Pestana Blue Alvor Beach - All Inclusive Hotel

Much of what you get at the Pestana Blue could quite reasonably be rated five-star. The amenities, staff, entertainment team, choice of pools and direct access to the beach are all first class. Where the hotel falls short, however, is in some of the details that make the difference between a very good four-star hotel and a genuinely five-star experience. The rooms have apparently been renovated, and the décor, safe and fridge are all spot on. (How your room was restocked was a little hit and miss). However, the bathrooms still feel dated. A bath with a fitted shower rather than a proper walk-in shower? A shower head that cannot be raised above shoulder height because of the way it has been installed? These may sound like small things, but they are exactly the sort of details that matter at this level. The shower pressure was also extremely poor. Perhaps this is a more general issue in Portugal, I don't know, but a hotel aspiring to five-star standards should surely be able to provide a genuinely five-star shower. The food choice is good, although nothing particularly better than we have experienced at other all-inclusive hotels. The restaurant staff work exceptionally hard to keep everything clean, tidy and fully stocked, but they are fighting a losing battle at times. During our stay, it was common to see very young children wandering around the restaurant helping themselves to food, often in an already extremely busy environment. One possible solution for management might be to introduce two dining sittings, particularly at peak times. The queue for dinner at around 9.30pm was really unacceptable for a hotel of this standard and, in my view, largely avoidable. It was also noticeable that different nationalities tended to have quite different dining habits, with some eating considerably earlier than others. The later diners appeared to be in the majority, creating a significant bottleneck. Finally, the breakfast box provided for guests leaving early really needs some attention. Perhaps it's a British thing, but a dough ball with spiced sausage at 5.30am isn't particularly appealing! A couple of decent pastries, some fruit and a juice would be far more appropriate. Having said that, the plum provided was delicious. The criticisms may seem very picky because overall, the Pestana Blue has a great deal going for it. The setting, facilities, staff and atmosphere are all excellent. But if the hotel genuinely wants to deliver a five-star experience, it needs to pay more attention to the small details. Ultimately, those are often the things guests remember most.

This place is very good, the staff are really nice to us and the activities are very good such as the colour party or the foam party. I would say the colour party is the best because you get to colour your friends and family in lots of different colours. Highly recommend!

We recently stayed at Pestana Blue Alvor and unfortunately the experience fell significantly short of what a five star hotel should be delivering on. Whilst the hotel grounds and our room were visually appealing and some staff, particularly bar staff, were friendly, the overall service & quality, alongside hygiene standards, were below expectations. Some staff in the main restaurant were noticably rude. We often had to collect our own glasses and cutlery. Food hygiene practices were concerning, chicken being cooked without consideration for cross contamination. There was a lack of choice on food options, plenty of fish, however mushroom stew and cabbage stew not sounding or looking very appetising. Desserts, on a positive, were excellent. Restaurant toilets were regularly unclean, with a broken lock on one of them, toilet roll holders broken and not secured correctly. General maintenance/cleanliness poor. Our room had lovely views, was spacious and was cleaned daily, however there was a smell of drains from the bathroom . Only downside was tea and coffee replenishments came with a charge of 15 euro per request. There was no hairdryer in the room. There is a charge of 7 euro to rent an iron, only later did I discover a floor equipped with ironing boards, something reception staff failed to inform me of. The hotel genuinely did not meet the 5 star rating, with a 3 star being a more reasonable rating. Alvor offers a beautiful beach and the town is vibrant and atmospheric, would highly recommend an apartment if staying in the resort.

Everything is this hotel is very beautiful

Everything in this hotel is very beautiful. The pool here is also very beautiful and the food is also very good.