Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort

The breakfast was good, and the sea-view rooms we tried for two nights were much nicer, though they cost more. The apartments were dated and needed work, which was disappointing for a hotel with a 5-star status. It looked like upgrades were underway, so I’m sure they’ll be better once that’s finished, but this rating reflects the stay we had. We were told checkout was 10am for apartments and noon for the main hotel rooms. I don’t understand why that should vary by room type. When we asked whether we could extend checkout or check into the other room early, one staff member just laughed and pointed to paperwork, saying there were lots of arrivals that day. It would’ve been better to calmly explain that the hotel was fully booked and it wasn’t possible.

The free shuttle to the Old and New Town was a real help, since the hotel is somewhat remote. I can imagine the area being lively in high season, given Albufeira’s reputation as a party destination for young British visitors. We didn’t stay long enough to use many of the facilities, but the pools looked a little small for the number of guests the resort can hold. We were there in March and had a pleasant stay overall. Breakfast had a good mix of sweet and savoury food, and the orange juice was especially nice. Our room was clean except for a few marks on the walls. We were assigned level -2, which I first thought was a basement, but it was actually ground level and we could see a bit of the sea. The toilet kept making noise because water continued running long after flushing. Some reception staff were pleasant, while others seemed unhappy to be there. We felt like we were bothering them when we asked basic questions.

The setting, layout and rooms we had were fab, and the bar team by the main pool worked really hard. The young man there this week was constantly on the go, and the man handling the towels was friendly too. A few small changes could make this feel like a real 5-star stay, and I hope management takes the feedback on board. There was maintenance work happening during our visit, and the hallways were dusty and dirty. When we asked reception to fix the AC or bring bottled water, we were told someone would come up, but we waited and then had to return to reception to ask again. This went on for days. Some staff at breakfast and reception also gave us a strange feeling, as if they were trying to catch us out, and a few weren’t friendly. It was frustrating to find extra charges for things that seemed included, like beach sunbeds. We were told indoor pool access cost €20 per person, which didn’t seem right when we were already staying at the hotel. There was also a gym sign saying residents who weren’t using the gym couldn’t use the water there. I’ve never seen that before, and it’s not ideal for families. These issues affected the feel of our stay enough that I wouldn’t return or recommend it to couples or families.

The peacocks around the hotel were lovely to watch, and the beachfront restaurant had some nice views. The food there was decent. We also found the gym and spa clean, with plenty of room to work out, and four pools meant there was lots of space to relax. I stayed three nights in one of the resort apartments with a friend. It was a lovely girls’ trip. The apartment was a little old, but clean, and housekeeping came every day. The hotel is about a 30-minute drive from the airport, and an Uber costs around 20 euros.