AP Cabanas Beach and Nature

A brilliant relaxing stay, we would without a doubt go back.

We had only had 3 night stay over a weekend and we wish we had booked longer. I had requested sparkling wine in our room for a special occasion, and this was met and I paid on arrival, this was done so smoothly, thank you! We also got 2 AP cabanas water bottles in the room I assume as we had paid for a special occasion, this was such a lovely touch and meant we could fill up with water all weekend.

The hotel was so so clean, we were very impressed, the room was always cleaned well with fresh towels and the bed was very comfortable, I slept very well. The room did feel quite small, but plenty of room for the two of us. The bathroom was also lovely and shower was great.

The pool area was wonderful and no sunbed wars! The animation team were so welcoming bringing fruit and doughnuts either morning or midafternoon. The aqua Zumba and DJ was also entertaining. We didn’t take part in the fitness, but it was great to watch and music was fun. I also made use of the hotel gym which was small but had more than adequate machines and weights etc. It is very warm in there so I would advise going early morning.

We really enjoyed the food here, we have never been all inclusive in Europe before, so didn’t know what to expect, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The breakfast was great with a wide range of options, and we found lunch great in the respect you could choose from the grill or the buffet. The grill also did the speciality show cooking too in the day and we really enjoyed the sardines and paella!

We were able to also get into Ria and The Grill at night. Both were excellent but we found it a bit odd that the grill had no menu. So we were apprehensive as my partner doesn’t eat fish, luckily there were many meat options. The food in Ria was very good; I booked the day before and the menu was available outside in the morning. It was 4 courses and all great.

The drinks were okay, the wine was lovely and you could help yourself; I personally didn’t enjoy the cocktails so much as they were very sweet, but this is just my taste. Coffees etc also brilliant! We also used the rooftop bar for drinks, we were unsure if this was for premium but it wasn’t, so this was nice to go and sit around. The entertainment at night was also relaxing, no really loud shows etc, just nice chilled live music. It was great.

We didn’t suffer with too many mosquito bites as written on here but took plenty of strong bug spray.

The hotel is around a 10 min walk from Cabanas Tavira which was a nice little village vibe, as a runner, I enjoyed running around the area to explore, we didn’t make it to Tavira itself as we were short on time.

As my first time on the Algarve, I will 100% be back and will recommend this hotel to our family and friends, thanks for a lovely relaxing stay, you made our weekend very enjoyable!

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We had such a lovely stay and would absolutely return. From the moment we arrived, the hotel felt welcoming, relaxing and incredibly well looked after. The staff were amazing – friendly, helpful and always happy to assist.

The hotel itself was spotlessly clean, modern and beautifully maintained. Our room was clean, modern and comfortable, and the whole hotel had a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. The surrounding area of Portugal was also beautiful and made the perfect setting for a chilled and enjoyable break.

🌴 Around the Pool & Entertainment

There was plenty to enjoy around the pool. The aqua aerobics was really good, and we loved the little touches such as fresh fruit being brought around the pool in the mornings.

The saxophone player around the pool was a lovely touch and created a great atmosphere. We also really enjoyed having a pianist playing in the restaurant during breakfast – it was such a lovely way to start the day and made breakfast feel that little bit more special.

The evening entertainment was enjoyable, although we did feel this could be taken a step further. It would have been fantastic to have more of a proper show or organised entertainment rather than mainly music. The music around the pool after aqua aerobics could also have been turned up a little to create more atmosphere.

One small thing to mention was the mosquitoes. I personally got bitten quite a few times, although my friend didn’t seem to have any problem at all! 😂 Perhaps having a few more mosquito candles around the pool during the day and some hanging mosquito traps could help keep them away and make the pool area even more enjoyable.

🍽️ Food & Restaurants

The food was good overall, although we felt there could have been a little more choice, particularly at some meals.

The Ria restaurant was lovely and being able to book it was a real bonus. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get into the Grill restaurant during our stay, which was disappointing as we would have liked to try it.

We also really liked the card scanning system for drinks and food, which made everything very easy and convenient.

Breakfast was enjoyable, and having the pianist playing in the restaurant added a really lovely atmosphere.

🛏️ Our Room

Our room was spotlessly clean, modern and comfortable. There were just a couple of small things that could have been improved.

As we were travelling as friends rather than a couple, the frosted glass shower/toilet area didn’t give quite as much privacy as we would have liked. The shower also didn’t leave much to the imagination! 😂 We managed around it by taking turns, with one of us using the balcony while the other showered, but a little more privacy would definitely improve the room for friends sharing.

When the room was cleaned, we noticed that empty glasses weren’t always removed and the sweeteners weren’t replenished. These are very minor points, but worth mentioning as everything else was so well done.

One other thing to note is the €10 refundable towel charge, which is fine once you know about it.

🎶 The Little Extras

The atmosphere throughout the hotel was fantastic – calm, clean and relaxing. The live music, poolside service and fresh fruit were great little extras that made the stay feel special.

❤️ Overall

Despite the few small areas that could be improved, we absolutely loved our stay. The amazing staff, spotless surroundings, beautiful location, relaxing atmosphere and lovely pool area made it a fantastic holiday.

The negatives really were minor compared with all the positives. With a little more variety in the food and evening entertainment, plus a few small improvements to the room servicing, shower privacy and mosquito control, this hotel could be even better.

We would definitely come back and would happily recommend it. A beautiful part of Portugal, a lovely hotel and a genuinely relaxing holiday