I have just returned from a week in Albufeira, myself and my boyfriend stayed at the Real Bellavista and were very impressed. We booked a package deal through the thomson website and paid ?311 each for a bed and breakfast board. The hotel is located between the old town and the strip, it is about a 15 minute walk to both. There is a courtesy bus that runs throughout the day which stops at the old town, the strip and Eulalia hotel (sister hotel). The Eulalia has a private beach which is well worth a visit, sunbeds cost 10 euros each. If you are going to use the bus you need to wait outside about 15 minutes before departure as there is limited space. The runs at night get very busy and it seems to be a free for all with people piling onto the bus- we found it better to walk! Alternatively you can order a taxi at reception, taxis are 4 euros and that will take you to anywhere within a 4 mile radius for that price- very reasonable. The rooms in the hotel are very clean and towels will be replaced everyday if needed. The spa facilities can be used for 10 euros per session. This includes a turkish bath and sauna, there is also a gym that can be used at 15 euros per session. If you have a late flight the hotel will hold your bags behind reception so you can go off for the day without worrying about your things. The hotel pool is a reasonable size but sunbeds can be scarce as people put out their towels and bugger off for the day! There is a heated pool inside and a jacuzzi which was nice when the pool was too chilly. The breakfast provided by the restaurant is a buffet style and consisted of pastries, cereal, friut and a cooked breakfast- all were served from 7am to 10am. In terms of the old town, fishermans beach is worth a visit, you have to pay for the sunbeds or you can just lay a towel down. Be warned the sea being the Atlantic is very cold - it was high 30's when we were there and the sea was freezing all day! There are plenty of restaurants around the town, I didn't really find a favourite restaurant but Tony's does a nice pizza. There is a nice chinese between the hotel and the strip on the main road. The strip has plenty of nightlife, Matt's bar at the end of the strip is very reasonable with happy hour until 11pm drinks were 3 euros each. There are loads of shops in both the old town and the strip to pick up souvenirs etc. Overall the stay was very enjoyable and I would recommednt this hotel for a holiday in Albufeira.

I stayed in the Hotel Real Bella Vista in the last week of June.It is by far the the best hotel I have stayed in when I was abroad. The rooms were excellent .They were air conditioned,had loads of TV channels that showed English programs like scrubs etc.The maids were also very good and they cleaned the room everyday. The pool was brilliant.No shortage of sunbeds and most times I had the indoor and Outdoor pool to myself.The pool bar had very nice food and it was reasonable also.I would recommend the chicken baguette. The buffet everynight was very tasty and it was also reasonable.There was a theme everynight.On the Thursday night there was a barbecue and the staff put tables outside so everyone could eat around the pool. The bar was good but it was very quite most nights..There would be a singer there everynight..It was good.The bar staff were brilliant especially Rui who would come and talk to us each night. The reception staff were also very nice.They phoned a doctor for us when we required one and they also left me stay on the internet for as long as I wanted even though I only payed for 30 mins:). The hotel is located about 5 mins walk to the town center where you will find the pingo doce supermarket and the Modello shopping center.We used to get a taxi to the strip and the old town.The taxi are very cheap,they only cost around ?4.Be prepared to queue for a taxi when leaving old town. Overall I loved this hotel and next year I will return for a 2 week stay.

Be under absolutely no illusion - this is an utterly fantastic hotel, which has a stunning indoor pool which you can jump in and swim out to the outdoor pool! - However, this is beyond any doubt what I would describe as a business hotel and is not really designed for those wanting to go on holiday. It's location in the Bellavista area of Albufeira is a little out of the way, it's more of a residential/business district and is therefore lacking anything holiday makers would normally be looking for. Whilst I cannot fault the hotel, it's location is not one I could recommend unless you have been to Albufeira before and are confident in your surroiundings and know where you are going. It's basically slap-bang between the Old Town and the 'Strip' which (even though there's a shuttle bus) makes it a 15 minute walk in either direction to get to where all the action is. That said, a Taxi costs next-to-nothing, but when I'm on holiday, I prefer to spend my time relaxing, not travelling around.

Today we returned from a wonderful 7 day holiday at Real Bellavista. From arrival to departure all hotel staff was very professional & attentive. On our arrival, the reception staff processed the formalities very quickly and we were in our room within 7 minutes, with our suitcases being delivered just behind us. The room was spotless and remained the same throughout the stay (thank you Fatima!). Ample supply of towels & toiletries and were replaced daily. Piping hot water was always available, regardless what time of the day it was. The aircon was very efficient. We had 7 very hot days (+ 23 C) but never felt hot and bothered whilst in the room, day or night. The breakfast buffet selection was endless, from fruit, cereals, fruit juices, yoghurts, croissants, cheeses, ham, cooked eggs, boiled eggs, bacon, baked beans, toast, rolls etc. etc. (I feel I have not done justice in describing what was available). All being replenished very regularly by the very large number of restaurant staff, Dirty plates/cutlery are whisked away nearly immediately by the staff but they did not hover around. From 8.30 -10.00 (breakfast peak period) the Restaurant Manager meets the guests and then allocates the table. It was nice to know you not are wandering the around trying to find a table, when there is not available. We were on Bed & Breakfast basis but did have the Evening Meal several times. An excellent selection available in a buffet style, at a price of 19.95 Euros per head (this includes a bottle of good quality wine between the two of us). The main bar, outside swimming pool and grounds retained the high standard of cleanliness. The poolside bar provides the much required liquid intake and snacks for the serious sun worshippers at a fair price. Unfortunately we did not take advantage of the Spa facilities but on the initial tour of the hotel, the Spa personnel were very friendly and informative. A free hotel shuttle bus can transport you to Old Town, New Town (The Strip) and the Bellavista “sister 5 Star Hotel” (in that order) nearly hourly. Due to position of the hotel it is possible to walk the old /new in about 20/25 minutes although there is an incline from the main road up to the hotel. There is quite a large supermarket about 6 minutes walk away from the Bellavista in case of those forgotten essentials. There some smaller ones slightly nearer. As a cautionary note please be advised, at present, there are building works being carried out at the rear of the hotel on some spare land. Although it did not affect us in way it might make an impact in the near future.

We stayed at the Real Bella Vista for 7 nights at the beginning of June 2008. We booked a superior room which was very large with 2 sets of balcony doors on to a huge balcony. The hotel is modern and very clean with a large outdoor and indoor pool. We had free towels from the spa dailly. Sunbeds can be in short supply ..... same as any other hotel, lots of towels without people. Generally I found the staff very friendly and helpful. One exception ..... We wanted to take the bus to Faro and my wife asked the lady on reception about bus times etc. she was really no help at all and suggested that we take a taxi to the bus station (now) to find out the times of the buses for tomorrow. Why the don't have a timetable or call the bus station I can not understand. They need a Concierge badly, Later in the day there was a man on reception and we asked him the same question and got the same answer. We took the bus to Faro next day and to Villamoura on another day and the timetables are on the bus stops beside the Modelo Supermarket. The buses are excellent. and the fares are reasonable 3-4 Euro. We were on bed and breakfast and were very happy with the selection of fruit and cereals on the buffet. The cooked items bacon etc were not always present -- one day thre were two empty servers for bacon and mushrooms - perhaps a little forward planning is required. These however are fairly minor problems and did not spoil our holiday in any way The hotel is at the top of a hill and the walk would not suit all. However the free shuttle does a few run, taxis are reasonable and the local bus (a circular) stops on the hill near the hotel and takes you to the centre etc for 1.10 Euro fixed fare -- worth going on just for the run alone. There is a small bar/restaurant with reasonable prices round the corner from the hotel, and my wife and I found it very nice to have a coffee or beer to break the walk up the hill. I can recommend the cheese and ham toasties too.