- 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 Good414 reviews
Excellent
62%
Very Good
13%
Average
11%
Poor
8%
Terrible
7%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
A fabulous find
Lovely clean hotel with well kept grounds. Staff friendly and helpful. We stayed in room 209. 3 adjoining rooms all with their own bathrooms and adjoining balconies. Slippers and robes provided too. 15 minute walk to a lovely beach with a beach bar/restaurant and a 5 minute taxi drive into old town & port. Food was lovely. We also went to the Portuguese restaurant in the hotel where we were very well looked after and the food was delicious (very big portions) One of our party had a poolside massage and said it was really good. All in all a wonderful holiday and would definitely return and recommend
Not 5 star
Firstly I would like to say the staff are friendly and the room was clean. However I would not consider this to be a 5 star hotel and here’s why. Some parts of the hotel are tired and in need of maintenance and a freshen up. Food adequate but not the amount of choice one would expect from 5 star ( having stayed in many over the years) drinks not readily offered had to ask at each sitting. Coffee and tea not stocked daily. If you require more you have to go down to reception and ask. Also no milk supplied had to go to restaurant and ask for some which was supplied to me in a glass. No shuttle bus or free transport to beach or local town, so you need to pay for taxis. Personal view is this hotel is more 3 star possibility 4 at best if being generous. Overall not a bad stay but not one I would recommend or return too. Guess it depends what you’re looking for or maybe I’ve been spoiled in the past.
DO NOT BOOK THIS HOTEL IF YOU WANT QUALITY
This hotel is a 3 star at a push.
If you have an early flight you won’t be able to have any food or drink unless you pay as the AI doesn’t start until 3pm despite what time you arrive. You will need to come back to reception to get your ‘band’ then.
You can use the ‘facilities’ which is basically nothing but you can’t get changed anywhere other than the hotel toilet cubicle!
There is only vending machine coffee & you can’t get a cup of this until you go to breakfast in the morning. There are no other machines around. It’s not good coffee either.
There are no cocktails included or branded spirits. The fizzy drinks are flat. Even if you upgrade to their premium ‘band’ at €28 euros per person per day you can still only get limited drinks from certain shelves & the cocktails are absolutely disgusting. They put a ton of powdered brown sugar in & whatever they think it needs after that. They make it up as they go along. They serve spirits & mixers in a wine glass! The cocktails are comical. The bar staff have absolutely no idea what they are doing & cannot understand anything you ask.
There is only one very tiny bar by the pool & everything is served in small, smelly plastic cups. The bar by the restaurant is only open in the evening but is the same standard as described above.
There is one small food buffet. It’s ‘okay’ but not a great variety & not great tasting, also lukewarm warm food.
The staff aren’t very friendly & can barely understand anything other than the odd person on reception.
We were given a disability room even though we did not request this as no disabilities. It was awful!!! Fortunately, because we booked through a golf agent we got given a different room after the first night. This was only because the hotel have around 100 guests per month sent to them by the agent otherwise they were not interested at the hotel.
It’s not clean. It’s not unbearably dirty but it doesn’t feel nice to stay at.
There is no entertainment.
I’ve never seen the pool being cleaned & it looks grubby.
They seem to make it up as they go with their rules & what’s allowed & not allowed.
We are only here for 4 nights & my husband & son had golf for 2 of those days so it was manageable but certainly not enjoyable.
There is no way this is a 5 star hotel. It’s more like a 3 star but even a 2 star in some aspects. Would NEVER return or recommend.
If get it for a very reasonable price & use it only as a base for golf then it may be ok for you.
I’m just grateful we weren’t here for a week!!
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
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
