Just returned from 2 weeks at the holiday village Algarve. Dodgy weather but an excellent hotel and would definitely return.

We stayed All Inclusive in a kids den in Block 1 which was huge. It had a kitchenette with dining table, twin beds with a TV in one area and sliding doors through to another room with a bunk bed and bean bags and another TV.
There was a huge balcony with sliding doors in each room with chairs and 2 tables.
Maids came 6 times a week and not until after 9am.

Although there is a sign saying there are 2 sittings for evening dinner, you can go when you like. The differnet colour wristbands are dependant on which block you were in. Green for 1 and Blue for 2.
You do receive the times and dates for your al a carte meals on arrival. One each for Italian and Portugeuse per week.
Chips were on the menu constantly. There was pasta/spaghetti as well but not much change on the variety of potatoes. Food was good though and there were always meat and fish dishes plus salad/veg.

Building work seemed complete almost everywhere except on the site of the new interactive family splash pool. This doesn't seem like it will be open until around July / August in my opinion as the workmen seemed to sit around more than work. The work didn't interfere with the hotel or pools at all though.

The hotel grounds look alot different to the website pics, actually better in my opinion, with fencing around the playground, a new supermarket, bar and games room in the new block 2.

Sunbeds seemed fairly quiet, although this may have been due to the inclement weather.

Downside is the location. It is a walk to anywhere, with the nearest lively area being Albufeira.
There are loads of activities going on all day and evenings for all ages. The High Ropes are worth a go.
The kids clubs seem very well run and there are things going on until 2300. There are loads of First Choice staff there including the football coaches, swim coaches, in2action staff and entertainment staff.

Thanks for the info deanio, I've been into my travel agent kicking up a fuss about having to go at set times for dinner...My travel agent ended up calling first choice head office who advised that you can choose whatever sitting you want...even though I now have this in writing from my travel agent its all well and good until you get there...Does anyone know what the twin rooms are like and if they have a fridge in the room?

Thanks for the info, I feel more and more positive towards the place each day!! Just hope the weather picks up - we are going tomorrow!!! Yippee.

Just one thing I can't get a definite answer to - is there still any type of kids splash park open. I know there was an existing 'Arc Splash Parc' but it seems unclear whether the new one is an extension of it so it is closed or whether the new one is separate. The hotel said the new one is nowhere near open but 'our splash pool is till open'

Please help - I'm just wondering whether to take my little ones' wetsuit as he doesn't like going in cold pools!!!

Hi.
The splash park you see in the brochure is open as are all 3 pools. The only bit which is not ready is the area which is shown as the interactive splash area. This isn't really described in the brochure anyway so we didn't miss it anyway. It has 4 or 5 slides into a new pool area. I don't think it will open until at least July.

Re the twin rooms - no, there's no fridge (or sofa!) - or at least there wasn't in the room we had in block 2. Might get them in block 1?

Thanks Deanio, that really makes my day. The hotel did say this area was open but First Choice didn't seem to think so!! (They can't get anything right it seems!)

We are off in the morning, just hope the weather picks up now.

Have a good holiday. The weather wasn't brilliant for us but we and our kids still loved it.
The trouble is, we now detest having to pay for ice creams.

Is it just Brits there or are there other nationalities too?

Also, does the supermarket on site stock Nappies? We were thinking it would be easier to buy them over there then take a huge pack with us lol!

Thanks
Loopy

It is just British there.
I am sure the supermarket on site stocked nappies. If not, there is a supermarket not far from the complex, about 5-10min walk.

Just back from Alto da Colina today, and having been 2 years ago when it was all self catering with only Block 1 i think they have spoiled it a bit and we preferred it the way it was. It may be lovely when its finished, but it isn't yet!

The weather has been very poor for the 2 weeks we've been away which probably contributed to all the gripes that we and everyone else we spoke to seemed to have. If the weather had been perfect nothing else would probably have mattered as much.

We still had a good time and think the entertainment is very good and the kids clubs and activities are excellent.

Main gripes were with the food in the buffet restaurant which some days was awful and some days alright, but very rarely labelled so you didn't know what you were going to be eating.

Still with the food, we didn't go to the Italian resturant as we expected a bit more than just pizza or pasta from from an a la carte italian restaurant. My wife doesn't like pasta and they didn't have any other type of dishes than pizza or pasta.

The Portugese restaurant was lovely the first time we went but poor the second time. You were also allocated a date and time slot for the a la carte restaurant which they would not change despite 2 requests to do so. Kids village time was 8pm every night and we were allocated an 8pm slot at the restaurant meaning the kids ate later than normal and were grouchy, and also missed the kids disco which also made them grouchy.

The bulding work on the splash area has a long way to go and was supposed to be just light work according to the letter i got 2 days before departure. There was welding, jcb's moving sand and digging etc, although they only really seemed to do actually get anything done in the last couple of days. The entertainment venue isn't finished either, although it is open every night.They are still busy installing air conditioning in their meaning it is dusty (like the rest of the place) and the toilets won't take toilet paper so blocked on a couple of nights late in the evening.

I have also just returned from a week at the Holiday Village with my 11 and 13-year-olds.

We had a really nice time but I would agree with ujpest doza that the main problem is the food in the buffet restaurant which was very poor in my opinion (and plenty of other guests felt the same).

Also, we were in a twin room which are very small and overlook a busy road and noisy building works opposite.

Apart from that, the entertainment, kid's clubs, etc, etc were brilliant and I felt particularly suited to younger children (there didn't seem to be many kids there around the same age as mine - surprising, given that it was school hols last week).

I will post a review on TA when I get time.

I have requested this now be added to our data base.. so PLEASE POST A REVIEW in our hotel forums

wizard

Its really good to hear first hand from everyone who has just returned - Thanks for all the info. Just wondering if anyone has any photos they can post. Cheers.

FOR ALL OUR MEMBERS please post any/all reviews HERE thanks

wiz

Just received a letter from first choice saying that there is independent building work taking place accross the road from holiday village algarve and this can be seen from the the twin bedded rooms within the complex. They are advising that we may experience some disturbance as machinery will be in use between 8am and 6pm mon - sat. have spoken to FC about this and they have offered us a change of holiday but since there is only 5 weeks to go before we depart and we are restriced by dates we could not change...does anyone know how bad the noise is?

Not having stayed in Block 2 i couldn't say how noisy it was down there.

But it is a big hotel extension to the Alfagar that is being built and a huge crane is being used.
If your room overlooks the main road your view will be of a half built hotel on a building site.

Also, your access to Block 1 where the main facilities are will be awkward if you are pushing a pram as the ramp doesn't go all the way up and is quite steep.

I am not looking forward to staying at this hotel. I have a two year old son and I am also taking my elderly father. We have booked 4 twin rooms and paid for a sea view now the view will be of a building site

I am not looking forward to staying at this hotel. I have a two year old son and I am also taking my elderly father. We have booked 4 twin rooms and paid for a sea view now the view will be of a building site

How much time will you actually spend in your room sitting looking at the view?

The pools, splash park, kiddies park, kids village time in The Venue should keep you entertained. Best bet if you still want a sea view is to ask First Choice to change you from Twin rooms in Block 2 to Apartments in Block 1.

Hi - we're going out to the holiday village at the end of next week - we went to the Alto last year and loved it! I have only had one letter from FC about one of the restaurants not being open, but nothing about any ongoing building work. I am reading the reviews getting a bit worried now ... we have booked to go self catering, planning to maybe eat at the hotel restaurant a few times, but the reviews point out that the food quality is not good - and it is expensive. Can anyone tell me what we do about seating times when we are self catering? Do we have to book in advance if we decide to go - and are we tied to the two sitting times?

Is there anyone who has come back in the last week or so? It sounds like there is still outstanding building work ... one of the reasons we booked again was because of the new splash park / pool area - my kids spend most of their day in the water!

Any advice greatly received!
Blue