3HB Guarana (ex. Riu Guarana)

Very friendly staff. Food was excellent, particularly liked the oriental restaurant. Joao from the pool side bar staff was always friendly and stopped for a chat when collecting the glasses. Always had a good selection of food available. The room and pool areas were always kept very clean. New towels in the room whenever we needed them. Overall would recommend this hotel for families or couples that don’t mind having children around.

Coming near the end of our seven day family holiday. Hotel is lovely and clean Staff are lovely and very hard working - thank you for the fizz and card for my birthday and the lovely call wishing me Happy Birthday, it was a lovely touch. Entertainment team are great and always on the go, lots of activities for all. Grandaughter loved the Tiki splash park, the large children's pool next to the Tiki splash (part of the pool has over head coverage (great for little ones). Pool party was great, be ready to get splashed. Plenty if sunbeds around the hotel grounds. Food has been great, always a good choice. One thing I would suggest, if you can use the stairs then do so. Lifts can take a while to get which we found with having a 4 month old baby and pram.

Def not a 4 star plus More like a 3 star Poor area not much going on average bars and restaurants Bit tired and tacky We went out for evening meals to Villamoura by taxi Rooms clean Pool area clean and plenty of beds Food plenty but average felt like a canteen environment We were all inclusive and the cocktails poor and local cider not good Has better entertainment elsewhere We had just come back from another 4 star in Portugal two weeks earlier and it was far far superior Never go back

Stayed here for 10 days in end June/ early July as a family for 4 with 4 and 2 year old girls. Key highlights: The hotel and pool are very clean, clearly the hotel invests in this area and it really shows. There are multiple pools - some busier than others but lots of space. There are 100s of sun loungers so never any problems getting one - although the hotel should provide some tables alongside them. As others have said they’re also very compressed - we stacked a couple either side to give us some more space. I saw a few people getting up early to claim sun beds (saddos) but this isn’t really needed unless you’re adhd about where you sit. Our experience of the the staff is they were largely very professional, and when my daughter lost her soft toy they went out of their way to try and find it ( which they did 3 days later!) special shout out to the animation team who worked super hard all day - especially at the end of the day at the kids disco - my daughters loved the dance parties. Both myself and wife used the gym - pretty basic but you can get an ok workout in - we both also did some runs in the local area which was good to get out and about I’d say the food was solid, not spectacular, defo in line with what I’d expect for a 4 star. I’d say ~50% of the menu was consistent, with different options available each night - but don’t expect daily menu changes or themed nights. The med and oriental restaurants provide some different options but we did eat out a few times to change it up. The drinks menu is ok as well - for me I loved it as sagres and superbok taps are dotted around the bar and restaurant areas so you can help yourself, but my partner was a bit disappointed no aperol spritz. I would also recommend bringing a reusable water bottle as they have water stations with a never ending supply of ice. This is a very family focused hotel so prepare for noisy and chaotic meal times - if you’re a young or older couple who want a relaxing evening meal, or you’re very fussy about food the main buffet is not for you! The local area is really nice. There is a little beach with restaurants/ bars about 10 mins walk away. We also got Ubers to albufeira (£10) and a local water park - splash and slide (£30) would recommend as a day out! For improvements I’d say 1. Space out the sun loungers 2. Invest in the gym a bit more 3. Make the beer taps colder 4. Try and be more expansive with the food 5. Sort out the coffee - it’s awful. I would certainly return here, and would recommend to friends. Overall a great stay and the happy memories made.

What a great stay, mediterranean restaurant was the best. Shout out to Walter, Luis and Eugenio. Walter, I’m sorry is taking so long to post this feedback. But better late than never. You were outstanding with your service and attention to detail. The whole family was really pleased and happy is not even a word to describe how you made us feel. Outstanding, I hope life smiles back at you and things workout well in the future. Big thanks from all of us and I hope the hotel recognises your dedication. Saludos amigo Sin más Jose, the cuban dude from scotland