Real Bellavista Hotel & Spa

5 readers found this review helpful

myself,husband,daughter and her friend stayed at the real bella vista from the 16/26/07/09 we had a lovely time there was plenty to do.the rooms were lovely the hotel in general was very clean staff were lovely the only thing to let it down were the two older bar men they liked to talk to each other over you!out and aout - the old town is great if you want a nice meal the strip is for the night life,theres a great bar 2 min walk from hotel were you can get a great meal and the lunch time bar man was great very friendly!!over all we had a great holiday.

3 readers found this review helpful

I have just came back from the Real Bellavista with my wife and friends. We found the hotel very very clean and the staff very helpful and friendly. Nothing seemed to be a problem for them to make your stay in the hotel and indeed the Algarve more comfortable. I asked the reception for several bits of info/help and they were always more than happy to help. The breakfast was very good with a nice selection to choose from while catering for a diverse range of tastes, not just British. If you are looking for sausage bacon and eggs every morning then this is not the hotel for you!!! We only dined once in the evening, it was nice but not what I expected but it was only one night so I feel I can't really give a fair review on the evening meals. The hotel is a good walk away from The Strip and Old Town, okay to walk from the hotel as its downhill but not so good on the way back. There is a hotel bus service which runs at set times during the day and early evening. If you plan to use this service be there about 15/20 mins before the stated departure time as it is busy and there are only 27 seats with no standing and they do not do extra runs. If you do miss the bus then the reception are more than happy to call a taxi for you. It costs about 4 euros to the old town or strip. The swimming pool is small but seems to be just right for the hotel, it is a place to relax and chill out, not for wild parties or late night exploits. The evening entertainment is quite poor but if you are looking to enjoy a quite drink and unwind then it is ideal. On the downside beds were not the best but this is down to preference so I will not dwell on this (I found them very firm) and the bar was quite expensive, not just for drinks but snacks/tea/coffee, but speaking with other people and looking at reviews from other hotels this seems to be the norm. Overall the stay was very nice and relaxing. This is not a hotel for youngsters looking to party as you will soon find yourself looking for an alternative hotel! For people with young families or couples young and old looking to relax and unwind then this hotel is for you. Just remember it is on the top of a hill.

1 reader found this review helpful

I don't deny the hotel is nice, the location is ok only if you are prepared to walk everywhere! The streets are not paved like here at home, they are cobbled and made of some sort of marble which is extremely slippery and dangerous, we all nearly went over on more than one occasion!! They do supply a courtesy bus, but its a joke. The hotel has 190+ rooms, but the bus only holds 27 people, it is almost impossible to get a seat on the bus, they only make one trip and believe it or not, the last pick up is 8.30pm, YES..8.30pm!!!! It's ridiculous! The walk to the town and the beach is exhausting, so if you are prepared to walk, then good luck to you! The food in the hotel was expensive and a bit weird. Lots of stuff we had never heard of, or liked the look of. Whatever you do, DON'T USE THE HOTEL PHONE, it is daylight robbery! My daughter made a 10 minute call to her boyfriend and it cost 37 euro's. I'm sure the "Mark up" is more than 200% it was outrageous! The reception staff were rude. Whenever you approached them it was almost like you were interupting something, they looked down their nose at you and there was little if no eye contact at all, I could honestly say they all needed desperate customer service training. The rest of the staff were lovely and the hotel was very clean, although be careful, the maid actually forgot to relock our patio doors one day!!!!!!

1 reader found this review helpful

Hotel lovely, immaculate. Staff very friendly. Hotel is situated in between old town and the strip where there are lots of bars and restaurants. 15 minute walk either way. Not many bars directly near hotel. Courtesy bus runs at various times during day and early evening.
Steep steps down to old town from bus drop off. However you can walk an alternative route.
Very good selection of food. Towels are available free from spa to use around pool. The only down side is the entertainment. Not a lot going on in evening. Few activities during day. But if you just want to chill, its perfect.
There's a bureau de change in the small shopping mall, Modelo's nearby. Commission free.
Poolside bar is a bit on the expensive side for drinks (cans) but there is a supermarket (pingo doce) just down the road. (they're much cheaper).
Stayed at the real Bella vista this year and last and loved it.

This hotel is amazing. The hotel rooms are big and very cool, even without the air conditioning on. The staff were lovely and were very friendly. Also the food was brilliant, there was a wide selection and it was like eating out in a 5 star restaurant every night.
One thing I will say is that the entertainment in the evenings was not very exciting. The only thing we did find difficult is that you are not allowed to flag down taxi's in Portugal which made it very difficult to get back from the town centre. You had to queue for ages, we gave up and walked it, however it is a very hard walk from the old town to the hotel. The best way to get around would be the little train that goes round the entire town for 2 euros.
I would definately recommend this hotel to anyone, it has everything that you need. Our room was cleaned every day and new towels provided every day too. The spa was really good value for money too. There was a lack of sun beds but there is a grassed area which you can lay on. You can also use towels from the spa for free all day.
I would go back in here.

1 reader found this review helpful

Just returned from a short break in Portugal with my boyfriend and we loved it! The hotel was fantastic not one fault was found.
The rooms are very spacious and outstandingly clean.
We went on a bed and breakfast basis and was very impressed. The weather was also scorching hot!!
The hotel is in a very good location as it is tucked away from all the bars and clubs so you can sleep at night, but it only takes about 15 minute walk to all the night life or you can get a taxi, which only costs about 4 Euros.
One bit of advice though, take footwear that you can walk in, as the streets where the nightlife is are all cobbled.
Overall I would definitely recommend this hotel.

1 reader found this review helpful

This was our first trip to the Algarve and we were certainly impressed. The hotel is modern, clean with friendly staff, situated close to shopping centre, old town and strip. There is also a courtesy bus if you’ve had too much of the vino or port!!!! Gorgeous leisure centre and as the weather was a bit on the cold side (it was early March) the Jacuzzi was absolute heaven!!!
Only downside no tea/coffee facilities in room