Falesia Hotel

We are just home from our 8th visit to the Falesia over the past 13 years and our last visit was 2023 and we were on a B&B option. We feel the hotel has moved in the right direction and had a much better feel about it. The building improvements; reception, bar, restaurant, spa, indoor pool, gym, gardens have made a wonderful difference. The breakfast was excellent, lots of choice, well cooked. 3 large coffee machines, new outdoor seating and dining chairs/tables are really good. Bar service was slow and food was mixed! Staff generally were very good, the hotel was immaculate. There is a much calmer feel, more Central Europeans and a younger clientele too making it seem very chilled.

The TUI Gold experience has gone and I feel this is where folk are drawing on their previous experience(s) when it was very much a British hotel! Top Tip - Don’t be put off by the negative comments and feedback; this is an excellent hotel and venue with so much more on offer in a cracking location.

We have just arrived back in UK following a one week break and give our own balanced opinion, as below: The hotel cleanliness is of the highest order, always smelt fresh and cool on entry. Reception staff lovely, very helpful, top marks there. We were allocated a ground floor room overlooking the front of the hotel and were a little apprehensive that there might be noise from the early/late arrivals, but no problem there. Room was spacious and cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis. The improvements in the spa/gym area were a big plus, open 24 hours, great for early morning fitness as the large outdoor pool was on the cool side until the afternoon. Usual hotel guests putting towels on sun beds early of, couldn't see the point really as plenty available, particulary in the garden area. The outdoor pool bar opens at 10am. Manvir, the other Indian and Brazilian lads at the bar work hard and were always of a pleasant nature. Quite noticably, the guests were of a slightly younger age than the previous year and those we spoke to were enjoying the relaxed nature of the hotel. We really didn't want to come away on holiday and listen to people moaning about trivial things about staff changes etc. It happens and things move on! The hotel was not full by any means, but the new staff are working hard during a transitional period and most (with the exception of the indoor bar staff workers), work with a smile on their faces. We did find the price of a gin and tonic, 18 euros for a single shot, very high. The afternoon entertainment, the periodic entertainers around the pool bar were sorely missed from the previous year and perhaps if they were to be reintroduced, or alternatively soft recognisable music of an evening, would provide an alternative option to staying indoors listening to live entertainment, which is not of everybody's choice. the gardens are lovely, with a fire pit, but there were not many people sitting out in them of an evening. Also the pool table slopes and should be removed or replaced. The daily trips to Albufeira via the hotel shuttle bus are fine but the price of 15 euros per person should be highlighted, rather than be told after booking. Finally, the food, mornings great, evenings could be better. The quality and variety could be better, show cooking is not really specialised, burgers, chicken, fish, steak and portions, after waiting in a queue, were small. Barbeque around the pool twice a week, a good idea, but not really advertised well enough and didn't seem to go down to well whilst we were there. The above points are constructive criticism and should be viewed by the management accordingly. After all is said and done, we will be back next year, barring unforeseen circumstances.