3HB Guarana (ex. Riu Guarana)

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

Great staff great rooms food was fantastic choices, great sun bed setup around the pools cannot fault this holiday we stayed in room 202 great views ask for anything and they help you I asked for a kettle took my own teabags lol bed is very comfortable slept like a baby will be back like many other people we met all the staff are great thank you to 3HB Guarana Portugal ❤️🥰

We've just returned from a Jet2 holiday with this hotel. Overall, really good for the price we paid! Spotlessly clean, lovely spacious room and sensible bathroom layout. It was always pretty easy to get a sun lounger, though they do pack them in. The food was consistently good, if a little samey. Lots of vegetarian options, as a veggie it was easy for me. We ate at the oriental restaurant one night, which was lovely but would have been nice to have table service too. Great splash park and kids play area, and the shaded kids pool on the upper deck area was really great to keep the little ones out of the sun. Other pools all good. To be clear, they are not heated including the baby pool. On day 1 of our holiday the main pool was a bit nippy, but after a couple of days of consistent 30 degrees heat all the pools were a really pleasant temperature. The beach is really nearby - two different beach options are within a short walk, though with lots of steps so worth considering bringing a backpack carrier rather than buggy if you have little ones. At checkout we weren't able to get a late checkout although our flight wasn't til late evening, but there is luggage storage and we were able to use the facilities all day. There are well equipped showering and changing areas in the indoor pool and this was fine for us to get ready for the flight after spending the last day around the pool. However, the reason this isn't a 5 star review is that there were some niggles. This is advertised as a 4+ star hotel. What really let it down was the entertainment. During the day, the music at the main pool is ear-splittingly loud and you can't really get away from it. I would expect the entertainment on offer to be a little bit classier too in the evenings. The only places to go for a drink in the hotel are the sports bar or the main bar where the entertainment is on - it is really lacking a chilled out lounge bar sort of environment. The Friday entertainment was a funfair which was really good - a bit different, with games and candy floss, popcorn and bouncy castle for kids. It was genuinely fun. However the other nights were kareoke heavy and the live music was frankly a blast from a past that existed before I was born. The only music I heard from the last 20 years was baby shark at the kids disco. There is also no light on the balcony of the rooms, which was disappointing as it's a very family oriented place and we would have liked to sit on the balcony and play cards etc once the kids were asleep. Overall, a really good holiday and a few changes would make it absolutely brilliant.

This was our 2nd visit to this hotel This time as a family group ages 59-19 Check in was easy rooms were ready Rooms lovely pool view lovely firm beds Food plentiful lots of choice and flexible sittings so you can choose when you want to eat Pools lovely always sun beds available swim up bar and jacuzzi lovely . Animation team friendly but not pushy when it came to activities Evening entertainment good good 80s night This is a family orientated hotel which we didn’t mind however if you want a quiet holiday maybe this isn’t for you as lots of young children here .