The Beachfront -Praia D'El Rey Golf & Beach Resort

Service was very poor, and breakfast was awful. The rooms also felt much too large and had no air conditioning.

The setting is quiet and beautifully integrated with the surroundings, with lovely sunsets and a good location if you want remote, isolated beaches. The buildings are well designed, and the apartments have plenty of space and huge terraces. But the interior furniture and decor feel more like a basic student party flat than a five-star resort, and upkeep is poor: lots of things are old or broken, and it seems nobody looks after them. We came expecting the five-star complex advertised as part of the Marriott resort. The service was the biggest letdown. Requests got little attention or response, and there was no sense that anyone was looking after us. It felt like a poorly managed Airbnb run by a cheap third-party company. I can put up with old Ikea furniture, even if that isn't what I expect at this price, but the lack of care made the stay disappointing. If you want this location, you may be better off renting another villa or apartment in the complex. It could cost less, have better equipment, and perhaps come with better service. If you're happy to pay for an Airbnb-style apartment with 2010-era Ikea furniture, this one might suit you. I have nothing against Airbnb or Ikea, which can both be good, but I don't expect to be making that comparison when I book a home in a five-star complex.

The ocean view in the morning was incredible, and this could be a good place for families or groups of friends if you know in advance what you're booking. At checkout, the manager apologized for the lack of heat and gave us a bottle of wine. The receptionist had also come back about 40 minutes after our call and tried the thermostats, though she couldn't get the heat working. She offered to move us, but after a long travel day we were too tired, so we stayed. She even went out to find blankets, which took about 20 minutes, and we appreciated the effort. We ended up sleeping on the couch under those blankets. Getting there after dark was a struggle. The road was long, rough, dark, and very isolated, and the check-in office felt temporary and unexpected. With only one receptionist, it took a while to be welcomed and to go through the information. She was pleasant and gave us a map, but the lodging was a drive away. I had thought we'd booked a hotel or resort room, not an apartment. Our unit was labeled “BFA14,” but there was no number on the building. We drove and then walked around for ages trying to find it, and another guest couldn't help either. We later learned “BF” meant beach front, which hadn't been explained. We were told the apartment was behind the building, although access was actually from the front. Maybe the language barrier caused the confusion, but wandering around in the dark for over half an hour was no fun. Inside, the apartment was freezing. The tile floors made it feel even colder, and the heat didn't work. The beds had sheets but no pillows or blankets, and the bedrooms had no window coverings or decor beyond the furniture. We found bedding in the closets, but the blankets had hair on them and smelled dirty. When we called the main number, we learned the hotel wasn't affiliated with the resort and nobody was available to help with the heat after 8 p.m. It had been presented as a hotel room when we booked, but was actually a resort apartment, which made getting help harder.

The pool, location, and amount of space were all fantastic. My only suggestion is that check-in could use clearer signs.