Solar De Sao Joao - Albufeira, Portugal     

Reading some of the reviews, I was wondering what this place would be like. It is not luxury accommodation, but was very clean, beds and towels changed regularly, and in a quiet location. No noise from The Strip, but this was late October when we arrived. We had originally booked a 2-bed, 2 bathroom apartment for the family through the Gift Company and were taking a 2 yr old with us, for which we had booked a cot. Unfortunately my daughter's family could not travel at the last minute because of illness, so I went with a girlfriend. We were horrified to find that one of the bedrooms and bathrooms was up a winding stone staircase within the apartment, with slippery marble on the stair treads. This was very steep and would have been disastrous had we got the 2 yr old with us. For mobile adults it was fine, although difficult to get a heavy suitcase up the stone steps. We were on the top floor at the end of the corridor (Rm 308) which had a lovely roof terrace which faced the sun all day and where we were able to eat our breakfast on the table and chairs provided up there. The pool was not heated and children there found this disappointing - the water was very cold despite very warm weather the week we were there. Get the mini-train which leaves every 20 mins from the top of The Strip for a scenic circular drive down into the Old Town, where there is a greater choice of decent restaurants. The Cockerel is worth a visit though if you want to eat nearby!

I and 9 of my friends and family have just returned from our 4th stay at the Solar De Sao Joao. As usual we were well looked after by the staff. All our rooms were cleaned daily with fresh towels and bedding replenished regularly. Ok, so the hotel is a little 80s style but so what. It's close to all the attractions of the strip but just far enough away to be a peaceful location that can be enjoyed by an array of ages. We enjoyed our two weeks there so much that we are heading back this weekend for another week. If you are looking for a relaxing break just two minutes walking distance from the strip, then this is the place to go