Pestana Blue Alvor Beach, All Inclusive Hotel

The hotel was okay to stay in but way too overpriced especially because they’re not really a five star hotel in my opinion. Simple amenities such as shampoo, bathrobes, slippers and lotion are not provided for a five star hotel. I didn’t get help from the Porter to take my bags etc. I like that it’s all inclusive and it’s so convenient to eat at the hotel however the food could have been fresher. The pools were amazing and the hotel is very close to the beach which is good. Getting around is a headache unless you hire a car, it would take me forever to get an Uber. Not the hotels fault obviously but just something to note. The hotel is so huge that the shared lift would take forever and unfortunately can’t choose which one to take as the lift chooses the floor automatically . While it was a good stay I don’t know if I would stay here again because of my expectations of an all inclusive 5star hotel. Also make sure to go watch the sunset by the beach, absolutely breathtaking.

The hotel itself is lovely, its very clean. We booked a double superior room which has a lovely balcony. Beds are rock hard. You can hear the entertaient on the balcony in the evening but with the door closed and air con on, its quiet. It has a nice main pool (fresh water, very cold!) The splash pool for little ones is great. The onsite shop is a bit rubbish. The drinks are amazing, great quality on all inclusive. The animation team arent the best weve had. Not a particularly british hotel in regards to clientel. The food lets this hotel down massively - honestly its aweful. The food is labelled incorrectly so I pity anyone with allergies. You will need to budget to eat out. To get into Alvor is a nightmare on foot, you either need to walk main roads with no pavement or along the promenade in the heat. We hired a car to drive in and out which made it a lot easier, otherwise its a taxi each way. Lots of options to eat out, between 50-100 euros for food every night is obscene when paying for all inclusive, but plenty of choice out in Alvor. I would not say it is worth the cost, and definitely not a 5 star. The atmosphere is very boring.

We’ve just returned after 5 days here. I normally write my reviews with a section each on positives and negatives but unfortunately, I can’t actually think of any positives at all. Here are all the things you need to know before you book: - it’s nowhere near a 5-star hotel. It’s more like 3-star - given we spent close to £600 per night for a family of 4, it’s daylight robbery. Our family room on the 16th floor was disappointingly small, unclean and uncomfortable. The air con and fan were terrible. Fridge didn’t work. Was supposed to be recently refurbished. It’s not. - food and drink are REALLY poor. It’s the biggest let down. The dining area is small and so expect to queue. The staff are useless and don’t clear tables quick enough. The choice of food is very poor. Cold food and tasteless. Many of the options were like eating cardboard. Selection is repetitive and bizarre (veg for breakfast anyone?). The only highlight is the one grill section which is therefore popular and you’ll need to queue. Seats are filthy. Really filthy (see photos). Tables are rocky. Plates and glasses are dirty. It’s just terrible all round. - the swimming pool is freezing cold. To the point where my wife and kids refused to get in after day one. We went for a poo-type holiday. This was a disappointment - the entertainment is none existent. My kids were 13 and 15 and so qualified for the teen area on the basement. It’s grotty and dirty. No attempt for anyone to create a happy or entertaining atmosphere. Again, dirty seats, unclean floor, poor equipment (only 1 table tennis table and a sofa for PS and Xbox). There are some machines and a pool table but you have to pay for these. - the self-serve drinks machines are often not working. When they work, they taste horrible - no smiles on most of the staff’s faces. Some were nice. Most were not. - pool area is not cleaned. I stood in someone’s tomato from the night before. - the hotel is in the middle of nowhere. The beach is a 5-min walk (slight incline on the way back). Most guests ended up going to the beach instead of hanging around the hotel. - there is a paddle course, mini gold course and an infinity pool (€20 for half a day). Good luck getting any bookings for paddle if you are staying less than 5 days. - the advertised events DONT HAPPEN. My teenage boy was looking forward to the 7pm football each evening. It never occurred. He was so disappointed. I asked the staff and they said it only occurrs some days (not what the sign said). We tried 3 days in a row. Nothing. - the so called food truck by the pool is the worse thing I’ve ever seen. My son wanted a hot dog. He got a cold sausage from a jar in a bun with crisps on top. Disgusting. - pool area ran out of towels daily - wine is a €3 bottle I can go on and on. It was so disappointing given we paid extra for a 5-star hotel. AVOID THIS PLACE.

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.

Excellent hotel please don’t listen to negative reviews. Very clean, staff are friendly.lots of choice in buffets Pools lovely our favourite was the infinity pool. Lots of sun beds. 5min walk to beach lovely sandy beach with beautiful ocean to swim in. Always lots of activities going on in hotel. Family orientated.

Attended Kai stretch class and the aqua aerobics this morning. Both classes well thought out and good fun.

My first visit to this hotel was over 30 years ago. I am pretty sure the same tiles were on the walls by the dining room back then! Not a criticism, just an observation. We stayed in this hotel last year, and had such a lovely week, we returned this year, but earlier in the season. It didn't start too well as despite the hotel being quiet, our room wasn't ready. The official check in time is 3pm. Our luggage was put away securely and we were free to use the hotel facilities. Initially we sat under cover, had a drink and then, because it was chilly in the shade, we moved out of it! A mistake! We were there less than 2 hours before we got sun burned - not the hotels fault of course, but a reminder to pack sun cream in hand luggage! Reception had told us they would ring once the room was ready, they didn't. Had they rung we would not have been hanging around quite so long. We booked a sea view and our room on the 12th floor was disappointing because it was a side view of the sea really, not as lovely as the previous year, but we did get some afternoon sun. Last year we enjoyed the Surf & Turf restaurant and the Italian restaurant in the hotel. They required booking in advance. This time we were told that they weren't open as it was low season which was disappointing. I think it was misleading to read the additional restaurants timings are variable, they aren't variable in low season, they are none existent, just state specifically when they are closed so that people know what to expect. I think there were supposed to be 2 themed nights in the restaurant, but honestly, I didn't notice any difference. One day we found ourselves on the 12th floor with no lifts working. We asked one of the housekeeping staff, who didn't understand us, and who seemed equally surprised they weren't working and tried our electronic key and her own. We ended up walking down 12 flights, which was admittedly much better than walking up 12 flights! Once in Reception, other people said they had been told this was a scheduled event and all guests should have had a letter in their room informing us this would happen. No one we spoke to, including the housekeeping lady knew it was happening. Not sure how long the lifts were out, it may have been minutes and we were just unlucky with our timing. Not a single sardine was seen all week, not a Portuguese tart! I know Sardine season hadn't started yet, but tinned sardines on the salad bar would have been good! I see some people complain about the food, but honestly, you don't go to an all inclusive hotel and expect fine dining. You won't go hungry that's for sure. The staff are all lovely, and enthusiastic! Whatever they pay the animation team, it's not enough, give them a pay rise. Not being fans of scheduled "fun" we escaped the hotel for most of the day just to avoid being entertained! Maybe we could agree that if you are around the pool, you are fair game, if you are on the grass, you don't get disturbed!! Despi

The rooms were very good and checked everyday. All staff were kind and helpful. Allot of effort was made to make you feel welcome.

Read quite a few reviews on here about this hotel on here but none of the bad ones that we recognise as true based on our experience . We are a couple in our sixties now and have been here five times , that alone should suggest something . We went all inclusive so all comments regarding food e.t.c is based on that premise . Hotel is clean , well looked after and rooms are likewise . Rooms are cleaned every day , unless you hang the sign on the door to say no . Coffee , milk , water and juices are replenished on each visit . Bathroom and shower are fine , no complaints apart from sink not holding water due to worn plug seal , we managed . Food was fine , enough choice and tasted good . Lots of healthy options , I get the impression some people expected burgers and KFC . Drinks , Coffee , Tea , soft drinks e.t.c plentiful as well as alcoholic drinks , again I think some people expected to use the all inclusive for cheap booze . Staff were fine and polite , again an obvious language barrier because we brits cannot be bothered to try a bit of portugese . Situated in a brilliant area , great easily accessible long beach and rock formations , that make good photos plus a long boardwalk. Alvor close by just a decent walk for anyone decently fit , again we are in our sixties , not many shops , we just went down for an ice cream and sit down and enjoy the view. Portimao is close by , its got a very good shopping center the Aqua Portimao , very good shops and a great food floor . A much lesser one is the Centro Continente , few shops but has a supermarket . We walked it , one and a half hours one way , no problem , contemplated a bus but did not bother , did it three times . Great beach here as well , great harbour and a good museum about sardine fishing , believe it or not brilliant . There were some slight negatives but these were the actions of hotel guests , slammimg doors at night , loud conversations in the hall , lack of control of children running around the restuarant . I would like it if the hotel posted notices reminding people to respect others . And finally we are going again next year .