Kimpton Atlântico Algarve

The hotel is quite new, and the rooms are spacious enough. The location is good; there's a small beach right outside the hotel's back exit, perfect for a walk or renting a SUP. The food at Sombra and the rooftop bar was decent, but the breakfast left a lot to be desired. The overall layout and flow of the hotel are poorly designed. The restaurant is located in the center of the building, and during operating hours, you can access the pool through it. However, if it's off-hours, you have to go up to the lobby, then take another elevator down, making for a long detour to reach the garden and sunbathe. Beyond that, while the staff were all friendly, it was clear they were understaffed during peak season and had many new recruits. Upon arrival, no concierge came out to help with luggage or valet parking. I kept seeing the same staff members at the deck bar, rooftop bar, and Sombra, and housekeeping was scheduled quite late, always coinciding with my afternoon return to the room for a rest. Furthermore, the front desk staff seemed quite unfamiliar with their duties, often giving incorrect instructions. I also had a hiking activity booked, but no staff member showed up to lead it. In summary, it's a resort hotel with good facilities, but the service quality doesn't quite match the Kimpton brand. However, I did see managers training new staff frequently. The overall experience was above average but could definitely be improved.