Choro Mar Hotel

“ Stayed here 3 times now staff r very nice they sell the place well worth a visit very big apartments with all you need in them

“ Top Tip: A 10 minute walk from the strip and a short taxi ride to the old town

“ Nice hotel, friendly staff, good food at a very reasonable price.

My apartment was away from the main block and was a bit of a trek with my suitcase but it was absolutely massive inside - bigger than my own flat! Very clean too and well equipped including a kettle and a microwave.

The only problem was that is was cold the week I went and the apartments do not have central heating (nor air con). There were plenty of blankets which was fine if you wanted to go straight to bed!

My friend's dad who is disabled stayed too and they found their room very accessible as they were in the main block where there is a lift.

The pool was also very clean and quite warm considering the weather. There were a lot fo subeds which were very comfy too.

“ Top Tip: If you go in April, take warm clothes just in case!

“ We found the hotel ideal for our purposes. The apartment was spacious, clean and had all we needed to cater for ourselves. The reception staff were helpful even though they were heavily committed with long hours and endless enquiries.

“ We stayed in the cheaper accommodation in a 1 bedroom apartment in block B2 (the furthest from the main block). The apartment was basic but pretty well equipped. The kitchen area had a toaster (the world's slowest mind you!), kettle, microwave, fridge and cooker. There was plenty of crockery, cutlery and pots and pans too. The bathroom was a good size and the beds were fairly comfortable, if a little hard. The sofa beds in the lounge area, were actually proper beds, with a third roll out bed, so great if you have 3 kids.

If I was being picky, I’d have to mention the ants in the kitchen, the cupboard door which had come off its hinges and the shower which sprayed in all directions...not a problem for us, but might put others off.

There was a mixture of people staying at the Choro Mar including couples, families and the groups of young adults. Unfortunately a few of young adults didn’t care about moderating their language/behaviour when kids were around.

Facility-wise, the Choro Mar had everything we needed: Friendly staff, a bar/restaurant with decent priced food drinks and ice creams, a heated main pool, which was popular with the kids, plus another un-heated pool by our apartment block (which we didn’t use).
Bearing in mind we travelled in low season, the place was pretty busy. There can only be around 50 sun beds around the main pool and some days most of these were taken, so I imagine in high season, you would find it difficult to get a sun bed. Evenings in the bar were pleasant and the entertainment was surprisingly good. Pedro the karaoke guy kept everyone entertained without being too cheesy!

Unfortunately the location of the apartments is not great if you want to walk rather than hire a car or use taxis. The side blocks back onto a mainly residential area of large, shabby and graffiti-scrawled high-rise apartment blocks. Walking around the area at night was not pleasant and I certainly wouldn’t let my tween/teenage kids walk around the area alone even in the day time, due to the youths standing out on balconies and hanging around the streets. We paid for a room safe (E12.50) and always made sure our door was bolted at night, just to be on the safe side!

It’s an easy 30-40 minute stroll down to the sandy Oura beach, but it takes a little longer to walk back as it’s uphill some of the way. The nearest large supermarket (Ecomarche) is a 5-10 minute walk, and is located near the Erin’s Isle bar. If you hire a car, you can get to the larger supermarkets on the main road towards the old town. We used the free mini-bus (leave at 11am and return at 3pm) to get to the Old Town, which has a lovely big beach and looks like a much nicer area to stay than the Monte Choro district.

The Choro Mar is only 5-10 minutes’ walk (through the dodgy area!) to the top of the Monte Choro strip and a 10-15 minute walk to the top of the main strip. The bars and restaurants aren’t that great (almost all have touts outside trying to get you in, which I really hate), so it’s worth walking down the side streets if you want anything other than British food and bars. Ladies – don’t bother bringing high heels as all the pavements are cobbled and very uneven!

All in all, we feel we got what we paid for... we had a cheap holiday in the sun and weren’t expecting 4 or 5 * accommodation, or to be near the beach. We wouldn’t stay in the Monte Choro district again and wouldn’t recommend it to friends or family, but that’s a criticism of the area rather than the Choro Mar. Albufeira itself is defiantly worth a visit, but we would stay towards the Old Town next time.