Tavira Apartments

The pool area is the highlight of this hotel. There were plenty of sunbeds for the guests. There is a pool bar which opens if there is a full day of good weather. You must go to the bar, there is no poolside service. The gym and spa area were also good. I enjoyed a lovely massage. The hotel rooms are very compact but functional. Beds and pillows are comfortable. Shower was good and there was always hot water. The air con was great. The fridge works well if you leave the cabinet door open. There is tea and coffee (but not restocked) but no milk. You must put sign on the door if you want the cleaners to do your room. There is no iron in the room and none available on request. You have to pay for an ironing service. The sink drained very slowly in the bathroom. The hallway carpets had some questionable staining - I really cannot understand how they haven’t replaced sections of it. We had a room overlooking the carpark which is not the best view but does get nice evening sunshine on the balcony. The WiFi was good. The breakfast was only ok. I would have expected better. There was nice fresh fruit and fresh croissants each morning but the yogurt, orange juice and coffee were terrible quality. I wouldn’t touch the hot food. If you come down near the end of service, forget about it, staff seem to have given up, I even had to set my own table one morning as none of the tables had been cleared. The piano player at breakfast was very good. They give out flowers to the lady guests some days. These things are nice touches but I imagine guests would rather better food instead. We had lunch in the hotel twice. Pizza was ok. Tried the calamari another day but it could have been deep fried anything to be honest and fries tasted like they’d been sitting around. Rooftop bar is nice with lovely views and they make good cocktails. Bar staff were nice. We only in the rooftop restaurant once and it was disappointing.

Great hotel - very comfortable rooms, a large swimming pool area, and designed in a 1970s modernist style. There is a free shuttle service to Cabanas de Tavira, from where you can get a short ferry across to the island beach. There is also a well-signposted 3km running route across the Tavira salt flats starting just outside the hotel, with amazing views if you go early in the morning. We booked a family room, and the sofa bed was just about big enough for our two children (aged 13 and 10) but it would probably be two small for older teenagers. Breakfast was very good, and is served in the rooftop restaurant.

Good basic hotel for visiting Tavira. We rely on reviews here before choosing holiday accommodation so leaving a few tips for Villa Gale in Tavira. Perfect base for visiting this gorgeous city as everything within walking distance. Lovely pool and lots of sunbeds available. Rooms kept clean maids work hard. Rooms are serviced in the afternoon as mornings seem to be for changeovers. Very minimal storage space and no where to hang dresses. We kept most of our clothes in suitcases for our weeks stay as no where to hang them. Only 3 drawers available. TIP* If you want a specific room email before and keep copy of email. We wanted an upper floor room and the receptionist checking us in was adamant one was not available. Once we showed her the email request she relented and found us one. However we found top floor balconies had no covers for sun rain and pigeon poop protection so couldn't leave towels to dry out there. Very exposed. TIP* The rooms above the pool and indoor bar will suffer music all day until 11pm. Ask for a quiet room if that's your preference. Beds are so hard our backs suffered by the end of a week! Also very dark and dim so bring a torch. No hooks behind doors to hang coats on to dry. Such a simple thing to remedy. No shaving or makeup mirror either. Breakfasts perfectly nice didn't try evening buffet at hotel as cheaper and nicer to eat out. The food in Tavira is wonderful and worth a trip to Tavira island as so beautiful and peaceful this time of year only €2.5 return on ferry that runs hourly. The one feeling we were left with was how impersonal the staff were especially on reception. Rare to get a smile. We will return to Tavira but not to this hotel.

We stayed here for 4 days as a big group of 3 families with ages ranging from 8-70! Our room was perfectly comfortable, and surprisingly good power shower! The breakfast was great, drinks very good and extremely reasonably priced. Dinner could have been better, but there was a food range and for the price, really can't complain! Pool is one of the coldest I've experienced, but very beautiful and the children loved the slides. There were plenty of loungers and even at 9 or 10 you could easily find plenty. Without a doubt, what made our stay was Rodrigo and the other animation team members, they are simply amazing! We never like to use kids clubs, as I don't feel comfort leaving my children with strangers, but Rodrigo would come every day and entertain them, play football with them and they absolutely adored him! The rest of the team also, were just so much fun and a joy to be around. We did tbe dolphin spotting trip from the hotel with very low expectations and were so happy that we had an amazing experience! The crew were excellent and we got to spend a wonderful morning surrounded by dolphins which we will never forget! The only negative was that we got eaten alive daily by mosquitos due to the location, but it felt worth it! Take plenty of mozzy spray!

This is a lovely hotel. A great location in the hills, beautiful and quiet. Surrounded by orange, lemon and olive trees, with fab views and gardens to sit in quiet corners. The rooms are comfortable and immaculately clean. The pool area, the same. The animals are a nice touch, with a donkey, some sheep, peacocks and turtles. And cats wandering around the gardens. All of that makes this a nice place to stay. But the star of this hotel, for us, was the restaurant, the quality of the food and the fantastic staff. From the sweetest, juiciest oranges and figs from the gardens for breakfast, to Algarvian fish stew for dinner, to local specialities like Cataplan, the quality of the food is very high. The staff of this hotel are of course very professional, but they also give a lovely personal service. They are so helpful, friendly and kind. Everyone goes the extra mile to make people feel welcome. Special thanks from us go to Pedro, the restaurant manager, and Miguel and Sofia. Making people feel special, as you do, is not easy, but it makes a huge difference to your guests. Thank you for a lovely holiday!

If you're looking for a great place to chill Herdade da Corte is where you need to go. A Rio Grande style and feel about it, surrounded by fabulous hilly views, orange, lemon trees, olive groves, and pure adulterated silence. You hear the whisper of the breeze throughout the outdoor areas which have casual seating dotted about, a sweeping view, and a to die for salt-water pool. If you want 5 star service and a butler this isn't the place for you! Our favourite time of the day was a leisurely hour and half munching our way through the buffet breakfast, consisting of 4 different freshly made juices, a good selection of local produce, bread, rolls, pastries and cake, cheese, cold meats, fruits, yoghurt, and natural cereals - while idly looking out to the hills. There's also an array of teas, and the coffee is via a machine which is good - but goat's milk! We've travelled the world extensively and it's rare to find such a place. If you want to jazz up your time there Tavira is charming, along with Tavira Island. You do need a car if you stay at Herdade and want to visit many areas, however, we had read other reviews and knew that - but we just wanted to relax there and do nothing! We stayed 4 days and did venture out 1 afternoon to a restaurant in St Luzia. Local taxi, very nice driver. 20 euro each way (same prices to Tavira) about 15 minutes journey. The owners Joao and Francisco are cool, interesting guys, very helpful, and knowledgeable about the area , local produce, wines, and activities to do there - hiking, etc. Good massage also available in relaxing room. €50 Personally speaking, we dossed (an English word for lazing about) around the pool , helping ourselves to the well-stocked honesty bar, with the occasional beer/glass of wine, absorbed in a few good crime novels. Please note: after breakfast there is NO food available until 7pm. We knew that and brought along our own snacks, nuts etc. The evening menu is mainly cold, very good local produce - oh, please try the prawns (they hot). We tried almost everything on the menu during our stay - couldn't fault anything. My husband arrived completely knackered (another old-school word for tiredness) and after almost 4 days rooted to the place said he felt like the Six Million Dollar Man! Thank you Herdades, we will be back. Hayley & Alan UK