Pine Cliffs Gardens

Had heard a lot about Pine Cliffs and had always stayed maybe 5 minutes away, closer to Albufeira. Our usual accommodation was fully booked this year so we decided to try Pine Cliffs. We stayed in the Gardens, a perfect 1 bed apartment with everything needed - except a full length mirror! Would have been nice to have one in the bedroom area. The size, amenities and standard of furnishings was excellent. The kitchen area had every appliance needed and more! Full size fridge freezer if you wanted to be more self catering, although we had B&B option so didn't actually eat a meal in the apartment apart from snacking. The in resort restaurants and cafes are expensive, if you are trying to keep to a daily budget, this is not the place to eat! However, we really enjoyed the food in Zest Cafe and Corda Cafe for quick lunch bites. Staff for the most part are excellent, although there is a manager/supervisor in Zest that is a bit "sour". Breakfast is excellent, superb choice of food and the staff are excellent. Staff will bring you tea/coffee/juices, but if you go to use the self service speciaility coffee machines they are very slow so there is always a queue. They are polite and remind you when breakfast is finishing, but don't throw you out or make you feel unwelcome or turn off the coffee machines (have been in hotels that do this!) The beach is fabulous and every day when we went down we managed to get sunbeds, although in the height of summer I'd say it would be difficult. Didn't get to try Mare, but it always seemed busy and had a good buzz. Lifeguards on duty were good to have and very attentive as the sea was very rough and plenty of kids in the surf getting knocked over by the strength of the waves. The grounds of the hotel are immaculate, although one morning we were woken up at 7am by a very noisy leaf blower! Maybe no power tools before 9am would be nice. It can be hard to navigate, there are pathways everywhere, but the map isn't that good. There are some signposts but the first morning trying to find breakfast was hard, and the indoor pool entrance. Even when you find it once, every pathway looks the same and there's multiple entrances to all buildings so you're a bit confused for a while. Didn't try the outdoor pools, so cannot comment on temperature but we did get in the sea and it was quite pleasant. Overall it was an excellent stay at a resort that lived up to the reputation. We'll definitely be back.

Excellent resort if you take it for what it is. I have stayed in the Pine Cliffs resort 7 times now since 2016 (4 times in the Gardens). I have loved every vacation there. I have read many good and bad reviews about the resort, and I can see both sides. It’s a beautiful resort, the gardens, pool areas are kept immaculate. From the Pine Tree gardens on the top of the cliffs to the pools to the beach area, it offers plenty of variety. There are plenty of pools are very rarely did I ever feel it was too busy. I always felt everyone has plenty of space. The accommodation is superb, the hotel offers more a traditional flavor where the ocean suites and garden suites are more modern. if you have a family and don’t want the chaos of breakfast then I recommend looking at the garden suites or the ocean suites they have a nice little kitchen where you can get your own breakfast without a lot of the fuss that comes with breakfast at the hotel. Food at the resort is good albeit a little overpriced for what you get. There are plenty of Restaurants to choose from. Mirado is a must for a few drinks (and nibbles) on an evening, gorgeous views as the sun goes down. If you’re only eating at the hotel though you’re missing out. Over the road from the resort there are some cheap and cheerful eateries and a nice bar. Olhos de agua is a 15 min walk (5 min drive) and has some lovely restaurants. Then 1520 mins each way you have Vilamoura or Albufeira. We always hire a car, and it adds so much more to the holiday been able to visit a different place each night or having a day trip out. The only negatives I have found are the following, but they have never spoilt my holiday and are minor inconveniences. Also in Aug 2024 I thought service was much improved over previous years. Zest is much improved and staff far more helpful. 1 - Pools are not heated - once you in through your fine and not much of an issue Julyaugust 2 - Staff - most complaints about the resort come down to this one. It doesn’t really bother me much, and rarely have I witnessed it, but this is my take on it 2a - Some staff are helpful; some are a little less so and you feel your more of a pest than a guest (check in) ** - if you get the attention of a staff member say at a restaurant and ask for something and it’s not there set task, it’s as if you have asked for the world, you can almost see the misery in their eyes. at times I felt bad and almost said its ok its ok ill just not spend my money I don’t want to trouble you. - Update Aug 24 - Many improvements made here A+ 2c - staff in some areas seem that they have just been put there and they have no clue what they are doing there. i.e., zest. 3 - Towel cards - When you check in you get a card for each guest. This is a pain and towel cards end up been the underground currency at this resort. It causes undue stress and annoyance. if there’s one thing, I don’t need on holiday its worrying about towels. 4 - If you get a suite w

The Garden Suites are the newest rooms at Pine Cliffs and they are stunning! We previously stayed at the Pine Cliffs Hotel in 2019, and we can’t fault it, it was lovely but the Garden suites are so luxurious and modern!! The beds are so comfortable, the kitchen is fully equipped with plates, cutlery, cups etc and if you are self catering there is a FABULOUS supermarket just around a 5 minute walk from the Garden suites. The pool is lovely, and is often fairly quiet because the Garden suites are towards the back of the resort. It’s about a 10 minute walk to breakfast, which is no problem, it’s a lovely walk, and you get to see a lot of the resorts (including some adorable cats). Everything is clean!!! The cleaners are fabulous and so kind!! We are returning in a few weeks, for the 3rd time in the past year, what can I say, we LOVE IT! The balconies are a lovely size, we were absolutely blessed last time with 2 MASSIVE balconies, can’t even explain how amazing it was to sit on them after dinner and play a game of UNO with the family!! Best resort, fully worth of its 5 stars!!