Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Algarve

Fantastic property & great room! We stayed in a suite which had a fully stocked kitchen and lots of space. We were golfing in the area and the local course is in nice shape. It’s not much of a “deal” for staying on the property, 10€ off. They charge for balls in the range. It’s one of the reasons we decided to stay. I would not stay again for the golf but I would for the hotel service & beach.

From the moment of check-in, when we were met by staff who acted as though they were doing us a favour by letting us into our apartment for which we’d paid 600 GBP a night, to the moment of check-out where no one would come to help with our bags knowing we had a baby and we had to wait 30 mins to check out, we had a really poor experience. Check-in and check-out process: Slow and the staff act like they’ve come out of the Devil wears Prada movie, they were haughty and whispered the whole time. They all seemed confused about where various facilities were and just take the map and follow the guide. We arrived at 3pm and they made us wait outside with the baby until 4, similarly refused any request for late checkout even though I expected better as a Marriott Gold Elite member. Honestly rubbish experience for a five star. Breakfast: Not sure if the hotel has a better one but the one for ocean suites was like a motel breakfast, the only saving grace being the usher who was a nice lady. Guest services: No one answered the phone 9 out of 10 times we called, either for amenities or housekeeping. Once we asked for an extra dishwasher tablet and the lady at guest services refused to give us one saying we should’ve received the one tablet at check-in and should somehow have managed with one dishwasher cycle wash during our entire 4 day stay. I explained that we had baby bottles to wash and she said that doesn’t matter given their policy and then shockingly just hung up. I don’t think I’ve ever been this shocked and upset at a staff behaviour in my entire life. Food: Avoid eating at any restaurant inside the resort, they’re all expensive which would’ve been fine but of such poor quality given the price. Everyone was just going outside to eat, what a shame given you’re paying for a resort experience. Children’s play area: This was really sad, it was a playground outside which basically was always empty given its super hot and sunny during the summer. I tried accessing the airconditioned play area indoors but the staff didn’t even let me in, speaking to me by the door saying I need to book a play session where I’d need to leave my baby with their staff. I said sure, when can I do that, and she went oh they’re all booked for the next 3 days. I asked if I could just play with my little one in the completely empty area in front of me and pay a fee for doing so, and she refused without being able to explain why. I left with a sad little one who’d made the trek in the sun hoping to get some play time. For the amount I paid, this is honestly the worst hotel experience I’ve had in my life. We had just come from the W Algarve and it was a million times better in comparison. Just avoid this place.

Disappointing experience — this is not a true luxury property. Guest relations are unresponsive and unhelpful, even when contacted during the stay. Deceptive pricing practices, including hidden gratuities and charges not clearly disclosed. Poor service culture throughout the resort, with staff poorly trained in handling elite status or guest concerns. Definitely not worth the price or reputation.

We’ve just come back from a 4-day break at Pine Cliffs. I was expecting 5-star luxury, but it was 3–4 at best. The positives: • Breakfast had many, many options and was delicious. • The housekeeping and customer service teams were very quick when responding to any room requests. • The spa was included for resort guests. A lot of Marriotts we’ve stayed in charge extra for it. The negatives: • No outdoor heated pool, except for a tiny one right next to the car park and kids’ club. No one wants to go into an ice-cold pool, regardless of how hot it is. • The spa itself was lovely, but the staff need to be more visible to ensure people are following the rules. On three separate occasions, I saw three different men strutting around naked—in the open experience shower (twice), and once in the sauna—with everything on show. Not what I want to see when trying to relax, and it made me feel very uncomfortable. • Some staff members were quite rude and seemed only interested in trying to get extra money. First of all, as a Titanium member, you expect to be given one of the nicer rooms in a quiet area when available—especially when using our well-earned Elite Reward Nights. The original room we were given was next to a restaurant, with a lovely noisy view of the car park and kids’ club. When we mentioned we had used our Elite Nights and selected a few different room categories, we were told that they were full and the only other option was an upgrade to a 2-bedroom suite at an additional cost. (We had already selected the 2-bed as one of the upgrade options with the Elite Nights, so we didn’t feel it should carry an extra fee.) After demanding to speak to the general manager, they managed to move us to a quieter room in the same category we were originally given. Why couldn’t they have done this in the first place? Additionally, the night before check-out, we confirmed a late check-out of 6 p.m. due to our late flight. We spent the day exploring and enjoying ourselves, but when we returned, I noticed a missed call. This was at 4 p.m.—they wanted to know why we hadn’t checked out. When I explained we had agreed on a late check-out, they told me there would be an extra cost and only backed off when I showed proof. This made me and my husband feel ambushed, and again, like they were only after more money. • Lastly, I feel there could be a bit more to do around the hotel—activities, music, anything. It just felt more like a serviced apartment than a luxury five-star hotel.

We liked the Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites so much we moved over to their Pine Cliffs Residence to plan for future long-term winter stays. See the attached photos which tell the story better than words: location, the cliffs, Falesia beach, and so much more! Thanks to Marcelo, Riccardo, the two Paolos, and Carlos. Unfortunately, photos are limited to 50.