on February 10, 2007
At this time of year, a twin room (with breakfast) cost us just 40GBP a night.
Along with nearby Hotel Faro, this is one of two 4* hotels located next to Faro's marina. Having passed the Hotel Faro on numerous occasions during our weekend in the city, I feel that we made the right choice in opting for the Eva. Although I didn't go inside the Hotel Faro, I felt that it had a less favourable location, set back from the marina with no balconies overlooking it. The two hotels were quoting a similar room rate at the time of our visit.
Location
Hotel Eva is located right next to the marina in the centre of Faro. Many of the rooms (including the one that we stayed in) have balconies that offer excellent views. Due to the few guests at this time of year, I suspect that all visitors in the off-season enjoy a room with a view over the marina. In the busier summer months, you may end up in a room at the back of the hotel with a less favourable view over the adjacent bus station.
From the hotel, the old town part of Faro is a 5 minute walk away at the opposite end of the marina, while the more modern part of town (with dozens of restaurants, shops and small bars) is a similar distance away inland.
The hotel can be reached from Faro airport by taxi in 10 minutes (cost: 8 Euros at January 2007).
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Hotel Facilities
The friendly reception staff speak perfect English and the checking in process was very efficient. Officially, you can only check in after 2pm, but in the off-season we were allowed to check straight in at 10:30am without any problems.
The hotel has 148 rooms, including singles, doubles, twins and suites, situated on five floors, with the top floor of the hotel given over to a restaurant.
Guests have free use of the hotel's health club (including a fully equipped gym, a sauna and a Turkish bath), although we didn't use them during our brief stay.
There is an excellent, cosy bar on the ground floor of the hotel. You can relax in a comfy armchair, watching live football on the large screen TV while sipping cold Superbock beer (2.50 Euros per 500ml).
Parking is available directly outside the hotel for an additional charge.
Bedrooms
Our twin room had two beds, satellite TV, air conditioning/heating, a large wardrobe, a dressing table, a couple of armchairs, a couple of plastic chairs for use on the balcony and a spotlessly clean bathroom.
There were various leaflets, guidebooks and directories on the bedside cabinets for our information.
The room was clean and fairly spacious, with lots of natural light. If you have the opportunity, ask for one of the rooms with a balcony overlooking the marina - the views are excellent!
A good value hotel with an unbeatable central location. Arguably the most luxurious hotel in the centre of Faro, but still very affordable - especially in the off-season. Highly recommended!
