I stayed in this hotel for a long weekend with a friend in November 2011. The hotel enjoys a good location on a quiet road. Our room had a view over the road but the seaview could still be appreciated from the hotel grounds. A small secluded beach could be easily reached via a path from the back of the hotel or via road and there are a couple of restaurants on the way down. There is free parking and the hotel provides a good base for exploring the area although a hire car is useful. The staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful from the moment we arrived and couldn't do enough for us. All the public areas were well decorated, spacious and clean as was our room and en suite. The small kitchenette was very useful and could be discreetly hidden behind sliding doors when not in use. The spa facilities were relaxing and the indoor pool a good size. Even although we were there out of season we braved the outside pool for a couple of very cold lengths and then warmed up in the sun! We had dinner at the hotel on the first night but were not very impressed by it and I think the breakfast could also be improved. The fruit and yoghurt selection in the morning was good but for the non cooked breakfast eaters among us the other choices were rather limited, although the cake was good. The coffee was very disappointing and I was unable to drink it.

All in all we enjoyed our stay at the Pestana Viking and my friend was very impressed with it. As someone who prefers older hotels with character however, I found it a little soulless.

Stayed in this hotel for 10 days, it is really ideal for a relaxing holiday, about ~45mins from Faro airport. The rooms were lovely, the pool is huge and all the staff were really pleasant. The very best thing about this hotel is that it is so close to the beach and they have a large garden with sun loungers. The sun loungers are underneath big fixed parasols, ideal if it's windy (they don't keep blowing away), they were so so comfortable and relaxing you'd have no motivation to move ;-) The beach is lovely too, only a small stroll away.
They have a bus that goes into the Armacao De Pera a few times during the day, otherwise it's a good 30min walk. There's not a whole lot to recommend the town, it's very built up. There were two really nice restaurants there (the indian restaurant that's part of the Holiday Inn and Porter's - their steak on a stone is just amazing!).
We ate in Belmondo's Italian restaurant which was very close to the hotel on three nights. It's a bit on the pricey side for some things but if you stick to the pizzas it's fine. The buffet breakfast was good but the bar doesn't have much atmosphere at all. They have a spa too which we availed of - it was very nice. You don't need to bring a beach/pool towel, they provide them and they have a shelf of books that you can borrow to read. For a relaxing holiday it's perfect!

We stayed during one week in this hotel between 12th till 19th november 2011 with three couples. The hotel was very good, staff was friendly and helpfull, breakfast and rooms were fine. It was off season but still the facilities were very good. The combination with playing golf on the discounted Pestana golfcourses was superb. High quality golfcourses in the region but also still some good restaurants open in the region, made our stay extraordinary.
We would love to come back again in the autumn period for playing golf, the nice weather, the catch of the day in the local restaurants and this very good hotel

This was a return visit for us to the Pestana Viking. We wanted a relaxing, quiet holiday and the Viking didn't disappoint. We were allowed an early check in and were given a suite on the fourth floor. The lounge and kitchen area were a big bonus. Breakfast was good with a wide choice, the new egg/omlette facility was excellent. We have never had an evening meal as we prefer to eat in the local restaurants. At this time of the year the resort is quiet and although there were a few children around they certainly didn't make an impact on the peace and quiet.
The staff as always at Pestana hotels were friendly and helpful.