Hotels near Sao Rafael Beach in Albufeira

Southern Portugal definitely deserves a longer stay; it's just too beautiful! We regret only spending one night at the hotel this trip, but on the second day, we set off from the hotel to Praia da Marinha and hiked along the stunning coastline. We had lunch in Lagos and dinner in Portimão. From this, it's clear that Albufeira itself, where the hotel is located, doesn't offer much to explore. However, among all the hotels in Southern Portugal, the W is undoubtedly a top contender, offering incredible value for money, so we booked it for a comfortable stay. The room itself was flawless, the service was excellent, and the breakfast was delicious. The room was beautiful and new, making us feel right at home. We'd definitely come back here if we're driving again. For those not driving, I'd recommend staying in Lagos or Portimão instead.

Convenient location (€25-30 Uber from the Faro airport, €5 Uber to Albufeira town, 5 minute’s walk to the sea) Great amenities - clean room, well-designed communal area with great aesthetics, clean pool and sun beds Good service - English buffet breakfast with Portuguese pastries, complimentary tea and biscuits in the lobby, helpful staff Good value of money during off-peak season (£170 for two nights for a superior room)

Fantastic accommodation! Everything was spotlessly clean, and the rooms were comfortable and well-maintained. The staff were consistently friendly and helpful everywhere – from the reception to housekeeping, and from the restaurant to the bar and the pool. The pools were wonderful and well-kept. The food in the restaurant was also excellent, with something for everyone. I highly recommend taking an Uber to explore more of Portugal; it was very convenient. We would love to come back here again!

What a lovely little hotel. I was attracted to booking it from the reviews of previous guests. As an older woman and always a solo traveller I don't like big chains/hotels so I was specifically looking for a boutique style. As soon as you walk through the door, a big smile is waiting for you. The only let down for me was that I specifically requested a room with a nice view as I'm an artist and had come here to paint. Unfortunately my view from the 1st floor was of the side street and neighbouring villas so I was disappointed in that. However i walked to Olhos De Agua (20 mins at least) and got a taxi to Albufiera (5 euros) and took my paints with me. I didn't use the pool as it looked in the shade. The bed was amazing, huge, nice pillows and linen. Kettle and coffee machine but no milk. Bathroom was a bit of a let down as the shower gel dispenser was broken so I had to use the shampoo for everything and on the spare toilet roll there was excrement from the previous guest maybe? The only suggestion I have would be a full length mirror.

At best its a 4star property. During our stay hotel wasnt at its best, so ill put 3.5 stars. Hotel entrance looks like a train station waiting room. For a moment we thought that we are underground as its dark everywhere inside the hotel. Toilets were smelly on the entrance ground, Windows were cleaned on Christmas last year i think. Dirty floors. Rooms are dingy, but spacious.. Lots of cupboard space. you cant use the mirrors in bath area as its too dark. Water in Toilet bowl keeps on going unless you fiddle with the push buttons. TV Remote was filthy. Towels are from the 10th century, use with care! Toiletries are basic brands, nothing oo la la! Breakfast is good, not excellent. Theres a live station for omelettes and pancakes. Coffee from nescafe machines with pods, again not very 5 star standard. Stay here if you have a good price deal but not high expectations. DO NOT EXPECT 5 STAR SERVICE! You have been warned.

This is by far the best hostel I stayed at, in spite of the number of occupants. I was lucky to have very quiet boys in the room. There’s only one bathroom, connected to the room, but it worked. The hostel is new, modern and spotless. The owner is very friendly. The hostel is also 5 minutes walk from the beach. It was perfect. It’s a long walk to Albufeira from the city buses, and not very clear where the FlixBus stops. I wouldn’t recommend walking from the train station, which took me 4 hours. There’s a local bus, don’t scrimp = TAKE IT. Or take an Uber, or Bolt. Or ask the taxi what he wants to charge from the bus stop at the train station ! The RedeExpress is where the bus station is (but not for the FlixBus). In summary, you can go to Albufeira by FlixBus, but it’s difficult to know where FlixBus leaves Albufeira from. That all said, Albufeira is very difficult in high season, TOO CROWDED, but the Portuguese are tolerant and very patient because they know that tourism is lucrative and has raised the whole country out of poverty. Residents enjoy cheap and / or free public transport on local buses (cheap monthly passes). Residents are respectful and kind. You can practice your Portuguese with them for a laugh, but they all speak English to varying degrees. Here you can meet real residents. On the beach, not necessarily in the pubs. I loved it here. Don’t miss it.

The off-season travel feeling is very good, the room is large, the breakfast is delicious

Good place to stay in the Algarve – unfortunately we ended up in a 1st floor room (ground level) facing the parking lot. Also the shower hat problems and flooded the entire bathroom and some of the hotel room. They did something to improve, but overall it seemed like bad design and still happened a little bit afterwards. Hotel was clean, breakfast was good. I wouldn't call it a ”Hotel & Spa” though – the spa facilities are quite limited, small and some were even out of order.

A Cozy Getaway with a Few Quirks I recently had the pleasure of staying at Block C in a wonderful location near the beach. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there, as the bedroom was spacious and beautifully designed. However, there were a few quirks that left us slightly puzzled. Locating the signage for the establishment proved to be a small challenge, but it added a sense of adventure to our experience. Unfortunately, the air conditioning in our room left something to be desired. It struggled to keep the temperature comfortably cool, and we often found ourselves feeling a bit hot. It would be great if this aspect could be improved to ensure a more comfortable stay. Nevertheless, spending evenings on the balcony was a delightfully cozy and relaxed experience. The ambiance was inviting and lent itself to unwinding after a day of exploration. The surrounding garden and environment added to the overall charm, and we truly appreciated the pleasant surroundings. I highly recommend visiting this place for a minimum stay of 2 to 3 days. Anything less would make the trip feel rushed, as there is so much to explore and enjoy. Despite the minor quirks, our overall experience was enjoyable and memorable. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have stayed here and would gladly return for another visit.

- Lovely cosy apartment, that looked even nicer and more modern than on the photos. - While not super big, the space has been very cleverly used and it felt like having my own mini home. - Kitchen is well equipped, so you can really use it to cook your own dinner (I just missed a colander to drain rice and vegetables, but I realise it must be impossible to cater for every individual guest's preferences). Enough pots, pans, cutlery, even a corkscrew and dishcloth are provided. No spices, oil or sponge though, so (quite understandably) you need to buy or bring a few things yourself. - Lovely balcony, sunny most of the day and I could even watch the sea from there. - Good location, as long as you're fine being near ”The Strip” (and not so near the old town). Very close to the beach. In a central but quiet location (at least in February, but my guess is that it's just far enough from the Strip to be reasonably quiet in busier months as well). About a 10 minute walk from Santa Eulalia bus stop from where you can take a bus to Faro (and other places on that route, such as Vilamoura and Quarteira). It's about a 40 minute walk to the main bus terminal. There's also a city bus, but I never really worked out that system (taxis are everywhere too and apparently not very expensive either). - Great value for money. I extended my stay by 2 more nights and certainly recommend this place. While I very much enjoyed my stay here, there are a few small things that could possibly still be improved. Those are really just small details though! - I'd suggest putting a few extra bin bags in the apartment. Cleaning takes place every 3 or 4 days, which is totally fine. But especially if guests cook in the apartment, the rubbish contains food rests and starts smelling after a few days. It's no problem to change the bag myself, but having a few extra bags in the room would be helpful. - There's an illuminated ”emergency exit” sign above the apartment's entrance door, on the inside the room. That's really annoying at night, because it's like always keeping one light switched on in your bedroom. Can't those signs be placed outside the room? I ended up covering it with a dark T-shirt every night, which solved the problem too;-) - There's no socket near the bed.