This hotel is not as bad as some of the previous reviews in my opinion. It depends what you are after. We went late in the season so had no problems with rowdy teenagers.

The pool area is in need of an upgrade, but the rooms are fine. The location is good too. Just off a main road, but only a 10 minute walk to the strip, and a 5 minute taxi ride to the old town, which you should visit, its a nice part of Albufiera. There are plenty of bars and good restaurants.

Apartment was small but clean, - our main criteria. Big enough for 2 of us, but was supposed to sleep 4. Could have done with some more kitchen equipment. No room to plug in kettle in kitchen. Had to take it to bedroom area. Well serviced.

We felt that we could have been given more information about local transport. We asked on arrival, for timetables, & were told to look at 'the book' but could not see one. We found a book a few days later, on the reception counter. Knowledge about the Citybus & the little train would have been really helpful.

Ricardo, in the bar, was so helpful, such a pleasant young man. He made our stay so much better.

we stayed in the dom pancho in portugal and loved it. This was our 4th visit to the dom pancho and shall go back again. The staff are very friendly and helpful, the cleaners do a good job and if you ask for anything you get it nothings too much for them.the bar staff are very easy going and you can have a laugh with them. The rooms have been updated since we first started going there and now have a toaster and kettle, the strip is 5 mins away so you dont get all the noise late at night, the beach is further away and a steep hill to walk back from but we arnt bothered about the beach so it didnt bother us, the pool is clean and we always got a sun bed and umbrella. there is a supermarket at the end of the street that sells everything you could want. We didnt use the dining room but we did eat at the hotel and the food was great. Would definitly recomend this hotel.

The hotel is in a really good position, only a 5-10 minute walk to the strip, yet very quiet at the hotel.
Would advise to book a room with pool view as these were very quiet. The apartments are very spacious and modern, take a travel kettle with you, as stated in other reviews theirs take forever to boil. minimum cooking facilities really but they do have a microwave/oven. Couldnt fault the staff or hotel for cleanliness or friendliness. something on most nights if you didnt want to go out.

Visited the Dom Pancho in June 2008 with a last minute deal through travelrepublic.co.uk Arrived by shuttle bus which is a transfer option when you book online, this was great as there were only two other drop offs then ourselves, more or less a taxi.

The Dom Pancho is very centrally located, good reasonably priced supermarket only 2 min walk very well stocked, bakery, butcher area 5 min walk to bars and good restaurants. We had a studio, and we were pleasantly surprised how big it was, although we didn't get a pool view as requested, and were told at reception that a pool view is a chargeable option, however this wasn't an option when we booked on-line.

Anyway apartments were spotlessly clean and I understand the whole hotel has had a complete refurbishment in 2007, you could tell, as all furniture was new and kitchen units, new shower etc, so very good. We did meet some friends who had a 1-bed apt, very spacious.

The hotel staff were pleasant, although didn't have a lot of contact with them. Pool good, deep end very deep although pretty cold, pool area grassed very pleasant, and although watered every morning was not sodden as heard on previous reviews, pool side showers, no rush for sunbeds, we could come down on a morning at around 9.30 and there would be hardly any towels out so got a good choice although it was only June but reception did say the hotel was fully booked when I asked for a pool view !!!!. Staff not bothered about sunbeds being reserved with towels and no people on them like in some hotels, well not that we saw anyway.

Pool area very quiet during day, didn't always play music in bar area, which is also pleasant and all shaded if you want a break from the sunshine, bar prices a bit more expensive that the local bars but not much around 3 euro for a large beer. Lifts to all floors which I think there are 4 or five.

Facilities in apartment good, although fridge wasn't very cold, hob and grill took ages to heat, added bonus there was a telly in the room at no extra cost had ITV, BBC1, and Sky news, good while Euro 2008 champs were on or to watch how miserable the weather was back home. You only have to pay 15 euros deposit if you wanted a remote control and that is refundable, same price for the air con remote which is also refundable, but you must need that for the AC to work.

Maid service was normal we were there 5 nights and had towels changed a couple of times but not bedding and the floor was washed daily and bin emptying. On the whole this hotel was very good value for money. Would recommend.

the apartments were very clean and quite well equipted.
very free and easy,staff freindly and helpfull,entertainment could have been better elvis impersonator was very poor and karoke was on too much.would have been better with just live music of a variety to dance to.had a great time and would definately go back.first time in Portugal really lovely,gorgeous beaches,and great variety of eating places.

Having just spent a week at the Dom pancho there isn't one thing that makes it awful, but lots of little things mean that I wouldn't visit again. Albufeira is lovely and there are many much better places to stay than the Dom Pancho. The rooms are ok, the kitchen equipment is very basic with very little equipment and utensils. The cleaners come round between 4-6pm so if like us you have children and want to be in your room at that time of day, it will never be cleaned. If you are lucky enough to get a cleaner, the towels are only changed every 4 days and you have to buy your own toilet rolls as they are vey mean with them. The hotel is only 10 minutes walk from the strip but considerably farther from the beach whatever the brochures tell you. Probably the worse thing was the pool area. It is surrounded in grass and is heavily watered every night so very soggy. There are over 260 apartments at the hotel and just over 30 sun loungers! Lots of arguments with people nearly getting physical over them. When people have a moan at reception they receive a shrug. People are forced to lie on the soggy grass. Unless you reserve your sunbeds at about 7am and sit on them you have no chance. it was appalling. it is supposed to be 3*.The bar opens when they feel like it. The gym is charged at 25 euros for 6 days and is supposed to be open for 7 hours a day. ha ha! Opens when they can be bothered and is very poorly equipped. You have to pay for the TV remote control in the rooms which is so mean and the Air conditioning. The entertainment is absolutely dire. Don't bother! Go and find some paint to watch dry.Even though we had requested a pool view room we didn't get one. We got one at the back. Beware! The dustmen empty the bins every morning at 4am, it takes 10 minutes and is so noisy it sounds like bombs are being dropped outside the window.
All in all a lovely resort but a not very lovely hotel.Our overall impression was penny pinching. Certainly doesn't deserve its 3* status. This was our second visit to Albufeira as we love it there, but not at the Dom Pancho.

The Dom Pancho was excellent in all ways, clean and tidy, the staff were mostly all friendly except for the male reception staff. The entertainment was good on a couple of the nights, but the main problem being, that there was a notice board at reception which was hardly ever used and never updated. The restuarant downstairs was really good - but hardly used as very few people were aware it was even there. It wasn't shown on the notice board and again the reception weren't very forthcoming with any details(ask downstairs they said). The pool area although small was kept very clean and the snack bar was all that was required through the day. The apartments were well situated, 5 mins from everything. The only bad thing, the towels were only changed every 4th day and the sheets only once in 2 weeks!! But we have recommended the Dom Pancho and will be going back next year.

This is a friendly, clean aparthotel which is very near to all the amenities, i.e supermarkets, bars and restaurants without actually being on the noisy STRIP.

The staff are very accommodating and speak very good English.

The pool & surrounding area very good for families but too busy for my liking (do appreciate I went in August though).

The bathroom was rather dim and the light fittings could have done with a clean and brighter bulbs. The shower head was awful, never been descaled and the water just came out in a big blob! I would have liked the towels to have been changed a bit more frequently (only every 4 days) and the worst of all - no fan in a windowless toilet/bathroom!! The kitchen was also very dark and oppressing and the equipment had certainly seen better days.

Just arrived back from 2 weeks at the Dom Pancho Hotel in Albufeira. The Hotel is well located, very basic but clean. It is getting refurbished winter 2006.

Problem with noisy fridge on first night replaced with brand new fridge immediately. We were well impressed.

Hotel spacious and comfortable. We read that if you did not have a pool view, you had a building site view, this is not so, the view we had was looking over Albufeira (Yes, some building work going on in background)but view lovely and it was quiet and peaceful. No sun on balcony was the only complaint.