TUI BLUE Falesia

We have just spent a week at this hotel, our first visit, but our second with Tui and having had a fabulous first experience, our hopes were high. Unfortunately we were disappointed. On arrival we were given a free drink which was most welcome after a long journey - but maybe it was to appease us while we stood around for 15 minutes waiting to check in. The check in staff were not very smiley or friendly and alarmingly on our check in paperwork, my husbands details were correct but mine were for another person with a similar name and I could see her passport details!! The check in lady wasn't concerned and just scribbled it out but it did raise the question of where my passport details might be......there was no concierge service. We had selected our room via the Blue app prior to departure - this was not noted at check in until we mentioned it and promptly got billed for it. We had chosen a sea view room on the third floor and we were not disappointed - the view was lovely. The room was clean, tidy and well presented although there was a lingering smell of smoke (despite being a no smoking hotel, this was not enforced and people would smoke on their balconies, with the smell wafting in through the open patio doors into the room). The bed was large and comfortable and the room was quiet. A small fridge is provided as well as complementary mineral water (we got 2 x 2L bottles twice during our stay). The bathroom was large but looked tired, with some mould in the tiles. There are no free toiletries provided apart from soap and shower gel which wouldn't have looked out of place in a 3* hotel, not a 4* like the Tui blue. The room had blackout curtains so it was dark for sleeping (very important to me!) and on the balcony was a table and chairs to relax in. The main areas of the hotel were spacious, bright and clean with lots of places to relax and the pool was a reasonable size, clean and well maintained. We didn't spend much time around the pool but there were plenty of loungers and some decked areas with views over the nearby beaches. The hotel has a gym, indoor pool and spa but we didn't use these and so I'm unable to comment on them. There are a few places to eat at the hotel - the main restaurant, a cafe type place for late risers breakfast (which is a much lighter offering than the main breakfast - mainly fruit, cereal and yoghurt) or lunch/pool snacks/drinks and a more formal restaurant (this is an extra 25EUR pp if you're not AI). There is also a bar with a reasonably priced [for a hotel] drinks menu (6EUR for a beer, 3EUR for a Coke). We only ate in the main restaurant. The food is help yourself buffet-style and there was a lot of choice - meats, fish, salad, gluten free, vegan, pizza, pasta, breads and desserts. Quality was average - but I recgonise it's tough to mass produce high quality food in the right quantities. Service was efficient, although at times too efficient - sometimes I hadn't even put my fork down and the waiting staff were sweeping the plate out from under our noses!! Unfortunately on one night, one of the waiting staff didn't believe we were guests of the hotel (half boarders, so we weren't wearing an AI wristband and therefore paying for drinks) and was very rude, asking to see our room key and doubling checking our name was on the hotel list. Check out was swift, although the gentleman on duty was abrupt and didn't smile - he may have been having a bad day though. I was also disappointed by the lack of green credentials at the hotel - while there are recycling points around the hotel, it was unclear as to whether the rubbish from the room would be recycled and there was no incentive to reduce the frequency of room cleaning (for example we have stayed in some hotels whereby if you have your room cleaned every 2 or 3 days you earn "Green Credit" which can be put towards drinks or activities at the hotel). There is plenty to do at the hotel with a wide program of activities available which can be booked using the Blue app. There is a secluded beach 5 minutes away down some steps near the hotel (you CANNOT access the beach from the hotel grounds) and the main Falesia beach is within walking distance. We walked to Vilamoura along the beach and back along the cliff tops which took around 1hr 45 mins each way ( we do walk fast though!). The town of Olhos D'Agua is vibrant with cafes, bars and restaurants should you fancy a potter around. Stop off for a sunset drink at O Golfino on Falesia beach if you can, you won't regret it (7EUR total for a cava and half a lager). We got the bus to Albufeira - buses were very good value for money and reasonably frequent; note there is about a 2hr gap in the middle of the day when no buses run. Many thanks to the cleaning staff who always had a smile and a bom dia to start the day :) Overall we enjoyed our holiday and it's a nice hotel but there were a few too many negatives for us to say we'd stay again.

It was our second visit to Portugal, the first being many years ago with young children, so we were excited to be returning to an adults-only hotel on AI board. The hotel facilities were excellent and the staff were so helpful and friendly. We were always greeted with a smile and any queries we had were dealt with efficiently and promptly. We particularly enjoyed the behind the scenes tour with the assistant manager and it was fascinating to see the effort that goes on out of sight to make the hotel run so smoothly. The areas that stood out for us were: Food – huge choice, very tasty and good quality, we always found the food to be at a good temperature. Desserts were fantastic (and so were the soups, salads and main courses too ….) The al la carte meal was delightful and we also enjoyed the BBQ. Rooms – huge bed, powerful shower at a constant temperature and lots of wardrobe/ cupboard space. Used the app to order the bathrobes and slippers which were delivered to the room the same afternoon. Balcony overlooked the tennis court with a partial sea view and was very peaceful. Staff – always polite, efficient and friendly, from the cleaning staff to the assistant manager. They are a real asset to the hotel. Tennis court – we used this most mornings while the court was still in the shade. The surface was in great condition and was lovely to play on. You need to book the court via the app, and reception will loan you racquets and balls if you don’t have your own with you. Pica Pau pool bar – we didn’t actually stay around the pool area as the fabulous huge beach was just a short walk away, but we had to mention this for the ‘grab and go’ facility which we used most days. A big thanks to Sonya in here who patiently explained how things worked and looked after us with fresh tasty sandwiches, fresh fruit, fruit juice and bottled water from the fridges to take with us. We did occasionally help ourselves to the delicious ice cream on our return from the beach, which was also available here. I did try one of the gym classes (spin for beginners) which was well run, but soon realised I was not as fit as I needed to be! We had a lovely two week stay here and have already booked to return next year to celebrate a big birthday. Can’t wait!