- Algarve Holidays
- Albufeira
- Sao Rafael Suite Hotel
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Sao Rafael Suite Hotel
Portugal, Europe
Albufeira
Ideally situated right next to the beautiful São Rafael beach, this is the ideal choice of accommodation when visiting this lively, tourist region. The hotel enjoys good road connections and is within easy reach from several leisure facilities like Albufeira Marina or Salgados Golf Course. All guest rooms and suites are tastefully appointed in beige tones and offer wide balconies from where visitors can enjoy wonderful sunsets. Moreover, guests can enjoy the therapies and massages in the relaxation centre, while children play in the children's club. Travellers may also go for a refreshing swim at the fantastic outdoor pools and enjoy the wide array of leisure facilities in the surrounding area.
Facilities
- Portugal - Clean and Safe
- Tennis
- Spa treatments
- Massage
- Turkish bath (hamam)
- Steam bath
- Sauna
- Parasols
- Sun loungers
- Children’s swimming area
- Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.0 Very Good418 reviews
Excellent
62%
Very Good
13%
Average
11%
Poor
8%
Terrible
6%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Extremely pleased and will revisit and recommend
Amazing staff, amazing hospitality they have gone over and beyond to make our every day stay exceptional. Very hygienic, consistent and prompt. Extremely friendly. Comforting in all aspects, no rush for anything. Good food different every day, long serving hours in multiple areas of the hotel.
Great hotel, great rooms and amenities but sadly let down by food quality and customer service
We stayed at this hotel July 2026 for our family holiday. We opted for a 2 bedroom family suite, and all I can say is Wow! The amount of space was amazing, by far the biggest room we have ever had!
The pools were great (apart from the water being cold which took time to get used to) and the pool bar was a great place for drinks and daily snacks which unfortunately we found better than the actual food served in the hotel’s main restaurant!!
The reception staff were nice enough, and helpful when called upon, however the restaurant staff and hotel bar staff lacked any real degree of customer service, bare minimum interaction at best and never went out of their way to see if food/drinks were okay, with a lot of them not speaking good English.
With regards to the food, we went all inclusive hoping that the standard of food would be high given that the hotel is allegedly a 5-star resort, but it didn’t take long for us to realise that we certainly wished we hadn’t now knowing the food on offer was at times sub-standard at best, but mostly really really poor quality. Another thing that we weren’t warned about is that there was an upgrade charge to having all-inclusive branded drinks, which we refused to pay, but by doing so were left with basic local beer and soft drinks as the spirits on offer to us tasted like paint stripper!!
The location of the hotel is okay, short taxi rides via Uber to Marina, Old Town and New Town all within reasonable distance and cost. Local beach within walking distance (about 10 minutes maximum) with a great beach side bar for food and drinks (obviously not included)
Overall, we think this is a nice hotel for families, however it certainly needs to be looking to hire a new chef if it doesn’t want to see its ratings plummet, as the food is very poor, so much so we ended up eating out most days. Furthermore, restaurant and bar staff need to be more assertive and friendly towards their guests, and they should be making that extra effort to make your stay better than it was.
I love Portugal and I love the Algarve, and I’m sure I will return in the future, just not sure it will be to this hotel given the price we paid for it, it certainly wasn’t value for money as far as we’re concerned.
Review by robbiem1971 Liverpool, United Kingdom
A Good Hotel
We had a very enjoyable week here July 2026. Having looked at some of the previous reviews after booking I was a little worried but I shouldn't have been. This is a very GOOD hotel, yes maybe some of the finishing isn't 5* but we didn't feel the price charged was 5*. The rooms were very clean and spacious, 3 x pools were clean with plenty of beds. The location is good if you want to be in a quiet area with the option of going into the marina/Old Town and New Town (if you are young enough!).
Food - the breakfast was great with lots of variety from cereal/meats/cheese/full English/fruit/pancakes/omelette etc. The pool side food was good (burgers were great). Lunch was good. Dinner - could have been a little improved as it's an evening meal and wasn't much different from lunch but it was fine and we wanted to have a few meals out during our stay anyway. Drinks - beer/wine/sparkline wine/sangria was all good. Don't expect fancy cockatils though - basic ones can be made but nothing to shout about - beer and wine was nice though.
I went to the spa to see what was on offer at 20 Euros - the steam room and sauna are separate for men/women so had to use these separately and the ladies sauna didn't get up to heat so maybe not worth it.
The entertainment was good - not too in your face and if you have younger kids the staff are energetic and enthusiastic.
All in all this is a very good hotel out of the way but close enough to get about (Ubers are really cheap and no long waits) - I would recommend and would return.
Fantastic all inclusive hotel - great for families
This was a lovely stay in a friendly welcoming hotel. It was very clean and airy inside. We arrived later on and the receptionist led us to dining area for a meal before checking in. We all agreed that the food was outstanding. Travelling with 2 teenagers, there was plenty of variety each night at dinner and the desserts were outstanding. There were some pinch points at lunch and dinner, but our longest wait was 10 minutes and the staff were great at communicating delays. Don’t expect lots of cocktail selections unless you pay for premium, however the rose, caipirinha’s and beer kept us satisfied! The hotel provides towels daily via a card system, which worked for us. The entertainment around the pool area for families was great, you can take it or leave it - you won’t be harassed or go to the upper pool, slightly deeper and quieter. A daily walk to the beach is a must, lots of seaweed on our visits, so getting into sea involved wading through it! The hotel is in a quiet area but easy to access Albufeira if you wanted to. Overall, I would absolutely return to this hotel. Loved every minute of it 😊
Review by suzychristie72 Paisley, United Kingdom
Nice place
Just on our final day at the hotel and have really enjoyed our stay. The hotel seemed fairly quiet, there was plenty of space around the pools and it was easy to get a table in the restaurant. The staff all seemed friendly and the food was nice with lots of variety too. The only minor thing I would mention is that when we arrived we couldn’t check into our to until about 4pm which seemed quite late so we had to hang around for a while. This felt like wasted time.
Overall, this is one of the nicest holidays we’ve had and would definitely consider returning to this hotel.
Review by Richard E Thirsk, United Kingdom
