Pestana Dom Joao II Hotel and Beach Resort

What a lovely relaxing hotel, we have just returned from 10 fabulous days. We stayed as a family of 5 with two interconnected rooms. Super comfy beds. The breakfasts were nice with a good selection. The pool area was lovely and relaxing, plenty of sun loungers throughout the day with no one reserving them which was great. Pool towels are available the from the hotel. The grounds are beautiful and the location on the beach is perfect. Short walk to Alvor. We would definitely recommend this hotel and are looking forward to returning.

Next to the beach which was nice. However you had to pay for the loungers. Pool bar was under staffed so you had to wait a long time for food and drinks. Pool area was nice. Enough sun loungers. If none left by the pool there was plenty in the garden area. Some of the entertainment was poor. Breakfast was tasteless. It’s very busy. Go early or Kate to avoid the crowds! Pool bar again was under staffed so a very long wait to be served. The rooms do not have enough storage or wardrobe space for 3 people. Our air conditioning unit started leaking. It was repaired after 3 days.the floor was soaked and the ceiling was wet and peeling. We had to hire a kettle for the week at a cost if 10 Euros. You could borrow an iron but had to hand it back after an hour! We feedlot that this should be a 3 star hotel. We were refused to swap a breakfast for an evening meal giving plenty of notice. Why? We won’t be returning.

Our ideal holiday is a beach holiday in a peaceful but accessible hotel with half board. This hotel met those requirements and we had a fab two weeks stay. The position of this hotel is perfect , right on the beach, easily accessible to the boardwalk which runs for miles into Alvor .There is lovely fishing village and a gorgeous natural nature area to visit.The gardens are beautifully kept and are really pleasant to sunbath in. This is an added bonus as many families are Portuguese and enjoy the shade making the pressure on the pool sunbeds less intense.We are not pool lovers but when we wanted there were always plenty of beds to be had. The room we had was the cheapest , overlooking the car park( of which we were aware). It was a little tired, however the beds were comfortable,the bedding being changed as and when needed during our two week stay. The towels were always new and soft and changed every day.Storage is good with a large wardrobe and free safe.There is a shortage of sockets for charging,The bathroom was tired with a rather unusual glass window into the lounge ,thankfully obscured by a blind.We asked for new washers for the sink and the bidet ,as neither would fill up . Our request for the sink worked but not the bidet. The shower was not thermostatic si you needed to take care.We had no functioning AC , but that didn't bother us too much. The cleaners were excellent and timely. The rooms did need a longer deep clean though as hard to teach areas such as the cornices were very dusty. The fridge had no door shelves in so all we could keep in there was a bottle of milk and a bag of fruit. No room for water or drinks. The good was Portuguese and generally OK but not exciting and on a weekly repeat. The system for paying for drinks on the dining room needs to be reviewed . You cannot charge to your room and must pay by card after every meal. This causes delays and numerous credit card transactions. The local tax was only €36 for two weeks and pool towels are free. There is very low key evening entertainment ( usually a singer). This is a family hotel with lots of young children. This guarantees peace and quite after around 12pm.

Overall we had a lovely holiday and we would like to thank the lovely staff, Maria in the restaurant and all the servers who work so hard. .