3HB Guarana (ex. Riu Guarana)

We had a really lovely stay at 3HB Guaraná and found the hotel extremely accommodating from guest relations right through to the catering team. During our visit, my child was on a temporary restricted diet (gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, and nuts), and the care and attention we received was exceptional. The chefs personally brought out every single meal for my child, which was above and beyond and gave us huge peace of mind — truly outstanding service. Our child also loved the kids’ club, kids’ disco, and the playground, which was well covered and perfect even during hotter parts of the day. These facilities made a big difference to our overall experience and were clearly well thought out for families. The food was consistently good with a wide variety on offer at every meal. Drinks were also a pleasant surprise, with a good selection of wine, prosecco, and more than the standard 2–3 decent beers you usually find at all-inclusive hotels. Housekeeping staff were excellent throughout our stay. The gym was small but perfectly usable, with enough equipment for a solid workout, although a few machines could do with replacing. The sauna was fantastic, and the indoor pool was a nice bonus. The entertainment team were friendly and engaging. We didn’t stay up late enough to comment on the evening shows, but we did really enjoy the occasional Kahoot quiz, which was great fun. We didn’t spend much time around the outdoor pools, so can’t comment much on those. The only real downside for us was the coffee — unfortunately, it really wasn’t good! If, like me, you need at least one decent cup of coffee a day, I’d strongly recommend bringing your own ground coffee and a cafetière. Overall, a fantastic family-friendly hotel with genuinely caring staff, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Hotel Guaraná – Olhos de Água, Portugal We’ve just returned from our second amazing stay at Hotel Guaraná, and we are already counting down the days until our third visit next year — which really says everything about how much we love this place! From the moment you arrive, the hotel gives off such a warm, welcoming, and fun atmosphere, making it perfect for families. The facilities for children are absolutely outstanding and clearly designed with little ones in mind. The kids’ pool is ideal, with a depth of just 0.3 metres throughout, meaning parents can truly relax while the kids splash around safely. The pirate ship playground is a huge hit and kept our children entertained for hours, and the kids’ club is brilliant, with engaging activities run by friendly and enthusiastic staff. In the evenings, the mini disco is pure joy — watching the kids dance, laugh, and make new friends is priceless. The entertainment team truly deserves special praise. They are energetic, professional, and genuinely passionate about what they do. There is always something going on during the day and evening, and the live entertainment is fun, varied, and enjoyable for all ages. Whether you’re actively joining in or just sitting back with a drink and soaking up the atmosphere, the entertainment adds so much to the holiday experience. And then there’s the food — absolutely fantastic. The buffet restaurant is hands down the best we have ever used, with an incredible variety, great quality, and something for everyone at every meal. Everything was fresh, tasty, and well presented. The à la carte restaurants were a real highlight too. The Asian restaurant was amazing, full of flavour, and the meat restaurant was simply fabulous, offering a lovely change and a more special dining experience. Overall, Hotel Guaraná delivers the perfect family holiday — amazing food, fantastic entertainment, wonderful staff, and brilliant facilities for kids. It’s the kind of place that creates lasting family memories, and once you’ve stayed, you’ll understand why people keep coming back. We certainly do — and we can’t wait to return next year for round three!

Stayed here out of season so hotel was not full which made it more pleasant so plenty of sunbeds available. Would imagine it’s quite busy during high season. Lots of choices at all meal times in the main restaurant, but would definitely recommend booking the Oriental and Mediterranean as well. All areas nice and tidy and clean.

We had a very nice week at this hotel and really enjoyed the Algarve. The location is in a nice quiet village with some amazing coastline a short walk away. Bring good footwear as the walk down to the beach is down steps and sandy paths in the cliff. The staff were all very friendly and welcoming and interacted with my 7 year old daughter. We were lucky to be upgraded to a family suite with a pool view and it was a very nice room with a great view of the pool. The beds were comfortable and the room spacious. We paid more as travelled in Oct/Nov half term but this hotel still was good value for money, despite being the last week it was open before Winter closure. We only noticed things quietening down on the last day as we left. The food was the usual All Inclusive choices although special recommendation for the Asian Restaurant, the food was amazing. We enjoyed the food but found it a little samey each day. Food was hot though and of good quality. The hotel seemed to always being cleaned by a very friendly team so cannot fault it. The swimming pools are very good and we especially enjoyed the indoor pool as the weather was cooling down. We found the entertainment too geared towards the children late into the evening and it wasn't what we like. Although the Jazz player one evening outside was amazing, I wish there was more of this as was disappointed once it finished. We have been to hotels where live music is played throughout the evening outside and it really adds to the experience and allows people to escape the other entertainment which is an acquired taste. I think my main recommendation would be regarding the entertainment, a high quality hotel like this should have better entertainment, enduring 30 minutes of daily awards presentation and poor karaoke in my opinion does not fit with the luxury image this hotel has. It would be nice to have a seperate area away from the main stage with a more relaxed environment. We really enjoyed the self service snack bar and drinks throughout the day, the selection was nice and my daughter loved the toasted sandwiches. There was always an array of fruit and salad as well. Self serve drinks were good, especially the beer and wine choices. The evening bar produced some nice drinks and we enjoyed trying all the different cocktails. We booked several trips and they all picked up from the hotel making it easy. For local trips we used the local taxis which are just down the road from the hotel and for further afield we used Bolt as it was cheaper. For more authentic Portugal avoid Albufeira, we liked Silves and Olhao. Albufeira is full of tourist trap shops and sports bars!

Second visit to this hotel and liking it so much it could become a regular trip. Check in experience was good - rooms weren't available until the afternoon, but there was secure luggage storage behind reception. Room this time was a double with pool view. Nice big room, comfortable bed, much improved pillows since last visit. All inclusive experience was excellent, with great food and a good variety with core items and new items each meal. Entertainment team were excellent (again). Location is great, with easy access to three beaches. The local town is quite quiet, but Albufeira is only 5 Euro in an Uber. One minor complaint would be that the lifts could do with a bit of attention, as they're quite slow