Balaia Golf Village Resort

Our apartment stay in Albufeira was peaceful and very clean, with plenty of space, and we had a great time. Spar nearby was handy for everyday needs, and the beaches were about a 15-20 minute walk away.

We stayed in May 26, four of us, and this was a very expensive holiday for us. The reception staff need to improve their attitude toward guests. We were put in two apartments, two people in each. One was fine apart from ants on the kitchen counters. The other was disgraceful: it smelled strongly of bleach, which could have affected my partner's asthma, and it was very dim during the day. Ants kept appearing around the apartment on nearly every day. There was also a water-filled bubble on the outside of the door ceiling, dripping like a leak, which could have ended badly if it burst on someone. The air conditioning in the living room and main bedroom wasn't working properly. We asked to move and were given another apartment, described as an upgrade and a “Villa.” It was on the other side of the complex from our family. It wasn't a villa, just another bad apartment. It was even darker and didn't smell pleasant. The swimming pool said to be right beside this “Villa” was empty and under maintenance. We went back to reception and asked to be relocated to another hotel, but they didn't help much. We returned to the earlier apartment and tried to enjoy the rest of the holiday there. On our final morning, we came out of the bedroom to find the whole inside hallway by the front door flooded. A leak had happened overnight and soaked the apartment. That was a hazard and could have caused a serious injury if we hadn't spotted it first. An absolute disaster, including the reception staff's attitude. Save yourself the expense and book somewhere worthwhile. This place deserves zero stars.

The hotel has nice amenities and a spacious apartment, but we had issues with the room. It wasn't cleaned and the towels weren't changed for four days, even after we asked. The toilet wasn't very clean, with mould on the tiles. The soap dispenser was empty, so we bought soap, and it was still empty after the cleaning.

The pool was about a minute's walk away, with plenty of loungers, a snack bar and spotless toilets. The woman working there was lovely and helped me with my Portuguese pronunciation. We booked a one-bedroom apartment and were delighted with its location, well-equipped kitchen, large lounge and dining area, two balconies and ample parking.