Perola do Algarve

3 readers found this review helpful

Stayed there a while ago for a week for my first holiday away from the parents!!!! I had no idea what the hotel was supposed to be like but I had a great time, maybe a bit quiet for 3 teenage girls but very clean and friendly staff.
Our 1 bedroom appartment was cleaned basically everyday along with a towel and bed sheet change so we had no problems there. We had a great balcony with a great veiw of some sort of mountains and houses (we were more fortunate than others)
Never managed to get a sunbed the whole week but thats probably our fault because we didnt get to the pool area til mid day, however we did find a patch of grass behind the pool area to sunbathe on which mostly always had sun.
Didn't eat at the restaurant but had snacks by the pool which were fine. Also pool tables in the hotel..big plus for me!!!
Great location close to everything, it may be a bit of a walk but not really noticable when the weathers so great.
The only problem I had was the dark tunnel to the pool which for me was kind of scary and the fact that our coach forgot to pick us up for our return flight but other than that a good value for money hotel.

4 readers found this review helpful

We have just got back from a lovely 2 week break at the Perola with everything fresh in my mind so I hope this review helps.
After looking into the hotel on websites such as this we already knew what to expect on our arrival so were not put off by the initial 'next to a car park' thing. Being next to the supermarket was certainly not a bad thing, and you learn to love the conveniance when lugging those large water bottles back to the apartment! It also provides a sneaky short-cut with the use of the lifts to avoid climbing a steep and badly surfaced hill.
The hotel staff are very helpful and the cleaners are very friendly. The room was cleaned every day including fresh towels.
The pool was rather cold with no heating apart from the sun, so it was fine if you waited until later in the afternoon. The gym is tucked away round the back of the hotel and has everything you would need, including turkish bath, sauna, steam room etc.
The positioning of the hotel means you are not really in the old town or the new town, but instead in the middle with about a half mile walk to each. The walk to the old town is quite pleasant once you get past the main road at the front of the supermarket and there are escalators to get you down to the resort. The old town has a great buzz about it and is ideal for both families and couples. We actually found that the old town was more lively and entertaining than the new town until early hours, especially around the main square with various entertainers and stuff going on.
The new town is far less impressive during the day, with nothing particularly going for it apart from empty looking restaurants and the usual gift shops. The beach is lovely but afterwards you have to climb up a seriously steep hill that they call 'cardiac hill' to get back to the town. After dark the 'Strip' comes alive and is a far nicer place when everything is lit up. I must say if you are looking for an 'Ibiza' type clubbing experience the strip is not quite there in my opinion, go to magaluf or san antonio instead.
For €4 each adult (children under 5 free) you can catch a road train that loops the old/new towns and has 3 stops - old town, new town, and right outside the supermarket by the Perola which is very convenient! The ticket is valid for the whole day and for as many trips as you want.
Ok, without sounding too miserable I will list any bad points:
1. The drainage grateing by the snack bar area of the pool kept popping up which led to me tripping over it twice and my son once.
2. I overheard a rep moaning to a colleague about the kids in the kids club and how she 'couldn't be bothered' just after our meeting when they 'enthusiasticly give a rather false performance' of how great everything was, including the kids club. Also they offer a competitively priced hire care, which turns out to be 60% dearer than if you go down the road and hire it yourself.
3. Our shower was more like a singular 'jet' of water which could hurt your 'bits' if not careful!
4. The internet service in the games room never worked, even though it gratefully accepted your money.
5. The so called restaurant was awful. We had to pay €6 each for a breakfast that made me sick before my wife had even finished hers. The sausages are badly cooked frankfurters, the egg looked like it was yesterday's leftovers and the bacon was simply rancid. Even the pineapple juice from a machine tasted very symphetic and undrinkable. I recommend going to the old town and get a huge breakfast for around €4.
6. The 'indoor pool' is more like a 'dip pool' for after using the gym. We did not see anyone using it and I cannot imagine many people would want to. it is only about half a metre deep too.
To summarise, the Perola gives you what you pay for. It is clean, friendly and well placed if you don't mind a small trek. Just avoid the food and ignore the advertisement of the indoor pool! Albufeira has a bit of everything, beaches are perfect, it has plenty of character and the restaurants and entertainment are good.

2 readers found this review helpful

Just got back from 2 weeks at the Perola and we had a great time. When we first pulled up at the hotel, I must admit I was a little disappointed as when we had dropped off at other hotels they were beautiful but when this hotel overlooks a multi-storey carpark, I was a bit dubious! The hotel could do with a face lift and a refurb but the room we had on the 4th floor was clean and ample big enough for me, my hubby and 2 little boys.
All rooms overlook the pool.
Towels are put on sunbeds to reserve them by mostly the Brits - no more calling the Germans!! The reps did admit tho that if they have been unattended for over an hour, then you can remove them. I did see a member of staff remove some one day.
The pool area is nice, but maybe more sunbeds would elleviate the problem with people reserving sunbeds. One thing no other review has mentioned is that half the pool/sunbeds are in the shade until lunchtime then the other half in the shade in the afternoon - only a few of the sunbeds are in the sun all day!! But what we did is go in the sunshine until we lost the sun, have some lunch then go to the beach in the afternoon.
The nearest beach is a 20 min walk, there is a lovely beach at the Old Town too.
The 2 pools are a nice size.
The maids came in to clean every day. The receptionists were always helpful.
The New Town (the 'Strip' - very tacky and Benidorm-like) and Old Town (much nicer and lots to see) are both around a 20 minute walk away from the hotel. Some people have mentioned the train but don't be lazy!! We walked, that's what we were given legs for and my 7 year old never complained!! The menus in the restaurants can be a bit repetitive so hunt around for variety.
The supermarket straight across the road from the Perola is fab, like the Portuguese version of Asda and the locals use it so you know it's cheap.
The food at the Snack Bar around the pool is fine for a snack but I think the drinks are expensive - 1 euro 90 for a can but my boys liked the slushies at 1.50 - great for cooling down!
The hotel is lovely and quiet at night as it is set back from the main road which can get busy.
My boys enjoyed Kidzone; Nana Moon and Supersonic Sophie worked really hard and also Alice our rep who played cards with my eldest around the pool - she came to wave us off on the coach when we were coming home. Prepare for them to get messy at the choc-o-lot party held on a Saturday night where they eat lots of chocolate then smear it all over their faces at the end of the night!! Great fun for them but not for you!
We didn't use the restaurant or watch any entertainment in the hotel so can't comment, but the bar never seemed that busy where the entertainment was held.
Overall, a very nice, relaxing holiday.

1 reader found this review helpful

Just got back a couple of weeks ago and can't fault the hotel one bit. Our room was massive with a double balcony cleaned daily. The staff were friendly the hotel clean. Cardiac hill doesnt even put you out of breath! Don't be put off by the comments! Pool area lovley, could do with a few more sunbeds but we didn't struggle in peak season and never went down before 7.30am. Andy and Kate the reps were more than helpful. Kids club fantastic! Our little girl who is 4 had never been to one before and loved it. Would definatley go to aquashow it is a must! Zoomarine is good if you like to queue an hour just for your dinner. Wouldn't go there again. All in all Albuferia is a nice place, old town is worth a visit new town is wannabe benidorm.

1 reader found this review helpful

Really enjoyed staying at Perola do Algarve, we went for 2 weeks and had a great time! I agree mostly with all the positive comments already written.
We preffered the old town as it had a great atmosphere...the new town is more just bars but still a good night out.
Staff at the hotel were all lovely...especially carlos our rep. :)
There is an indoor pool...its just very hard to find! we didnt use it but we came across it when exploring. Theres also a jacuzzi and fitness suite.
The only thing we didnt like about the hotel was the food in the restaurant! It was pretty bad! We only ate in there once! But it didnt matter cos theres loooads of places to eat that are only a 10 minute walk away in the old town.
Overall we had a great time...a fabulous holiday :D

1 reader found this review helpful

Just came back from Albuferia, what a fantastic holiday.. Our stay at the Perola Do Algarve was faultless, rooms were lovely and clean, friendly staff, pool and sunbed area clean, although we didnt get a sunbed that often as were all taken, talk about the Germans grabbing the sunbeds the Brits are even worse 5.40am in the morning to put a towel on one!!!! Room was cleaned everyday and beds lovely and comfy.
Recommend the Old Town of Albuferia as the beach is lovely and clean and plenty of places to eat and not expensive either. Great pizzas and cocktails at Tonys Pizzas, also the Bank Restaurant had a huge variety of meals from around the World suitable for all ages, Doppbell Restaurant, great for brandy and coffee only 2.50 euros and the meals were lovely, kids meals were the size of an adults, great value for money.
The New Town (Strip) of Albuferia is lively and ideal for the younger generation.
Aquashow well worth going to, great rides and plenty for the younger kids even for the non swimmers, as the life guards catch them at the end of the slides so that they dont go under the water, which I thought was great as my younger daughter doesnt swim very well so this didnt stop her from going on the rides, my husband and I had a fantastic time we felt like kids again!!!!
I would recommend this place to anybody...
Just a small comment on looking at the reviews who goes go on holiday to look at the bathroom grouting!!! (sad people)...

We went here and received what we expected, very friendly staff from top to bottom. The rooms were quite OK, I didn't expect a four star UK or North American style hotel. The place was kept clean by competent staff and the few problems we had were taken care of right away. The apt is in an area where you can walk to whatever you needs are, groceries, hardware or entertainment within minutes.
We had a good time for a month there.

1 reader found this review helpful

I have rated this holiday as 6 because we had a great time in many ways but there was no much that was not right .
Firstly the Thomson coach transfer was a mini bus driven by a local man. He forgot to put the coach number in the window and so caused delays in finding him, for us and others. He then dropped us off at the wrong accommodation and scarpered so quick we were left stranded. We had to seek directions at the nearby hotel and then drag our heavy luggage a good 5 - 10 minutes’ walk in a strange hot town . Having never travelled to the Algarve before this was not an ideal start .
The Perola Do Algarve, our hotel, is supposed to mean Pearl of the Algarve but I can Guarantee they got that one wrong . As a 4 star hotel it was sorely disappointing . Our studio had a kitchen, bedroom, and lounge in one . With no headboard and just two single beds pushed together the comfort was negligible .
There were various maintenance issues such as broken tiles , large pan burns on the kitchen unit , wardrobes that did not close and lamps that were not working . A few of these were addressed .
We were situated on the 2nd floor whilst the reception was on the 3rd floor , bar on the 4th floor and outdoor pool , snack bar and restaurant on the first floor. Access to the pool and restaurant was through a large, dark, underground garage unless you wanted to go up and down the lifts all over the place. Staff were really friendly and so some compensation.
They had a ready supply of maps and directions when needed. A safe can be hired in your room but it is 15 Euros a week with an additional 15 Euros as a refundable deposit.
There are not enough sunbeds but the pool is good. There is no kettle but a coffee percolator in the accommodation. There are only two tiny cups and an assortment of other pots and pans etc. We ended up buying two decent sized mugs.
There is a nearby supermarket and nearby shopping. The hotel is situated behind Modelo Shopping Centre which is handy and not noisy. The position is central for the old town and the strip. If we had paid less or made a last minute booking perhaps we would have been happier.
However this hotel is NOT 4 star as claimed .
Albufeira was too commercial for us and have been better for this . Albufeira is family friendly and had many good beaches . It , in common with most of the Algarve , is fairly cheap . There are plenty of cash points .
Near to Brisa Sol hotel , only a short way from The Perola Do Algarve is the best cake shop in town . Two huge delicious cakes with two coffees will only set you back 7 /8 Euros . A little further along is the tourist train which goes from here to the strip and then the old town . It runs till really early in the morning and a day ticket is 3 Euros . For this you can travel on the train as many times in a day as you like . Children under 5 go free .
The local town bus stops near here also . At this central tourist train stop you can pick up a coach to Zoo marine . This was an exceptionally good day out and can be booked through your hotel or agent locally . Local tours are cheaper booked in the actual shops where you can find deals . Booking through the hotel may be twice as expensive . A little along from the tourist train stop is a restaurant called Dom Capito's . The service and food here is good, tasty, and reliable .
Albufeira will probably appeal to visitors who love plenty of bars , semi English cuisine, and beaches .

Perola apartments are great. Wonderful hotel, very well situated for anything you need and run by friendly people.
Ok, the grouting in the bathroom looked like I had done it, but the room was cleaned every day, towels changed every couple of days, hotel was pristine, service was excellent.
Pools were great (and yes there is an indoor pool for when it rains - so you don't get wet!!), layout is lovely, facilities were great.
The staff were lovely, Sylvia, Selios, Carlos - all great and very very helpful.
Supermarket on your front door. Tip! Go thru underground garage opposite hotel entrance and use lifts to supermarket - or walk up the hill and get calves like Fatima Whitbread!!
Where the hotel is situated means the evenings are lovely and quiet. The bar provided entertainment every night. Prices to eat and drink inside the hotel were great; they did not take advantage at all.
Use the local road train around town and visit Old Town, beautiful. Lovely beaches and good restaurants there too. The strip is very touristy but far enough away that you don't have to see or hear it if you don't want too.
You MUST go to Slide and Splash Aqua Park and Zoo marine - fab days out. We took a 4x4 Truck trip into the mountains and villages and although it was a long day it was really worth it - wow.
Take it a trip to the local villages/towns - marina, fishing village - worth every second. Truly a lovely place would definitely go back with my hubby and son.
Only thing to mention, all three of us stayed in one living room/bedroom - discovered my son snores! Ask for a bedroom when booking.

1 reader found this review helpful

First impressions of the Perola were good. The receptionist was pleasant and the reception area was clean. Our room was ok, no cigarette burns and darned counterpanes, although I must agree about the pillows being lumpy.
A kettle would have been nice for us non-coffee drinkers but we managed ok by boiling water in a saucepan so not really a problem, bigger cups or, even better, mugs would have been good too.
£15 euros a week for the safe key was worth it.
Entertainment was ok what we saw of it, (the usual karaoke, bingo, dancing, quiz and a parrot show was all we sat through), although the entertainments manager wasn't very happy one night when the offer of another quiz was declined, he seemed to be offended and quickly wished us all "goodnight".
Good location, between old town and new town, good for self-caterers who want to use the supermarket which is very close by, although as "The Strip" is also close by you can eat out reasonably cheaply every day, anything from a full English breakfast to the locally-caught sardines, providing you like chips with everything you should find something to suit your taste.
Our rep Dave suggested we read the notice board to find important information but failed to tell us where it was, (it is in the room next to the luggage room - maybe he wanted us to use our initiative and go looking for it). He had a book on the table in the reception area for guests to write in, it was a very thin book as it seemed to be that he ripped out the pages that had complaints on (I was going to number each page just to test this theory but that would have been childish.) Luggage storage for those with an evening flight was good - no carrying your cases round on the last day.
We didn't use the restaurant, laundry, pool or gym so I can't comment on these facilities. For those of you who need to check your emails every day there is a Pay As You Go internet connection.
For anyone like us wanting a cheap self catering break only using the apartment to rest their weary head at night this place is ideal. Next time I'll remember the travel kettle though (and will probably buy a couple of mugs to use too!)