Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, Algarve

Currently staying in a fabulous Ocean Suite, which is stunning and I would say it is very luxurious. Immaculately clean and serviced every day whilst we are out. It is so peaceful here, but there is lots to do if you want to. The grounds are spectacular and superbly maintained and the pools and surrounding areas are clean and safe. Breakfast is absolute heaven, I can’t believe anyone could find any fault with this!!!! It’s a fabulous place with loads of options on areas to lounge and pools, we have had no problem finding loungers each day. We will be back, it is a gorgeous and special place.

We have visited Pine Cliffs resort 20+ times now, and have stayed in the residences, hotel and townhouses. Our most recent visit was by far the worst experience. Having stayed in a townhouse last year and very pleased with the location and standard of the accommodation, we decided to book a townhouse again for a relatively short stay. The unit we were allocated was truly dreadful - I appreciate that the townhouses are individually furnished, but there should be more consistency and monitoring of the properties. The one we were given was not 5 star luxury by any stretch, mould in the bathrooms, kitchen was filthy - we had cheap plastic furniture on our patio whilst our neighbours had a glass topped table and rattan chair set. Reception staff were unable to provide any resolution until the following day, meaning a significant part of our stay was ruined. They did move us to a residence property which was appreciated, but we had to stay the first night in the horrible townhouse - woken by traffic noise and sunshine as there were no adequate curtains. Also the hassle of not being able to unpack properly and hanging about all day to move property. Our holiday didn't start until the 3rd day. With the prices that they charge it is just not acceptable that any property on the resort should be in such disrepair. After visiting the resort for so many years I really think this will be the last time. It is saved by the beautiful setting, but the greed of Marriott is off putting. Prices throughout the resort have inflated massively, 10% tips added to absolutely everything and they now even add a daily €20 resort fee to the bill which is outrageous - everyone was complaining about it. I would hesitate to recommend the resort to friends and family now.

From struggling to find a chair and shade on the beach, poor to absent water and coffee replenishment in the room, changing the bed linens at the maid's discretion, the refrigerator not cooling, working outside at 8 a.m. on a Saturday "for wedding preparations." to a cockroach wandering in the hallways of the rooms (video on demand). Unworthy of a 5-star hotel.

I came back to Pine Cliffs Hotel after 16 years, and the last time was with my parents and family, so it felt special to return. This time I stayed in room 236, which is just one over from the ocean view rooms. From the front door I could see the ocean and the pool, but the room itself was garden view. The balcony made up for it though, because every night we had the most beautiful sunsets right in front of us. The resort is very large, with lots of individual buildings plus the main building where I stayed, so everything was close by. There are more than seven outdoor pools and even an indoor pool. For breakfast, there are three buffet options—we used the one near our building, and it was excellent. Great food, plenty of choice, and really good quality. The room was comfortable, with two twin beds and what looked like a recently renovated bathroom. The balcony had a table and chairs, which was perfect for sitting out. Housekeeping came daily, the maids left us bottled water, and the room was always kept clean. In the lobby there are also boutiques and little shops—prices are on the higher side, but they have unique pieces worth a look. We did run into two small issues. At check-in, the receptionist said the porter would come to help with our luggage, but no one ever came. We waited about 10 minutes and eventually had to go back to the car and carry everything ourselves. I even overheard her say in Portuguese, “oh my, the lady is not very happy,” but she didn’t do anything about it, which was disappointing. In the room, the couch needed a good clean since it was quite stained, and outside on the balcony one of the couches had cigarette burns and a missing cushion. One suggestion I would make is to have an adults-only pool. When my kids were younger, the family pools were perfect, but now that I came with a friend, it wasn’t always relaxing with kids splashing and yelling at almost every pool. The grounds themselves are gorgeous and very well maintained. The walk to the beach takes about 10–12 minutes since the hotel is on top of the cliffs. There’s an elevator that helps part of the way, but there are still plenty of stairs. Once you’re down, the beach is beautiful—soft sand, clear water, and loungers included. If you go early you can grab the long chairs; otherwise, there are chairs with umbrellas which were fine too. Overall, Pine Cliffs is still a luxury resort with stunning surroundings and a beautiful beach. Even with a few small things that could be improved, it was a really nice experience to come back after so many years.

Have been going to Pine Cliffs for twenty years and each time what was a superb wonderful holiday five star experience has been reduced to three star. The staff always stood out as so friendly and welcoming. This year they are exhausted disinterested and not welcoming. The food has increased hugely in price but the standard is way below other years. Service is not good at all and when we tried book restaurants in advance we were told sorry all fully booked and they couldn’t care less. The telephone system is a joke. We repeatedly called reception to enquire re restaurants , golf etc but phone was never answered. We had a three bedroomed golf suite which was extremely expensive . On our first night the toilet, bidet and bath were full with yellow water and smelt of sewage. It was totally disgusting. Nobody really apologised and my husband asked for compensation which they finally agreed to. Basically we had raw sewage in our five star bathroom ! We always got a welcome pack, ie bread water milk etc in arrival but nothing this time on our July trip Or again in August. The personal touch is gone and we never saw a manager. For many years the lovely mr Monroe was very visible and now the resort is over populated and not pleasant at all. The beach is a joke and it’s impossible to get a bed even if one goes down the 200 steps early. They have built way too many new units as in the garden suites , terraces etc etc. all the lovely open green areas are gone. There is literally no consideration for the environment and recycling. Everything is mixed up in bins. The maid puts the dishwasher on with two coffee cups. Quite unbelievable. We have a time share so we will use it but that is only reason we will go back. We have had idyllic holidays over the years with our kids but the resort has been ruined by literally greed and over population. Nobody really looked like they were having fun. I wonder will I have a reply…probably just the standard we will try improve etc. I mentioned few things last year when we were there but nobody cares. For years I encouraged my friends to go now I would be embarrassed recommend. It’s such a shame. People will stop going . Pamela Farrell