Pestana Blue Alvor Beach - All Inclusive Hotel

The views and the grounds are stunning and staff are friendly. I also enjoyed the easy beach access. However I would not consider this a five star hotel for the following reasons - A) outdated aspects - old elevators and old looking carpets in the hotel corridor. B) the paving had worn off on the stairs leading up to our sea view room/ apartments and were covered in debris. This was swept by our final day but was an eye sore. C) nice sea view from the room but the balcony glass had bird poop on it, so not so nice. D) furniture in the room (lounger and chair) was stained and dated. We could not sit on it without a towel. E) bathroom highly outdated: 1) old and stained tub 2) edges/sealant between the bath and tile was worn out 3) dated and yellowing hair dryer 4) bathroom amenities very basic, as I’d expect in 3 star hotel. 5) the water pressure in the sink and shower was terribly poor, one of the worst I’ve experienced. F) dated air con - again yellowing and old in appearance. But did work just fine. G) two small bottles of water and two juice boxes provided only. H) breakfast was as I’ve received in 4 star hotels, it was decent. But the let down was table service, which we did not ask for. Staff approached us and asked what hot beverage we would like (food was self serve). We gave our order, however our order never arrived on the first day. On the second day at breakfast we were asked the same, however they brought us the wrong order and no one had noticed until we found a staff member to correct it. Again lovely staff, but orders were unfulfilled. For the above reasons I unfortunately would not stay here again.

I have seen a lot of negative reviews about this hotel,but all I can say is that some people just complain for the sake of it I have just recently returned from this hotel and I personally can not find a fault worth mentioning, we had one bad day due to the weather,not the hotels fault,the staff always make you feel welcome. My wife had her birthday while we were there , and when we got back to our room there was a chocolate cake and a bottle of fix , what a lovely gesture. Great value for the price , will definitely be back

Positives: Being in Portugal is a clear advantage for Portuguese travellers – easier travel, familiar context, and no language barriers. The hotel is a bit further from the beach than I expected, but it’s still within walking distance, and its proximity to Portimão’s key areas is a plus. One of the best aspects so far has been the staff. Everyone I’ve dealt with has been genuinely friendly and willing to help, which makes a big difference day to day. Parking is easy and accessible, and the kids’ club/play areas are well maintained – even if mostly shaded in the mornings, which can actually be welcome in the summer heat. Negatives: The hotel is trying to present itself as modern, but the underlying structure reveals its age. The facelift isn’t enough to mask persistent signs of wear. Furnishings – particularly in the dining area – are underwhelming. The chairs are uncomfortable and poorly suited to children who are beyond toddler age but not yet teens. One ongoing frustration has been the elevators. Getting down during peak times is often impossible if you’re on an intermediate floor – lift after lift arrives already full. Going up is rarely an issue, but the design clearly doesn’t cope with the number of guests. The food is, frankly, the biggest letdown. There’s little variety and overall quality is below expectations – especially considering this is a hotel in Portugal. I was expecting better, both in range and ingredients. It’s striking how it compares unfavourably with four-star hotels just across the border in southern Spain – not to mention more distant resorts. On top of that, despite a six-night stay, only one reservation is allowed at a themed restaurant – which feels unnecessarily limited and out of sync with the “all-inclusive premium” message. Bathroom amenities are disappointing too – a generic all-in-one gel/shampoo, and nothing else. No hand soap, no lotion. It’s a detail, but at this price point, those details matter. Concerns: One early incident still leaves a bad impression: on the first night, I found sand between the sheets – without having visited the beach or pool beforehand. It strongly suggests the bed hadn’t been properly changed before check-in. Hopefully an isolated case, but not something that should ever occur in a hotel of this category. Final Thoughts: I had been considering Pestana Porto Santo for a trip later this year, but this stay is making me reassess my options. While there are some strong points – especially the staff – the overall experience is falling short of what a five-star hotel should offer. The group may need to review whether the standards they’re promoting match the actual experience on the ground.

We visited this hotel as a couple in their 30s with a 2 year old and 2 grandparents in their late 50s. Instantly, check in was brilliant, we got fizz on arrival and our toddler was won over straight away by the blue tiger giving out candy floss. Small hiccup after check in, in that we'd confirmed a travel cot twice via email and also confirmed it at the check in desk. However it wasn't in our room. We did have to ask maybe 5 times to get the cot delivered to the room and it took all afternoon. Quite tricky with a very tired toddler but when it did come, it was great quality and had a proper mattress so we were really pleasantly surprised. Rooms were really nicely decorated, lovely and clean and spacious. Our balcony was a really good size and we had fantastic sea view. A lot of reviews have complained about the food but we all really loved the food! There was absolutely tonnes of variety. The salad bar was fantastic and there were always new things to try across the whole main restaurant. The cooked food isn't always the hottest but it wasn't freezing cold either. There are microwaves around if you want to warm things further. The drinks were great. Loads of choice, hot and cold and alcoholic. For little ones, there were always firm favourites to eat like pasta and spaghetti, always some kind of potatoes or chips. Loads of fresh fruit, ice cream, jelly, cakes. The puddings were brilliant. Even though we visited in July, we were unlucky with the weather and had 2 or 3 cloudy and very windy days so the pools did stay quite cold. On the sunnier days, they did warm up a lot by the afternoon. The kids side of the hotel is in the shade for a little while in the morning but the splash pools and little park are brilliant. The beach is lovely also. Does have a little hill to deal with on the way back up. The walk to Alvor town on the boardwalk is definitely not 20 minutes. To get to shops etc, it's more like 30 minutes minimum. Mini disco is great but is quite late! Doesn't start until 8.45pm and finished around 9.15pm! All the staff across the whole hotel were really attentive and friendly. It was our first holiday with a toddler and it was the perfect place for it. We visited as a very mixed age group and we were all really happy with everything. Thank you Pestana Blue, we hope to visit again sometime and will hopefully get the glorious weather for the whole week!

pros: - Very family friendly, the main pool is very fun and kids were playing and having a good time - There is also a 'quiet' pool that's for over 16s if you want some tranquillity - The beach is a 5 minute walk and it's a great beach. - The Animation team are brilliant. There is always something going on for adults, teens and children. Teresa and the team are legends. Super friendly and bring great vibes. They really make the place. The animation team defo get a 5 star. - Padel courts and football pitch. - Rooms are of good size and tidy. - Good value for money Cons: - The food could be a little better. The breakfast was decent and the deserts were nice, but main meals were a little underwhelming, but not terrible. Having said this, The Italian a la carte was very good.