Villa Shangri-la

The villa was nothing like the photos or the advertised “luxury” description. There were exposed wires, peeling furniture, and bunk beds without ladders or safety rails. We slept lightly because we were afraid of falling. Staff came and went during our 3-day stay to “fix” things, ruining our privacy and relaxation. It felt like they were checking up on us. Algarve Vacations kept our large security deposit, claiming we had caused damage that was clearly already there. Their “proof” was a photo of an old, rusty freezer door that we never touched, yet they charged us for a brand new fridge freezer. After reading other reviews, it seems we’re not the only ones with this experience. Their customer service was as awful as the villa, and it looks to me like they use guests’ deposits to pay for repairs and renovations. Avoid them and save yourself the stress.

The Algarve is beautiful, but Algarve Vacations turned our girls’ weekend into a horrible experience. We arrived tired after hours of travel, but although the villa was ready and had been empty all week, they wouldn’t send the key code even a minute before 4pm. No flexibility or friendliness, just a cold response. Inside, we found dim lighting, broken plugs hanging from the walls, peeling cupboards, mouldy bathrooms, and a bunk bed ladder that looked ready to snap. We tried to laugh it off and stay positive. Then a man appeared to “fix the broken door,” though we hadn’t reported one. After he left, the door started jamming so badly that three of us had to open it. The next morning, we were told to attend a “welcome meeting.” We politely declined because it was a short stay and we weren’t using any appliances, but the representative insisted. It felt more like an inspection: she went through the rooms and asked who was sleeping where. Creepy and uncomfortable. Nearly a week after checkout, they said they were keeping our deposit for an outdoor chair we never used, a bed we hadn’t broken, and a rusty fridge. The rust was clearly years old, but they charged us for a full replacement. When we asked for proof and reports, we got silence. Other reviews say they’ve used the same rusty fridge excuse before. Stay away from Algarve Vacations if you want honesty or your deposit back.

Algarve vacations gave us a terrible experience. They charged us for damage we hadn’t caused and sent “proof” images that, according to other 1 star reviews, they had clearly used before. The photo of the supposedly broken fridge/freezer showed an old, rusty door with ordinary wear and tear. Their customer service was just as awful as the villa. The heavily edited photos were misleading. The place was run down and had several safety issues: broken plugs with live wires, broken bunk bed steps, very concentrated chlorine that made our eyes burn, and a broken front door. The villa owner came by multiple times to try to fix it, but couldn’t. She just told us to push harder. We felt intimidated during each visit, so we nodded and tried to stay positive for the rest of our stay. Read the other reviews and reconsider before booking. A small number of positive ones isn’t worth it. Make memories in algrave, but not with algrave vacations. Don’t become part of their deposit-stealing scheme.

We booked through VRBO, expecting the “luxury” villa shown in the listing, but arrived to a filthy, dated place that was falling apart. The furniture was broken, the bathrooms mouldy, and everything felt neglected. Our experience with Algarve Vacations was appalling from start to finish. We left the villa spotless, but they refused to return our large damage deposit and made up a story about damage that never happened. Their so-called proof showed old, rusted appliances and wear that was already there. We sent emails, but Olivia ignored us. We felt completely scammed. Do yourself a favour and avoid Algarve Vacations.