"We arrived at Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas at approximately 11:30am. Our room was not yet ready, which was perfectly understandable.
During check-in, I explained that we were planning to use the beach club and sunbathe while waiting for our room. I specifically asked whether we needed towel cards and was told that we did not need them today. I also asked about the shuttle bus and was informed that one would be leaving in around 30 minutes.
We unpacked our beachwear from our suitcases, stored our luggage with the hotel and took the shuttle to the beach club. After settling onto the sunbeds, we were approached around 30 minutes later and told that we would have to pay for them.
I explained that we were guests of the Hilton. The attendant informed us that the hotel only reserves around 20 sunbeds and that once those have been allocated, guests must pay, despite there appearing to be plenty of vacant sunbeds available. Following some discussion, we reluctantly agreed to pay and planned to raise the matter with the hotel.
The situation then became even more frustrating. We were asked whether we wanted a full-day or half-day rental. As it was already after 12:30pm, I selected the half-day option, only to be told that we would need to vacate the sunbeds by 2:30pm. Having been awake since 3:00am to travel, this was the last thing we wanted to hear.
We returned to the hotel and spoke to reception. The staff member appeared surprised and asked whether we had made it clear that we were Hilton guests. I confirmed that we had. He informed us that guests staying at the Hilton did not pay for sunbeds at the beach and were complimentary. He then pointed out a sign at reception stating that beach club sunbeds are subject to availability. That would have been entirely reasonable had this been explained during check-in, but it was not neither was the it communicated that we would need to pay for sunbeds. To add, there appeared to be more available sunbeds than occupied ones.
The receptionist advised that he would speak to the manager and that the manager would come and discuss the matter with me.
More than 24 hours later, no manager has made contact.
To make matters worse, we had already purchased drinks at the beach club which we had to leave behind, and we ended up paying for an Uber back to the hotel because the next shuttle bus was over an hour away. We later discovered that the beach shuttle service, which previously operated every 30 minutes, now runs every two hours, significantly reducing flexibility for guests.
We were also given virtually no check-in information, unlike previous stays. It has been a couple of years since we last visited, so perhaps procedures have changed, but none of this was explained. We were also told that our luggage would be delivered to our room once it was ready. When we eventually checked in, our cases were still in storage and we had to collect them ourselves.
Unfortunately, the communication issues have continued throughout our stay. The following morning we went to collect pool towels and were informed that we required towel cards. Despite multiple opportunities during check-in and our subsequent interactions with reception, nobody had provided these cards or explained the process.
One recurring theme has been that the information you receive depends entirely on who you speak to. Different staff members provide different answers, resulting in confusion and frustration for guests. During our time at the beach club we witnessed a group of six guests becoming visibly upset when attempting to obtain sunbeds, followed shortly afterwards by another couple experiencing similar difficulties. This suggests that our experience is far from unique.
The beach club arrangements are particularly disappointing. We were informed that only around 20 complimentary sunbeds are allocated to Hilton guests. For a resort of this size, that number feels wholly inadequate. The issue is not necessarily the policy itself, but the lack of transparency surrounding it and the fact that guests only discover the restrictions after arriving at the beach club.
We have also encountered maintenance issues in our room. Three of the four USB charging ports do not work, along with one of the main power sockets. When I reported these faults to reception, there appeared to be little urgency or interest in addressing them and I had to prompt staff to take down the details.
Another concern is the automatic addition of a so-called discretionary service charge to food and beverage purchases throughout the resort. Whether buying lunch, drinks or simply a coffee, the charge is automatically added to every bill with no obvious option to amend or remove it. A discretionary charge should feel discretionary; this simply feels like another way of increasing the amount guests pay.
What is particularly disappointing is that this hotel was once a favourite of ours. We understand that prices rise over time, but it feels as though prices have increased while service standards have declined significantly. Hilton is not positioned as an ultra-luxury resort, but it does command premium prices and guests should reasonably expect premium service. Instead, the overall impression is of a resort attempting to extract additional revenue at every opportunity while simultaneously reducing service standards.
None of the issues we have encountered are individually catastrophic. However, taken together they point towards a clear lack of consistency, communication, training and operational oversight. Good hotels recover from mistakes. Great hotels prevent them from becoming repeated guest experiences.
First impressions count, and unfortunately our experience so far has been one of disappointment rather than hospitality."
