Packed lifts, packed breakfasts, but a great beach
by TripAdvisor Member reviewsmadrid
Pestana Delfim was a piece of a 10 day Portugal trip for my mother's 60th birthday. The beach itself was great, if a bit crowded at times. But the Delfim left a lot to be desired. As others have noted, the biggest problem was the lifts. For some 16 floors of a soldout hotel - or around, conservatively, several hundred people - there were only two elevators, or max three, working at any given time. that meant long waits for the lift, and crowded elevators that stopped on every floor. Oh and the lovely grinding work on-going on the purportedely 'soon-to-open' fourth lift. In August this is basically an overpriced housing project filled with varying degrees of disgruntled or stressed guests pushing to get onto an elevator. Even once that fourth lift gets into place, this will still not relieve much of the crush.
We arrived late at breakfast every day. the last day we realized it was a good choice. if you come at 9 am there is such a crush to get to everything, you might as well skip it. It all felt like a down-market club med with prices that didn't match.
The best thing about the hotel was the cleaning staff - the room was spotless daily, despite its musty need of an update. The beach - especially if you walked through the grottos - was lovely, and the on-the-beach restaurants were great.
good hotel. few complaints
by TripAdvisor Member janetsteps
My partner and I have just returned from a week at the Pestana Delfim and to be honest found it very nice. I can only back up the previous comments regarding the lifts...they really do try your patience but will only spoil the holiday if you let them. Generally speaking the hotel was very nice. Good choice at breakfast and the lunch at the tucano restauraunt sitting outside by the pool was both lovely and very reasonably priced.
Staff were friendly we found..(apart from the man who hands out the pool towels!) and the rooms cleaned daily and no problems getting fresh towels at all.
Bit tricky getting a sun lounger later on in the morning and into the afternoon though.
The beach is stunning. A bit busy at the weekend but not too bad during the week. We would definatly recommend a walk first thing in the morning as it really is beautiful.
Alvor itself is very nice too. Some tourist stuff mixed with more traditional buildings etc.
We also found a very nice restauraunt just along the road from the Delfim called BUZIO. It was very very nice with extremely friendly staff and lovely food. Casa de Rio at the harbour is lovely too and only a 15 minute walk along the beach from thehotel...with plenty of small bars on the beach on the way to stop and cool down!
All in all we had a lovely time. The hotel may need some updating in areas but we had a lovely time and would definatly consider going back again.
Delighful Delfim
by TripAdvisor Member IrelandHolidayqueen
We stayed in the Delfim hotel for a week beginning on the 25th May 2006. I was a bit apprehensive having read previous reviews but am happy to say that our stay was perfect.
Hotel room was spacious and very clean. Breakfast was good. Pool is lovely. Beach is about 5 minute walk away.
The lifts are a little slow and because of this there can be a bit of a wait but maybe we are all too impatient! Had an indian head massage which was nice but a bit expensive I thought.
You can walk into Alvor town in about 25 minutes or there are constant taxi's at the door of the hotel. Mostly Irish in this resort, there are pubs and restaurants, no clubs - perfect for a relaxing holiday
NOT FOR CHILDREN
by TripAdvisor Member CHOCOLATEFOX
This was mine and my husbands second visit to Alvor, but our 18 month old sons first trip abroad. Alvor is fantastic, lots of irish bars for the irish!!!! good food, al dente rest worth a look.Lovely restaurants down by the harbour....you'll smell them grilling the fish infront of the restaurants.
At the pest it is about a twenty min walk into alvor, ok into town as it is down hill...not so clever on the way back!"!! taxi's are always outside the hotel and they will drop you off at the taxi rank which is at the heart of alvor, you can also be dropped off at the harbour, but after walking around alvor town you'd soon come across the harbour anyway.
The shops in alvor are all gen the same, usual souvenirs pottery etc. There is a huge market on a tuesday...I think, cant quite remember. This starts near the pestana and goes all the way into town. You will be asked by people if you smoke, they are trying to sell you cartons of fags. My husband declined as we had heard that they look like cigarettes but aren't proper ones.
Thre is a nice lady in alvor town who is irish and sells all the trips to zoomarine, water parks etc etc, def book your trips through her, they are cheaper than from your rep and the buses will pick you up outside your hotel. We booked through her on both visits and encurred no problems. The zoomarine is where the dolphin, sealine shows etc are. We went and our son loved it, worth a visis in our opinion, you can also swim with the dophins for £130 euro.
We took a trip in to portamao, this was nice, there is a cortesy bus from the delphim and a taxi was around 5 euro. Lots of nice cafe and some fab shops for the ladies, lacoste, mango, bennetton, jane norman. A real must in portamao is the shoe shops, real leather and fab prices. I hunted high and low in eng for a pair of sandals for my son, amd could of bought him twenty pairs in portgal!!!
Well the pestana.........Generally a nice and clean hotel, had we not had our son with us our opnion may be better.
Two of the four lifts were out of action so spent a quarter of our holiday waiting around, not so good with a toddler!!!! The food at breakfast was buffet and of a good standard. Continental, fry up, cereal, friut, and even cake. A shortage of high chairs was an issue some mornings, but this seemed to be an issue in alvor also, would rec taking a portable seat with you that fit onto normal
chairs, we did as we were aware of this from our last visit.
The pool was freezing and sea water, no childrens pool which was really disappointing as the brochure said there was. Our son didn't spend much time in the water. He did enjoy the pools at the zoomarine though....lots of little pools for little people!!!
The staff were off a generally nice nature, some better than others. Our cleaner was lovely though and adored our son.
Rooms were bright and airy, cleaned to a high standard. Sat tv with eng channels.
We didn't see much of the ent at night as we tended to go into alvor, but they had different acts on each night.
Food in the restaurants was lovely, home made pizza absolutely delicious! Drinks quite expensive in hotel.
All in all it was a nice hotel but just not really for families with small children, this seemed to be the general feel from other holiday makers also.
Would cert rec alvor though, just a different hotel next time!!!
Really hope this helps.
Loved the Delfim
by TripAdvisor Member AndrewSImpson
We are a young couple (ages 24 and 22) who stayed in the Delfim for one week.
We loved our stay there.
Rooms: Agree with most other reviews, spotlessly clean. Bright and airy. TV with English channels if you wanted plus private balcony. Good sized bathroom with two sinks and powerful shower. One down side is no fridge (not even possibility to hire one) so if you wanted a drink at night it was either room service or bring one up to your room from the hotel bar.
Pool: Plenty of sunbeds (even if you came down later in the morning). Water was freezing, but the weather was so hot that potential negative became a plus! Great to sunbathe in the hotel gardens which were peaceful with plenty of shaded areas if you wanted to take a break.
Restaurant: The key is in the timing. Breakfast could become a scrum if you get the timing wrong. Go down around 8.15/8.30 or last thing to avoid the rush. No such problem in the evening. Plenty of choice too be you a meat lover/fish fiend or even vegetarian. Fish particularly good as it was fresh. Fantastic range of deserts which was a bonus.
Drinks are quite expensive, especially from the pool bar.
Lifts: The infamous lifts! Kinda tired of people bleating on here about them. We waited a couple of minutes at the most at all times of day. Three were working during our stay (last week in August). Would have helped if people staying on the second or third floors didn't pile in there because they couldn't be bothered walking up two short flights of stairs.
Hotel grounds: Incredibly poorly lit outside! Potential hazard if walking down to Alvor in the evening. Better getting a taxi to neighbouring Praia de Rocha for five euros. Much busier and more choice of bars etc.
Especially recommend the Palm Lounge in Praia - a haven of class away from the tack-fest of karaoke and Irish bars. Excellent outdoor terrace overlooking the beach with a cool, laid back soundtrack.
Good Standard Hotel
by TripAdvisor Member MikeONS
Just back from Staying at Delfim in October 2006. hotel is a very good standard and the staff were friendly and helpful. Checkin was efficient , need to purchase a lock for the safe (14 Euros) for the week for the in room safe. Were given a suite for a 3 share room and it was great and very spacious, with fridge and microwave, two seperate balconies and 2 tellys as well.
Pool is very large but was quite cold , but once it got used to it , there's plenty of sun beds to soak up the sun on. Snacks readily available . The hotel also supply a towel for use round the pool.
Hotel is excellent base with plenty of parking available and bus to Portimao and bus to Pestana Golf courses.
Breakfast is very good standard with cooked , cereals toast boiled eggs fruit juices and lots more available. I never ate in the hotel in the evening as there are plenty of places within walking distnace in Alvor. My recommendations would be Vagabondos (very good), Goodville opposite and owned by same people also good steaks and fish. The Pyramid doesn't look much but worth a visit, excellent Filet Steaks and Por Do Sol on outskirts of Alvor excellent fish dishes available.
My only complaint about the hotel was that for a few days 2 out of the 4 lifts didnt work and it did cause some waiting - with 16 floors though not surprising. Once 1 of these was back in operation it was fine. An excellent hotel would definitely stay there again. 8/10
Photos
Show at Hotel Delfim, Alvor
Fishing activity
Casa Inglesa, Portimao
Portugal - Portimão
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