More about Auramar Beach Resort
just back from the Auramar Albufeira
by A TripAdvisor Member
I have just had a week here with my 15 year old son, straight away we were very impressed with the room and the view. We were staying All Inclusive tarrif, however would say that this was not as imaginative as we had hoped, for example there was only one cocktail at night called the cocktail of the day, and as we were A.I. no fancy bits and bobs with the glass, people who paid were given lovely umberellas ect on the glass, we couldn't understand why we had to be different as we had paid a substantial amount up front for the privilage of being all inclusive and not having got to carry money. choices of both food and drinks perhaps could have been broadened as it did cause disappointment to me and my son.
The heated pool was fabulous and very much appreciated as the outside one was icy cold.The place is a little dated and the bar area in the main reception is very smokey, I was pleased to see that new areas were in the process of being built so this will improve. This hotel is not for any one who can not manage steps as there are loads of them every trip.In Feb there is only one bar open during the day which is a very long walk away from the reception area, the whole time I was there the little shop did not open so again out of season be prepared to mis out on some of the advertised facilities.
We did have a good time although found it difficult to stop comparing it to other All inclusive resorts that we have stayed in, where by there has been much more of a superior choice in everything.This hotel would benefit from doing some mystry shopping of other hotels to get up to date.
Auramar - Good And Bad Points
by TripAdvisor Member JoeBlackie
Me and my girlfriend stayed at the Auramar at the end of March 2006. We paid £359 each for All Inclusive with First Choice Holidays. I read a lot of reviews on this website AFTER we'd booked the trip and that caused us to worry a bit - however, in reality the hotel was nowhere near as bad! There are good and bad points. The GOOD POINTS are: very clean, nice swimming pool, excellent location for the beach and the nightlife (known as 'the strip'), supermarket only five minutes away. The BAD POINTS are: some of the staff are ignorant and miserable (others are fine), the food was good but quite repetitive. One night's main courses consisted of 5 different types of fish (and little else). The food is far better than other people have described it. The All Inclusive system entitles you to unlimited local drinks. Cocktails were described as being included, but that is a bit of a con. There is a 'cocktail of the day' which is included, but only the local spirits can be used to make your cocktail. Anything branded is charged extra.
The entertainment was hit and miss. The worst thing was the 'pianist' - this guy was laughable. If he'd have worn boxing gloves he couldn't have made it sound any worse. Expect him to play the same songs each night... There was a good magic show and a good dance show featuring traditional Portuguese dancers - however, the nightly attraction only lasted between 45 minutes and an hour and after that it was back to the 'pianist'.
Just to return to the food - the selection was really very good. I never experienced any food that wasn't hot enough or cooked properly. The breakfast was a bit limited. The bacon is terrible and there were no croissants! As much cake as you can eat though!
Held Hostage at the Auramar for 28 Days
by A TripAdvisor Member
Stuck for 28 days in this poor excuse for a resort was not a a good way to pass one's winter holiday. If we could have left earlier we would have but the flights home to Canada were booked solid.
Where to start-truly terrible food that was stored hours in steam trays. The only fresh fruit worth eating was oranges. No bottled water provided despite being "all inclusive"-after being warned not to drink the tap water. The meat provided was inedible. The lobby stunk of stale cigarettes and cigars, was shabby and also permeated throughly with the stench of sewer gas. The room was just acceptable-no shampoo, water, provided, and the "maid" spent a maximum of four minutes a day cleaning. The pillows under the pillow cases were filthy. Water ran into the halls and stairways when it rained, and this was soaked up with old rags and curtains, which were left in situ for days; they too reeked. The entertainment exploited little children, who were forced to flog CD's in a crowd of drinking adults well after 9 pm. The "dancers" all looked under 16 and were controlled by a group of sinister looking men; none looked like they were having a good time of it. Staff surly especially at check in and bar staff at the night club, the entire resort, including gardens was run down and could have used a good cleaning and sprucing up. This was supposed to be a three star facility, but actually compared to a very cheap low class motel in North America. Stay away, of if you must visit, have the option of staying elsewhere, which we did not.
Nice Area, Not the Hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
I have just retured from the Auramar Hotel Algarve.
with my partner, only stayed one week this was enough.
On arrival first impression was dull, dark and dirty.
Had to request to be moved, barking dogs, all night every night. Moved to a nicer room. Staff reasonable. Do not pay All Inclusive, as all inclusive facilities are not available. Poor meals, very reperatative, only snacks at the Pool area available for lunch. Salad, and cold burger and chips served daily.
Entertainment almost none existant, what was available was poor. Only areas for non smokers is the Restaurant area.
However the weather was good to us, the views are excellant. 5 min to beach (very clean) Cliff walks 2 min away. 10 min to "The Strip Area" shops etc:
Area very clean. Would go to Algarve again but not the Auramar.
good time had by all
by TripAdvisor Member portsmouthcolin
Just back from 4 days at the Auramar. Travelled in a party of 4 friends and were were more than a little worried after reading earlier reviews. We needn't have been, yes the hotel ia a little dated but the friendliness of all the staff more than made up for that. The food was of a much higher standard than we expected (if you want gourmet go 5 star) the food at the pool bar was not just burgers. We had soup, Spaggetti, chicken, salad - all of a good quality. We stayed all inclusive and the drinks at the bar were far from sparing, in fact the guys in the bar looked after us big time - thanks very much. We were so suprised and impressed that the Auramar was so good one of our party is looking to book to take his girlfriend there!
Great Value For Money & Wonderful Location.
by TripAdvisor Member Savvy_Sandy
After reading a few reviews about the Auramar Beach Resort, we were kinda anxious to say the least. We needn’t have been! After a mix up over the transfers (avoid Resorthopper transfer company if you can help it) we ended up catching a taxi to the hotel. The drive took about 20 minutes from Faro airport and it cost €35 aprox.
Firstly, the location of this Hotel is FANTASTIC! You will struggle to find a hotel in a better spot for everything; beach, shops, bars and clubs, souveneir shops, restaurants and coffee shops. The beach, Praia dos Aveirios is a stones throw from the hotel. Just a short 3 minute walk down the side of the hotel and you’ll find either the steps to the sand or a path if you don’t fancy the steps (or if you have a pram, like we had). The beach was wonderful. Clean, quiet and it has plenty of shady spots to keep out of the wind. And some fantastic views!
The staff at the hotel were exceptionally polite and friendly and all spoke impressive English. The hotel has 2 restaurant dining rooms, The ‘Panoramic Restaurante’ holds the breakfasts and dinners, and you’ll find the lunches being served at the poolside restaurant. The staff at these were not only friendly, but so welcoming, I wanted to bring them home. The food served was beyond nice. We stayed on a B&B basis, and ate out at a few restaurants in the evenings before trying the Buffet Dinner at the hotel, and we wasted a lot of money. At breakfast you can choose from a cold meats and cheese buffet, a hot cooked ‘English’ style breakfast buffet, cereals, fresh breads & fruits and a massive range of coffees, teas and juices. At dinner you have a 3 course buffet, and they have the same diversity they offer at breakfast; a wonderful selection of starters, three different kinds of meat, poultry or fish dishes, plenty of vegtables and vegatarian choises and so many deserts too. And if you’re not on their All Inclusive package, it only costs €15/£10 per person. And you can eat as much as you like!! Bargain!
The rooms were lovely. We stayed in block B, room 209. We had a partial sea view, but even that was a good view. They have very comfortable beds, clean bathrooms and we had a tiny 2 ring hob and a fridge to make life a little easier. We had satalite TV with a few english chanels, including BBC1 and Sky News. The maids were excellent, they spoke little english but were exceptionally polite regardless. A tip however, is to make sure you hang the ‘Tidy Room Please’ notice on your door as you leave the room for the day, otherwise they may presume you don’t need it cleaned. We left a tip at the end of the week as they’d really done a good job.
The indoor pool is small but heated, the outdoor pool is big, but cold. They also have a small shop and hairdressers, masseur and a small gym. They’re bar is small and friendly, and they had a male singer on most nights for the older guests.
As the hotel has been built close to a cliff it is probably difficult to get around in a wheelchair. Most places are accessable by steps. We had our 5 month old daughter in a buggie and we found it relatively easy to get around the hotel. But, there isn’t always a ramp or a lift nearby, so it could get tricky.
A 5 minute walk from the hotel you will find ‘The Strip’. A mile long street full of English, Irish and Portugese type bars, restaunts and clubs. We had meals in Labamba and the Windsurf. Both places had friendly staff who spoke some English. But the food was few and the prices were much...lol! Most of all the restarants are in competition with each other in prices and a few have their waiters on the street trying to coax you in to eat. I would reccomend that you check the menus that they have before venturing inside.
If you do decide to stay here, I would commend your choice wholeheartedly. Lastly, I would also suggest you try to visit The Zoomarine whilst you’re in Albufeira. It’s the only Park in Portugal that have Dolphin and Seal Lion shows. The hotel aranges all the details, including transport to the park, just ask at reception. It was certainly the best £50 we spent all holiday, just remember to take a camera!
If I’ve left anything out, or if you have a Q, email me at savvytiger1@hotmail.com Happy Holidays!! Sandy xxxx
Good side and Bad side
by A TripAdvisor Member
In short, the room was clean, the staff could been better, the food was terrible, the location was brilliant, and the pool was great. DO NOT GO ALL INCLUSIVE OR FULL BOARD!!! Now I will go into more detail for those who have the time to read it.
I am a GAP student from Australia working in Scotland, so as you can imagine, I don't have a lot of money to spend. Me and a few other people decided to go to Portugal, and we got a good deal with the flights and the resort. We paid £350 for returm flight to Faro, and 7 nights bed and breakfast at the Auramar, which we thought was pretty good. When we first arrived, we walked into the lobby, which smelt heavily of smoke, and spent 10 minutes waiting for the receptionist to get off the phone. Our room was really clean, and was in good condition, and had good views of the water, and the cleaners do a good job everyday, but the barking dogs kept us up all night. Breakfast was not good at all. All the food was poorly prepared, and the food was the same every morning. I would NOT recommend going all inclusive or full board, as you are limiting yourself to the hotel food all the time, when you could spend a reasonable amount and get a fantastic meal at one of the local restaurants and bars. The local fod was absolutely superb, and usually costs betwen 5 and 10 euros for a meal. The Auramar is about 5 minutes walk from 'The Strip', which is the main tourist road where you will find great bars, clubs and restaurants, but be careful of people trying to sell you hash. The location of the resort is brilliant, right up on the cliffs above the beach, and yu can take a beautiful walk down the beach to the old town. We were there in April, and the weather was beautiful. The pool is great, with plenty of sunbeds and shade if you want that, and a great view! It was a bit cold to swim in when we were there though.
Some staff were quite friendly, but others just couldnt care less. If you have a problem, don't expect some of the staff to be all that willing to help. The bar in the hotel was bloody awful. The entertainment was of poor quality, and most of the drinks on the menu can't be bought anyway. Again, i would recommend getting out of the hotel for lunch, dinner, and drinks.
Overall, I would say that this resort is good for those people who are on a bit of a budget, but if you have a bit more money to spend, I would advise you to try somewhere else. The resort has 3 stars, but I would say that they are very lucky to have that rating.
Photos
Pool at Auramar
Forum Posts
Auramar Beach Resort
by Macca5times
Hi all,
Me and my girlfriend will be visiting Albufeira on 8th July 08 and will be staying in the Auramar Beach Resort on a B&B basis. I was wondering if anybody has stayed here or knows anything about the place so we get a clearer idea of what to expect. We have read many reviews from travel sites some great some not so great. Any reviews at all would be appreciated. Sort of things I would like to know are the size of rooms, cleanlines etc. Also what is the average price for food and drink. And is the waterpark worth a visit? And one last thing, will it be seriously hot at this time of year?(8th July 08)
Thanks
Andy
Re: Auramar Beach Resort
by ricky52
Trying to predict the weather can be difficult because of local on the day variations.
This information should be used as a guide only.
Here is the average weather for Albufeira for this time of year.
Enjoy your holiday.
July
High 82f/28c
Low 65f/18c
Rain 0.04in/1.0mm
Sun % 51
Re: Auramar Beach Resort
by Tricky_Dicky69
Hi, we've never stayed at the Auramar but have walked through it's grounds several times when walking the beach between the old town and the strip. The Auramar is much nearer to the strip area which, unfortunately, has changed a lot in recent years for the worst. It is a little like Blackpool in the sun compared to how it used to be which is a shame. The old town area is a better bet. Weather will be very hot.
Have a good time.
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