- Algarve Holidays
- Praia da Rocha
- Algarve Casino
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Algarve Casino
Portugal, Europe
Praia da Rocha
Excellently located directly on the beautiful sandy beach of Praia da Rocha, this elegant contemporary style hotel enjoys fantastic views over the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The marina of Portimão is only minutes away, the centre of Portimão, the biggest town on the western part of the Algarve, the Portimão museum and the Fort of Santa Catarina are within easy reach. Adjacent to the hotel is a casino.
Facilities
- Car park
- Garage*
- 24-hour reception
- Wired Internet*
- Wi-fi
- Car hire*
- Room service*
- Laundry service*
- Launderette*
- Bicycle hire service
- *Some facilities may incur an additional fee
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.0 Very Good1,375 reviews
Excellent
33%
Very Good
34%
Average
19%
Poor
9%
Terrible
6%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Good location
This hotel has a good location with direct access to the beach. The pool area is kept lovely, grounds maintained well, the pool often is not heated enough though. The staff are nice, the rooms spacious and clean though dated. The sunset bar is a lovely place to sit and have a drink over looking the pool and beach. Breakfast comes up short and is probably the worst thing about this hotel. Over the years the bread has moved from being irresistible to often dry stale and almost inedible, they have introduced coffee machines that create more queues and people all carrying hot drinks around, it's layed out very badly so fruit is not near yoghurt and preserves also are far Away from bread, this causes more footfall. Bacon is dire and if you ask for a poached egg it may well resemble a shelled hard boiled. I would advise going to the supermarket and take your own fresh bread in to toast. It can seem busier than a school hall canteen, not what you expect from a 5 star hotel. And if you get breakfast delivered to your room for an early departure they don't bother putting orange juice on and the jug of coffee and milk has cling film over the tops that you have to try to peel off as they don't have lids, very hard to do without burning yourself.
Value on the beach
Not quite clear why there are so many bad reviews. There was not much wrong with my room (#126). While the style is traditional, it has been renovated recently; a bit of peeling paint but nothing dirty, worn, chipped or broken. Oceanfront rooms are huge and I do like the red tiles much better than the carpets found at other hotels. Almost perfect if only the power outlets were in better locations, not so far away from the nightstands in particular. Replenishing the free drinking water and a proper coffee machine would also be appreciated.
The reviews made me search for alternative breakfast locations, and that was unnecessary. Yes, there are ugly stains on the carpet and staff could be friendlier. But all is well organized, they prepare your eggs to order and clear used plates quickly. The buffet passed the orange juice test and there are several upscale items like smoked salmon or bubbly. The coffee is certainly drinkable for as long as you don‘t select any milk options. Add fresh milk instead - much better.
The salt water pool is huge and heated while the beach has unfortunately been widened and commercialized over the last 50 years.
Praia da Rocha in general and the hotel in particular are neither charming nor posh, so it would not be my choice for a honeymoon. For a few lazy days on the beach, it offers great value.
Review by faranghusband Weinfelden, Switzerland
Cried Happy Tears
I don’t know where to start here about this hotel, but what I will say is that I cried happy tears 4 times within a 7 day period.
We’ve had a horrible two years with bereavements, hospital admissions, redundancies and just sheer bad luck.
Our last holiday last year abroad to Spain ended badly with me needing to fly home in an emergency, so we went ahead and booked Portugal for this year and took a risk at a place we had never been before.
On the way here we missed our flights due to the car breaking down on the motorway and we arrived very late on our first day.
The hotel staff were absolutely amazing, they were so friendly and would happily do anything to make our stay perfect, and it was.
The room was a sea view room downstairs and overlooking a garden, which was so lovely and felt like our own little oasis. The cleaners were so efficient and came to us everyday with a lovely attitude.
The breakfast was delicious with a good variety of foods to choose from. The pool was clean and well maintained, the bar terrace and entertainment was just right, watching the sunset from the bar terrace with a drink was just beautiful, especially the evening there was a saxophone player.
I understand that some reviews that I have read are negative with ‘dated rooms, rude staff, crap breakfast’ - however, I just don’t see it!
This place really is friendly, beautiful, feels luxurious, clean and perfectly located……oh and we received a complimentary continental breakfast to our to our room on the morning we left…..now it might just be us that have simply never experienced that before, and maybe it’s just what good hotels do, but for us, after how much we needed this break, it really was a case of ‘the small things make the biggest difference’ - thank you for a beautiful stay, you have helped us relax and let the difficulties in life just melt away, and we can’t wait to return :)
Review by Burgers34 Wakefield, United Kingdom
Terrible hotel not 5 star!!!!
Good location in quieter area, no atmosphere, no entertainment, rooms very dated and smelt of damp. All clothes in wardrobe ended up stinking damp. No way is this 5 star, it’s a 3 at a push. Breakfast terrible! Was so disappointed! Hot food rubbish and no choice. I’ve had better in a 3 star! Hold on to your drinks and food as staff come by and swipe your drinks and food while you’re still eating! Bar staff nice. Restaurant staff miserable. Reception staff not welcoming. Casino very dated and bad vibe. Sunbeds on beach old and uncomfortable and broken. Bed comfy! Very noisy in mornings when trying to sleep as cleaners dragging furniture around above you! Asked for breakfast in room for husbands birthday, asked for hot bfast and fruit etc and received 2 rolls with ham and cheese, bit of cake and an apple and peach!!! How is that 5 star??? Def do not recommend! Wish we had stayed at the Jupiter!
Review by Natalie B West Sussex, United Kingdom
A gamble that paid off
This was our first trip to Portugal and we spent a fantastic 10 days in Praia Da Rocha at this great hotel. First off was Maya on reception, simply wonderful, bubbly and we had a pleasurable experience checking in. The hotel is located at the far end of the strip, close to the marina and very close to the main area of Praia where there are plenty of bars and restaurants. Pool is a good size and plenty of sun beds. There is a board walk down to the beach with a private area for hotel guests and free sun beds. The waiting staff in the restaurant at breakfast were very efficient and friendly. The bed was very comfortable, a free safe in the room and a fridge. Rooms were large and had we had a decent size balcony. The only negative was the hot breakfast was always cold, and i mean proper cold, however there were plenty of other choices of food so you were not short of anything. I cant comment on the evening buffet as we never had it, The staff at this hotel were a credit, truly amazing and attentive. We are considering coming back to this hotel/area again next year which is a reflection on our stay as this is something that we don't normally do, normally choosing to try different places, but we liked it so much we will come back.
Review by HUFCsupporter Taunton, United Kingdom
