking to other guests, most had a similar story to tell. By the 4th day, the hotel had managed to rid most of the insects - but only after they'd migrated into our suitcases and still an off-putting start to the holiday.

Although a selection of alcoholic drinks are available from the pool-side cafeteria, the hotel has no bar.

We made the mistake of booking the half-board option. This is definitely not worth taking since the hotel offers only a very basic evening menu. There's no vegetarian option, and realistically only 1 chicken, 1 beef, 1 fish and 1 shrimp option. None are served with vegetables which feature no-where on the menu. Fine for one or two nights maybe, but it's not brazilian food. Even if you're not on half-board, then the restaurant is way over-priced. A standard chicken dish comprising grilled chicken, chips and rice was on the menu at 35 Reals (£10). Compared to the local Tabua De Carne restaurant (walking distance from the hotel) offering a wide selection of meats all with a smorgasboard of vegetables and side dishes for around 17 Reals (£5) per person.

Our final grumble with the hotel was it's location. A pleasant beach can be reached in a 15 minute walk, but the local beaches are littered with debris and junk. There is only 1 restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Ponte Negra or Natal town centres can be reached by local bus cheaply. However, the service is infrequent and not for the faint hearted! A taxi to the town center came in at around £8 each way. Could certainly add up.

All that said, we still had a wonderful holiday in Natal. The weather was fantastic and the hotel does have some redeeming features, namely:

The views from both the rooms and the common parts are amazing. The hotel is right on the beach. The pool at the hotel is fantastic - lovely and warm (but why was the water never clear?).
The hotel is immacutely maintained on the outside, with pleasant and well cared for gardens. The maids made an excellent job cleaning the rooms and there was always a brigade of staff cleaning the common parts each morning.

The air con in the room was much needed and worked perfectly.

To summarise, I'd have preferred a more central location. On a lazy holiday, I like to enjoy a good meal and a relaxing drink at the hotel on the days that venturing into town in the heat seems all too much - certainly not an option at the Porto Do Mar. I'd recommend paying slightly more and trying elsewhere in Natal.. If you book the Porto Do Mar, expect a 2* and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I was taken here by my girlfriend as a suprise for my birthday. It was the best present anyone could have given me. The hotel was very clean with a pool that was always clean and warm. The staff was excellent and very friendly. They appreciated it greatly if you tried to speak Portriguese with them. The food in the hotel was fantastic and found us eating there quite a bit. (try the steak and egg burger with all the trimmings, boy I could do with that now ;-))
Ponte Negra is only a short bus ride away, there is a steak house diner right near the hotel and does very good food.
The hotel is overlooking the sea with wonderful views and easy access to the sea.
It is a very quiet hotel free from screaming kids so ideal for relaxation. There is a pool table and other games nearby the pool if you decide to chill out.
I also recommend to take a trip to Pipa which is a 2 hour ride by car or bus away from Natal. It gives you a wonderful taste of life outside of the tourist areas and also you can swim with the dolphins which is just magical.
I would highly recommend this hotel and cannot wait to venture back.

Having read the reviews on here before we went, we were really looking forward to it-if not a little apprehensive.
The hotel itself was clean & well equipped with lots of Brazilian families staying there on their holidays.
We found the hotel to be in the perfect location & a short bus ride away from the centre of Natal or Ponta Negra in the other direction.
There was only 1 restaurant within reasonable walking distance to the hotel, but it was good & the staff were friendly.
As with other reviews on here state, not much English is spoken around Natal. To get on you'll need to learn a few basic words of Portuguese (Its greatly appreciated).
There are some fantastic bargains to be had-so dont overfill your case with clothes on the way out!!
The pol at the hotel is just perfect & he water is warm & clean. We didnt realise unti we got to the hotel that there is wireless internet access (if you realy cant live without your emails). We found that buying "Time" on the internet was a cheaper way to communicate with those at home (Rather than calling we used msn or yahoo messenger). There are also internet access points in the shopping malls (of which there are plenty).
We've already decided that were going to go back & visit again soon (Mainly due to the fact that the pc ruined the camera card & weve lost over 400 pics!!!!!)
The hotel is not really suited to people with limited mobility & theres not many children (So its ideal for people seeking a retreat from screaming kids).
Along with the Brazilian tourists (From "Down South") there are alot of Scandinavians staying at the hotel.
All i can say is its a great place to go, the hotel is great & thank god its not a "Little Britain"!!!!!