You are here: Home > Hotels & Apartments Search
> Hotels in Portugal
> Hotels in
Hotels in Portugal
Portugal Review
Overview
Once maligned as ‘The sick man of Europe’, modern Portugal, one of Europe’s unspoilt tourism jewels, is booming. Portugal’s rich and turbulent history shaped the country, from the 15th- and 16th-century days of discovery, to the autocratic leadership of Estado Novo (New State) from 1932 to 1974.
Portugal contains enough World Heritage Sites, natural and cultural wonders to keep any visitor busy for a long time. It is a country of astonishing diversity, idyllic weather and welcoming people. Not to mention picture-postcard scenery with a rugged windswept coastline, pristine beaches where fishermen mend their nets beside brightly painted sardine boats, cobbled streets, dazzling whitewashed houses and fairytale castles.
Portugal is a land of infinite options from mingling with the crowds in one of the more sophisticated beach resorts to wandering through the medieval quarters of historic cities like Lisbon, Porto, Braga or Coimbra. To explore the more remote beauty spots, stay overnight in a romantic pousada - a converted farm, monastery or manor house enjoying a wonderful setting.
When it comes to sporting holidays Portugal is one of Europe’s premier golfing destinations while the tennis schools are second-to-none. Big game fishing, horse riding, windsurfing and waterskiing are just some of the other activities on hand. Other unmissable experiences include Fado (Portugal’s answer to soul music), country fairs where centuries-old folk traditions are lovingly re-enacted, port wine tastings and mouth-watering fish suppers.
Author
Christopher Rice
Weather in Portugal
Climate
The northwest has mild winters with high levels of rainfall and fairly short summers. The northeast has longer winters and hot summers. In the south, summers (March to October) are warm with very little rain except in early spring and autumn. High temperatures are moderated by a permanent breeze in Estoril (July to August).
Required Clothing
Light- to mediumweights and rainwear are advised.
Our Customer's Reviews of Hotels in
|
Best Western Hotel Maritur
|
|
|
"This is the best hotel in the Algarve for a combination of comfort, service, value and situation. The rooms are superb, the staff excellent, the prices very reasonable and the situation as you would wish - close enough to all amenities to suit every age, yet not too close to spoil the peace and tranquility you need on returning to your room. As an introduction to holidaying in the Algarve, my wife and I were extremely delighted that we had chosen this hotel.
We could not recommend it more. Book it, sit back and enjoy!"
|
Hotel Rating: 
Customer Rating: 
|
|
Montechoro
|
|
|
"Would recommend."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Bayside Salgados
|
|
|
"This is our second time staying at this hotel and it was as good as the first. We will be back."
|
Hotel Rating: 
Customer Rating:
|
|
Quinta Pedra Dos Bicos
|
|
|
"We stayed at the hotel for one week and it was brilliant! We got a spacious apartment with a nice bedroom, sitting room with a sofa bed, fully equipped kitchen with dining area and a nice bathroom. Everything was nice and looked new. It was very close to the beach, about 5 minutes walk and down the steps. Very close to nice bars, restaurants and little shopping area.
We had a really great time and I would definitely recommend this hotel!"
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Key Club Holidays (Algarve)
|
|
|
"Well maintained and presented accommodation adjacent to a beautiful beach. Pool in shade for part of every day and no poolside bar or toilet facilties. Accommodation on four floors with no lifts so unsuitable for the disabled or those with limited fitness."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Quinta Das Figueirinhas (Algarve)
|
|
|
"We had a lovely stay at Quintas Das Figueirinhas. The apartments were great and not too over crowded. Having two balconies that received the sun all day was also a great option.
The staff were very helpful, to the extent one member of staff found us wandering about aimlessly on his day off and he still took the time to drive us to where we wanted to go. The grounds were expertly looked after and very clean.
Would very much like to return."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Vilanova Resort (Albufeira)
|
|
|
"Vilanova was a lovely, clean, friendly place to stay. The only thing I think they may be able to improve on is to add some children's and adult entertainment in the day and evenings."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Vilanova Resort (Algarve)
|
|
|
"My stay at the Vilanova was fantastic. I went at the beginning of July 2008 with my girlfriend. It is extremely clean and there is always someone walking around the pool and hotel picking up any litter and mopping, etc.
We stayed in a 2-bedroom studio. Very spacious and I was impressed with the cleanliness and kitchen utensils. It had everything you could ask for. More than I actually have at home. The balcony was almost as big as the room and overlooked the pool and garden areas. It was fabulous.
The reception staff were very friendly and always willing to help. They spoke good English and were very honest. When we arrived, we had to pay 35euro as a refundable deposit if nothing was broken in the room. We had this payment back at end of the holiday no problem (even though I secretly smashed a plate lol). We also had to pay 25 euros for a safety deposit box, which are all kept safely next to the reception desk. Again 15 Euros of this will be refunded if keys are returned.
I came home really drunk one night to get more money out of the safe. I accidentally left my safe key on top of my safe for everyone to see and did not realise this till the morning. I could not work out where it had gone. I went to reception and made up a story saying my sleeping girlfriend has the key so could I have a spare just to get my money out. Fair play to the reception man, he was very honest and said he had found this and put it safely away for me. All my money (800 euros) and passports, mobile, the lot was in this safe. When I took the key to my safe not a penny was missing, everything was exactly how I left it. Vilanova could have easily hidden the key and kept my refundable deposit for the safe but they didn't. Very honest. I am very doubtful any other hotels would be this caring and honest. Very impressed.
The pool is beautiful. My girlfriend and I are usually ones for the beach but not this holiday. The pool is very big and has 3 diving boards also. There are plenty of sun lounges where you can relax in the gardens or by the pool. There is a bar right next to the pool, which is very cheap. They sell anything from tuna sandwiches (highly recommend one of those) to toasties, chips, hot-dogs the lot. Very cheap and lovely food also. The staff were nice and friendly and constantly playing English music, which you could hear from the pool. Not really loud but just nice as a background sound.
The children loved this hotel also. So much for them to do. If I ever do have children I would definitely take them to the Vilanova. Extremely clean, safe and plenty for them to do. There was no entertainment in the hotel though, so in the evenings there was never anyone in the bar. There is a parrot show on the Saturday night though, but we didn’t get to see that.
Vilanova is directly on the strip so there is no need for evening entertainment in the hotel. Everything you need is right on your doorstep. Plenty of happy hours everywhere till 11pm. After that, it is still reasonably cheap. Overall this was a superb holiday and we'll definitely recommend this to family and friends. Thank you Vilanova for a wonderful stay and plenty of happy memories."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Jardins Da Rocha
|
|
|
"Jardins da Rocha is a great hotel. We had a studio apartment that was great. The staff are all really friendly, helpful and speak fluent english. The location is brilliant - 5 mins from the beach and the main street, which is full of bars, restaurants, cafes and shops. All in all, a brilliant place to stay."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Alpinus (Albufeira)
|
|
|
"Just had a fantastic holiday at Alpinus. Booking was so easy with Flightline.co.uk, I will use them again. The resort is perfect!"
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Alpinus Faleisa Suites Albufeira
|
|
|
"The 1 bedroom apartment was very nice, very clean and had all the facilities you would require for a self catering holiday. The staff are very friendly and helpful. My wife was pleasantly surprised to receive a complimentary bottle of champagne to our room on her birthday. We liked the Alpinus suites so much that we are returning next year with 4 other families after viewing our photos and due to our recommendation."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Marina Club
|
|
|
"Would be nice to have some Sports Channels (English) on the digital TVs."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Vilanova Resort
|
|
|
"Hotel and complex exactly as described. Very clean and staff very helpful. This complex is not in Old Town but that's not far away. It's on the strip, which has plenty of restaurants and shops right outside. Even though we went out of season, (myself and 15 yr old son) nearly everything was open. Pool was big and clean although my son went in, as it isn't heated it is freezing in there in October!"
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Forte Do Vale (albufeira)
|
|
|
"We stayed at the Forte Do Vale on the 4.12.08. Overall it was a very nice property and well situated for the strip and the old town. There were some small details missing from the apartment however, such as the kettle and the ironing board.
There is a health spa and indoor pool at the hotel, which is due to open in February 2009. Unfortunately, we cannot comment on food as we stayed on a self-catering board basis, but we would recommend this hotel to all. "
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Porto Bay Falesia Hotel
|
|
|
"I spent the second week of December at the Porto Bay Falesia with my parents, who are both 70. The service was friendly and welcoming, and the hotel was very comfortable. I would recommend that you book a sea view room if possible, because the views are definitely worth it!
The hotel was virtually empty, but even so the full variety of food was available for breakfast. We were staying half-board, so we also had the Table d'Hote dinner each evening. The standard of the dinner was always good, with a large number of salad choices (varying daily), soup of the day, a choice of two main courses (fish or meat) and a large choice of deserts (again, different every day). The main courses were not spectacular, but the hotel is catering for diners from all over Europe, so the choices tended towards the conservative.
Access to the beach is via shallow concrete steps, with seats along the way, or along a long wooden boardwalk with benches to catch your breath or admire the views. My mother has had a hip replacement, and walks with a stick when she is tired, but she had no problems managing either set of steps. Wheelchair access to the beach would involve a short walk into Olhas d'Agua, and a steepish hill down to the beach, where there is a ramp.
Although there was a cool wind at this time in December, the sun still had power, and when we were sitting sheltered on the balcony or terrace, we felt as warm as we would in a British summer, just more likely to get sunburnt, given the cloudless sky! "
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Forte Do Vale (albufeira)
|
|
|
"On the whole we were very satisfied with the accommodation, facilities and service. As we were the only guests on half board, we were very disappointed to be the only diners at dinner and breakfast. There was no set menu for half boarders. No iron, board or drying facilities, no kettle and no hooks to hang anything!
Good value for money!"
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Vila Recife (albufeira)
|
|
|
"Excellent, friendly service in a great location. Small, friendly, family-run feel. The town is very hilly and situated at the top of a hill, so may be difficult for strollers and those with walking difficulties, but this appllies to the whole of the resort.
Breakfast consisted of rolls with ham and cheese along with cereals, from which you could help yourselves as much as you want. Loads of restaurants nearby if you want more. I would recommend the local Portuguese restaurant with fixed menu at 9.80 euro, including half a bottle of wine each. The reception will direct you. Food excellent and huge portions."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
|
Forte Do Vale
|
|
|
"The apartments at this hotel are simply stunning. They are well presented, modern and extremely clean. They are in a great location, midway between the old and new towns. We had a fabulous 180 degree view of the sea from our spacious balcony. There is no need for a car as there are plenty of restaurants and supermarkets accessible on foot. The outdoor pool area was lovely but as it was unheated the water was far too cold to sample."
|
|
Hotel Rating:
Customer Rating:
|
Helpful Links
Flightline Essex Limited 
