Regency Salgados Hotel & Spa

This was my third holiday at the Regency Hotel and Spa, and I wouldn’t choose anywhere else for an Algarve break now. It’s a lovely place for a quiet, relaxing stay, just a 10-minute drive from Albufeira. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and really well equipped. The restaurant is as good as anywhere, and the staff are very friendly and accommodating.

We had a great stay and would happily come back. The area is fairly quiet, which suits us, while still being close to plenty of things to do. Staff were friendly and very helpful. Our room was bright and very clean, with a large comfortable bed, a fantastic rain shower, and a tea station. We booked half board, and both the breakfast and dinner buffets had a good range of choices. Dinner also included various seafood dishes that are traditional here. The one drawback was that it was tricky to get an earlier dinner reservation, but if you don’t mind eating after 8, you’re in luck.

The pool area is lovely, with sunshades and a bar for snacks and drinks, though service can be slow when it’s busy. I was told the pool was cold, but it was refreshing. We even spotted a hedgehog, and there are lots of backdrops for good photos. The hotel is a bit out of town, but since we were a group of 12, we generally used two large Ubers to get around. We were there for only 3 days. The reception staff were lovely, and we only ate in the dining room for breakfast, which had a great selection. No Weetabix, though they did have cornflakes. Towels in the room were changed daily and the bins emptied. There was tea and coffee in the room and air conditioning. Some rooms had balconies, and some hairdryers didn’t work properly.

The rooms look gorgeous, and the staff were so sweet and helpful. The sauna and gym were shut for renovations, but they arranged for us to use the facilities at a nearby hotel. The beach is about a 12-minute walk away, and the location is great. In the off-season, though, I’d definitely recommend renting a car.