Reviews of Brisa Sol Aparthotel, Albufeira, Portugal

Fantastic Holiday

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

sjkitchie

Comments:

We booked our holiday 2 weeks prior to leaving. This is a great hotel, room very spacious, airy and clean. We were on the 2nd floor with a view towards to sea which was lovely. It would have been nice to have a view over the swimming pool but still a great view. The rooms were cleaned daily, we had breakfast included which consisted of a buffet style continental or full english. We filled up on this in the morning and then went straight out to the pool and spent all day there. Our 7 year old daughter thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and spent most of the time in the pool (the water was very cold) and making new friends. I personally enjoyed the old town better than the new town/strip. We will definitely be going to this hotel again - it is in a great location, supermarket right next door. The weather was also fantastic (only had one day where it was cloudy and went quite cool). Could do with entertainment laid on for the kids during the day and early evening but this was not too much of a problem as there were plenty of children for our daughter to play with.

Myself and my husband are both...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs J HAYES

Comments:

Myself and my husband are both in our sixtys and have just come back from spending a week in the Brisa Sol aparthotel and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was our first visit to Portugal and we will certainly be going back there and to the Brisa Sol. We were in a studio apartment and we had plenty of room with a lovely big balcony overlooking the pool. Linen was changed daily providing you leave your towels in the bath so they know you want clean ones. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Pool area was kept spotlessly clean as was the rest of the hotel and complex. It is situated in between the old town and the new town, but we prefered the old town. There was different entainment in the square of the old town every night and plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from. We went to BUDDYS to eat a couple of nights and the staff were very nice and it was very reasonable. The new town is more suitable for the younger people although we had a couple of nice meals in there at LABAMBA'S. The little road train was very handy as it stopped outside the Brisa Sol and taxis are very cheap. The cake shop next to the hotel is a must visit. I would certainly give this hotel a 10 out of 10 and it is situated between the old and new towns. The beach is also lovely pure sand.

I TRAVELLED WITH MY HUSBAND AND...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs C Murray

Comments:

I TRAVELLED WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO BOYS (AGED 13 AND 14) TO THE BRISA SOL FOR 2 WEEKS AND WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE ACCOMMODATION. WE REQUESTED A HIGH FLOOR ROOM WITH A DOUBLE BED AND BOTH OF THESE WERE SUPPLIED ON ARRIVAL. THE ROOM WAS VERY SPACIOUS AND WAS CLEANED TO A GOOD STANDARD DAILY. THE KITCHEN WAS ADEQUATELY EQUIPPED WITH EVERYTHING YOU COULD NEED. THE CLEANERS WERE VERY PLEASANT AND VERY HELPFUL. THE STAFF ON RECEPTION WERE ALSO VERY PLEASANT AND WERE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE HAD. THEY WERE VERY GOOD WITH THE BOYS AND ALWAYS HAD A SMILE AND A WAVE WHEN THE BOYS PASSED. THE POOL WAS VERY CLEAN AND OPENED AT 9.00AM. THERE WAS ALWAYS A QUEUE AT THE DOOR BUT NEVER TOO BAD. THERE WERE AMPLE BEDS, CUSHIONS WERE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE BUT I FEEL THAT A FEW MORE UMBRELLAS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE AS THESE WERE ALWAYS GRABBED STRAIGHT AWAY. THERE WAS A CHARGE TO PLAY TENNIS BUT THE BOYS ENJOYED THIS AND MANAGED TO PLAY SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE HOLIDAY. THERE WAS ALSO AN INDOOR POOL WHICH WAS POSITIONED AROUND THE MAIN POOL. THIS WAS BRILLIANT AND IDEAL WHEN YOU FANCIED A SWIM WITH A BREAK FROM THE SUN. THIS WAS DEFINITELY A 4STAR QUALITY HOTEL AND WOULD HAVE NO HESITATION IN RECOMMENDING THIS ACCOMMODATION. THE ONE NEGATIVE THING ABOUT THE ROOM WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO SIT ON THE BALCONY LATE IN THE EVENING. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER THIS WAS AS A RESULT OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE ON THE TOP FLOOR BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY WINDY AND WENT QUITE CHILLY IN THE LATE EVENING. THIS WAS THE ONE DISAPPOINTING THING WE FOUND WITH ALBUFEIRA. THERE WAS OCCASIONALLY A NICE BREEZE DURING THE DAY, WHICH WAS MUCH APPRECIATED, BUT IN THE EVENING WHEN THE TEMPERATURE COOLED DOWN THE WINDS WORSENED AND I HAD TO TAKE OUT A SMALL JACKET OR CARDIGAN TO PUT ROUND MY SHOULDERS AND ARMS. WE WENT SELF-CATERING SO CANNOT COMMENT ON THE FOOD BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THERE IS A MCDONALDS AND KFC ACROSS THE ROAD WITH A VERY LARGE SUPERMARKET NEXT DOOR WITH A PIZZA HUT IN THE BASEMENT SO IF YOU HAVE FUSSY CHILDREN YOU WILL BE FINE. THIS ACCOMMODATION IS IDEALLY SITUATED AS IT IS MOREORLESS IN THE MIDDLE OF BOTH THE STRIP AND THE OLD TOWN AND THEY ARE BOTH WORTH A VISIT. IF YOU LIKE CHINESE, TRY THE HAPPY HOUSE, WHICH IS JUST OFF THE STRIP. THEY HAVE A LARGE MENU OR SERVE A BUFFET FOR 8.95EUROS EACH. THE FOOD WAS LOVELY AND THE STAFF VERY VERY PLEASANT. THE REP WHO LOOKED AFTER US WAS BEN AND HE WAS IN ATTENDANCE TWICE A DAY, 4 DAYS OUT OF 7. HE WAS ALWAYS VERY PLEASANT AND ONLY TOO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

Having stayed at the Brisa Sol...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked firectly

Submitted By:

Mrs M Russell

Comments:

Having stayed at the Brisa Sol for a week in April I returned again last week (July). I anticipated a noisier, busier hotel with the staff feeling over-run - but experienced the exact opposite. The 3 x friends I travelled with also enjoyed their stay and were very impressed with the hotel and staff.



Rooms are cleaned on a daily basis, reception offer the traditional services as well as currency exchange and a "concierge" facility - recommending all sorts of activities and venues and can even book you an on site massage (in your room) with an excellent masseuse. I cant remember her name, but the lady working on reception during our stay was very friendly and helpful.



Facilities are more than you would expect - rooms are air conditioned, there is a tv in the lounge and bedroom, the kitchenette has everything you could need. There is also a more than adequate games room, outdoor pool table and fabulous outdoor pool. For 3 euros per person per day there is an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, steam room and jacuzzi.



I was disappointed with my fellow holidaymakers racing to claim sunbeds as if their life depended on it. The pool area gets sun all day - until 7pm. There is plenty of room to move out of areas that do get shade.



There is no doubt that I will return to the lovely Brisa Sol again - I just hope it's not too long.....

Have just returned from the...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr R Hopkins

Comments:

Have just returned from the Brisa Sol Apartments with my wife and 1 year old baby! This hotel is not very good for toddlers! We asked for a low room with a pool view (as our baby sleeps from about 7pm ish, we would be using the balcony alot) and a cot and booked 1 year in advance. When we arrived, we were facing the main road, our balcony had 5 large steps down, so we were unable to use it as our 1 year old could not get up or down them but was wanting to play on them all the time. We closed the wooden door which led on to it and didnt use it at all! Very diasappointing. There was one tub chair in the room for both of us to use, and the cutlery drawer which had the knives in was floor height! When we asked to be moved rooms, we got a blunt no! We asked the Thomas cook rep to solve our problems, but she forgot to do anything, 2 days later, I asked the rep again, she was also told no. To top it off, there was no notice displaying departure times in the hotel the day before we flew, so aftyer checking repetedly throughout the day, i had to ring thomas cooks emergency helpline in the UK at midnight to find out when we were being picked up, it was 8 hours later! (Thompsons boards displayed 3 days in advance!).



In brief, nice hotel if you get the pool side, but not good for toddlers!

I can strongly recommend this...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs M Russell

Comments:

I can strongly recommend this accommodation. I am quite fussy with accommodation but the Brisa Sol ticked every box & then some. I found the rooms exceptionally clean & well equipped as is the rest of the hotel. It's location is perfect in the middle of the Old Town on one side and the Strip on the other - so something for all age groups. Beaches are a 10 minute walk away - there is a choice of 3 which are all a very good standard.



I thoroughly recommend booking a massage with their on site masseuse - who clearly knew their stuff & was worth every cent. We found the hotel staff exceptionally friendly & helpful which always makes a difference & enhances the holiday.



Our stay was in the last week of April. We experienced a day of rain, followed by a cloudy day - but then the rest of the week the weather just continued to pick up and reached 32degrees at one point! I will definately be returning as soon as possible.

My husband, 5 month old baby and...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs K Bell

Comments:

My husband, 5 month old baby and I have just returned from a week at the Brisa sol. The apts are in a great location in between the new and old towns and there is a train that stops directly outside which will take you to both. The rooms are massive, we had a one bed apt which had a huge living room/kitchen with sky tv in both the living room and bedroom. There was also a hairdryer in the bathroom and a microwave in the kitchen. The cleaning staff were there everyday and left the rooms spotless, they were really friendly especially to our little baby, in fact everyone in the resort seems to be lovely to kids which is really nice.

Only one hiccup and that was the amount of people begging in the streets around the old town, not so much in the new end of town, and the fact that within 5 mins of dropping 2 of our sons sunhats and a teething ring they had disappeared!

Lovely hotel though

just went last wk, 19/4/8 we are...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

Mrs E Williams

Comments:

just went last wk, 19/4/8 we are a couple 27/31 yrs , we arrived and the weather was nt the best it rained the first 2 days then cloudy the next 3 , the next day we went on a boat trip the sun was out 25 c and us being clever did not use no more than factor 2 sun cream please do not make the same mistake as us we got burnt that it ruined that night and the next day , altho it s bit chilly on the boat do not fool your self. we did wish to go on an all day boat trip but cos it s low season they only do 4 hr bbq trip for 31 eruos, not great vaule for money, the bbq lunch wasnt that great and was on the boat not on the beach and due to the sea condtion we did not get to go in the caves.

the briasa sol hotel is ok if you get it at a cheap price, it s loction is good as for visting the strip and old town as the little train stop s right outside the hotel , mush easyer to walk to old town its 5/10 mins down the road , which is where the beach is. but get the train to the strip it runs every 20 mins and is cheap, hotel does offer u food for the day for 17 euros each , buffet thru day and choice for eveing meal , there is a supermarket next door which is great , can but freash fish ,and i recommened trying the long sauges you can get for about 1 .80 euros in the supermarket , you will love them if you like meat , they sell wine from 1 euro and bottle beer for 25 cents.

our room 501 , rightat the top , over lookin mc ds n kfc not great but the balcony was so long you can both sun bathe, we got sun from 2 till 6 , and to watch the sun go down , was stunning. we booked a 1 room apartment was like a big flat , kitchen with toaster mic wave , 2 small cooking rings fridge, table and chairs, bath room had a super powerfull shower and hair dryer .the bed room has twin bed s but if you take some string and tie around the legs you wont fall thru, had tv in room with bbc 1 a channel that played films and a news and cartoon the rest not in english, o n a sport channel, had the same channels in the lonuge witch had two sofas that can be single beds they are great for sun bathing on on the balcony . we did nt realy think much of alburfire, the strip was mainly bars great if with ya mates , we did find an excellent resturant , i highly recommened for that specil meal , wild & co on the corner the next road down from where you are dropped off from the train, we did try 2 resturants in old town a steak house and the best fish in town one but i don t did nt think they we half as good, old town is full of resturants but there is men outside them all tryin to get you in , will not let you read the menu in peace,

the beach in old town was a nice sandy beach , good for a family holiday .

and the cake shop next door to the hotel is a must for them with the sweet tooth

Good hotel, not a great hotel....

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Expedia

Submitted By:

Mr P Mc Ardle

Comments:

Good hotel, not a great hotel. Location for old town great. Indoor pool great, bar expensive. Go to Liberty Bar and ask for Isabel [tell her Phillip and Joyce sent you]

Good people GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY , Enjoy ! ps. Avenida da Liberdade, 54 - just off main square.

My wife and I have just returned...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

freedomdirect

Submitted By:

Mr Dave Inman

Comments:

My wife and I have just returned from a wonderful holiday staying at this hotel. It was our first time in the Algarve, however it will not be our last. As for the hotel It was really nice. The rooms where very spacious, very clean and kept clean throughout our stay. The staff where very friendly and the reception team where always willing and able to give excellent advice on how to get to places, bus timetables, the best places to eat and they all spoke very good english. My only very minor complaint would be that it is not made clear when booking this hotel that some of the facilities such as the gym, health club cost extra. However if you book the gym, which has very little in the way of equipment and the health club for 7 days you can get a discount and it should only cost you 25 euro. Apart from the gym/health club which I was disappointed with the rest of the hotel was excellent. The retail centre next door will cater for all your needs and is very cheap, remember to check out downstairs where thier is a food hall (Pizza Hut etc) and lots of nice shops. Also check out the Rock Bar in the old town, they have a live band on every night great if you like good rock music. For an excellent meal I would strongly advise Casa do Chefe just around the corner from the hotel, the reception team will direct you, do not miss out on the best food in the Algarve!! We booked with Freedom Direct and this proofed to be a very cheap but excellent holiday with great weather and a really friendly relaxing atmosphere where ever you wondered. the Portugese are naturally very friendly and polite and this makes you feel very welcome. You will not be disappointed. Oh I nearly forgot, if you like coffee and cakes avoid the pastry and cake shop next to the hotel, if you go the once, before you know it you will be going back twice a day!! cakes to die for!!!

We were very pleasantly suprised...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2007

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Miss S Williams

Comments:

We were very pleasantly suprised when we arrived at Brisa Sol. We had a lovely room, recommed a room over looking the pool and your guaranteed good views. There were some building work over fence from the pool but did not spoil our holiday. We didnt venture to the beach as it was a bit too far but the pool was excellent but cold but it was April. We went just before the summer season we had a bargain holiday and booking now to go again this year at the same time. There were no children running around it was very quite, would recommed couples to go at this time of year. There was a lovley restaurant down the hill towards the small town which we will look for again as the food was delicious. The weather was fab. The town was being done up too when we were there so will be interesting to see how it looks now. One day was cloudy and we went for a walk to the beach which was lovely a bit hilly but nice walk. 9/10

The hotel was very good, one bed...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2008

Tour Operator:

Sunshine.co.uk

Submitted By:

Mr M Mchale

Comments:

The hotel was very good, one bed apartment really spacious,only two of us but plenty of room for four. Staff very friendly and helpful.booke with Sunshine on the net fantastic value for what we paid.

A very clean, spacious hotel....

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss K Davies

Comments:

A very clean, spacious hotel. Pool area was large and the grass was ideal for children. Snack bar food was very good and staff were very friendly.



We were aware that there could be a wait to check in our room on arrival, but after waiting 3 hours in the hotel reception with a 9 month old baby, we weren’t very pleased.



The room was very large and well equipped, and we had a nice view of the pool. However our room was directly above the hotel bar and the noise shook the whole apartment every night until 1 pm. We asked to move rooms and couldn’t because the hotel was "full ".



We had requested a quiet room on booking as we travelled with a 9 month old baby, this did spoil our holiday, don’t mind a bit of noise, but this was terrible!



On the whole had a good holiday, Albufeira itself is fantastic, would go back to Brisa Sol.

We arrived and were given a...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

MyTravelAirtours

Submitted By:

Miss E Ledger

Comments:

We arrived and were given a ground floor apartment next to a door that I believe (and hope) only staff could access. The view was of a car park, which was not ideal and only a small lock on the door leading to the balcony.



We requested a move to another room, however the hotel advised they were fully booked, so couldn't move us. When booking our holiday, we were not given the option to pay more for a pool view, which apparently you can do, so our advice is - to pay extra to get it!



The rooms were very clean and the maids were in every day and did a great job - defo, no complaints there! Overall, a very clean hotel.



Overall, a great location and the room was the only let down for us. The pool outside was big, but extremely cold. Snack bar was good and the hotel bar was good and the bar staff were very friendly. The night time entertainment was also very good. The only thing we would say is that the bar closes at 1pm, which is a shame, as we thought it would be open later than this.



The location of the hotel is great and the weather was fantastic. We did not expect the weather so good. Sun every day and the temperature peaked to about 28c - needless to say, we came back rather tanned, which is great! The hotel is in the middle of the old town and the new town.



The drinks are cheaper in the new town, however we preferred the old town as it had more entertainment on and more restaurants. It depends on what you're looking for in your holiday. Many of the pubs and restaurants had either bands playing or singers, which is great as they were all very good and even if you were sitting in the next bar along, you could still hear the entertainment going on.



The resort is quite hilly and I would not recommend high heels as I kept getting my heels stuck in the pavement - quite funny at times, but sometimes was a bit annoying. We would not say it's suitable for wheelchairs to go up and down the hills as paths are very narrow in places.



Overall, very good (except the room) and would stay there again,but definitely, with a pool view room.

We have just come back from a...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Portland Direct

Submitted By:

Miss R A Lock

Comments:

We have just come back from a week at the Brisa Sol Hotel Albufeira and had an absolutely fabulous time.



Our apartment in the hotel was second to none very spacious and clean, maid service was everyday with fresh towels and flannels. You could eat your dinner off the floors in the hotel the maids were always cleaning.



The reception staff were very helpful and friendly and offering advice from sending your post cards to getting a taxi, the bar staff even switched the sports channel over so that my partner could watch the Everton Match (oh dear)!



The swimming pool was very clean and so was the sunbathing area, rubbish just doesn't seem to exist in Albufeira. The bbq on a Friday at the hotel is well worth it, great food, drink and entertainment and chance to make new friends.



The location of the hotel was ideal as it was central to all you needed, the supermarket was next door which is very handy if you were self catering, you had the Old Town in one direction (10 minute walk) with lovely restaurants and entertainment, and the beach, or the New Town which was about a 15 minute walk in the opposite direction - definitely try the Sizzling Stone in the New Town - excellent food.



A definite is the Zoo marine where you can interact with the Dolphins for 140 Euros and then your entrance to the park for 26 Euros, through our Tour Rep, well worth the money.



The dolphin trainers were so friendly and the dolphins just loved to give you kisses.



Best holiday for resort location and hotel choice we have had, we are definitely going back.



Becka and Jake. Kent.