Pestana Viking Resort

The Hotel Pestana Viking is a delight! The staff are very nice and helpful. The room was airy with a good sized balcony. None of your white plastic tables and chairs here! The bathroom was all marble and very, very modern. There was a small kitchenette (which I was not expecting) with granite worktop. There was a fridge, microwave and all the crockery and cutlery you would need. Great for a cup of tea before heading to the dining room for breakfast. There was everything you could imagine on the buffet. The hotel facilities were excellent. Do book a sea view, it is worth it. The evening entertainment at the hotel was very low key and there was nowhere nearby except a few restaurants, so ideal for relaxing. The beach is great, but the area is very hilly. All in all a lovely relaxing hotel which I could not find fault with.

I have just returned from a ten day stay in this hotel with my husband and we had a really relaxing time. The hotel has recently been refurbished and has very modern interior. The rooms are spacious and provide kitchen equipment, even in the basic rooms. Every room has a balcony and although we didn't have a very good view, it was secluded and quiet. The hotel is at the bottom of a hill, and it does take about 20 minutes to walk up to the supermarket, but there are also a few restaurants worth visiting . There are two restaurants next to each other at the top of the hill (before you turn right to the supermarket), one has a yellow awning and you go down into it - this did excellent kebabs and was very reasonablly priced. The one next to it, which you went upstairs to had a really nice atmosphere and the staff were incredibly attentive and friendly. This had pizza's, pasta, steak, hot stone and cataplana, well worth a visit. We did walk into Amarcao De Pera on two occassions but it really isn't worth it. It seems really dirty and just seems to consist of English pubs and souvenir shops. We ate here one at the restaurant which is on the beach and supposed to have the best views but quite frankly if they are the best views, you are better off eating in and around the hotel! Don;t waste your time going into the town, unless you fancy a 40 minutes walk. The bar just a 100m up from the hotel is really nice, and they are happy to show any sport you like if they are not doing so already. The foiod here was great and really cheap and they has a barbeque to the side of the building where they cooked everythingm, so it always smealt amazing. The wine by the glass was only 1 Euro 25, but was very nice and incredibly drinkable! The pools around the hotel were excellent, and never busy. Even though there were kids about, the kids club did an excellent job of hiding them away somewhere, or else the children seems to favour the indoor pool, which was ideal for us. The outdoor pool is huge and although it is salt water and can be quite cold, it warms up throughout the day and is tested regularly for the correct PH levels etc. There were also loads of sun loungers throughout the day, so even though people did reserve them, it wasn't necessary. The area around the pool was incredibly quiet and it was great to have the loungers on grass rather than stone. We did not go to either of the beasches in the day, but did go to both of them with a bottle of wine on a couple of occassions to see the sunset. The main beach to the right of the hotel has a nice restaurant beside it, although quite expensive compared to others. The other beach is a short walk up the hill away for the hotel and then right down a lot of steps. It is worth it though as it is a very sheltered place and not very busy. The wine definately helped us get back up the steps though! Overall this was a lovely relaxing holiday, and as it was a 4* there was not any load drunk people about as it often the case at 'all-inclusive' type holidays. Everyone seemed very nice, and the place had a relaxed atmoshpere to it. You would not want to come here though if you planned to be out every night getting very drunk and clubbing - it is not that sort of place at all, which in our opinion is a good thing!

We have just returned from a week at the Pestana Viking Apartments (Hotel & Resort) in Porches, Praia Senhora Da Rocha - and have to say it was probably our best ever week at any European destination. As a family of four (4, 15, 39 and 39) we've travelled extensively and always maintained high standards of expectation. We weren't expecting this to be the case in Porches because we'd paid less than normal for our stay (booking via Freedom Direct) and whilst the resort has a 4* rating we'd read some of the previous reviews and had one or two concerns that we put aside purely to get a richly deserved weeks break. Having paid for private transfers (transit type taxi with ample room for 6-7 and luggage) our first impressions were that the resort seemed a long way out. You journey through a few less than salubrious areas with a fair amount of graffiti (thought this seems to be all over the Algarve from what we've seen) and you might, as we did, have one or two concerns before you arrive. The Viking is situated at the bottom of a long, and steep, bank and overlooks Praia Da Rocha (beach) with a quite stunning vista, Upon arrival, it's a nicely presented and very spacious reception area, with marbled flooring and a lot of seating space. The green and blue colur scheme is a somewhat odd one, but it's certainly striking! Our welcome was pleasant, courteous and the English of the staff in general was very good. Unfortunately, we didn't get off to a good start though. We were immediately informed that our booking of a Sea View with an Upper Floor location wasn't available and that our operator should have told us this. We protested, but to no avail. It transpires this wasn't the fault of the hotel, but of the intermediary, Med Hotels, who will be refunding us the difference between a standard and Sea View price. A porter assists you with the luggage to your apartment and this is where our initial disappointment over a Sea View room started to disappear. The quality and cleanliness of the apartments are outstanding. They are fitted with brand new kitchens, everything is immaculate, and include a dishwasher, fridge/freezer, toaster, kettle, microwave oven, cooker and hob, extractor, a fully stocked range of cupboards with cutlery, pots, pans, dishes, crockery, etc - all of which looked brand new. The living room area is bright, spacious and airy. One thing we always have a concern about is air conditioning. We consider it a must on our holidays and want it to work well - and we have no complaints at all in this respect. Both the living room and bedroom have aircon units, with remote control, and they worked superbly, allowing temperatures of down to 16 degrees. The TV and satellite reception works fine (with all but Eurosport being perfectly well displayed), and there is plenty of lighting options with lamps in various locations. There is also a fireplace - should you perhaps stay in winter! The bedroom had two twin beds pushed together, to supplement the large sofa bed (very large) in the living room. They were both comfortable and gave solid nights of sleep with no issues at all. However, of much surprise was the provision of two bathrooms. Both are newly fitted, with one being more of an En Suite with shower, WC and sink, and the other with a bath/shower, bedae, WC and large sink area. This made the task of getting ready each day much easier for a family of 4! The bedrooms have safes, chargeable at 2 Euro's a day, and ours was one of the more modern digital varieties. There are lots of storage locations in the apartments too. Our patio area was accessed from both the living and bedroom area, via patio doors screen with shutter doors for additional sun/security protection on an evening. It looked out onto a decent sized and paved area, with two steps up to an immaculately maintained garden area. Our youngest loved this, and it possibly worked out slightly better than an upper floor Sea View balcony would have done. Moving on to the resort facilities, we found very little to ask for. There are 2 main pools and 2 pools for younger children, with our preference being for the pool directly behind with on-site Pizza restaurant. It was much lesser used than the others, and seemed popular with British guests. On that note, you'll find a lot of Portugese and Spanish guests here - certainly far outnumbering any British guests. We quite liked that and I have to say the fellow British guests were the best behaved of any we've ever met. There was no signs of rowdy families that so often ruin a pleasant stay. The pools were seen to be tested for water quality daily - but be warned...they are very very cold. You'll get a nasty shock if you've an early morning dip in mind. The lawned areas around the pools were superb. Much better than having loungers on concrete or tiled areas, and just made life around the pool seemingly more relaxing. There is also an indoor pool - but we found it a bit too noisy for our liking, perhaps purely down to the fact that it is indeed indoors and there is nowhere for the noise to dissipate to! The resort features plenty of bar areas, a large dance/entertainment area indoors, ample tables and seating both indoors and out, a games room (Pinball, video game, air hockey and pool table), a sauna and a very well equipped gym. It also has Wifi access (chargeable) in addition to two internet access terminals positioned in the main reception areas. We used these regularly for business back in the UK, and they gave good reliable speed. 15 minutes costs 3 Euros, with the price for 30 minutes rising to 5 Euro's and an hour at 9 Euro's. We found that well priced - and certainly much bettered priced than eating or drinking at the resort. Be warned, for what you might expect in the Algarve, it's very expensive. Whilst soft drinks such as Coke will cost you E2.40 (£1.63) and beer/lager is around the £2 mark, you'll get a very nasty shock if you order a spirit or two. An example would be a double Jack Daniels...at £9. Or a Southern Comfort and Lemonade, at £6.20. As we're not big drinkers this didn't really bother us too much, but a number of people commented on it. Food is no different and whilst it is of a reasonable quality, we found much better value and much better food available elsewhere. This is what you'll have to be wary of - because elsewhere means a good walk up a steep bank, especially if you've got children. Two 9" Pizza's, and 3 drinks (Cokes) will cost you £18 which isn't bad at all, but the prices for evening or more substantial (non-snack) meals are much more. You'll rack up a E100+ bill for a reasonable evening meal with house wine for a family of four, and we'd say you should expect it to be more like E120 (£80+). Again, it's not huge pricing - but for what you get we found it far too pricey. That's judging on both the quality and quantity, with the emphasis being on quality. So, be prepared for a walk or a taxi. Luckily, you'll find a superb Italian restaurant about half a mile up the road (Vila De Italia) and just to the left of a small Budget Rent-a-Car office. We'd highly recommend it for both the food, service, staff and value. We ate there on 3 occasions, and the food was exceptional. For a family of four, with 2 bottles of wine, the most we ever got billed was E90, so around £62. That was for 3 courses including the most delicious Crepe's we've found across Europe. You can see them being freshly cooked in front of you if you want. It's also a very child friendly restaurant, which might put a few couples off but was perfect for us. Our children aren't unruly or loud, but you will find younger children running about to the pool table that is near the entrance. The restaurant is very busy though, and we'd recommend you get there before 8.30pm if you don't want to be waiting for a table. They don't take bookings - and they don't need to from what we've seen. Lots of locals ate there and that was testament to the quality on offer in our opinion. There is a small snack bar about 200 yards from the hotel, and another Italian restaurant just before the Vila De Italia - but if none of those are to you taste then you'll be catching a taxi. The supermarket is 3/4 miles from the hotel and I've previously read that it's 15 minutes away. Well maybe for Paula Radcliffe, but it's a good hour there and back for a family of four in hot weather - so bear it in mind. There is a mini-market (a very mini market!) about half way, but the prices are high and the selection is very limited indeed. It's more like an old corner shop that hasn't caught up with modern times, although the owner (an old guy) was very child friendly and pleasant. A taxi into nearby Armacao De Pera will cost around E5-6 (£3.50-ish) and give you a wider scope of restaurants. However, other than a superb Chinese one that we found, we can't say we were impressed. Indeed we found the town to be a rather seedy one, lacking in character or culture of any real form. It has a number of sports bars that the locals crowd around to watch football (if you like football, you'll never miss a single game because it is on 24/7, much to my delight!). Late on, we found this a bit intimidating for children, but we walked past without incident when we did go into town, so can't moan too much. The town is amass with rather cheap, and all the same, shops along the sea front, and a collection of rather dirty back streets. It just didn't live up to any impression we'd previously had. However, if you like good Chinese food then head down from the taxi rank, past the sports bar and the first Chinese restaurant, and you'll find one with a large paved area next to it - the food, service and staff is superb. Highly recommended. Be warned that Portugal allows smoking in all (that we visited) restaurants and some guests took exception to this, on more than one occasion. Picking an area outside might well be recommended, because a large number of locals will light up as you're mid-meal. If you smoke, you'll be delighted. If you don't, you'll undoubtedly find it very unpleasant. On one of the days we took a taxi to Albufeira which is about 25 minutes away, paying E15 (£10) each way. Heading into the old town you find a very quaint and very pleasant area. Much better than Armacao de Pera in our opinion, though don't be expecting much away from the normal tacky tourist shops. There is little else there. That said, the atmosphere, street layout, and general visual appeal of the place was very nice and we thoroughly enjoyed a good 4 hours or so there. We'd also recommend a trip to Zoomarine, for a very impressive dolphin display. However, for a family of 4 (classed as 3 adults and 1 child) it cost us over £50 for entry and frankly that's not good value for what you see. Whilst the big wheel and small childrens rides are free, other than the dolphin show we found everything else very disappointing in entertainment value. They advertise the fact they have crocodiles there - well they do - but 2 of them laying static in a small pool didn't prove much fun. Mind you, they're next to a pen of geese and I'm sure they sit most of the day wondering what they'd do to them if they got out, so it's maybe not too much of surprise. The shops at Zoomarine (selling their own goods, branded) had an impressive array of things to spend a lot of money on, and indeed we did just that as everything is targeted at young children - and targetted very well indeed. The clothing and items for sale seemed reasonably good quality though, so it didn't bother us too much but some may be put off by an air of over commercialism that supports the conservation aspects of the park. In terms of beaches in the local area, you've got Praia da Rocha and that's your lot - but what a stunning beach. The view is stunning, the sand quality (all sand, no stones or bricks or other rubbish), and the staffing is exceptional. It's no longer than about 1000 yards end to end, but it has two full time life guards who patrol the sea front with military precision. They kept any swimmers where they should be and an air of safe keeping presided over the beach as a result of it. Be warned that the rental of canoes or jet ski's is going to set you back though. Having paid for such like in the Bahama's (Paradise Island, Atlantis) before I thought we'd seen high prices in this respect - but to be asked to pay £32 for 15 minutes on a Jet Ski took the biscuit. Needless to say we declined. There is a small snack/drinks bar by the beach too, and a can of Coke will cost you £1.35. Service was okay, and the food looked okay. There are local fishermen cooking freshly caught seafood just before the ramp to the beach - and their food looked superb but I couldn't tempt the rest of the family to try it. There is a section of loungers on the left of the beach - but this is where they make their money. Four loungers, for however long you're there on the day, will cost you over £16 (so more than £4 each). That might explain why people stay to the right of the beach on towels. Nonetheless, we paid for the loungers and enjoyed a very peaceful afternoon on the other side of the beach - because it does get busy at times. Be wary of young children and the tides too - because it can get very rough indeed. The life guards stop you swimming at these times, but you can still paddle at the edge. That's when we say 3 adults knocked clean off their feet by sudden swells - no have your wits about you. The location can't be emphasised enough though - it's stunning. It's also easily accessed from the Viking resort with a path winding down to it. In the same respect though, people can wander up to the resort and into it. We found this a bit disturbing as we noticed a good few do so and walking about the resort - something we felt was a security loophole that needs addressing. We didn't have any security incidents in our time there though, so can only judge on what happened rather than what might. In terms of on site entertainment, don't expect much. The music being sung or played (live) was, well, appallingly bad. A mix of poor singing and horrific jazz/swing music had us in fits as we listened to it from our apartment patio one evening late on. It is genuinely the worst I have ever heard - anywhere. That said, it was amusing for the pure entertainment value of it's sheer embarassing quality! It might also be worth noting that if you've got older children that they may well get bored if they're not the type that like the pool or sunbathing - because there really isn't anything else to do. That was just what we wanted, and just what our children like, so it proved perfect. Don't underestimate the walk up the bank with children either, or the need to get a taxi into town if you like trying different restaurants each evening. In summary, the Viking resort and Porches delivered what we wanted. A perfectly relaxing week in a nice location with no issues or problems of note, helpful staff, good food within (just) a reasonable distance and a stress free trip from start to finish. If you're a family with children who like a lot of activity, it's not for you. On the other hand, if you like the worst music in the world, you'll love it. Thoroughly recommend, and yes we'd go again for a week as a supplement to a main holiday.

this place was amazing.setting fabulous .we stayed in 1 bed apartment decor and cleanliness fab.right beside beach.pool area fab and staff so nice .this hotel was so clean and definately give it 4 star plus.the only thing is food and drink expensive but we ate each night in aramacao de pera found geat chinese were also in porters [great food].kids club great at hotel my six yr old loved it.

Stayed at the Viking in a Studio Apartment, The staff were helpful and friendly, and offer a good selection of tours. Did not eat in the resturant but, some nice resturants not far away, the best of which is Gomez, about a 10 minute walk away. also the resturant at the top of the hill oopposite the Supermarket is very nice. For those that wish to travel a bus stops outside the hotel (about 5 buses a day). The hotel is clean and the rooms a quite enough(except when we were there people started moving furniture at 2 in the morning, maybe they had a row and were seperating the beds). Good hotel for a quite holiday (during May anyway). Overall the hotel is up to the Pestan brands high standards. Keith

We have stayed in several Pestana hotels and have never been disappointed and this was no exception. We had a fabulous time here. We were originally booked into apartments in the Pestana Porches Praia, but due to my walking difficulties found all the steps difficult. The really helpful reception staff at the Pestana Viking hotel upgraded us to a suite in the hotel which was excellent. The reception and general overall decor in the hotel was of a very high standard and you immediately feel relaxed and comfortable. Our suite consisted of a small well-kitted out kitchen, dining/living area, separate bedroom and on-suite bathroom plus a separate washroom. The fixtures and fittings were fantastic of a really good high standard, decor relaxing and neutral. Lots of marble in the kitchen and bathrooms and all very spacious. Our balcony overlooked the pool area with a sea view. You couldn't have asked for anything better. The pool garden area was very relaxing and attractive benefitting from its location on the cliff edge, there was a fantastic sea view and a cooling sea breeze. If steps aren't a problem, access to a quiet secluded beach/cove is down a set of steps, or you can drive and park close by. The beach is literally next to the hotel. It's very pretty and secluded as there are no tourist shops etc nearby. There is one restaurant on the beach itself which we went to several times for very adequate (if slightly expensive) fish meals - but you are paying for the view. The breakfasts at the hotel were adequate but not as flamboyant or extensive as some that we've enjoyed. There is also an indoor pool with jacuzzi, but as you had to ask an hour beforehand we never went in the jacuzzi. There is a small gym with good solid aerobic machines, but no weights or quality floor mats for pilates/yoga workouts. Outside of the hotel and cove there's not much to recommend Porches except for a handy supermarket. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing holiday and don't mind staying within the hotel area, then I recommend the Pestana Viking.

This hotel has just been renovated and looks great. I hope they maintain it and don't let all the hard work go to waste. The staff were generally friendly and the breakfast was full of every type of fruit, cereal, waffles, juice, tea, coffee, breads etc. The evening buffet menu was completely overpriced at 27 euros per person, however there were plenty of restaurants either within a short walk (uphill) or a short taxi drive away (Which was not expensive 5euros into amacero de pera) Make sure you get a taxi number from the hotel and don't use the taxi rank on the front at Amacero de pera. We waited for an hour and then rang the hotel and they sent a taxi. The supermarket at the top of the hill had everything you could possibly need and want. (15min. walk & go 1st thing in the morning or when it cools down at 6ish) The pools were fantastic, great size and very clean although the indoor pool was freezing cold. The hotel rooms were cleaned daily and I'm fussy but had no cause for complaint. Unfortunately they half fill the fridge with a bar of overpriced drinks and sweets. But its easy to just move everything to one side and pop your own bits in. The beach is a 2 minute walk away, if you needed to leave the hotel pools. The entertainment at night was very noisy and went on til 12.00 midnight however it was quite easily silenced by closing the doors and windows. (We were right above the bar area) The airconditioning could have been better but it was particularly hot during our stay. We are a family of 5 with 3 young chilldren and thought it was a brilliant holiday. There are areas for improvememt but the hotel has just reopened and has a few teething problems that are minimal. It is not a place to go in August if you want a quiet holiday as it is full of families with children of all ages but it was perfect for us and the kids made some lovely friends from all around the world. My parting remark would be if you want perfection go to a 5 star+ hotel if you come to this hotel you will be staying at a good quality 4 star one.

A cold welcom at reception, a list of resort facilities presented at speed along with a brief location of our room number etc. managed to get lost trying to locate our room. Clean updated room with new bathroom, kitchen only provided microwave & kettle with fridge containing drinks etc. for sale at above average prices. Overhaul the room with balcony was satisfactory but our location was that our balcony was directly over the patio eating area set out with tables for bufet help yourself eating only. The restaurant (s) were closed during our stay for meals other than buffet at a set price 27 euros each We were very disapointed with this being the only choice as eating out was not really an option, restaurants located within walking distance from the viking is not good. During our stay late night weekend festivals close by on the next headland seems to be normal during July & Aug This carried on until 1.30 in the morning. The room has extremely good sound proof glazing so if dont mind your windows, patio door closed is was ok. The air conditioning system was wowfully short of power and our stay was hot and unpleasant with temperatures we have not ever experienced on the Algarve before.

After having read some of the horror reviews, we were very curious whether our two weeks stay would be a relaxing holiday. We were proven wrong: The Pestana Viking has been completely renovated over the 2005/2006 Winter and it is now a very modern hotel with very charming rooms. As the building is from the seventies (i.e. an unexiting lowrise building), the recent renovation tried to follow through this seventies style in the outfitting of the lobby and the restaurants and succeeded quite authentically in recreating a seventies admosphere. Back in the rooms and appartments we were positively surprised by the modern outfit. All rooms have new terracotta floor and wooden furnishings with turquise and green sofas. The bathrooms have modern fittings with square wash basins. When you switch on the light in the bathroom you can have an optional blue halogen light which creates a cool effect when taking a bath or shower. Overall the interior decorators tried to cope with the given seventies architecture of the building and making it a modern hotel of the presence. The hotel is approx 5km from Armacao de Pera, yet from no room with seaview will you see any of the highrise buildings of Armacao. Neighbours are the luxurious Vila Vita Park and the Sofitel Vilalara. Great is the lawn around the swimming pool which sits on top of the cliffs. The garden is very tidy. In addition the hotel has also a very nice kids club with nice babysitters. In addition the spa seems to be in the process of being fitted out. Unfortunately there were also some things which need improvement. We found the decoration of the bar area and the Tapas restaurant (which had only just opened) very uninspiring. Somehow it seemd that they just put their remaining chairs and tables there to offer clients somewhere to sit. The same applies for most open space in the whole hotel (including parts of the lobby). Another weak spot was the food in the main restaurant Valhala and the Tapas restaurant. We always ordered breakfast from the room service and had dinner at some of the restaurants in the vicinity (try the O Leao de Porches). In all the Viking pestana is a nice, clean and modern place if you travel with small children. It is good value for money. Don't however expect this to be a romantic or very sophisticated place. We base our judgement on stays in the following hotels over the past twelve months: Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh, Renaissance Chancery Court London, Praia do Forte EcoResort Brazil, Die Post Bad Kleinkirchheim Austria, Hotel Le Faubourg Sofitel Paris, Sofitel Bayerpost Munich.

Hello traveler, due to my job, I have been staying, in many hotels all over the world & I am not the person who complain everything. It is only that this hotel has been by far, in my memory as the worst experience. An old, huge & worn out hotel, without having any maintenance at all. Our balkony view was a huge dirty container (painted in green:). There was no way to change the room since service personel claimed that the hotel was full. 10 minutes later the WC broke & dirty water overfloated the whole room. I think this is more than enought to understand the situation since the whole vacation has been a nightmare from the faulty and worned out facilities. However, a have to admit a positive matter. The hotel has a beatyful sea view if you got the right room, & you are willing to pay more and is available and and and...... Unfortunately not in my case. I have seen this view, only from the hotel marketing photos on their web. I hope that the hotel managment decide one day to invest some money in this hotel and send the customer service people to a proper training to learn how it feels to lost your money and time in a such bad hotel. Have a happy vacation and stay far way from it. Theo