Hotel Sol e Mar

Stayed at the Sol e Mar in June.If a little dated,the sea view made up for it.Stayed on a bed and breakfast basis and there was plenty on offer.The best location apart from the Roc a Mar,where we stayed last year. It was great just to walk out of the main lobby and down into the old town,which is fabulous for eating drinking and people watching!! Our room was fab,very large,lovely views and a fridge,a great plus My only complaints about the hotel were the swimming pool,which was inside and very dismal looking.I did go in one day but was alone so I left.Not good on the safety side if you have an accident etc....Also ,no private sun terrace belonging to the hotel.A lot of people like the beach but others less able bodied prefer a terrace. The Roc a Mar has the benefit of a lovely roof top pool and sun terrace,where the views are amazing,lthough the Sol e Mar has the spacious rooms. All in all, another great break in Albufeira.Will go back to either of these hotels. .

We have just returned from Albufeira the Hotel Sol E Mar. The hotel is in the most beautiful location, right on the beach with a lovely view of the sea and surrounding area. The hotel itself is well designed with a pleasant bar/reception area. It is clean and tidy but needs modernisation, in particular the rooms are very dated. The air conditioning works well but is very antiquated and is very noisy. As many previous visitors have stated there is a very peculiar smell when first entering the room, we were not sure what caused this but after being in the room for a few minutes it seemed to disappear. We went half board and unfortunately were disappointed with the selection in the restaurant and therefore we ate out for 3 days out of 7. The breakfasts were ok, but the evening meals were uninteresting, bland and boring. We did however have a lovely holiday the location of this hotel seems to compensate for its downfalls. the hotel entertainment was poor but fortunately the square is immediately behind it with loads of restaurants, bars and entertainment for everyone. It is well worth hiring a car, we hired one for 3 days and visited Vilamoura, Praia de Rocha and even went over to Spain for a couple of hours. Zoomarine is also well worth a visit for those with and without children. We really enjoyed our holiday so hope this will help you to make a decision.

Date: 19 June 2007 Reviewer: Albufeira_Fan A month after returning from this hotel, I have to write to say that it is in one of the best locations on the Algarve - right on the beach and within close proximity of a plethora of very nice bars and restaurants - and only about a 3 minute walk to the Square. High points: Big rooms, big balconies with stunning views of the Atlantic; close to everything you need; a few steps to the beach; spotlessly clean. Low points: Can't comment on the evening fayre as we didn't eat in the restaurant , preferring to use the local restaurants instead, but breakfast was pretty appalling. However, this wasn't a major problem as there are numerous fantastic cafes and restaurants within a stone's throw that do excellent breakfasts. Some of the staff are rather surly too, but don't let this spoil your experience. Overall, this hotel is a real gem and I wouldn't hesitate to return, although it's so popular that booking is difficult. I would also recommend it to anyone who wants a fantastic relaxing holiday in a truly stunning location. Enjoy, as we did!

Better late than never. My husband and I stayed at Hotel Sol e Mar for one night while traveling through the Algarve. We managed to find a parking spot on the street, right near the hotel, though it was tricky navigating the narrow roads to find the hotel! The room was just okay. Not great. Smelled really icky at first... like a bathroom to be honest, but that subsided, thankfully. The location is great. You take an elevator down to the beach and when you tire of the sand, you are right in the busy restaurant/shopping pedestrian mall. The food was TERRIBLE, in that location though. We should have gone away from the mall area and eaten some authentic food, but we were in a tourist trap and got sucked into that. The hotel pool is depressing and not necessary since right outside is a gorgeous beach, which made it all worthwhile. Beautiful, although we got some kind of oil/tar all over our feet that didn't come off and was very sticky and smelly. We walked along, through the clay-colored formations with a view of the whitewashed buildings built into the hills. Absolutely gorgeous. And walking around the town at night was fun, too. All in all, the hotel was a good deal for the money and the location can't be beat.

We have just returned from the Sol e Mar. Our first room had a terrible drain-like smell - so bad that it kept us awake on the first night. There was also a smell of drains in the corridors. We asked to be moved the next day and were given another room that afternoon. The new room smelt very fresh and was spacious with a large bathroom. There was a wonderful sea view from the balcony but this was quite enclosed and did not get much sun. You rent the lock for the safety deposit box at a cost of 12.50 euros and you ask for this at Reception. Most of the clients were older (like ourselves) and sometimes it felt like being in a home for the elderly with one or two people sitting asleep in the lounge bar! I would not recommend this hotel for younger couples or for people with children as I do not think there is enough for them to do there. The resident pianist, Nuno, was very pleasant and did his very best to provide a variety of musical entertainment. There was also some folk type entertainment on two nights. There is no private hotel area for sitting or sunbathing (like there would be if there was an outside pool), so you have to sit on the beach if you want a tan. When we were there, there were no sunbeds. The food was OK, with something for most people. Salads, fish dish, meat dish and vegetables. There was a choice of 6 sweets every night. At breakfast, there was a huge bowl of tinned fruit, the usual continental breakfast meats and cooked breakfast choice. I enjoyed the bacon, as I like it overcooked and the scrambled egg was nice. Coffee is not included in the half board price for dinner, but the machines are available at breakfast. Despite everything, we did enjoy staying at the Sol e Mar and had a really good, restful holiday there. It really depends on what type of hotel suits you and I know that many people return time and time again. There was one elderly gentleman who had been 25 times and a lady who had been there staying for 3 months. The staff work very hard and are mostly very pleasant. The best thing about the hotel is the location. With it being right in the old town, everything you need is on the doorstep.

We have just returned from a holiday in this hotel. We had never been to Portugal before therefore chose the hotel based mainly on the reviews from trip advisor. I would like to say that overall value for money I thought was very good. (we went half board) Like some of the other reviews we noticed that the hotel did need a "make over" however this did not distract from the cleanliness of the rooms and the Hotel in general. Fantastic views from the balcony overlooking thesea however it was difficult to enjoy at this time of the year as it was quite cold in the shade and I do not think we sat on the balcony once during our stay. The food did not have a great selection but I imagine there would have been something to suit everybody. The rooms were comfortable but the decor somewhat dated. The rooms were cleaned daily to a very high standard. The weather was a "bit of a mix" but probably what you expect for this time of the year. The location was ideal - five minutes walk to the old town where there was the usual shops and eating cafes - 10 minutes by taxi to the new town which cost €5.00 - The hotel would mainly cater for older people (like ourselves 55+) so if you are expecting a wild nights music this is not the place for you. Entertainment was suited to the age group and made easy listening - I have to mention the singer/piano player Nuno - very much a gentleman and took the time to speak with everyone. Our biggest disappointment was the fact that there were no sun loungers or umbrellas on the beach. There was a cool breeze blowing which meant that when you sat in the shade you were quite cold therefore it was difficult to get a happy medium. In summary - If you are looking for a very relaxing hotel suited to the family or older generation and love sunbathing on the beach then this hotel is for you - otherwise you may be better looking else where. I very much doubt if we will return as we are not particularly "beach people" and we thought the absence of the sun loungers was a major downside. - ( Please note that this may have been due to the time of the year - they may be available during the peak periods)

I stayed at this hotel from 20.03.07 to 27.03.07 the hotel itself is in a superb location for beach and town, unfortunatly the breakfast consisted of tinned fruit, tinned sausages, tinned mushrooms, the bacon was very dry and looked as if it had been in the serving dish an exeptionally long time, the eggs however were acceptable. The entertainment programme was aimed at the 65 plus age group. We had a problem of which we asked to see the manager, he indeed came to see us and said he would get back to us, we never say him for the rest of our stay, on our departure from the hotel, we struggled with our cases whilst two hotel personell watched. To all who would stay here beware of the 4 star rating, it is certainly very different from any other 4 star hotel I have ever stayed at, but a great base if you just need a bed!

Just returned from Sol e Mar 25.03.07 - This hotel is in a lovely location but has clung onto it's 4* rating by return visits of senior clients who do not complain. Rooms are adequate and clean but our bathroom smelt of drains and the toilet often greeted you with little suprises in the bowl. The safe deposit box in our room had no lock but there was no concerns of theft or break ins. The staff are very friendly and accomodating and do not 'push' extras at you. There are no tea or coffee making facilities in the room and you have to ask to borrow the hairdryer. The food is bland, repetative and offers little or no choice especially if you are vegetarian as salads, rice etc are laced with ham. The morning bread to use for toast was frequently mouldy. Breadbuns were fresh at breakfast but were presented again for evening meal, which was always pork or fish with an additional pizza, fishfingers or burger offerinings at the end of the salad bar. The dining room is crowded and the layout gives concerns for meal spillage. The 'balcony area' of the restaurant had a loose / or missing floorboard covered by carpet. The small 10m indoor swimming pool was tired, dirty and smelt of sulpher and did not provide any changing area hence you had to walk through the cafe area below the hotel. Incidently the cafe areas immediately below the baconies will subject you to noise and cigarette smoke - the hotel does allow smoking in all public rooms, including bedrooms!!!! The Rainbow lounge bar area is a 'gem' it is so old fashioned it is retro 60's. The evening entertainment was pleasant in a Russ Conway style. The 'old town' is still being dug up for major sewer works with several hotels bars etc closed because of this - the main town square and outside the hotel is uneffected now [but beware of touts and dog excretia]. I would recommend the newly refurbished Rocamar hotel - along from the Sol e mar. This is a 3* but highly deserves to be 4*, pool, loungers and modern facilities. Excellent resturant and bar area but not suitable for families with young children.

This hotel is situated right on the beach with all rooms having a sea view. The other side of the hotel faces into the old town and the tunnel to the beach from the town goes under the hotel! The rooms are above average in size and are tidily fitted out and clean. Our bathroom had a bidet and was good with a shower that was efficient if a bit unusual. Food was good and targeted at the british market which was the bulk of the clientel when we visited. Thus full english breakfast - Dinner was soup, salads with amain course of meat or fish + a pasta dish. The lounge area had a large round bar (a chance to meet people in happy hour) and provided entertainment every evening - at least the resident musician. We had a really good weeks break and would go back there next time we go to the Algarve

We have just returned from the Sol e Mar and we had a fantastic time. The hotel is a little dated but is quite charming in a 70's way. The bedrooms are clean, larger than normal and have the most fantastic sea view. Maid sevice every day with clean bedding and towels. The majority of staff were really helpfull in the hotel, until that is, you dare make a comment about the food. We heard at least four couples complaining about the lack of choice( one fish, one meat) and they were treated with contempt and dismissed out of hand After making only two comments about the lack of choice, I was labled a serial complainer, told to come down earlier if I wanted to enjoy all that in on offer and finaly that '' I know what you have paid, and what do you expect for the price.'' The hotel charge 15 euros pppn for the evening buffet, there are some wonderful restaurants in the Old Town that offer much better value. Outside the dining room there are Gold Awards proudly hanging on the wall, from what must have been the good old days in the late eighties.