Palmares Signature Apartments - Adults Friendly

We enjoyed our stay over New Years Eve 24/25 and afterward. The service was friendly and competent, as we’ve experienced in many places in Portugal. Breakfast came to our Signature Appartment in a nice basket every morning, at a time we could choose in advance. The apartment was high standard and absolutely nice, with views towards Alvor and the sea. Meia Praya is a fantastic area. You can walk along a wooden path by the beautiful beach to the Marina and Old Town of Lagos, then take a small train back. The golf courses are nice, and walking through them makes it easy to reach the beach. They’re building some new appartments nearby but concealed them well behind a foto wall, which was a nice solution. We enjoyed it a lot and will return in July 25.

We loved being able to cook a few meals in the kitchen and keep what we needed on hand for a cheese and charcuterie platter. Having wine on the terrace in the evenings, listening to the ocean and watching the sunset, was one of the highlights of our trip. The two- and three-bedroom layouts also work well for groups of couples or adults: the bedrooms feel private while the shared space gives everyone a place to gather. The scenery across the resort is beautiful, with incredible ocean views from the apartments and terraces. The units are lovely, modern, new, and tastefully decorated. It was an ideal retreat at the end of days spent sightseeing, close enough to town for quick access to restaurants, markets, and everything else, but far enough away to relax in peaceful surroundings.

The apartment itself is in a beautiful spot, but the stay has been so frustrating that I’m writing this before we’ve even checked out. Construction was never mentioned when we booked. A crane now blocks the view, and although it’s quiet at the weekend, weekday noise sounds like it would be unbearable. For a stay at this price, that’s a lot to discover on arrival. The apartment is also less than a year old and already falling apart. See the attached photos. Service has been the biggest problem. Staff have yelled at us over the phone, and an employee bragged about having worked at “Leading Hotels of the World,” which felt disrespectful. We’re members of both Leading Hotels of the World and Small Luxury Hotels, and we don’t expect top-tier service everywhere, but basic courtesy should be a given. The place itself is lovely, and some restaurant staff were kind, but management’s handling of guests has been abysmal. It’s no surprise the hotel seems so empty when the guest experience feels like an afterthought and staff keep making excuses. We booked a one-bedroom apartment and found there was no separate lobby for the apartments. We had to enter through the main hotel lobby, then drive to a different parking area, which was a real hassle. Before check-in, we tried to have lunch at the restaurant. There was no cutlery, and when we asked for a spoon for our ponzu sauce, the waitress tossed it into the dish in a hostile way. We also asked for a bucket of ice and red wine glasses in the room. Staff refused, even though the property has a Michelin-starred restaurant. Reception manager Abilio was dismissive and condescending. After a lot of back and forth, the sous chef finally helped us. When I felt unwell and asked for tea in the room, staff again said that since we were in an apartment, we should make it ourselves. I was on vacation and didn’t want to prepare my own drinks. Breakfast was included, but we were given only cold cuts and raw eggs. Since we were in an apartment, cooked food wasn’t offered and we had to cook the eggs ourselves. Nobody explained this when we booked, despite my specifically asking how apartments differed from hotel rooms. The apartment kitchen also lacked basics like salt, pepper, a ladle, and cooking spoons. We couldn’t have drinks by the pool, and staff told us so rudely. Then we were charged for a welcome drink that was meant to be complimentary. When we said we’d use the voucher by the pool instead, nobody mentioned that drinks weren’t allowed there. Each issue might seem small alone, but together they made for a deeply disappointing stay. I can’t recommend this hotel.

We spent New Year’s Eve here with my parents. Breakfast came to the room and was just perfect. Lovely place, couldn’t have been better!