Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, Algarve

Let’s start with the good!!!! Yes the beds comfy the AC in 38 degrees heat is fab and the pillows were great! But This was our 7th year coming here and Yes we love the surroundings and the deluxe duplex suite with 2 bathrooms, however it’s our last as we are jumping ship and moving somewhere which is 5 star with 5 star features and 5 star service. This visit how can I put it, seemed like a chore from checking in which took hours. To be advised in Zest we got 10% discount as an hotel guest , then to be told though that they take 10% service charge for 2 dry sandwiches that cost 60 euro, not a great start. The sandwiches were terrible by the way!!We then found that This 10% service charge was then added onto every single bill we had. We have never in all the years coming here have experienced this as we normally tip ourselves at the end of each transaction to ensure the server gets the tip. We don’t even think this is legal it certainly isn’t in Spain and it makes us wonder who actually is benefitting from these tips! We chose to come to the resort before school holidays as it’s normally quieter however it was not and to our dismay it seems people were getting up early to put towels on beds here. People were using the grass area by the larger pool as a football come American football pitch. Numerous people were getting hit and no Staff on hand to say No!!! Never seen that before. My daughter and I moved to the indoor pool for a bit of peace and quiet and whilst in the pool a bald headed man came and shouted at us and told us to get out we couldn’t be in there without a hat. So rude he was. We sat a while and then saw several men come into the pool with hair, one with tied up hair and not one word was spoken to them as they swam. On my way out I did ask the same guy if it was only women he was rude to and if there was a different rule for men in the pool. His attitude was disgusting and plain right rude. We ate in Corda cafe once, the first night as we were tired then after that the other places outside the hotel as the food is locally sourced and priced and worth the five min walk. We dodged the shuttle buses and crazy golf buggy’s on the way back. I wouldn’t get on one if you paid me as they drive like loons around the resort at night. Breakfast was pleasant as we had our outdoor spot which the staff knew and we kept to that area. In fact the breakfast was probably the best part of the day before the fight for a spot around the pool began. You really need to address an adult only area in this resort now for a bit of peace and quiet. We come for rest and relaxation not what we experienced this time. Friday night after receiving our bill and finding items on it which we didn’t recognise, we then had to insist receipts were pulled out and crossed checked. Then we were made to feel like we were the ones who made an error!!! I log everything We charge to our room and We do now wonder how many times this happens every day to other people. We decided to close our account after this and paid from a different account. Only to find that the money the hotel had blocked on our other card was still blocked. After asking for this to be refunded the girl checking us out said it would be in a few days!!!! We insisted that this was done immediately as having had previous experience with Marriott group blocking and hanging onto money for up to 10 days it needed to be done immediately. This was put through to a surely supervisor who let us know he wasn’t happy to have to do the request immediately. However we were not leaving until it had been done and hey presto 2 seconds after he pressed refund the refund hit our bank account. Not hard to do just didn’t like to do it. So at this point we thought let’s leave Friday night and let’s just drive home. (We live on a similar golfing resort in southern Spain and let’s just say it’s better managed!!!) anyway after deliberation it’s a long drive and the rooms nice we will have early breakfast and go. In our opinion the resorts really gone down hill it looks nice but on the underside standards have slipped terribly. Our room was not cleaned until 3/4/ and sometimes 5pm everyday some days we were returning back to a dirty room. There used to be a turn down service that seems to have disappeared too. When you book at Pine Cliffs you expect a level of courtesy and service. This was only evident in the breakfast room.

Pine Cliffs is located in a beautiful setting, our room was comfortable and clean; and the walk to the beach was lovely. Swimming in the Med is hard to beat! There were, however a few challenges with our stay: - This resort is by no means 'all inclusive', absolutely everything costs extra and we found that, in general, it was overpriced. Be aware that there is nothing around the resort, so you do not have the option to shop or eat elsewhere. A taxi from the airport is about 15 Euro cheaper than the hotel shuttle, but when you leave they won't book you a taxi; you are locked into using the shuttle. - Customer service was lacking. It took 45 minutes for us to be checked in on the first day, and from that moment the attitude of the Reception staff was unfriendly and disinterested. - I had booked (and confirmed) pick up from the airport with the hotel shuttle service. They 'forgot' to pick us up, so we waited and waited and eventually had to take a taxi. The hotel admitted they'd forgotten, but offered no apology or compensation. It took me three days of being passed from employee to employee to have them decide they could offer me a free shuttle service back to the airport at the end of my stay, which was great. However, a nice cold bottle of wine, or the immediate offer of the return service and a sincere apology on arrival would have sufficed. Instead, I felt like I was being difficult. Finally, when I checked out, they hadn't removed the original shuttle fee from my bill! Exasperating to say the least! - It is disappointing that there are no adult only areas in this resort. With the number of pools on offer, this would be an easy fix. I was hit in the ear by a hard ball that kids were throwing right next to the swim up bar in the pool, hard enough to send me under the water. Accidents happen, and this is certainly not the hotel's fault, but rules around how kids play in the pools and/or one adults only pool area would be much appreciated by many travellers. - We were traveling in a group of friends and wanted to split our restaurant bills. Unlike in other places I have stayed, the Reception did not include the restaurant tabs in the final bill. Just a 'lump sum' for each meal. When we asked for the receipts, we were told we had to go and seek them out in a different building in the 'basement office' somewhere. This should not be the customer's job. After some negotiation, they sent for the receipts and we were able to check them and pay accordingly. This should be common practice. Customers should always have the opportunity to review and verify what they have spent. We really enjoyed our room and the gorgeous setting of this resort, but the apathetic service and hard work seemingly required of the customer tainted our experience; particularly considering what it cost to stay there.

My family and I stayed at Pine Cliffs Resort for 5 nights expecting a premium experience from a Marriott Luxury Collection property. What we experienced was a complete mismatch between the luxurious setting and the underwhelming, at times unacceptable, service. Let me start with this: the property is stunning. Beautiful grounds, incredible views, and a serene setting. The food across the resort was actually very good — fresh, well-prepared, and flavorful — albeit quite expensive. That’s the one area where the resort lived up to the standard. Unfortunately, nearly everything else did not. Here’s what we experienced: Night 1: The air conditioning was broken in our unit. With a toddler and infant, we had to sleep in an overheated room — unacceptable in any hotel, let alone one this expensive. Day 2: There were unauthorized vendors selling counterfeit goods directly in front of the resort’s Mare Restaurant and loungers. No visible staff presence. Night 2: Extremely rude waitstaff at dinner when we politely asked for an extra takeaway box for our child’s meal. Day 3: We experienced a full power outage in our unit, leaving us in total darkness with small children. There was no communication for over 40 minutes. When I called the front desk, I was hung up on immediately. Day 4: We found a cockroach crawling through our bathroom (yes, we shared a photo with the resort). Management’s response was that it’s “common in natural environments.” That may be true — but it’s not an acceptable answer in a Luxury Collection resort. Throughout the stay: There was no poolside or beachside food/drink service, no assistance with towels or loungers, and in-app messaging was painfully slow and unhelpful. And to top it all off — several areas of the resort were closed off for a private event, making paying guests feel like second-class citizens. At a true luxury resort, every guest should feel valued, not pushed aside for an event. And this wasn’t just us: while playing golf on property, another guest told me he had to be moved from the Residences to the Ocean Suites due to a roach and ant infestation. That sealed it — this isn’t bad luck, it’s a pattern of declining standards. I’ve shared my concerns with the hotel's management and escalated this to the property’s ownership group (UIP). To date I’ve received no meaningful resolution. Bottom line: Pine Cliffs has the setting, but not the service. If you come here expecting 5-star hospitality, you'll get the prices and the scenery — but not the attention, care, or experience to match.

We visited Pine Cliffs at the end of June during the first major heat wave of the summer affecting Southern Europe. What was meant to be a relaxing luxury stay turned into a series of frustrations, safety concerns, and disappointments that made this feel more like an overcrowded Marriott Vacation Club than a true Luxury Collection resort. We booked through Amex Travel (which promises noon early check-in), and before arrival, the concierge reached out to me proactively. I responded promptly, explaining that my plans had changed and I would need to upgrade to a larger room and merge two back-to-back reservations. No one ever replied. I then had to chase the issue via Marriott app chat, where I spent hours going back and forth with the front office staff—who clearly had no training in Titanium Elite benefits. Even when I offered to pay the difference, it became a long, frustrating ordeal just to confirm the obvious: that a larger room was available. This lack of basic coordination is embarrassing for a property that brands itself as luxury. At check-in, there was no acknowledgment of my Titanium Elite status—not even a thank you for loyalty—and despite the Amex Travel noon check-in benefit, our room was still not ready by 2 p.m. We waited in the lobby with three young children in 35+ degree heat. The resort layout is sprawling, but not in a good way. There are no designated walking paths, and cars, golf carts, and pedestrians are all forced to share the same narrow roads. This created a real safety hazard. In fact, my daughter fell off a shuttle because the driver accelerated too quickly with no warning and no seatbelt. There were no safety protocols in place, and this could have resulted in a serious injury. Once you get to the pool or beach, the issues continue: • You’re handed a towel card, which you need to exchange each time for a towel. This system feels more appropriate for a budget resort, not a luxury one. • There are no tables next to loungers at the beach to rest food or drinks on. When I asked for a bucket of ice for bottled water, I was told it’s only allowed for champagne. This level of inflexibility during a heat wave is not just inconvenient—it’s baffling. • Service was wildly inconsistent. At Piri Piri, a waitress rolled her eyes at me when I asked to take food to go. At multiple outlets, we had to wave down staff just to get water. The reservation system was a mess. Despite booking dinners ahead of time, several reservations were lost or confused. We had to rearrange our plans more than once due to mismanagement. The beach was chaotic and overcrowded, with not enough loungers or shaded areas. Vendors roamed the beach offering to braid hair, sell fake designer bags, and beach blankets, which guests were actually buying just to create makeshift shaded seating. It felt like a poorly managed public beach, not a private resort. The Ocean Suites hallways were bare and unwelcoming, more like a corporate Delta Hotel than anything luxurious. Around the pool, there were nails sticking up from the decking, posing a major safety risk for children. Again, unacceptable. That said, Miguel at Portofino was a standout—he accommodated us graciously on short notice when the rest of the team dropped the ball. The beach itself is beautiful, and the food at the beach restaurant was decent, but isolated moments of quality service are not enough to make up for the systemic mismanagement. Final verdict: This is not a Luxury Collection property in any meaningful sense. It’s a nice Marriott Vacation Club at best. The branding is misleading, the staff are poorly trained, and the overall experience was disorganized, unsafe, and frustrating. I would not return.

Food 2-3 times the price of other places. Service charge on everything, even evening buffet and half board meal already paid for. Do not pay for half board, you will be stuck with overpriced meal and service on top. No travel breakfast allowed if you check out before breakfast.