Pine Cliffs Gardens Hotel

The staff made this stay memorable. Chef José, Dulce Evangelista, Maria Emília Cunha, Silvana Ramos and Ana from the kitchen, along with breakfast staff Meiriane, Vanessa Matos, Nilselane Oliveira, Pamela, Pedro, Manoela and Glaucio, plus hostess Luisa Rodrigues, were consistently warm, attentive and excellent. Janine from housekeeping also deserves recognition, as do Priscila and Pamela at Corda Café. Their professionalism and kindness made a real difference. We were traveling with our 3-month-old baby and felt cared for at every step. The property was pristine, thoughtfully designed and especially welcoming for families. It’s refined and lovely in every sense, and we’ll certainly return and recommend it without hesitation.

Free parking and WiFi were handy, and breakfast was delicious. The resort looked beautiful, and our room was nicely decorated with all the amenities we needed. We’ll be back.

The room had a recurring ant problem, and even after asking several times each day, it was never properly dealt with. Reception told us ants in rooms were “normal,” which was baffling. The staff generally seemed unhappy to be there and weren’t helpful. We did get an early check-in, which we appreciated, but the receptionist handled it so begrudgingly that it soured the interaction. Requests felt like an inconvenience everywhere. Food was another let-down. The resort restaurants were expensive, portions were small, and the taste ranged from average to poor. There were no warm pools, and most loungers were uncomfortable blue plastic ones. Only one pool had cushioned loungers, which felt more like a tease than a real feature. There was little guidance about activities and no one offering information or help. We had to find each booking point ourselves, only to discover most activities were already full. Nearly everything cost extra; an hour of padel tennis for two was €60. The resort layout was awkward too. From the residences, it took about 30 minutes on foot to reach the beach or hotel lift, even without kids, because of the golf course layout. The gym was stuffy, dated and poorly equipped, just one cramped room without much design or the extra features you’d expect from a five-star place. We were especially disappointed by the spa after hearing such good things. At reception, the staff were cold and dismissive. When we asked for a treatment menu, the answer was bluntly “No,” and they told us to look it up online ourselves, with no help or warmth. This place is nowhere near the five-star experience it claims to be. We wouldn’t recommend it. If you want an overpriced, underwhelming stay with poor service, average food and few comforts, it may suit you. We paid five-star prices for a three-star experience and left more disappointed than relaxed.

I’m a Platinum Member of Bonvoy Marriott and spend more than 80 nights a year in hotels. This is a vacation resort, not a luxury hotel. There’s no adult pool, and the front desk closes at 11:00 pm, so there’s no help there if you need anything after that. The beach lounge costs 150 euros per person per day. The free loungers aren’t enough for the guests, and I had to get up early to save a place just to sit down. The beds were hard and awful, the sheets cheap, and the rooms basic, with a glass divider around the bathroom and no privacy, not even for the WC. The food was mediocre, and the lobby and hallways smelled and looked like a hospital. The price-to-value was awful. I’ll never return and wouldn’t recommend this to anyone looking for a high-standard hotel. If you want a family vacation resort, it’s perfect for you.