Marriott Residences Salgados Resort

Very busy while we were here, however sunbeds are abundant. We never had our room properly cleaned - cleaning staff always came to our room at around 5pm which is unacceptable as we are all getting ready for the evening- they basically came in, put a few pots in dishwasher and left. Totally unacceptable for a hotel which boasts high standards. In all the hotels I have stayed I have always had the maid services clean in a morning whilst I’m at the pool etc. wifi is diabolical! I had to buy an extra add on service with my phone company so I could use my phone. The food at breakfast is ok, we got told we had to eat in another restaurant as the main buffet was so busy, not a problem but the food served in the main buffet had a better selection so we was disappointed.avoid the Italian restaurant at all costs. It’s basically a cafe with a fancy name. We went here and was very surprised by how much they have the audacity to charge for a basic dry pizza not authentically made and the ingredients are not of good quality yet they charge €26 euro for one haha we had a week in Rome not long ago and sampled some of the best pizza and i guarantee we didn’t even get charged €20 for a high quality pizza! They have no starters no side dishes on menu however if you ask for fries you get laughed at then they bring you them in a paper bag haha and charge the earth for them. I don’t know how they are managing to stay open, although it was empty when we went. We got charged in total over €80 in tax and service charge. What a waste. Pool dirty there’s white particles constantly floating around, never seen anyone clean them or at least ours was never cleaned to my knowledge and we could see the pool from out balcony. Really worth hiring a car as your in the middle of nowhere. Staff struggle to understand English which I find rude and very odd seen as a hotel constantly has guests one would expect the staff to learn to speak English. Never had a remote for our tvs, lighting in rooms terrible all really dim. Maids stole our reusable shopping bags which is totally unacceptable. Pity they don’t bother cleaning our room at the same time!!! Massively overpriced food for the quality. We noticed lots of guests bring their own food from shops and eat and drink by poolside as the prices are extremely expensive for what they are providing. Air con not cool enough- hardly slept as far too hot on lowest setting.

We stayed here for 9 days with 3 children in a 3-room apartment on a half-board basis and it was great. The grounds look impeccable and it is very relaxed and quiet (except for my own children ;)). The complex is fantastic and exudes holiday and luxury. The apartment was spacious and tidy; if you look closely, you can see the first signs of heavy use, but despite that, it was a great room with a fantastic large balcony. The staff, from reception to towels and in the restaurants, are super friendly and helpful. The breakfast was enormously extensive and amazing. The buffet dinner was fine. One downside to this hotel: the prices for drinks and food. I find a very small portion of fries for 5 euros and a Coke for also 5 euros disproportionate. I haven't come across these kinds of prices anywhere in the Algarve. It didn't even come close. As a hotel that presents itself as a luxury retreat, you have to ask yourself whether it is desirable for so many guests to have food delivered or pick up pizzas themselves and eat them in their rooms. And that's even though you have an Italian restaurant on the premises where they charge at least 20 euros for a pizza, which can actually be ordered for half that price. Unconsciously, the prices meant I ordered fewer drinks, snacks, and cocktails by the pool than I normally would... but... we had a fantastic time and enjoyed ourselves!

The Residences was a great spot for a strictly relaxed family or couples break.

Pros: The grounds were immaculately clean, picturesque and chilled. The staff were so attentive and solved any issues we had with requests like extra towels, dishwasher tablets etc. Food and drink staff were always helpful and accommodating too. Breakfast was amazing, such a variety of hot fried food, omelette, salads, fruit, cereals, savoury and pastry dishes. Staff again, amazing. Cleaning staff were brilliant and cleaned our family room every day for the 2 weeks. Just remember to leave the sign on your door, they could arrive anywhere between 9am to 4pm. The pools were cleaned daily and nicely spaced out. There were plenty of sunbeds on offer and towels for loungers were free to use everyday. We had access to the sister golf marriott pools also, which had a pirate slide and 2-3 other pools outdoors. It also had an astro but it was a bit run down and locked most days. It was too hot to play football anyway, but in a cooler month the astro would've been nice. Our 2 bedroom family suite with pool view was huge, 1000 square feet with a humongous balcony. The 3 kids were even able to play hide and seek in the apartment. Couldn't fault it at all. Overall value was really good for what we took from the hotel, but there were one or 2 problems that could be helped.

Cons: I read there was evening entertainment, but found there was zero. Nothing for anyone to do after the pools closed at 7pm. No family vibe, just empty bar and restaurants in the hotel. The kids even pointed out how boring it was in the evening there. My advice would be to step that up! Also location. The Marriott is a world away from civilisation. We would rent a car next time. We spent about €400+ on ubers most evenings and day trips etc. There are 2 restaurants within walking distance (>1km) and no shops. The hotel itself has no mini market and the price of a pint in the hotel bar is €6.60. Daylight robbery. The food in the hotel is also insanely priced. 2 pizzas and 1 small chips cost €67 on our first restaurant visit. Nuts.
So overall a great spot, but with kids it's a tough one, perhaps just a little quiet with the relaxed vibe pools, no entertainment day or night and remote location from the old town (20min drive). Great memories all the same.