We've just returned from a trip into Portugal from Spain & had initially dismissed this hotel because of the poor reviews but we had to change hotel at short notice because of a problem with the first hotel, (which, incidentally, had received excellent reviews) and we went in to the tourist information office in Portimao where the lady was very helpful and suggested here. We were not disappointed. We only stayed 2 nights but found the staff very helpful and courteous, the hotel clean and beds very comfortable. There a 2 pools, indoor & out and a Jacuzzi, gym, steam room & sauna. The price was excellent, great value for money. Our only complaint was finding the hotel, we were driving there, and it is actually located within the Clube Brisamar complex, but without any signs at all. None in the village of Alvor, at the junction off the main road nor at the entrance of the complex. We spent one and a half hours trying to find it, passing the entrance to the Clube several times, even the phone number in the leaflet from the tourist office had a number missing so I was being told number did not exist, very frustating. But it was worth the hassle, we would definitely recommend it.

This hotel was given to us at very short notice, after reading some of the reveiws on here i thought we had been given a bad place to stay. How wrong was I, the hotel is a fantastic place to stay, the staff are friendly and the rooms are comfortable and cleaned everyday, the breakfast was the same most days but it was all fresh and I could not fault how much was on offer. The pools and surounding grounds were very clean and well looked after. Don't think twice about staying here, you will not be disapointed. Oh and the cocktails are fantastic.

Have just returned from our 7th stay at this hotel and , despite all the negative reviews , have had a brilliant holiday . Those who give the negative reviews about those who work there , should take the time to actually take notice of the staff and treat them as they would like to be treated if they were doing the same job , a smile and noticing someones name goes a long way . Also, most of the staff are employed on short contracts (3-6 months) , so they often don't know how long they will have a job , would you be always happy & smiley?
Having said all that , there are issues at this hotel that need addressing . The decoration in the rooms is looking tired and the mattresses are harder than we Brits are used to . However , ask at reception , and if available , they will provide a softer (sunbed style) mattress for your bed . These are a plastic covered item and can get a little warm , but that is worth the extra comfort (Tip :- place it under the bedclothes and sleep on a towel on top of the bed), If you are there for a 10-14 day stay , ask for a Moon Room , as they have more storage space than the Sun Rooms , and try to get one with a garden and pool view . For those who complain about the offerings for breakfast , yes it's much the same choice each day , but with the items available a varied breakfast is possible and we noted that the cooked food was hotter this year than previously . Remember that you are usually paying around 2 - 3* prices at this hotel , so in general it does offer reasonable value for money .
All in all a great stay , thanks to Artur on reception , Joao in the dining room and on the bar and , of course , Jose Manuel , the vegetable sculptor and mixologist in the bar .

I travelled to alvor from london with my daughter as it was cheap and a last minute choice. When we arrived, the staff were very warm and welcoming. They checked us in and had a colleague on hand to carry our luggage to our room.

The room was lovely, with amazing views of the outdoor pool and lake. The room was not shabby or untidy and was cleaned everyday without fail. We had plenty of room for our clothes and luggage and although the tv was slightly on the small side, we had brilliant reception, receiving english satellite tv. We were able to watch bb1, bb2, itv1, channel4, channel5, itv2 and e4 with good signal in english. The bed was nice and clean but quite hard and uncomfortable, however it never stopped me and my daughter sleeping the whole night through.

The breakfast, lunch and dinner was nice, not amazing, but better than we was expecting after reading horrific reviews. The staff were always kind to us and had a laugh. You were able to take drinks and snacks back to your room. The poolside bar was closed as the summer season was over, however you were able to choose from a wide selection of snacks like, sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs, chips, ice cream, two times a day. These came inclusive in our all inclusive deal, as well as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks.

We also had a really good time with the facilities. There was an indoor pool, and outdoor pool (which was not heated that was a shame) a spa hot tub, a sauna, a steam room, a gym and a games room. The games room was absolutely rubbish as basically everything in there was broken or missing parts.

The bus shuttle that took us into town was broken, but that was a good thing! you had to travel at certain times with the shuttle and as it was broken, the hotel called, paid for and brought us back in private taxis. the service truly was really good.

There was alvor town which had the basic shops in or you could travel just out of alvor to go to a choice of 3 beaches. These were all beautiful white sands and blue seas.

The bar staff were very friendly and likeable.

Another good point was that there was internet facilities but you had to pay 1 euro for 10 minutes or 2 euros for 30 minutes.

Overall the yellow alvor hotel is a brilliant choice to pick and i gaurantee you will have a very good holiday!