Oriental Hotel

I am just back from The Oriental Hotel and a really relaxing week. The hotel is in a perfect location at the quiet end of praia da rocha and about 50 steps to bring you onto the beach. The room was large, towels and sheets cleaned everyday. A fine bathroom, powerful shower and a double sink. There was a kitchenette with a fridge and 2 ring hob. We stayed in room 207 which overlooked the excellent beach. The resort itself was as expected, full of Irish pubs, this will suit some people, we looked for something more local We ate in some excellent restaurants, Titanic, Squash and a new Chinese up at the top of the resort. However the nicest meal we had was in Portimao, about a 5 minutes drive away. The name of the restaurant was called Simsa and is open Wednesday to Saturday. We had one of the nicest meals ever there. A trip to the vilage of Alvor is a must, frsh sardines cooked in front of you on a bbq. If you must go to an Irish pub the Man of Aran is actually owned by an Irish person. There is a nice bar across the road from the hotel about 50 M to the right and we found a Portuguese bar sandwiched between 2 Irish bars. Beware when booking boat trips we were promised caves and fishing on a trip from Alvor but we only left the bay for about 5 minutes, a bit of a rip-off. I cannot remember the name of the boat but an English person was running the operation and he was beside the dolphin trip person I would really recommend this resort

Hotel Oriental is by the far best looking hotel in the resort. It has a morrocan style, inside and out. With a nice water fountain feature in the middle of the hotel and mosiac tiles lining the floors and walls The rooms are very spacious, with a kitchenette area, including a fridge, hot plates and untensils. Again, the bathroom was spacious with a double sink and marble everywhere. The rooms have all modern amenties, cable TV, air con and a seating area. The only thing missing was internet access. The staff were friendly and polite, drinks and food was very reasonably priced, eg a cocktail 4.50 euro and large beer 3.00 euro. Continental breakfast was included in the price, which was very nice and with plenty of choice. The resort itself was a built up some areas, fortunately the hotel is the last one on the coast line, so the view from our balcony was the sea and the new marina in the distance. The beach is spectacular, the best in the Algarve, pure sand which runs for miles on the rocky and interesting coastline. There is a wooden decked walk way which runs the length of the beach with 15 restaurants situated on the beach. Prices are varied, you can have roast chicken and chips for 5.00 euro to lobster at 85 euro a kilo. The choice is varied and the prices are the same in each beach restaurant. If you want a special meal, then I suggest the dockside resturant in the new marina. A 3 course meal with wine will cost around 70 euros, but the food and service is excellent. If you decide to go there, make sure you sit upstairs, the views and comfortable surroundings make all the difference. If you want a bit of adventure try the dolphin safari. Cruising at 25 knotts on a large dingy in the Atlantic is an experience not to be miss and with the added bonus of seeing pods of dolphins 30ft from the boat. In conclusion, a very nice 4star hotel in a good position, just 2 mins walk from the beach.

We stayed from the 19th of March to the 31st the room was fine plenty of space and it had 2 comfy armchairs a nice sea facing balcony. It was well cleaned when we arrived but after that all the maid really did was just make the beds and have a quick wipe around in the bathroom The staff were friendly and as helpful as they could be. But the down sides are that the restaurant I think is run seperayely from the hotel. ( I was told by a fellow guest that they have to feed you for about 8 Euros a day) the breakfast menu alternates from scrambled eggs and bacon bread etc one day to mini sausages and scrambled eggs the next We discovered why the restaurant was quiet of an evening the menu consisted of a salad leaf and some shredded beetroot and a dollop of salad cream then some soup which was almost the same every night then a very basic main course all frozen and then a piece of shop bought Gateau all this was quite sustaining but after a while very boring so I would recommend bed and breakfast. The area is very nice but mostly suitable for those who want to sunbathe and eat and drink in the local bars etc as there is almost nothing else to do. We hired a car for our stay but this part of Portugal does not have a lot of tourist attractions.

Arrived at the hotel and first impression was that it was very quirky. It's eastern style stands out from the mass whtie apartment towers and is very pretty! Reception staff were very friendly at check in and spoke good english. I was very impressed wih the room. It had a double bed, large balcony, tv, chair and footstool and a mini kitchen which had two rings and a fridge whcih was handy for midnight snacks! The bathroom was very large with a bidet, toilet, two wash basins and a bath with overhead power shower. The breakfast in the mornign was mainly cold. Ham, cheese and lots of bread and one morning there was even chocolate cake! The did have scrambled eggs and either cocktail sausages or bacon as the htoe food. Lots of yoghurts and fresh juices too. Very nice and set you up well for the day. It was constantly refreshed with fresh food and it never seemed to run out. I loved this hotel and its great location set off the strip so it was quiet but only 5 minutes away! the maids were very friendly when they came to clean the room and i was having my siesta and they cleaned around me!! I was very happy not to have to get out of bed!! Didnt seem to be many english there which suited me, seemed likea mostly German crowd. This was ideal for us on our honeymoon. Quiet, romantic and quirky!

We -my husband, our little daughter and I- stayed at the hotel last December. It was a really relaxing experience. Our bedroom had a lot of space and, though the kitchen was not soooo new, the cleaning staff kept it always very tidy and even washed our dishes every day! I must confess it was totally unexpected. The hotel has a billiard table in a nice living room, a small playground for children, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The ones at the restaurant were very attentive, and they provided high chair for our child, small plates and forks, and any thing we needed. Breakfast was not extraordinary, but enough. The beach is lovely and you can walk arround and relax looking at the sunset. It was a great experience. And only one fault. Those who travel out of season should keep in mind that the toilets do not have any heating. As our toilet was made of marble, the non-existing heating made the daily shower experience a bit fresh, but the toilett is oriented to the inner side of the hotel, so the coldness can be perfectly bearable. We will probably be back if we travel to that area again

Just spent a week at the Oriental. Have to say we were impressed with this hotel. It does everything well and has no significant faults. The room was large, airy and clean. The small kitchenette was ideal for making snacks, coffee and chilling wine and beer. The location is perfect; right on the cliff top (with private steps to the beach) just far enough from the Irish/English bars and nightclubs but not so far that you can’t join in if that’s your thing (wasn’t anybody’s thing in Feb lol). I guess if you’re thinking about staying at the Oriental then you’re also thinking about the Casino since it’s next door and a similar price in the summer. I’d choose the Oriental because it feels less dated, has great staff and a cheaper bar . Since the shows at the Casino are available to non residents it makes much more sense to stay at the Oriental. Can’t comment on the evening meals in the hotel because we did not eat there as there are some great restaurants nearby - try La Dolce Vita (Italian) across the road and Sabor Gaucho (Brazilian) next to Villa Rosa. If I had to pick fault then I would say that the bathroom tiles were not to our taste, the kitchen units were not ‘as new’ and the breakfast could have more hot food choice but on the whole this is a great hotel in a superb location. In Feb we paid £25/room/night B&B. Amazing value.

My wife and I are going to the Oriental Hotel in September and are after some restaurant recommendations. Our problem is that the wife cannot eat fish. Can anyone recommend anywhere that has good food as well as fish?

We stayed here in the last week of september and 1 week of october. The initial room we were given was a disabled room but when we asked to be moved the staff were more than helpful and we got a room with a balcony that overlooked the sea. Being in our 20's we were probably the youngest couple there [along with one other couple who we got to know] , which was nice as the pool was peaceful and relaxing and really allowed you to unwind. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We booked with first choice and our rep was next to useless - I think as it was the end of the season he just wanted to go home. We found the location excellent for the beach but not if you have trouble with stairs. The beach is stunning and there are more places to eat than you can shake a stick at. For added entertainment I would rec you take a stroll along to the Jupiter Hotel where you can watch the weird and the wonderful old time dancing - strictly come dancing can't compare. Only word of warning - timeshare touts - way to deal with them - pretend you don't speak english,

Stayed at the Oriental for a week in August 2006. Really loved it. Arabian theme throughout and fabulous water fountain and glass lift indoors. Our room was very spacious with fridge and kitchen facilities. We had a really large terrace with a direct sea view and gardens below. Very relaxing setting, but still very close to shops, bars and restaurants and Marina only few minutes away. Only booked bed and breakfast on recommendation, as so many good places to eat, especially down at the Marina or at nearby villlages where the seafood is great. Nice pool area with steps down to enormous beach. Very helpful and friendly staff at the hotel and we would certainly recommend it to couples or families with older children.

As I had previously posted a review on the tripadvisor website when I was very disappointed with a supposedly 5* hotel we had stayed in, I thought I should now post a very positive review of a hotel. We stayed at the Oriental at the end of June beginning of July 2006 and can only say we were very impressed with it. The rooms were always kept clean and tidy and the added bonus of having a small kitchen area meant that lunchtimes were spent with a glass of wine and a light lunch on the small balcony overlooking the sea. Unlike some hotels they actually had 2 comfortable armchairs to sit on to watch the footie. We only stayed for 4 days and went for the half board option ie evening meal. The 4 course meal was very good and the restaurant staff were all EXCELLENT. We could not believe that more people did not use the bar area as the drinks were the same price as outside and the bar area was extremely comfortable. The location was lovely and quiet but not too out of it if you fancied a walk. Praia de Rocha was not our ideal resort a bit too many cheeseburger & chip type restaurants but the hotel certainly made up for it and of course the beaches all along the Algarve are just wonderful. First time to the Algarve but would not hesitate to go again.