Cerro Mar Garden

The free Wi-Fi kept the kids happy, and the hotel also had a games room, indoor pool and a nice outdoor pool. My wife and daughter enjoyed the sauna, and the regular cleaner was lovely and made sure we had towels, toilet roll and what we needed. We had a great view of Old Town and the sea. The rooms and hotel were nice, and the drinks were reasonably priced, though two portions of skinny frozen fries cost €12 one night and were a bit undercooked. The kids had the beds, while we got the sofa bed, which was hard and made for a few rough nights. There was an unexpected tourist tax on arrival, which I wish had been disclosed upfront. One morning two different cleaners let themselves into our room without knocking, then left without saying anything. That felt strange and a bit suspicious. The free shuttle to Old Town was handy, but the last one back was at 5.30pm, so we had to climb the steep steps in the evenings. Still, I'd recommend the place.

The apartment was spacious and comfortable, with a lovely ocean view, and the location was convenient for the old town, restaurants and beach while still being quiet enough to unwind. Reception staff were helpful: after a long wait because our place wasn't ready following an early flight, the next shift upgraded us from the Atlantic building to the Garden section. We were grateful. When our key cards wouldn't work for the entrance or the apartment electricity, someone came to replace them within minutes, despite the walk from reception usually taking about seven minutes. There are a pool, sauna and fitness room. Pool towels require a €5 deposit, though you can bring your own, and massages cost extra. Breakfast is a buffet if it isn't included in your booking, and dinner is available by reservation. Parking around the complex is free. My experience at the spa reception was less pleasant. The woman there didn't seem friendly and appeared reluctant to speak languages other than Portuguese. She seemed much more welcoming to Portuguese guests, and that interaction cost the hotel a star from me. With more consistent service, this could have been a five-star stay.

The rooms are really, really nice and feel like apartments you could live in for months or even years. Mine had a fully equipped kitchen with a stove, fridge, freezer, and cupboards full of pots and pans, plus a washing machine, free Wi-Fi and a nice bathroom. The bathroom lock didn't work, though. There's an indoor pool, outdoor pool and spa, as well as a restaurant next door that I didn't try. I think all rooms have some kind of balcony, but the view isn't good from every one. Staff were polite and service was good. The hillside location makes getting there a pain, even though there's a shuttle. I found it easier to get groceries delivered, walk to places, then take an Uber back up. The halls can be really noisy, especially around midnight. The walls are thin in places, so I heard party groups going by with loud music, couples arguing and children being scolded. It felt like a sitcom, and was very annoying. Some signs asking people to keep quiet would help.

The heated pool, sauna and steam room were lovely, and the room was great. The reception ladies were amazing, and the service was so friendly and attentive. They even said my husband looked like a famous Brazilian singer, and funny enough, he does 😄 He had a lovely birthday thanks to the hospitality. Food was available too. We definitely recommend the place and look forward to coming back. A big thank you as well to Personal Travel agent Kym Donaldson for taking such good care of the details. Everything was just as she said, and I'd highly recommend booking your next holiday with her. Thank you all very much 😍😊