Colina Sol Hotel

Most rooms face the wonderful beach. I had a two bedroom suite on the 11th floor that was heavenly. Furnishings are minimal, but comfortable, clean and there's no beating the view. Service is excellent, and you are located within walking distance of wonderful amenities. The beach is at your fingertips and cliffwalks are right out your door.

Booked this 3 days before going and was slightly worried after reading some reviews on this site and another. However, I don't know quite how the people with negative reviews came up with their comments. On arrival we were allocated a one bed recently refurbished apartment. It didn't have a sea view, so we went back to reception and asked for a room with a view. The receptionist told us that they hadn't got any one bed aparts with a sea view, but since they were quiet, then we could have a two bed - warning us that this room hadn't been refurbished. The apartment was very dated - dark wood furniture etc etc, however, the view was fantastic, the apartment was clean, and the bar and restaurant were both very reasonable. A pool on the upper level which was clean and tidy, but too cold in January to take a dip! For the money, I'd find it very hard to pick fault with the place. Excellent value for money - would definatley go back for a cheapie!

We stayed for 18 nights from 7th-25th Jan and paid £192 for a one bedroomed apartment through checkin2. We were lucky enough to get one of the refurbished ones which were in tones of lemons, creams and blue, much nicer than the harsh white you usually see. The living room was large with a dining area and satellite TV( No english channels, CNN for 2 days!!) , twin bedroom was spacious with plenty of wardrobe and drawer space and there was a seperate kitchen and bathroom. In the kitchen there was a full size electric cooker, combi microwave grill, toaster,kettle and coffeemaker, plus the usual utensils. We had 3 balconies to choose from but as it was winter and the sun was low it didn't actually shine on any of them at this time of year. TIP- if staying here in the winter try not to accept a room on the lower floors or to the right of the hotel when facing out to sea. We actually had very good weather and spent a lot of time on the beach, even getting into the sea but we had to have the heating on all the time due to the lack of sun on our apartment to warm it up!. The Reception staff were friendly and sorted out any requests we had promptly e.g. extra pillows, blankets, a patio door needed fixing. Within a 5 minute walk from the hotel there are a couple of restaurants, 2 bars and 2 small supermarkets.Carvoeiro is a 30 minute stroll ( some hilly bits!) or an inexpensive taxi ride away.For the time of year there were plenty of restaurants open in town , we ate at a few but only returned to one, California pizzeria.The staff were friendly, pizzas excellent and house wine 7euros a bottle. We love seafood and had a good seafood cataplana at Al fonte restaurant just up some stairs from the one way street entering town. The local bus service is very reliable and you can get to Portimao for 5euros return. There are excellent leather shops here and we were there for the sales!! As we were on a long stay holiday we decided to do a 'big shop' at the Intermarche just on the outskirts of town. It was worth it because the prices were a lot cheaper. The beach was lovely and we saw a school of dolphins following a fishing boat one day, it was amazing watching them jump in the water, there were so many we lost count. This was an excellent value winter break and found no faults whatsoever. The refurbishment is still ongoing but did not disturb us in any way. Word of warning to parents of small children. There seemed to be a lot of low rise walls with high drops on the other side, the worst one being for the hotel's undergound carpark, a little extra vigilance is required.

Just got back from 2 weeks staying at the Colina Sol Aparthotel in Carvoeiro. The hotel is basic but value for money. The bar was not particularly great, no atmosphere but there are so many places to go in Carvoiero you don't need the hotel bar. The idle stroll is a 30 minute walk into Carvoiero with some ropey bends to contend with. We walked a few times but mostly got a taxi costing approximately 5 euros. Reception ordered this for us. The reception staff were very helpful and advised good trips. The beach that the hotel overlooks, Praia de Centianes, is by far the best out of the 4 we tried but watch out for the undercurrent which caught even adults out! Maid service was daily except Sundays although sometimes it was 5-5.30 but still, daily maid service is rare. The hotel pool was clean and there certainly was not a problem with sunbeds, we always got one. We stayed in a well equipped 2 bed 2 bath apartment which gave us plenty of room (2 adults & 2 kids). There is a lift to the beach. We asked for a low floor but were given floor 7 however as the balconys are stepped it didn't matter and the views from all 3 windows/balconies were stunning. I would definitely recommend the Colina Sol.

Just back from the Colina Sol, loved the hotel and the views were excellent. Had read the bad reviews and was a bit worried, i dont know what they were expecting for the price, but i've stayed in worse hotels for a lot more money. Will definately go back.

Just back from the Colina Sol. Booked it as a last minute but photos on the website looked OK. The photos didn't look much like the room we had. Even although the offer had said there was air conditioning - the room we had didn't have any - just as well it was October and we didn't need it. Although the room had been cleaned quite well the furnishings were very grubby and very very basic. The drinking glasses were actually ice cream sundae dishes. I am sure that if you got a room overlooking the beach with a nice balcony it would be more bearable but our room looked over the entrance to the hotel. The balcony would be very dangerous for children as the wall was extremely low. Another thing the web site said was that there was a television with satellite channels. This was only any good if you spoke German as all channels apart from CNN were in Portuguese or German. We found that we were the only people in the bar on several occasions and on one occasion the barman stood behind us as we were having our drinks - I think to hurry us along. We only ate in the restaurant on one occasion. When we tried to order a bottle of wine we asked the waiter if he could tell us a bit about the wine as we didn't know anything about them and there was nothing on the menu to give you an idea. This was obviously something he had not been asked before as he didn't have much of a clue. We ordered from the menu rather than having the buffet food but it was not particularly good and was quite pricey compared to local restaurants. One great feature was a restaurant called Julios just down the hill from the Colina Sol. Absolutely wonderful restaurant, with wonderful food and wine and really lovely staff. This was the only thing that kept us going.

I have already been to Colina Sol twice (1998 and 2002), I have read that they renewed the beach in 2004, so now it should be even more beautiful. The hotel is nice, the apartments are huge, you can cook in the kitchenette and save money, the beds are very comfortable, it is a very quiet place, but above all - enjoying the breathtaking sunsets from your balcony over a glass of wine is absolutely THE REASON to go there!! You can see the whole Algarve coast, it is breathtaking. Just be careful to ask for a room in the upper floors and not above the swimming pool (if you are an afternoon sleeper). I can recommend this location with all my heart, I would go there every year if I could.

Colina Sol Apart hotel was wonderful. The hotel is pushed into the cliff over looking Praia de Centaines beach. In February and March the beach was warm and even HOT some days. Staff at the hotel were very good and the quaint decor made us feel at home. For regular people going on a long term stay, this was a wonderful holiday. Thank you Portugal.

Basic, grimy, unkept, this place bears no resembelence to" brochure bumph." Decor is dated to say the least and the facilities are limited. I would advise you not to waste your money by going to this pathetic excuse of a hotel.

We love the Colina Sol. We have stayed there 3 times and are coming back for a fourth. The hotel is very typically Portuguese with it's tiny quirks and bobbles that only add to it's charm. It may not have all the western ammenities but it is very comfortable. The location is excellent. It is tucked into the side of the cliff with a beautiful beach at it's base. We can sit on the balcony and watch the sun set into the Atlantic. The hotel management and staff are freindly and cooperative. They go out of their way to ensure our stay is magnificent.Bill & Nadene Strange