Kimpton Atlantico Algarve

Had a wonderful evening at Kimpton Atlântico with my uncle. We started with drinks at the rooftop bar great atmosphere, attentive service, and lovely views to unwind with. Then we headed to Sombra for dinner, and it didn't disappoint. The shrimp curry was absolutely amazing full of flavour and beautifully cooked, a real highlight of the meal. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and the whole setting had a relaxed, elegant feel. A perfect spot for a special evening out. Highly recommend both the rooftop and Sombra we'll definitely be back. Best location

Before writing this review, I gave the hotel an opportunity to address my concerns privately. I emailed them after our stay and explained in detail what happened, hoping they would acknowledge the issues and make some effort to make things right. Unfortunately, I left that exchange feeling that there was very little genuine concern for our experience.

One of the biggest issues was the hotel's pet-friendly policy. I have significant cat/pet allergies, and I was not aware when booking that all of the rooms at this property are pet-friendly. During our stay, I developed severe allergy symptoms and subsequently became ill enough to require urgent care. I understand that Kimpton is a pet-friendly brand, and I have no issue with a hotel welcoming pets. My concern is that this was not something I was aware of when choosing the property, and it had a significant impact on my stay.

There were also several other disappointments. There was a noticeable mildew/musty odor throughout the hotel. Check-in was rushed, understandably given that we arrived around midnight, but we weren't properly informed about the pool-card procedure and ended up having to walk back to reception to obtain a card before we could get a towel. I also used the advertised Kimpton "secret phrase" and was simply told there was nothing associated with it.

Our room key repeatedly stopped working, resulting in multiple trips back to reception. Unfortunately, the interaction with one particular member of staff made an already frustrating situation worse. Rather than feeling welcomed or assisted, I felt as though my repeated requests for a working key were an inconvenience. The customer service from this staff member was, in my experience, particularly unwelcoming.

We had also contacted the hotel months before our stay to let them know we were celebrating a milestone anniversary, and this was acknowledged. We weren't expecting anything extravagant or entitled to anything complimentary, but some simple acknowledgment or gesture of hospitality would have been appreciated. After seeing how other guests have been welcomed for special occasions, it was especially disappointing to feel that ours went completely unnoticed.

As an IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite member, I also expected a stronger level of hospitality from a property carrying both the Kimpton and IHG names. Even something as simple as being able to obtain a basic coffee early in the morning was inconvenient, and breakfast was not included.

Most importantly, though, it was the hotel's response afterward that really cemented my disappointment. I specifically contacted them before leaving a public review and gave them an opportunity to address the situation. Their response largely consisted of explaining that Kimpton is pet-friendly and suggesting that I should have raised the issues during my stay. While I understand that perspective, it did not acknowledge the overall experience or offer any meaningful goodwill gesture.

I had hoped that, given the circumstances, the hotel might offer to refund the IHG points used for the stay or provide an equivalent goodwill credit. Instead, I was essentially invited to return in the future.

Unfortunately, an invitation to come back does not address a disappointing stay that has already happened.

Hotels cannot always prevent every problem, but how they respond to a guest's concerns matters enormously. I gave Kimpton Atlântico Algarve the opportunity to demonstrate that they cared about making things right, and I did not feel that they took that opportunity.

Beautiful surroundings and a nice property can only go so far. For us, the lack of communication, attention to detail, and genuine customer service made this a disappointing first experience with Kimpton, and one that has unfortunately left me questioning whether I would choose the brand again.

We recently stayed here the day of our wedding. My in laws paid for this as a wedding gift. Although the hotel itself is stunning, the staff and service was poor. On arrival we were told our family had put money on our room for us. We went to the pool and hadn’t been given any towel cards during check in so had to head back to reception where it took 25 minutes to get to the front of the queue to get a towel cards. We then sat and ordered a drink by the pool where they didn’t bring the drink we asked for. And when we asked to add it to the room we were told we had no room credit… We paid with €40 for our €32 bill and were never given our change. Our plates were never cleared when we finished our food and the seagulls enjoyed our leftovers. We then went to the sky bar for a drink later and asked to add the drinks to the room (to use the money on our tab) a lady from the sky bar then came charging into the restaurant when we went to eat to tell us we had no credit on our room. (Second time this had happened may I add) after our meal we headed back to reception where they told us again we had a €200 room credit so plenty of money to pay for the food and drinks we had! We were given a voucher to have a free drink in the sky bar, a gesture to say sorry for the mess around. We got to the sky bar, ordered our drinks, took a seat and then AGAIN were told the voucher doesn’t cover any drinks other than wine and beer (which we hadn’t been told at reception) Overall the staff issues and the way no one seemed to communicate with each other let down this hotel and I wouldn’t return.