Quinta Pedra dos Bicos

We stayed five nights with friends in one of the apartments and, for what we paid, I really couldn’t fault it despite some negative reviews. The rooms are a little dated, but clean and roomy enough, with good showers, beds, and air conditioning that actually works. We paid a €30 deposit on arrival and got it back less than 24 hours after checking out. The staff were friendly and helpful, and easy to reach on WhatsApp. The clean pool had a relaxed feel, with a mix of people around, and the pool bar food was excellent. It’s a five-minute walk to the beach and the New Town Strip, and about a 10-minute taxi ride to Old Town. I’d happily come back.

We were a bit concerned after reading reviews, but our apartment turned out to be clean, modern, spacious, and really nice. The pools can get busy with groups. If you have children, they were quieter early in the morning and later in the evening. We’d come back.

We were told during our June stag trip that we’d get a partial refund after some unexpected issues came up. I thought they’d handled things well enough and trusted it would be sorted, so I didn’t feel a public review was needed at the time. But months after getting home, the money still hadn’t arrived. Marco seemed genuine, and I trusted him to do the right thing, but now I feel I was just being put off. I’d be careful handing over money. Don’t book directly on their website. Use a trusted third party so you have a formal way to complain and can make sure you get your money back if something goes wrong. I wouldn’t recommend the place, since a company should do right by the people paying for its service, and that doesn’t seem to be what happened here.

The apartments are lovely, but the pool security are rude and arrogant. Keep an eye out for them during your stay.