Pedras D’el Rei

"Firstly I do have to share that this is not the hotel I thought I had booked - I wanted to stay at Pedras d'el Reina at Cabanas. This isn't the hotels fault at all - it's mine and a little bit Easyjet - they said it was near Tavira so I assumed it was the one that I know in Cabanas - to be honest the buildings are similar in both. I had booked to take my husband away for his birthday and we were meeting up with friends in Cabanas during the week - we had no car and Casbanas was 15km away! We arrived about 11pm and Antonio and Lucia on the front desk were marvellous and stopped me from going into full meltdown mode. Antonio said we'd sort it in the morning and to come back at 10am. The studio apartment we were in was DARK - black woodwork everywhere and no real balcony to talk of - even in the morning we had to put a light on to see even with the blinds and curtains open. The beds were concrete (apparently it was quite common in the 60's to build sofa/beds into the wall and then plonk a mattress on top) and not at all comfy plus they were singles - we usually opt for a double. Anyhow in the morning Antonio helped me ring Easyjet but there was no room for manoeuvre so we were stuck with this hotel or moving at our expense and paying again. However, Antonio negotiated a different apartment for us - not what we are used to I have to admit but that's my fault as I never did my homework before booking. This one had a view and a proper King bed, no real balcony again but at least the window opened so it felt a bit more like a balcony. I think it is a British thing to have a balcony that gets the sun sometime in the day - the Portuguese don't seem bothered. The facilities at this hotel were wonderful and in many ways made up for the dated accommodation. We loved Bar Nora for a coffee and Nata or a cheeky wine - shout out to the lovely Hannah and Sabrina the cat. We had a meal in the restaurant - reasonable price and very tasty, good service too. The grounds are lovely and well kept and the pool looked nice but it was too cold for anyone over 12! We used the little train at Barril to get to the beach - not really beach people but there are some great eateries there. The supermarket on site was reasonably priced considering we were captured with nowhere else to go. All in all we turned round what very nearly the worse booking I had ever made - I will be more careful next time (I did book through a travel agent but she's my daughter so she never questioned what I had found). I would return but I'd pay for better accommodation next time."

"I booked a T2 for 3 nights and when I arrived at the house, I realized that they put us in a corner of the development, far from everything, in a house with a lack of cleanliness, both externally and internally. Upon entering my room, I saw some ants on the wall, but I didn't pay attention. At 3 am I woke up with small bites and when I turned on the light, half the bed was infested with ants. I tried to sleep on the couch, but it was a night of sleeplessness. Early in the morning I called the reception to change houses and that's what happened. The second room was a little better, but it also showed little cleanliness. They didn't even bother to sweep the entrance/entrance stairs and the balcony/patio, as they were full of dead leaves and flowers. There were spider webs in all corners and windows. Some interior lights were not working. The toilet bowls were so low, they seemed to be for children. It is a development that has a lot of potential because it is well located, but it lacks a lot of maintenance and cleanliness."

"Paradise local, excellent for relaxing with family. Good beach, good gastronomy, excellent service overall. I highly recommend it."