Good but could do better

This is a very attractive hotel in a suberb position. It is next to a lovely beach and 5 minutes walk from Prai de Rocha. It is however not perfect. We had an east facing room (225) with lovely views of the Marina but there was no sun loungers, only a couple of small chairs. More importantly there was no shelter from the sun They would not supply a parasol of any kind so the choice was bake all day or stay indoors!

Also we had to request a toaster, hair drier and there was no iron- all minor quibbles i accept. The parking was a bit of pain- getting a ticket from reception every time was an inconvenience

We also experienced a lot of noise from the children in the room above.

I would return, but I would want a top floor room not facing east!

Hotel Tivoli Arade

I stayed at this hotel for a week at the end of April 2005.

I would make the following observations:

1. There was no fresh coffee or orange juice at breakfast - both came from a machine.

2. No member of staff offered to help us with our luggage at check in. We had to ask directions to the various facilites within the hotel.

3. There is no room service.

4. The housekeeper/maid service did not make our room until 4.30pm

5. For those who do not know the Algarve, other than the excellent beach, there is not much of interest in Portimao.

6. The location of the hotel is excellent: at the mouth of the river and near to the beach. You can watch the sardine boats come in from the restuarant. It is also modern, clean and well designed.

7. If you are travelling by car, you need to get a ticket from reception everytime you leave the hotel (as there is a barrier). This can be a hassle if there is a queue at reception.

Overall, we felt the food and level of service made this hotel more of a three star than 4 star. In fact, the lack of staff presence made it feel more like a motel than a hotel. However we did think that it was value of money and was probably one of the better hotels in Portimao.

Book with confidence

Have just returned from Portimao after having stayed at the Tivoli Arade.

Accommodation was superb, clean and above most standards. Set in the private marina, offering lovely walks around the complex. The pool was clean and well managed and the grounds within the complex are well maintained. It has a good restaurant with an excellent breakfast choice. The staff are very efficient and helpful.

I would not hesitate to stay here again and would recommend this hotel to anyone expecting a high standard.

Wicked

Hi,

Just been to Hotel Tivoli, it exceeds all the standards set by 4 star hotel. A good location,restaurant and rooms. Only negative point is that Hotel Tivolo is not suitable for people with walking problem as it is situated far from the Prai da Rocha Strip! but taxi is only 5 euro.

I would recommend Pizzaria Dolce Vita, Pasta were very good.

Overall Tivoli is best place if you want to nice and peaceful holiday, away from holiday reps .

Fantastic Holiday

A late booking via Expedia on recommendation of our son. No-one ever has 100% but this came very close.

Welcoming. efficient, cheerful, clean, comfortable.

Food first class

As the area around the hotel becomes more developed this will become much sought after. Will benifit from more shops and bar/cafes.

Great Location, and Amenities

Just got back from a week at Tivoli Arade, and can't say enough good things about the apartments and the facilities.

The "Hotel" is actually a few blocks of two-storey apartments situated along the river and around the marina.

The apartment itself was very nice - one large room, with kitchenette, very clean bathroom, balcony and upstairs a roof terrace.

The location of the Tivoli Arade is ideal - you not only get the beautiful views of the river, but a two minute walk will take you to a fairly quiet beach, which is separated from the main beach by the pier.

This makes it much quieter, and slightly off the beaten track for the majority of holiday-goers who tended to stick to the main beach, which was ideal!!

At this end of the beach is also a row of bars, restaurants and shops which makes it very easy not to move from your immediate area. You have to try the hot chocolate in Bella Italia...it's fantastic!

The hotel restaurant was excellent, with a large variety for breakfast. We tucked into lots of fresh fruit during the mornings, then had long walks along the beach. We did eat in the restaurant on our last night and thought it was one of the best meals we'd had this year. The waiter who served us (who sounded Irish, but insisted he was a well travelled local!) was great - he recommended one of the best bottle of reds yet tasted, and couldn't have been more helpful. Food was fresh and cooked in front of you - I had the seafood buffet, whilst my girlfriend had something off the menu.

No complaints from either of us!

Portimao itself is fairly "brits-abroad", with alot of Irish bars, and everywhere you look serving english breakfasts under 5euros. There are some very good restaurants - we enjoyed Safari and Firenzi (both sit on the cliff), and Dolce Vita (past the Hotel Algarve away from town) was great for well-priced pizza and pasta.

Elsewhere, avoid the Tuesday market to Alvor - absolute rubbish and not worth the visit. The casino in Hotel Algarve is okay, but beware the 2euro minimum at the Roulette table!! The caving trips were fairly well done, and give you a chance to get onto the water.

A first class resort

We stayed there in Sept 2004.

Without repeating what others have written, I would mention some negatives (and they are all petty)... the kitchen was well equipped but had no microwave. Parking near our unit was free but awkward, as each time we wanted out we had to stop by reception to get a pass. The Website advertised free WiFi in the lobby when in fact there is free Internet access, often with a line up, or pay-for-use WiFi for 5 Euros per hour. The long distances between the buliding could be an issue for some people. Finally, it took us some time to find the place as the directions that we were given were vague and the hotel had no sign that one could see from the road.

Don't get me wrong, it's a first class resort with a wonderful breakfast, large salt water pool, lovely views, a short walk to the noisily tourist strip with clean and comfortable suites. We also used the on-site pay-for-use laundry.

I give it a 9+ out of 10.

Wonderful!

I was really worried about this hotel when I entered the reception area. But when we were taken to our room, it was wonderful! If you are a family of 4, this is definitely the place to stay! The rooms are very spacious. We got a living room, dinning area, small kitchen, and one huge bedroom. The sofa in the living room was a trundle bed where 2 people could sleep. The bedroom had a king size bed. The views are beautiful-right on the marina. If you get a room on the second floor, you will have a very large sun deck. The pool is enormous in size!! The food was good also in the restaurant. My only complaint is that the people at the front desk need to be a little more helpful. The guy who takes you to your room is very nice, and the two guys who work the day shift are very nice also. Great location - great beach in walking distance, near tons of restaurants and shops.

"nice hotel this" said our taxi driver as we arrived

... and is was a very nice hotel.

It is set on a private marina with shops, restaurants and bars + a private beach. This makes the hotel almost its own 'mini-resort'.

The rooms are spacious, air conditioned and well kept. The whole hotel is very clean. (One tip: on arrival at reception ask to be the same side of the hotel as the pool - part of the hotel is across the marina, which means theres a bit of a walk back to the main area for everything. We were put there, but asked to move).

The hotel was full when we stayed - and mainly with Portuguese guest plus a few Germans. It was traquil and mostly families. There was a nice breeze around the pool even when it was very hot.

The hotel is walking distance from the more touristy Praia Rocha (Beach Rock, named because of the cliff) which means that we had the best of both worlds with both calm and noisy reports avaiable.

One bar worth visiting (though we were the only English in there) was based on the beach playing deep house music until gone 2am, when we left.

The beaches are fantastic and have water sports available.

We visited Praia Rocha (its walking distance), Portimao (5 euros in a taxi) which is for locals and we struggled to get a taxi back + Lagos which was well worth the visit, has history and lively bars.

Just perfect!

Best place to stay in Portimão. We had an amazing time. Brand new. Super spacious rooms. Great Location! ;)

Main attractions: LAGOS, CARVOEIRO, Dolphin Seafaris...