Clube Maria Luisa

We had a lovely stay at Clube Maria Luisa. We were surprised at how quiet the complex was considering it was peak summer holidays. Tucked away at the end of a residential road. Even at midday there were still pool beds available (see pictures). This may have been because there is a lovely beach pretty much on the door step. The complex was very clean with rooms and pool cleaned every day. Some of the pool beds could do with replacing and they could do with some more sun umbrellas but shad under the trees could be found. The intermarche shop was a 10 minutes walk via a pedestrian route. A nice selection of bars/restaurants about 15/20 mins easy pavement walk. The cliff walk was closed due to a land slide which I am unsure they will be able to re-open. Uber was also cheap to other areas. As for the apartment itself this was the most modern apartment we have started at in Portugal. However, we did find the lounge/kitchenette and balcony to be on the small side. We are a family of 4. There was one sofa that sits 3. The kitchenette had no storage for dry foods. As a result we had to use the table which meant using the table was difficult. The balcony had a small table and chairs which were not comfortable to relax on and overlooked the car park. The bedrooms were of a good size but again limited storage. The wardrobe had built in Drawers but as a shorter person I found these to be at an awkward height. They could do with a dressing table. The staff were very friendly. We had drinks snacks from the bar in the day but during our 2 week stay we did not see people eating/drinking in the bar resultant area. I think people tended to go out. Plenty of parking if you have a car and very secure. Overall a lovely stay and we would recommend

Unfortunately, our stay was disappointing due to a number of issues affecting cleanliness, comfort, and customer service.

We asked to be moved to another room because ours overlooked the car park and access road, but despite our request, no one ever responded. Housekeeping also arrived at random times, and the standard of cleaning was poor.

Cleanliness was a major concern, with ants in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms, along with stains on the walls and rug.

The facilities were very basic. There were no complimentary tea, coffee, or bottled water provisions, the basement gym had an unpleasant smell, and the layout of the ground-floor apartments offered very little privacy as they faced the internal access corridor. One of the bedrooms was very dark due to window facing into the dark corridor.

The bathroom lacked an extractor fan, making it extremely hot and steamy after showering. The shower pipe became dangerously hot to touch, the towels were very small, and there was not enough poor-quality single-ply toilet paper provided for the number of guests.

Other inconveniences included an entry barrier that required the driver to get out of the car to enter a code and unreliable Wi-Fi that constantly disconnected.

Overall, this accommodation fell well below our expectations and does not reflect the price nor the number of 'stars' advertised.

We requested a later check-out due to our late flight. Although the initial response suggested some flexibility, reception ultimately refused, stating that the policy did not allow it. The only alternatives offered were luggage storage and use of the gym shower. Given the four-hour gap between check-out and check-in, we felt that a one-hour extension was a reasonable request, but no flexibility was shown.