Reviews of Janelas Do Mar Apartments, Albufeira

i love this holiday the staff there are very friendly and kind most of my family went to the same hotel we got told it was really good and it is. one one thing is the floor is very slippy where we stayed but i would go there again and talke other peaple and the maid service was excellent.

The old town was nice and had finer places to eat and the beach was excellant so all in all a excellant place to go.

The strip was only 10 minute walk and the beach is near the strip down a hill but it wasnt that big its just a nice walk down.

so dont get put of by the bad reviews because it is a great place

The Paphos Gardens Apartments were fantastic. Really relaxed and chilled. We stayed in an apartment, the maids are excellent, changing bedding twice a week, loads of towels etc. The oasis pool is lovely, great for children. The hotel pool was ok but had the entertainment team there all the time telling what you will play next, ok if thats the type of holiday you want, but this didn't suit us, so we stayed away. The poolside bar was really expensive, we went to the shop which was only 2 minutes walk away. The hotel is really close to all the restaurants, only 5 minutes walk. The harbour is a lovely place to visit, bustling and lively. I would recommend "Les Amis" the food was amazing, we had 5 clean plates every time we visited. Another restaurant I would recommend is "Viva Cyrus", the moussaka was fantastic and the prices were the best we paid the whole two weeks, only 50 euros and there were 5 of us. Fantastic holiday!

When reading previous comments I was somewhat apprehensive about what I would find. However I was very pleased overall with the accomodation, and the location.

The rooms were very spacious and clean, the maid service was excellent and we had plenty of clean towels. On the downside it was quite noisey, noise from the hotel bar, doors slamming and you could hear the people in the next appartment. Don't try to cook in the oven as there are no shelves and it doesn't seem to get hot!

I would recommend buying drinks during happy hour as they are much cheaper then. Ice cream and snacks at the pool were not too expensive.

Don't try and use the map the hotel give you, the tour company one will be better.

I would recommend 'The Travellers Rest' it had a good choice of food (served until 8.00pm except Tuesdays) and the drinks were cheap. It is located just off the strip, if you walk up from Worm Island you will see it. The supermarket Pingo Doce at Worm Island is also very reasonable.

If you venture into the old town don't try and come back between 5and 6pm in a taxi, very busy and charge twice as much as any other time! Don't take high heels you'll never wear them.

If you dont mind walking are reasonably fit and want somewhere near shops and bars but not amongst them I would definately recommend. I wouldn't take small children, and would possibly take earplugs if I stopped here again.

I travelled with my 3 children, 15, 13 and 11 who all enjoyed it and spend long periods of time in the pools all were very cold, but non were dirty.

I have just returned from 1 week there and I was well impressed by the size of the rooms and the overall service. 1 Bedroom apartment was very spacious and clean but basic. The pools were all clean and the staff very helpful. If you are buying snacks and drinks at the hotel then it can be costly. There is a small Irish bar across the road and the food and drinks are pretty reasonable and I would highly recommend the breakfasts and the steak pie there.



It is quite a walk from the strip ( 15 minutes ) but there are buses every 10 minutes or so. The only thing about the location is when you are coming back at night. A taxi is very cheap so use them. There has been a few robberies in the area mainly targeting women with a bag. As it is a long walk back to the hotel please use the taxis.

Our appartment was very spacious and clean had a bath and shower and comfortable beds. Our room was cleaned 6 days out of 7, me and my daughter went in the indoor pool which wasnt dirty. We didnt spend any time by the pools you have to be down there about 9am to put your towels on the sunbed,and we found some lovely uncrowded beaches. We took our 13 yr old daughter to Zoo Marine and the nice lady at the dolphin interaction desk managed to get her a place to go in with the dolphins. What a great day out purely magical,we also went on a jeep safari with Portutours great day out.Lovely meals out every day and night,go to the American Diner great food but really large portions. The holiday overall was brilliant cant fault it at all will go back same place next year.

Just had a great holiday at Janelas and reading other reviews, I think you get what you pay for. The apartments are large but fairly basic, the beds are comfortable and the maid service was at least 5 times a week. We had 1 bedroom and two balconies both facing the pool and sea.There is no air conditioning no matter what the brochures say, but the breeze in the evening means you have no problem sleeping because of the heat. The pools are cleaned weekly and the surrounding areas scrubbed early in the morning so most guests would probably miss this. This is the first place I have been to for years where there are sunbeds left at 10.30am in August! Ignore earlier reviews about paying to watch TV as they have changed to just charging 20 euros deposit for the remote. The only down side for us were the charges for the mini golf and the tennis court of 10 euros which I thought was a bit much. Had it been less my children would have used both facilities every day. Oh, and the entertainment in the bar is painful.



The walk to the strip (top) was about 10 mins if you use the shortcut or 15mins (to the middle) if you walk down to the roundabout (don't plan to wear heels, it's not worth looking ridiculous on the cobbled pavements). We ate out every night and found some great restaurants....Chor Bar and Laeo's at the top of the strip were very nice and only 40 to 50 euros for 4 people with drinks. We saw no stag or hens parties anywhere and no drugs being sold. This area was family orientated.



The walk to the old town was a bit of a marathon and we only did it once to get a feel for the area. There is a big shopping centre on the way. Taxis back from the old town are only 3 euros 90 from the taxi rank but be prepared for a long wait if you come back after 10.30ish. The bus stop next to the taxi rank has buses which stop outside the hotel so get someone to jump out of the queue when a bus comes and check if it goes to Janelas, it might be quicker than waiting and a similar price. The old town is lovely with lots more restaurants and street entertainment if you like that kind of thing.



All in all we had a great holiday and could come away from the hustle and bustle of clubs and bars when we chose. We tried Zoomarine but it was so packed that we only went on 1 ride and saw 2 shows in 6 hours ( dolphins were nice). Aquashow was much better, we had a great day there and only queued for about 15 mins or less, which at this time of year was not bad. If you've booked.....enjoy!

BEFORE GOING ON HOLIDAY,I, LIKE MANY OTHERS READ THE REVIEWS FOR THESE APARTMENTS AND BECAME INCREASINGLY WORRIED ABOUT WHAT UNEARTH I WAS GOING TO. FOUR OF US STAYED HERE 2 ADULTS 2 CHILDREN, AGED 15. WE ARRIVED TO BE TOLD OUR ROOM WAS NOT READY AND HAD TO WAIT 2 HOURS. WE BOOKED A 2 BEDROOM APRT HAD A TINY BALCONY WITH 2 CHAIRS. APARTMENTS WERE SPACIOUS BUT THE WHOLE COMPLEX IS IN DIRE NEED OF SERIOUS REFURBISHMENT AND MODERNISATION, YES YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, BASIC, VERY VERY BASIC ACCOMODATION. MOST OF THE STAFF WERE HELPFUL AND FRIENDLY, THE POOLS WERE DISGUSTINGLY FILTHY NEVER CLEANED AT ALL THE LARGE POOL DOWNSTAIRS WAS TERRIBLE IT WAS SO FILLTHY YOU COULDNT SEE THE INSIDES OF THE POOL, DIRT, RUBBISH, SPILLAGES OF GOD KNOWS WHAT, JUST DISGUSTING. THE COFFEE SHOP FOOD WAS NOT BAD WE ATE HERE A FEW TIMES. AS FOR LOCATION THIS COULD HVE BEEN 100% BETTER YOU ARE A GOOD 20 MINS HALF HOUR WALK FROM THE STRIP WHICH IS FULL OF ALSORTS, DRUG DEALERS HEN/STAG DOS, THE COURTESY BUS WHICH COSTS JUST OVER 5 EURO FOR 4 PEOPLE EVERYTIME YOU USED IT AND WAS AVAILABLE SO BE VERY PREPARED TO BE OUT OF POCKET FOR THAT AND TAXIS WHICH COST ABOUT 4 BEFORE A TIP TO AND FROM THE STRIP AND ALBUFERIA. AS FOR STAYIN HERE AGAIN A DEFINATE NO AND AS FOR RECOMMENDING IT TO FRIENDS ALSO A DEFINATE NO!

I stayed at this hotel just recently with 3 friends and I can't believe some of the bad reviews I have read about this hotel! I honestly can't see what there was to complain about! For the money that we paid I thought it was a lovely hotel. The rooms were clean, comfortable and very spacious and the staff seemed very friendly. We had a huge living area. bedroom and a balcony in our room and 2 other friends who shared had two balconies and a lovely sea view in their room. The pool area was lovely and although yes there were a few cats and dogs occasionally wandering around they were no bother and I can't see how they could have been contolled. The animals were never in the eating area and I'd also like to say the hotel cafe was really nice, get the full english or the omelettes, they were really nice and well priced.



Albuferia itself is great, very pretty and with lots to do. The beach is lovely and i would certainly recommend doing some watersports when your there. We went parasailing and it wasn't too much at all, just 35 euros each which is cheaper than what i've seen on my holidays in Greece. Be warned though the sun loungers are quite expensive, it was 30 euros for four of us, so if your on a budget i'd think about just lying on the sand. I'd also recommend going to the slide and splash waterpark if you can, we had a fantastic day there. Theres a lot to do though and its quite busy so i'd recommend getting there as early as possible and havin a full day there.



The strip at Albuferia was really fun and lively when we went and it had lots of bars but if your really into your music and nightlife just be prepared bcos the bars are not very varied- i must have heard shakira 'hips don't lie', 'dirty' and black eyes peas about 10 million times! It was all pretty much commerical RnB music from about 2 years ago which is fine to dance to but can get a bit much after a few nights! We went to the Old Town one night for a break from it all, was a bit more varied with a few dancey bars and a rock bar and was also a bit more smart and up market, there was a lot of locals there. Didn't think the Old Town was as much fun as the strip though! On the strip I would recommend Cafe Del Mar which was very busy and lively and played some good music including some cheesy tunes and a karaoke bar just next door to it, we had a great time there one night, played some good music and the jugs of sangria are really cheap. Beware kiss club though, its the place to go at 4 after the bars shut but its 15 euros in each so you might need to budget for it!



Overall me and my friends had the best holiday and I would recommend the hotel and Albuferia to anyone.

Only complaint was the hill. But that me moaning..Haha.. It was fine..



To hear people complain they had to pay for the bus at 1 euro is a joke.. then a taxi 50 cents, this under a £1.. Mabey they should have gone Butlins

We walked out most nights to the strip and had a ball, i went with hubby and kids 3 and 9, mum sis and 2 15yr olds.. We all had a great time. Loads catered for near by and the hotel was great to. 3 pools to choose from. I have never been to a hotel WITH a lifegaurd so didnt expect one. For the price this place was great. I have been to worse. It was clean they had friendly staff.. What more do you want with a cheap hol.



PS walking to the strip took about 20 mins. I and my sis are disabled and managed it..

there were 6 of us staying in this aparments.this had to of being the holiday from hell,you are miles away from the strip it cost 50cent to ring a taxie,there was a curtisy bus which you had to pay for the pools are horrible health and safty were there and evrything,there are no life gaurds and they have four pools which never got cleand at night time.the cafe in the aparments are rotten there are cats all over the place and they let them in the cafe,there was no entertainment for children in the aparment and we were told to go to the strip which was full of stags and hens partys and full of beggers and drug dealers,id never stay there again or book a holiday with budget travel.

Hotel is no where near as bad as other people here make out, there were 16 of us (ages form 25 to 50) who came out here on a stag do on a budget and expected a budget hotel, but to our amazement it was excellant rooms were huge, enough space for 4 fully gown adults and more. The people were friendly and the pools were excellant, The little irish bar opposite (although in need of a refurb) was really good the owners couldnt do enough to make us welcome...



The strip was lively and only a 5-10 min walk depending on weather you find the short cut or not but for the sake of 4 euro taxis was alot easier..



The old town was nice and had finer places to eat and the beach was excellant so all in all a excellant place to go.



Booking up now to go to potimao with the missus for honey moon hope this one will be as enjoyable...



so dont get put of by the bad reviews i couldnt fault the place....

Oh my god! I am absolutely shocked how anyone could post bad comments about Janelas Do Mar!



Just me and my boyfriend went on 3rd June and absolutely adored it. When we first arrived the staff were lovely and helpful, we checked in our room and was gobsmacked at the size of the apartment!! It was so spacious and clean and had everything we would need. For people to say that the apartment was basic I dont understand! We payed to go on holiday Self Catering which basicly means either buy your own food and look after yourself, or just eat out all the time!!



The pool area was gorgeous! The pool itself is absolutely freeeezing which I enjoyed, which my boyfriend didnt! To go to the Fishermans beach you can catch the bus from outside the apartment which runs every 30mins, or get a taxi for around 5 euros. The beach is out of this world, however if you want to buy 2 sunbeds and a parasol (which you need) is 15 euros which I thought was quite expensive, but to be honest well worth it! Also chinese ladies walk round and offer massages- which was amazing!!



The Strip is around 10 mins away from the apartment and to be honest in heels quite tricky!! the pavements are cobbled and quite uneven so tred carefully!! I loved the strip! Great places to eat and drink. The old town is quite authentic portugal and quite family orientated but still great!!



Theres loads more to say, and I cannot speak highly enough of the place!! we enjoyed every single minute of it and really didnt want to leave! I will definately be there next year! Missing Portugal already

My boyfriend and I (aged 20 and 21) have just returned from janelas do mar and I have to say we were pleased with what we payed for. We stayed in block two on the third floor, the rooms are very spacious, clean and basic. The maid service was excellent, 6 days out of 7, we had our rooms cleaned, beds made etc and fresh towels and toilet rolls. Reception staff are very helpfull, they recomended restaurants for us to eat in and are fluent in english (which always helps!) Pools were great to cool you down when sunbathing, they are very cold though at first, be warned!!

The hotel is about a 10 minute walk from the strip with all the bars and restaurants. 5 euro for a taxi if you dont feel like walking.Note for the girls: if you are planning on wearing heels on your holiday, get practising walking on cobblestones in the strip!!!

We went on lots of the trips, we booked these through our rep. I would reccomend the Jeep Safari to younger people or anyone who doesn't mind a very bumpy journey!! Was a great day up the mountains in our open top jeep. (not your typical safari with animals though)

Overall we had a fantastic holiday, the apartments were great and portugal is a lovely country :-)

i stayed at these apartments for the 2nd time in 4 yrs.

the second time just by chance we got these apartments as we went for allocation on arrival. the maid was in 4 times during out wk long holiday. and towels were changed everyday. we go our rooms straight away when we got off the bus and it was spotless. With 3 big pools to choose from there was never any need to rush for a sunlounger. it may not be the best for people with walking difficulties as it is up a slightly steep hill. there is a supermarket close by which was perfect for us as we stayed self catering and 8 bottles of the local beer was 2 euro which you can't complain about as it tasted pretty good. The layout of the supermarkt reminded us of Lidl.

entertainment wasn't the best but the town is only a 5 min walk away if you cut through the car park which is straight across from the bottom of the hill; just keep going straight. there is a great irish pub there too which did the best frys after a hard night of drinking!



Overall my boyfriend and i loved both stays here and was definitely recommend to both families and anyway looking for good nightlife but with a quiet enough distance from the centre of things!

After reading all of the bad comments i have to say i disagree! my boyfriend and I stayed here in September 07, I am 19 and he is 21 and we loved it, it was basic but everything you needed was there, I am abit of a clean freak myself but it passed my standards, the room got cleaned 6days out of 7 with fresh towels every day. There is a shop located on the site, which is slightly overpriced but is ok if you need something quick! There is a bus service which we used on a daily basis to the strip beach etc which is only 1 euro return! Theres internet access which is 1 euro for 20mins which isnt bad! We went to the strip every night to eat as it was quite cheap, but the lower down the strip you got the more expensive things got! - It isnt the newest most classiest of apartments, but your not exactly paying mega money to stay there are you!? you deffinatly get what you pay for!

The only thing i didnt like was when we checked in we couldnt have our rooms for about 3 hours, which wasnt nice at first but there was a room for our lugage so we just got changed and headed straight for the pool. I would definatly go back! also right opposite there is a lil irish bar which is great for brekie and cheap too!!