More Traveller Reviews of Solmonte Apartments
Very disapointing
from Weemombies
When I booked our holiday to Praia De Rocha I searched the net for info about the Solmonte Apts and found very little. I read the comments made on here and thought I more or less knew what to expect. We paid £1800 for a 2 bedroom apt which was rated 2/3 star. We aren't fussy people at all and all we wanted was somewhere clean and spacious to keep our stuff and put our heads down at night. I'm afraid to say the 2/3 star we paid for was more like a 1 star. Yes the room is spacious enough but it is very outdated with furniture that has seen better days and it wasn't very clean. We had problems like our mattress was stained with urine, our daughters bed was held together by string, electric sockets hanging out the wall (great for our 22 month toddler!!)toilet seat hanging off. Kitchen area has a decent sized fridge a couple of pots, plates and utensils but no oven or grill. Balcony hadn't been cleaned and had one shabby plastic chair and table. The safety railing wasn't very high and as soon as my toddler saw it he managed to get his knees up onto the wall area!! Needless to say the safety shutter was down for the rest of the holiday! It shouldn't have been an issue as a low floor room was requested by the travel agent due to my being disabled and having a toddler. However when we arrived we were put on the 5th floor despite it being in the hotel special requests that we requested a low floor room (ie 1st or 2nd) We also requested a quiet area of the hotel but as we had been told there isn't any entertainment in the hotel we didn't think it would be an issue. Wrong! Karaoke every 2nd night that didnt even start till 10pm. Maid service was every 2 or 3 days but they did very little. Our bathroom wasn't cleaned for the whole fortnight we were there and the floor was given a quick lick and a promise rather than a good wash. I actually had to keep the apartment clean and with 5 people and not even a decent floor brush, that is pretty hard! We had a couple of 20 something girls in the room next to us that thought it was funny to come in drunk at 4am stomping up the tiles in stilettos and blasting their music which woke our son several times. Revellers coming out of Tony or Rudy's bar or the idiots from the hotel opposite out on their balconies singing at 5am didnt help us get much sleep either. Heh we know your on holiday to have fun. That's great but we have to sleep you know!!!! Staff at Solmonte are extremely friendly and helpful so that made it a bit better!
Solmonte Excell
from sttuartty
Mt dates are slightly out as i have been twice once to Solmonte and the next as a surprise for my wife to the Casino Hotel. We went to The solmonte in August 6 of us and apart from my wife and mother in law me and my 3 kids had never been abroad. From the minute we arrived to the minute we left i loved it, when you stay in a cold country its hard to imagine walking on sand thsat burns your feet or waking up to sunshine from early hours of the morning to early evening. The 1 bad thing was the travelling, it is a good hour from Faro to the solmonte, but worth while when you get there. When we arrived it was after 8pm so wanted a cuppa, but forgot everything. Went down to the bars and met Rudi explained we had just arrived and he gave me milk, sugar and t bags for free.good start. As the time went on Rudi can be funny some days but to be honest we did not spend alot of time there but apartments were clean and tidy maids in every 2nd day the only thing that did not work was the shower and to be honest we liked our baths. I am currently booked again to go in June 2008 and cannot wait i am counting the days, taking my sister and her 2 kids and mother in law coming again but i am really lucky tio have a great mother in law. None of my sister in laws family have ever been abroad or even flown but i know they will love it. The one bad thing and i suppose it was going to happen anyway is that the cost of travelling there is rising rapidly feel free to ask anything about there or the apartments its well worth a visit but one thing do not expect luxary.
worth a visit
from cunninghams2304
this as the first time i took my two young children abroad and i cant complain about the apartments or the area itself. solmonte apartments had bad reviews on the internet and i couldnt find much info about it either,but when we arrived we was pleasently surprised. although it is slightly dated it was kept clean at all times and the staff were extremely friendly,the bar area was great for snacks around the pool and was very reasonably priced as was the on site supermarket. although it is on a busy road of an evening we found u didnt hear much noise and as it isnt on top of nightclubs and bars u dont seem to get any late night drinkers making noise outside. the beach and local town are a 3min walk away,the only down fall the the area itself is there is around70-80 steps down to the beach itself which is a nightmare when walkin back up with buggies and beach stuff,and the water is freezing. eating out is cheap and u can get some nice food at many of the local places. i would definatly recommend solmonte apartments if your looking for a cheap family holiday,cant fault it one bit
Just right
from Chadwickthecat
Not bad at all. I've read some reviews saying that the hotel was in urgent need of a refurbishment - but I think this is unfair. Sure - it's not brand new, but it's perfectly serviceable and very reasonably priced. It's a huge hotel (11 floors I think) and we were on the 10th. The rooms are enormous - we had 2 separate balconies. There are 2 bars downstairs (not the best, but perfectly serviceable). One of the best things we found was that despite the hotel being so large and having such a large number of guests - it is very well made, so the noise pollution is minimal. We got a good nights sleep every night and were not once woken up by the usual 3am revellers. Club Arcos, just round the corner looked very similar to Solmonte, but was full of very rowdy drinkers and blaring club music. The chap at the front desk was extremely friendly and always made us feel welcome.
Perfectly fine
from muir2000
Me and my partner stayed for 10 days at the Solmonte apartments, chosen by me as I wanted somewhere affordable and as close to the beach as possible. Not much info available for these apartments on the net but a few reviews I found before going seemed to be mostly negative and made me somewhat nervous! Luckily I found our apartment to meet our needs just fine, it was by no means 5-star but I am very pleased with what we got, both price and location-wise. The apartment itself was clean and tidy, plenty spacious enough, perfectly working hob and fridge, shower, toilet, all the essentials! Comfy bed, nice balcony and BBC news on the TV :-) There were no towels at all on arrival but upon asking at reception these were immediately stocked up and then changed every couple of days along with a tidy from the maids. All reception staff were so friendly and nice, great pool and sunlounge area, Rudi's bar had plenty to do for entertainment and served delicious snacks and best of all, the location was perfect for walking to the gorgeous beach, all the bars and restaurants, and taking excursions further afield which reception kindly booked for us.
Third Visit to Solmonte Apts
from cathmag
This was our third visit to Solmonte Apartments in Prai Da Rocha Enjoyed our 2 weeks hols very much, but have to say Apartments are in dire need of upgrading. This however did not stop us having a great holiday. Rudi in the Bar Sol pool bar at the apartments is just wonderful. He arranged a birthday cake, champagne etc for one of our party who was 50 during our hols. Reasonable prices for drinks and food. Well done Rudi ! The resort itself has undergone a few changes since our last visit. A new walkway right along the beach is great. New restaraunts etc. We found everywhere clean and reasonably priced. If you want to go somewhere special, try the Titanic Restaraunt, it is fab. Avoid the Irish bars unless you want to pay a bit more for your drinks. All in all we had a great holiday and will definately return.
horrible, horrible, horrible
from 8dingles
Decided to stay in Praia Da Rocha for 2 nights because we were staying in Albufeira for 16 nights and wanted to drive to Cape St Vincent then up the west coast to Aljezur so booked the Solmonte. Driving into PDR was like entering concrete jungle. Found the hotel and it looked ok from the outside but inside it was very dated, dark wood furniture, big metal doors, 70's decor, shutters on windows, very old towels and dirty water. Walked to the beach which was nice then tried to find somewhere decent to eat but everywhere looked so dirty and it was Irish bar after Irish bar and I must have been asked a dozen times in the first hour I was there if I wanted hash, smoke, watch even though I was with my wife and 2 small kids. We then decided to drive the 10 mins into Alvor which was 100x better than PDR. Had a meal in a nice place and a few drinks in the bars and had a great night but unfortunately we had to go back to PDR and the Solmonte for the night. First thing in the morning we checked out, had breakfast in Alvor then did our drive then headed back to Albufeira. Been to most places in Spain and the Algarve (except Benidorm) but PDR is the worst place I've ever been to and the hotel wasn't much better but would have stayed the 2 nights if it had been located in Alvor. DO NOT go to Praia Da Rocha.
canny crack
from beefman
stayed at solmonte apartments,june 17th to june22nd 2007, payed virtually nothing for accomadation which was totally adequate, nice set up for a drink and sum grub at the two bars,very canny,there is hardly any information or photos on the internet about this place yet it deserves more,yea it might be a bit dated, but no way is this a complaint.staff were more than friendly, and the bar staff were very friendly too,lovely toasties and the drink was so cheap, also only a 5 min walk to the centre of town, food very reasonable too, atlantis resteraunt classy, plus good kareoke at the las vegas,
great stay and value for money
from alisondogs73
The rooms are basic but very large and clean.The reception staff are very friendly and helpful and nothing is too much trouble for them.The pools are very clean and there are 2 bars and a shop by the poolside. Rudy one of the owners of the largest bar is extremely helpful and friendly.bar food lovely and superfast service. The apartments themselves are situated on a main road which is not too busy.there are zebra crossings and the town itself is 5 mins walk uphill from the hotel. The town itself is full of irish bars mainly and live irish music. so i found it better to go by taxi for 6 euros to a fishing village called ALVOR.Very nice little shops and pubs and restaurants. Portemao is only 7 euros by taxi and is larger with shops down by the port.There is a shopping complex called Continental and opposite a large shoe shop and bargain prices.Id recommend the jeep safari day up in the mountains which is a fab day out. U can take the loop bus into the town of Portamao which will only cost you 1.20 euro and is just as quick as a taxi.The bus can be caught outside armrillis hotel which 2 hotels down from solmonte. The Chicken Piri Piri restaurant had supurb food,cheap and very friendly staff.Dukes was a lovely place for breakfast and cheap. The boat cruises especially the ALGREGIA cruise to the caves and the BBQ back on the beach is a must.CORI the guide is great fun ,she made everyone laugh and the other crew were great.The beach at prai de rocha is fantastic alot of steps to walk down but its worth it. Just remember that with most meals you are served bread and olives etc which you will be charged for regardless if you eat them or not.You can take a bus to ALBERFEIRA tickets can be bought at the JUPITER hotel and timings are limited,The trip takes about 50 mins but worth it. The quantiere market trip is a must.a massive market at cheap cheap prices.A FANTASTIC PLACE TO SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY. Im returning in 2 months fantastic weather....
Solmonte apartments just fine
from neprune
The solmonte apartments are very basic but large and clean. There is a cooker, fridge, kettle, pots ect and television. All rooms have balconies but there is no air conditioning. Within the apartments there is a small shop and a night bar. The outdoor pool is large (cleaned daily) and set within a lawned area which is lovely, alongside the pool is another small bar that serves snacks. Rudy runs the bar and is a charachter, in a nice way, he is usually run of his feet but when he gets the chance he will sit and have a chat. When we were there some nights there was karioke. (wasnt in to that). The apartments are on a very busy main road but there are many crossings along this area so we never had a problem crossing this road. Once across you are 5 minutes away from the strip which has shops, restaurants, bars and best of all the beautiful beach. I would recommend the Atlantis restaurant for sheer luxury and delicious food and 1st class service at great prices. For a very cheap alternative The concorde is also good. The beach as said is stunning but there are a lot of stairs to go down to reach it, which is fine but beleive me its not so fine trying to get back up them! I love prai da rocha its stunning, the locals are warm and friendly and the food is exquisite and the sea veiws are breathtaking. For a family of 4 at peak season you can save approx £1000 by satying at the Solmonte which as i see it is more spending money! Ive now stayed ther twice and enjoyed both times equally. I would recommend these apartments and would love to go back for a 3rd time.
Clube dos Arcos Hotel Praia Da Rocha
Club Praia Da Rocha Apartments Praia Da RochaCheck Rates
first visit to portugal with my friend..... we arrived on tuesday left on wednesday the next day, it was like being in the centre of high rise council estate with building half completed smashed windows graffiti everywhere. this what not as discribed by teletext holidays!!!... more