Sheraton Algarve Hotel at Pine Cliffs Resort Albufeira

I highly recommend the Algarve...

by reddoggie

I highly recommend the Algarve Sheraton at Pine Cliffs. It has everything you would expect at a 5-star resort. The beach, restaurants & golfing are first class. Large and very helpful staff. The resort is a Starwood property. Become a member of the Starwood group (it's free) before making a reservation, it will save you big $$$.
We paid $130/night. It would have been over $200 had we not been members of the Starwood Group frequent traveler program. Anyone can join Starwood and save $$$ on hotels all over the world Great pools, views, restaurants. Has an elevator to take you from the clifftop to the beach. Challenging links type golf course.

Fantastic Holiday

by TripAdvisor Member julieHastings

I travelled to The Sheraton, Algarve with my husband and some friends and thought the hotel was superior. From the moment we arrived to the minute we left we were treated liked royalty. The rooms are amazing and the restaurants were first class. Everything was spotless. My husband played the hotel golf club and said it was one of the best courses he had played on. Although we didn't take our young children(these stayed at home with grandma and grandad)!!, the chidrens facilites looked brilliant, with childrens pools and a large pirate ship. Overall a fantastic holiday. Would definately go back.

Can't wait to return

by A TripAdvisor Member

I have visited Pine Cliffs several times, and every time it gets better. The price is steep, but the whole complex is fantastic. The Kids Club is amazing, the women who have remained the same for several years do so much with the children, whatever age. Teh restaurants every year get better, and the rooms, apartments and villas are all great. I have tried them all.

I would highly recommend this resort to anyone, especially with children.

One of the best hotel resorts in Europe

by A TripAdvisor Member

Without a doubt, it is one of the best hotel resorts in Europe if not the world, the Sheraton Pine Cliffs is a wonderful resort in the south of Portugal. This hotel really deserves all the accolades that have been heaped upon it, including the most recent, it was awarded by the “World Travel Awards” as The best resort of Portugal for 2005.

We (that’s my wife and I and our 2 young children) regularly visit this resort mid Sept / early October when the hotel is relatively quiet, but is still catching the good weather Portugal is famed for, having over 300 days of sun per year we think it’s one of the best holiday destinations in Europe.

The hotel is absolutely amazing, in its design, facilities for both children & adults, service standards, wonderful grounds and the spectacular views as you descend the lift to the white sands of the unspoiled Falésia beach, the only one in the Algarve classified with the EU Golden Flag.

Each time we visit we stay in a 2 bed golf suite with a large balcony overlooking the wonderful 9 hole course. The apartments are beautifully laid out with full kitchen/laundry facilities, TV’s, dvd/cd player etc etc, all you would expect from a 5* resort, I have just read that each suite has been refurbished, not that they needed it.

Two of the main reasons we visit Pine Cliffs is the fantastic sports/leisure facilities which include Indoor/outdoor pools, 5 tennis courts, gym, sauna, massage and jacuzzi all these areas are also of a very high standard, offering everything you would require for a nice afternoon away from the beach, if you love the beach the resort has enough to keep you occupied for days – Pedaloe’s, Body boards, Windsurfing hire/lessons, Catamaran lessons, Waterskiing etc, not that we have tried all these, pedaloes being a family favourite.

If you love golf you cannot visit a better place not only does Pine Cliffs have a 9 hole course it has some of the most famous courses in the world on its doorstep. Although its own course is not long, it is very challenging and has the World famous “devils parlour”, a challenging PAR3 hole, crossing the cliffs, this offers breathtaking views over the Atlantic Ocean, visit --- for more info.
The practice area includes a driving range, a chipping & pitching area and a large putting green.

The 2nd and more important reason is to visit Porto Pirata, our children’s favourite place “in the whole wide world” … so far anyhow.

It is a fully enclosed children’s play area of 7000 sqm, our 2 children cannot wait to get there with its two purpose-built wooden ships, a swimming pool, a second separate pool for remote control boats (supplied), a playground, a bouncy castle, a bike track etc etc…we lose them for hours. The staff are always very friendly and as far as we can tell have not changed in the several years we have visited. Porto Pirata has been voted the most complete facility for children in Portugal and has recently been enlarged with an 18-holes Mini-Golf facility, so now no doubt I will be thrashed at golf too.

There are several wonderful restaurants and bars with our favourites being O’Pescador, (seafood) and Aldar (Moroccan), both of which offered an amazing selection of fantastic food in wonderful surroundings, there’s also Mirador Bar where you can sit at sunset and sip your G&T or as I do try one of the local beers and admire one of the most spectacular views in the Algarve…although having said all of that the children much prefer Porto Alegrte, great Italian icecream, pizza, milk shakes, need I say more.

The staff throughout the resort are courteous and friendly at all times, nothing is too much trouble. I could go on forever about this hotel. Cannot wait until October 2006 when we will be there again…

5*prices 3* quality

by A TripAdvisor Member

Having arrived after a 12 hour journey from belfast two doormen watched as both my 8 yo son and i struggled with our luggage,failing to even hold the doors open.
Nobody showed us to our room,a junior suite which was directly above an electronic games room,think loud teenagers till 1 or 2 am,after 2 days of complaining we eventually got moved!!
Service at pool bar and restaurants was hit and miss,the many russian members of staff being the worst.
The only pleasant staff were the time share sales people who constantly hassled us to view the resorts time share apartments.
Overall this so called 5* resort offered a 2/3* level of service and standard,a terrible experience!!

Disappointed with kids facilities

by A TripAdvisor Member

We travelled with our 2 kids aged 4 and 1. We were put in a room only accessible by steps on the second floor- not easy with a buggy. We found the resort had many steps and few ramps. The beach lift and steps were having work done and closed, so we could not go down to the beach! You have to buy swimming caps for using the indoor pool (pool was a very good size) and the gym and changing facilities were of a poor standard-they even charge for using the tennis courts!! The kids play area was a disgrace- we knew the club was not open but the outside play area was dangerous!! On the good side, staff were lovely and food was very good with okay prices. The room was also a very good size and well maintained and had a lovely balcony with high walls so safe for the kids. I certainly do not want to go back and am surprised this hotel has reeived such good reviews for its kids facilities. Having stayed at Vila Vita Parc there is no comparison.

we wil lreturn

by TripAdvisor Member mjbd

Arrived with two children aged 1 and 3 and booked a junior suite with a spacious balcony for young childrens meals.Food good and varied.Pools dangerous in that it is difficult for a parent to keep an eye on a 3 year old without sitting at the edge of the pool whereas in other hotels you can still lie on a sunbed nearer to a pool and feel secure your child is safe.This is by no means trivial when your child is of an age that they want to play in the pool a lot.Facilities not good for early dinner for young children but play areas and kids clubs are excellent .The hotel taxis are very expensive and you should use local taxis as this adds up to a differential of as much as 40eur a return trip.The beach is quite a walk with young children even using the lift and the beach restaurant is nicely positioned.The staff are polished and helpful.Go bb so you have an option to eat in some excellent local restaurants such as henrique leis,willies,pequeno mundo in villamoura and quinta do lago . These are small points aimed at families of our age and we concur that this hotel is one of the best family hotels in the algarve

Great Resort for The Rich Family

by A TripAdvisor Member

We rented a villa to give my 81 year old Mum a "holiday of a lifetime" as she and my dad had spent many happy weeks at the Sheraton. I agree with the previous reviewer about the staff, they are all excellent (although perhaps one young lady working in a golf related environment could do with a little more training on how to impart correct information about tee time availability!).

The resort is indeed beautiful and well laid out and the quality of the food above average.

However, we did have a problem with the prices - we stopped for a coffee on the way to the beach and were charged E24 for six small drinks, then on the beach we were charged E56 for six soft drinks and five ice creams. £40! Nice as the surroundings were we felt this was over the top so after that we stayed in our villa with pool and went to the Alisuper over the road for drinks as the previous reviewer suggested.

We were also not terribly impressed with the fact that almost everything cost (a lot) extra (although the excellent gym was free to use and the spa treatments are good value). A wash and blow dry at E28 (£20) was a bit steep. The tennis was also expensive and even breakfast discounted at 25% was still E15 each (£11). We expected, for example, a free round of golf for four or a similar gesture. We felt that the discounts offered were derisable given the amount we spent on the villa (a twilight round was E32.50 each for nine holes!). We did enjoy the round though, course quite tame and forgiving and great for high handicappers. Greens hold well.

The kids activities that my 9 year old grandson took part in (at extra cost) were well organised, the football coach had boundless enthusiasm and energy.

This is not the place to be if you don't like kids though and I can't agree about the space - every nook and cranny was rammed. Breakfast was a real bun fight and not very relaxing at all - we could only face the intensity of it once. The poor Maitre d' was really struggling to fit everyone in without undue delays and several people became agitated at the wait. Perhaps they could do away with the smoking section and create 50 more spaces inside?

Overall we had a great time and although we have issues with the quality of the villa that Sheraton are addressing, it's definitely worth a visit to stay in the resort as a treat and a family would have a ball here if money was no object.

Word of warning if eating out, during busy periods (like Easter, half terms and summer holidays) do not eat in the Italian pizzeria opposite the top left exit (Pizzeria D'El Nono) as the kitchen cannot cope with more than four people in the restaurant at once! Our final night (Good Friday) was ruined, which was sad because earlier in the week when it was quiet we had great food and the really nice staff looked after us well. Sadly on the Friday six of us waited over 1 hour for starters and then another hour for main courses of two pizzas and four pasta dishes. By the time it arrived (10.30) most of us were asleep and too tired to eat so wasted E82.50! You have been warned.

Portugal

by Melissa777

"DUNAS DORADAS/PINE CLIFFS"

Great resort, hire a car as beach is quite a walk!
Much preferred Pine Cliffs in the grounds of the Sheraton hotel at Falesia! Now there's a resort. Fab golf suites & all the facilities of the hotel, major drawback - lift to the beach & then 200 steps, not for the lazy!
Previously stayed in Praia Da Rocha & Alvor, wouldn't recommend other than a visit to the harbour at Alvor for dinner!