Hotels near Sao Rafael Beach, Albufeira

Southern Portugal definitely deserves a longer stay; it's just too beautiful! We regret only spending one night at the hotel this trip, but on the second day, we set off from the hotel to Praia da Marinha and hiked along the stunning coastline. We had lunch in Lagos and dinner in Portimão. From this, it's clear that Albufeira itself, where the hotel is located, doesn't offer much to explore. However, among all the hotels in Southern Portugal, the W is undoubtedly a top contender, offering incredible value for money, so we booked it for a comfortable stay. The room itself was flawless, the service was excellent, and the breakfast was delicious. The room was beautiful and new, making us feel right at home. We'd definitely come back here if we're driving again. For those not driving, I'd recommend staying in Lagos or Portimão instead.

Lovely  new large hotel in a quiet area, not far from the W Algarve. The hotel was super clean, with large rooms, and the continental breakfast was decent with a good variety of options.I didn’t opt for the buffet dinner, as it was easier to order a nice burger from the bar, which was really tasty. I also tried the Portuguese steak sandwich, which just wasn’t to my liking, but the staff kindly changed it for the burger instead.The pool and spa areas were also spacious and well maintained.You do need an Uber or a car to get around, as there are very few shops nearby. There is one nice restaurant next door and a sports bar close by.The staff could have been a bit more enthusiastic or forthcoming with hotel information, although the manager Andrea, was especially helpful and lovely to talk to. As it was off-season, the hotel was very quiet, and the weather was a bit chilly, so the pools were not really in use. I would definitely visit again if the price was good.

Convenient location (€25-30 Uber from the Faro airport, €5 Uber to Albufeira town, 5 minute’s walk to the sea) Great amenities - clean room, well-designed communal area with great aesthetics, clean pool and sun beds Good service - English buffet breakfast with Portuguese pastries, complimentary tea and biscuits in the lobby, helpful staff Good value of money during off-peak season (£170 for two nights for a superior room)

Fantastic accommodation! Everything was spotlessly clean, and the rooms were comfortable and well-maintained. The staff were consistently friendly and helpful everywhere – from the reception to housekeeping, and from the restaurant to the bar and the pool. The pools were wonderful and well-kept. The food in the restaurant was also excellent, with something for everyone. I highly recommend taking an Uber to explore more of Portugal; it was very convenient. We would love to come back here again!

What a lovely little hotel. I was attracted to booking it from the reviews of previous guests. As an older woman and always a solo traveller I don't like big chains/hotels so I was specifically looking for a boutique style. As soon as you walk through the door, a big smile is waiting for you. The only let down for me was that I specifically requested a room with a nice view as I'm an artist and had come here to paint. Unfortunately my view from the 1st floor was of the side street and neighbouring villas so I was disappointed in that. However i walked to Olhos De Agua (20 mins at least) and got a taxi to Albufiera (5 euros) and took my paints with me. I didn't use the pool as it looked in the shade. The bed was amazing, huge, nice pillows and linen. Kettle and coffee machine but no milk. Bathroom was a bit of a let down as the shower gel dispenser was broken so I had to use the shampoo for everything and on the spare toilet roll there was excrement from the previous guest maybe? The only suggestion I have would be a full length mirror.

This is by far the best hostel I stayed at, in spite of the number of occupants. I was lucky to have very quiet boys in the room. There’s only one bathroom, connected to the room, but it worked. The hostel is new, modern and spotless. The owner is very friendly. The hostel is also 5 minutes walk from the beach. It was perfect. It’s a long walk to Albufeira from the city buses, and not very clear where the FlixBus stops. I wouldn’t recommend walking from the train station, which took me 4 hours. There’s a local bus, don’t scrimp = TAKE IT. Or take an Uber, or Bolt. Or ask the taxi what he wants to charge from the bus stop at the train station ! The RedeExpress is where the bus station is (but not for the FlixBus). In summary, you can go to Albufeira by FlixBus, but it’s difficult to know where FlixBus leaves Albufeira from. That all said, Albufeira is very difficult in high season, TOO CROWDED, but the Portuguese are tolerant and very patient because they know that tourism is lucrative and has raised the whole country out of poverty. Residents enjoy cheap and / or free public transport on local buses (cheap monthly passes). Residents are respectful and kind. You can practice your Portuguese with them for a laugh, but they all speak English to varying degrees. Here you can meet real residents. On the beach, not necessarily in the pubs. I loved it here. Don’t miss it.

The bed is comfortable, the breakfast is OK, the swimming pool is small, and it is ten minutes away from the beach. The rooms are good and bad. The one we got was average, with poor sound insulation and average value for money.

The off-season travel feeling is very good, the room is large, the breakfast is delicious

Such polite staff and very helpful always smiling. Rooms are perfectly adequate and sizeable. The amenities are terrific with a fun and large pool area which is clean and gets lots of sun year round

- Lovely cosy apartment, that looked even nicer and more modern than on the photos. - While not super big, the space has been very cleverly used and it felt like having my own mini home. - Kitchen is well equipped, so you can really use it to cook your own dinner (I just missed a colander to drain rice and vegetables, but I realise it must be impossible to cater for every individual guest's preferences). Enough pots, pans, cutlery, even a corkscrew and dishcloth are provided. No spices, oil or sponge though, so (quite understandably) you need to buy or bring a few things yourself. - Lovely balcony, sunny most of the day and I could even watch the sea from there. - Good location, as long as you're fine being near ”The Strip” (and not so near the old town). Very close to the beach. In a central but quiet location (at least in February, but my guess is that it's just far enough from the Strip to be reasonably quiet in busier months as well). About a 10 minute walk from Santa Eulalia bus stop from where you can take a bus to Faro (and other places on that route, such as Vilamoura and Quarteira). It's about a 40 minute walk to the main bus terminal. There's also a city bus, but I never really worked out that system (taxis are everywhere too and apparently not very expensive either). - Great value for money. I extended my stay by 2 more nights and certainly recommend this place. While I very much enjoyed my stay here, there are a few small things that could possibly still be improved. Those are really just small details though! - I'd suggest putting a few extra bin bags in the apartment. Cleaning takes place every 3 or 4 days, which is totally fine. But especially if guests cook in the apartment, the rubbish contains food rests and starts smelling after a few days. It's no problem to change the bag myself, but having a few extra bags in the room would be helpful. - There's an illuminated ”emergency exit” sign above the apartment's entrance door, on the inside the room. That's really annoying at night, because it's like always keeping one light switched on in your bedroom. Can't those signs be placed outside the room? I ended up covering it with a dark T-shirt every night, which solved the problem too;-) - There's no socket near the bed.