Ukino Palmeiras Village

Whilst there were many positives to our stay, I feel compelled to leave this review to warn other guests with food allergies.

Prior to travelling, I emailed the hotel to advise them of my dairy allergy. During my stay, I relied on the allergen information displayed in the restaurant when selecting food. Unfortunately, I later discovered that some foods I had eaten did in fact contain dairy despite not being identified as such by the labelling provided.

As a result, I no longer felt able to trust the allergen information displayed in the restaurant. I was disappointed to find that when this issue came to light, the focus appeared to be on the fact that I had not mentioned my allergy again at check-in, despite having already informed the hotel in advance and relying on what I believed to be clear allergen information within the restaurant.

For anyone travelling with a food allergy, my advice would be not to rely solely on the allergen labels provided. In my experience, the labelling appeared to be inaccurate and, in some cases, outdated. If you have an allergy, I would strongly recommend speaking directly with a restaurant host every single time you eat rather than relying on the information displayed.

That said, I do want to recognise the restaurant staff, who were fantastic once they became aware of the issue. Every evening they took the time to walk me around the restaurant and explain what I could and couldn’t eat. They regularly arranged desserts in advance and, when options were limited, would prepare fresh food specifically for me. The restaurant team were consistently helpful, kind and accommodating, and I am very grateful for their efforts.

My concern is not with the staff themselves, but with the allergen management and information available to guests before these conversations took place.

If you do not have food allergies, this may not be an issue for you. However, if you or a family member has a serious allergy, I would personally think very carefully before booking. Thankfully my allergy is not anaphylactic, but I genuinely worry about the potential consequences had that been the case.

I hope the hotel reviews its allergen procedures and labelling, as this is an issue that could have serious implications for future guests.

Fantastic holiday here! Would recommend and stay again. Three families with six children between the ages of 2 and 8.

Rooms Our room was a really good size, a bed and a sofa bed and then a cot, still plenty of room. We were on the 1st floor with a pool view and I would request this again as it felt really safe on the balcony with the little ones. Bathroom was really modern and it was spotlessly clean. Saw housekeeping every day and they were really on it. It was our daughter’s birthday whilst we were there and we had put balloons in the room and a banner. When we got back to the room later that day, there was a cake and a bottle of prosecco on ice! Really lovely gesture, especially when we hadn’t let anyone know.

Entertainment There was lots for the children to do- kids club activities all afternoon, bouncy castles one of the days, and mini discos every night. Entertainment staff were really friendly and engaged well with the children. The evening shows after the disco were a bit naff although the staff were trying really hard! We didn’t stay for many of these as they didn’t start till 10 and the kids were exhausted. There were jewellery sellers, candy floss and sweets and a little shop for the kids to spend their holiday money in which was lovely too.

Pools The splash pad area was being repaired when we were there so didn’t use that but looked like it would be great. The pool in that area is lovely as it has a large area with a gazebo so plenty of shade. Loads of sunbeds didn’t see anyone reserving at silly o clock! The slides down there are great too and kept the older ones happy.

The other pool area we used more as the small kids pool was perfect for the little ones to play in and the big pool was great too. Freezing when first got in but was March/April!

Food & Drink We didn’t use the a la carte restaurant so can’t comment on those. We preferred the restaurant by the lower pool area as it had a large outside area and didn’t feel as busy. Both restaurants had a fantastic selection of food at both breakfast and dinner time, loads for both the adults and a couple of fussy kids - we didn’t use it at lunchtime. We did use the snack bar and had toasties there which were great. We were impressed by the cleanliness of all the restaurants and communal areas, staff were working so hard constantly cleaning tables and clearing.

We mostly drank the local beer and the on tap cocktails, kids had slushies too and we had hot drinks most evenings in the entertainment bar. Good selection and staff couldn’t be more helpful.

Area

We walked down to the local beach - quick easy walk down but massive hill back up! Not really pushchair friendly so be aware. Absolutely stunning beach which we pretty much had to ourselves, small bar on there too.

We got the land train which stops opposite the hotel to Armacao de Peras - again beautiful beach with more bars and restaurants. Lots of boat trips on offer which we didn’t do this time but looked great.

All in all, a fantastic hotel in a really good location. Perfect for a family holiday and one of the cheaper options we could find for all inclusive - excellent value for money. We will definitely be visiting again.

Good hotel. Rooms clean and well kept. Pools lovely, plenty of sunbeds and tables and chairs. Staff excellent. Food plentiful but a little predictable. Asian restaurant served delicious food.