Pine Cliffs Residence, a Luxury Collection Resort, Algarve

We are fans of pine cliffs and have stayed here many times over the years. This was our second stay this year. The hotel and residences are beautiful but on this visit we were surprised at the number of large groups and stag party groups who were staying there. Of course, we have no problem with large groups but we choose pine cliffs for the lovely quiet atmosphere. I love to relax on a sun lounger under the pine trees but this time I had large groups either side of me so I couldn’t relax and instead retreated to my balcony. As we haven’t seen this before at pine cliffs I did some research online and I noticed Pine cliffs advertised on a stag party website so I guess that’s why. One of the groups next to me were very loud and they left their bottles and glasses etc all over the grass, which I then cleared up for them. On our first night we were excited to go for a drink at the champagne bar as that’s one of the reasons we choose pine cliffs. It’s a wonderful experience. Unfortunately it was closed for a private event. The gin bar was also closed as was the beach bar which also has a private event. This is frustrating but clearly pine cliffs is appealing to larger groups. It’s just a shame that couples cannot use all the facilities on offer. The restaurants are expensive so we walk into olhos dagua where there are some lovely restaurants. Versatile restaurant is classy and excellent value so we chose to walk there. Via the beach the walk takes half an hour and is very pleasant but an Uber only takes 5 minutes and is only 5 euros. Our residence was wonderful and a great size. Housekeeping is great and everything is spotlessly clean and well equipped. Our room was next to a road though so incredibly noisy as it was the main road through the resort to the mini market and o grill so there were many deliveries early in the morning. Also adjacent to a busy road just outside of the resort. We kept the ceiling fan on at night to drown out the noise. Balcony was huge with sun and shade so that’s a bonus. The beach is the best part. You can walk for miles and the steps down to the beach are not too arduous. I love pine cliffs but hope they are not changing into more of an events hotel than one where couples and families can relax and enjoy.

We’ve been here 1 night out of 8. We booked a townhouse which is spacious but I would certainly not return. The house I don’t think has been decorated since the 80s, it’s very tired, the sofas are the most uncomfortable ever and the TV is so dated that you can’t get Netflix. The gardens are nice but so many people, the pools are too busy, restaurants and drinks are so overpriced. €12 for a mocktail. Everything is extra - football camp is €70 for 2 hours! Padel tennis is €55 for an hour. Kids activities all extra. I don’t mind paying extra for things but there is no value for money here and certainly not a 5* resort. Incredibly disappointed and frankly cant wait to go home!

This resort was one of our favourite stops during our Portugal trip. We stayed in a 3br suite. Only downside, the resort is quite big and walking to and from buildings was quite difficult for my mom. We found that the shuttle was hard to come by so we drove almost everywhere within the resort. If we didn’t have a vehicle, it would have changed this review as we would have wasted lots of time just waiting for the resort shuttle. The beach is good but considering the cost to stay here, there wasn’t a lot of beach chairs/loungers and umbrellas to use. Accessing the beach was also quite the trek. The beach side restaurant was nice but was busy so the service was very slow. Also seemed like they forgot about us. But, aside from those minor things, we enjoyed the amenities, entertainment and restaurant options this place offered. The pools were great and the playground kept the children entertained. Loved the location of the resort. Close to a small grocery and a delicious peri-peri chicken restaurant!