Estalagem Do Cerro Hotel

“ Lovely room with sea view very clean PLenty of food choice. would stay here again Pool area very good a nice smoke free environment which was great Reception very helpful It would be nice if coffee and tea available with evening meal but only issue

“ Top Tip: Great bars for chilling and enjoying music without the lager louts

“ A lovely hotel, if a bit dated. Good situation for the old town, but not if you have any walking difficulties, the route to the beach/town down a steep hill.
We had a sea view, which was not really worth the extra as you are so far up the hill the view is not that good.
Our room was clean and well appointed if a little tired, the aircon was not working, which made our last couple of nights a little uncomfortable, but the weather was not hot enough to complain about it.
The breakfast was OK, plenty of choice, but a little bit disorganised, new guests were given no help by the staff as to the layout of the dining room, and guests were left milling about, not knowing what to do, and causing 'traffic jams'.
One suggestion to make this more like the 4 star it claims to be is a fridge in the room, and basic tea/coffee making facilities in rooms.

“ Top Tip: We ate mainly in the town at night, and we particularly enjoyed the Cabana Fresca at the bottom of Bar street, facing the seafront. Very friendly and obliging staff, with good food and drinks, their champagne sangria was the best.
Also Johnny Hooper, who plays the saxaphone in the square 3 times a week, not to be missed !!. His restaurant near 'the strip' also an excellent night out, good value and great fun.

“ The hotel was very relaxed with a nice atmosphere. The breakfast was superb, the room was really nice and spacious and the staff were very attentive, helpful friendly & polite.

“ Unique feel with unusual architecture and layout that is more interesting than the usual tower blocks that I avoid. Location is good for views but be prepared for some hills when walking to the beach or town. The hotel is located in the older part of the town which is a bit run down but the views are stunning. Staff are mostly friendly and the rooms are kept tidy every day by excelllent maid service who supply clean towels daily. Rooms are a bit tired in the front block of the complex but the decor is pleasant and friendly feeling. Food is very good to excellent with only the occasional dish being a bit too bland. Salads are really good and the soups are tasty and different every night. Breakfast has a reasonable selection with good coffee and plenty of breads for toasting--the brown nutty bread was especially good if you not into "Homepride" style bread. The restaurant was assisted by one particular waitress who smiled a lot and had a bouncy personality--she must be new as she was not there on our last visit in 2011. The only real negative was the price of wine--averaging about 15 Euros for wine that sells locally for 3-4 Euros was dissappointing and caused us to drink more in the room and making the few bottles we did buy from the restaurant magically last longer than usual. The hotel bar was very quiet during our stay (late April) and the entertainment did not seem to be very good. The food available from the pool bar left a lot to be desired so we ate out for lunches at the local restaurants are mind blowingly excellent and very inexpensive. Portuguese wine is also outstanding and makes the rip off prices we pay in the UK all the more painful. Back to the hotel--the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was okay with a powerful shower. The main pool is a decent size but too cold in April-May so we used the nice indoor pool which was quite small for anything other than short laps but it has decent ambience with some interesting statues and fountain that keeps the water circulating. I like to be able to swim and the fact that this hotel has an indoor pool was essential. Therer is a spa but the prices for a massag etc. were even more expensive than the UK which means they were outrageous. This was our second stay at this hotel which I guess says a lot--for the money: we loved it and will go back again. Value: 5 stars.

“ Top Tip: The Oceana Restaurant that faces the sea from the centre of the twon is recommended with friendly waiters and good food at reasonable prices. The Marina seemed very dead and a bit depressing if you are expecting some livelly activity. The beaches are all great with nice sand and plenty of space. Albufeira is a great place to go as ther are a lot of places to eat and listen to music. The shops are varied and there is a Lidl which is recommended if you need any basics or some cheap but excellebnt wine. Hire a car and visit Alvor which has one of the worlds best beaches and a fabulous beach restaurant called the Restinga. Closer to Albufeira toard Vilamouras (give that place a miss) is Falesia with stunning red cliffs, pine trees and a world class beach. The shiow shop in Albufeira located a few hundred metres form the main square is run by a very freindly Brit ex-pat and is recommended they sell shoes not made in China but locally in Portugal!