Abora Catarina by Lopesan

After seeing multiple negative reviews especially after the 2 month apparent refurb I was slightly hesitant and tbh im not actually sure what was actually refurbished but here is my review.

We arrived late but check in was fast and easy no issues. We had room 222 family room which is essentially a double size room with 2 extra single beds in so was a bit of a squeeze but not an issue if ypu only really use the room for sleeping. Not much closet space, shower bad design so spray water all over the bathroom which would explain why the door was rotted from the bottom. The AC is poor but that seems to be across the whole hotel. The view from the balcony was pleasant overlooking a garden.

Hallways could have had a little carpet cleaner on them in the 2 months closure surely?

Food/ drink - whilst the selection was not extensive we never found an issue finding something to eat and always fresh (for those super picky about breaky we only seen english sausages once in a week). Plenty of desert options cakes, fruit ice creams etc. The little kids stand was a pleasant addition our little boy loved going to get his own food. Having multiple drinks taps/pumps around the place and with 24 hour access was fantastic and kept queues at the bar low at all times we seen. Couldn't fault any of the staff at the restaurant or bars always service with a smile even in the extreme heat whilst we was there.

Pools - the main pool was relatively warm and didn't hit you with that cold shock when you get in at some places. A tip for those looking to sunbathe you will want a sunbed furthest away from the building as the sun will only hit the other side late afternoon. Also be prepared if you have anyone in your party who needs to return to the room for medication before 10am at least 1 person needs to stay or the pool guy will swipe your towels the minute you leave so if there's just 2 of you I don't know how that will work. After 10am he doesnt care he said you can leave your stuff all day after that which I found odd. Thw kids enjoyed the waterpark area which opens at 10 but be in the queue by 9.30 of you want a bed be warned. Nice area to spend the day and open to sunshine all day up there.

Animation - Don't really have anything negative to say about this, our little boy loved the kids disco really came out of his shell dancing and singing with the team. From what I seen the animation team were fantastic. We watched 4 shows and enjoyed every one of them.

All in all I'd consider it a positive experience, we could have ended up with a more modern room and this would have been a pure positive review but let's be honest its obviously not a 5 star so just enjoy the positives and don't let anything frivolous ruin your holiday

This was our second stay at Abora Catarina, and unfortunately it was much worse than our first visit in 2023. It is difficult to understand how a hotel can decline so much in just three years.

The biggest problem was the air conditioning. In reality, there is almost no effective air conditioning in the hotel. Common areas, including the dining area, corridors and elevators, were not cooled at all. With +31°C outside, the temperature in the restaurant was around +28°C. I asked the staff several times to turn on the air conditioning, but nothing changed. Guests were sweating during meals, and the staff did not seem to care.

The rooms were not much better. I checked the temperature with my own thermometer and it was constantly +25–26°C, even with the air conditioning set to maximum. The room controller appears to be only decorative, as changing the temperature setting makes no difference. We changed rooms, but the problem remained. The cooling system seems to be centrally controlled and does not allow guests to adjust the temperature.

Another issue is the bar drinks. The spirits are still heavily diluted, the same problem I mentioned in my 2023 review. Even with an all-inclusive package, we had to buy our own drinks from nearby supermarkets because the quality of the alcoholic beverages was unacceptable.

The food quality has also declined. Breakfast is repetitive, which was already the case in 2023, but lunch and dinner choices have become worse. There is often only one meat option, while many other dishes are vegetarian or fish-based and remain untouched. Guests regularly had to wait 10–15 minutes for freshly prepared meat dishes because they disappeared immediately.

Overall, our second stay at Abora Catarina was a big disappointment. Compared to 2023, the hotel has clearly declined in comfort, food quality and overall standards.