Hotel Cristal Praia Resort & Spa

Be very careful with this Hotel! Do not trust when making reservations, because if for the same period in which you asked first for a reservation, there is another customer who asks for more days than you, this Hotel will no longer prioritize the booking order and will start using the "customer-who-booked-the-most-days-passes-ahead" method.

I chose this hotel for its previledged location right on the seafront, on a peaceful street along the ocean side. The building is a few dozen years old and ins spite of the aggresive salty mists from the ocean front, it is well preserved.But of course the architecture is not modern. Still it serves its purpose: a quiet relaxing place for a getaway weekend. The rooms have been recently remodeled and feature nice pale blue tones in consonance with the view. The matress was very confortable, it must be new!!! The bathroom Was spatious and had the bathtub with incorporated shower plenty of hot water, only you have to wait a few minutes for it to warm up. Do be careful, water temperature may get very high!! The only trouble I had is that the room (as well as all the north wing of the building) lies over the dining/breakfast room, with tiled floor and a lot of noise from the chairs being dragged. Hotel mamagement should either change the pavement of the restaurant or stick isolating felt pads under the chair legs. Breakfast buffet was very well served, had a nice variety of pastries, bread and also eggs and bacon for those who appreciate english-style breakfast. The SPA was not funcioning, only the heated pool on top of it (the SPa is in a basement!!) The heated pool (only to mild temperature) has a nice variety of water jets and hydromassage equipment. I would not recommend using the SPA anyway as it is located under this hot pool and all the noise from the water jets is most likely to create a noisy, not relaxing ambient. There is, in the same premises, a water park and family bungalows (with the mane crystal Resort) for larger guest parties.

A long weekend with friends, good food and Board games. Food was Ample and delicious, especially sea food was great. Some of the areas were bit seedy, but nothing that would be important. We Will be here again.

Another very friendly welcome and the choice of amenities within the hotel and in the local area was delightful. Superbly situated on the seafront, we watched from our balcony the next morning as the local fishermen hauled in their nets. After sampling the sauna and swimming pool and enjoying a small number of the large choice of breakfast offerings, we headed away, but were very pleased to return to the area a few days later to enjoy another meal in one of the many local restaurants.

Our stay was absolutely fine. The food was fine, and it the staff were always positive and smiled. The downside was the smell in the room, it was always moldy and smelly. Also the bar is far away from the pool, so it makes it difficult to go get a drink when the kids are in the pool. Even though it is an all inclusive stay, there is not access to food and snacks at all times during the day. All other places we have been, the kids could get an ice cream at all times.

AVOID THIS HOTEL IF YOUR FROM THE UK. WORST HOTEL EVER. WOULD NOT EVEN GIVE IT 1 STAR. WAS FORCED TO LEAVE AFTER 2 NIGHT THIS HOTEL DO NOT LIKE THE ENGLISH. Staff do not speak English and make you feel like your from another planet. I am well traveled and book 10 nights at this hotel and was forced to move after 2 nights. Booked through Love Holidays and they were useless there was no help and their contact number abroad gets you through to people in India and they say they will help but hang up on you through the call and the hotel don’t care about your concerns. This Hotel is not a proper all inclusive the food is not labelled so you don’t know what you are eating so if you have allergies like us be aware. The food is not edible I have pictures and will add them if I can. Adult and Kids selection is none existent and they don’t even have chips the meat again is not labelled my daughter didn’t eat apart from bread rolls. Pictures are off breakfast first thing in the morning, would not even give to my pet and kids selection none existent and not labelled. Staff are not friendly and the hotel is full of rude locals with no manners they push and shove it’s worst than awful. There was not one English person there. Breakfast is 7.30am and the staff were not even set up at that time the receptionist had to open. Same goes for the spa opens at 8.00 again no one around. If you want a drink after breakfast there is no where to get one until 11.30am the bar is near the reception so a mission to get to if you go to the water park which is not part of the hotel. So kiosk there you have to pay extra for. Main restaurant for breakfast, lunch Dinner is a mission it’s in the main building and you can only get to it from a unsafe wooden stairs or a small lift. The place does not look like the pictures it’s run down. The hotel DOES NOT HAVE IT’S OWN OUTDOOR POOL, they are falsely advertising the only outdoor pool is the water park which is very small and as all the public are there it’s cramped with everyone on top of each other, the entertainment is part of the water park nothing to do with the hotel. I asked the hotel for towels and they would not let me have any for the outdoor sun beds and they said no as it’s not part of the hotel, I even offered a deposit and again I got a no. The in pool they advertised is not a proper pool it’s shallow spa. I got an email just before my holiday saying it can only accommodate 40 people at a time and you have to wear a swimming hat it’s mandatory and to top it you have to make an appointment and you are only allowed an hour in there. No games room. Gym is a joke. If you are going on holiday for the whether this IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU, i went in august it rained for most of the time, it’s windy and cold really depressing. England is warmer, it’s like this all the time. Rooms are basic no complementary toiletries. Would not even give this hotel a 1 star. Entertainment does not start till 9.30pm not suitable if