Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Rua Mouzinho de Albuquerque Areias de São João, Albufeira 8200-356 Portugal
Name/address in local language
Vila Petra
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Vila Petra garners praise for its tranquil and welcoming atmosphere, complete with engaging themed nights, although a few guests find the pool music lacking in variety. The staff's friendly and diligent service contributes to the hotel's cleanliness and overall excellent guest experience. While the spacious and well-appointed rooms are a hit, the occasional dated decor and noise are noted.
The hotel's amenities, including its pristine pools and comprehensive facilities, are widely appreciated. Set in a convenient location near the vibrant Strip and serene spots, Vila Petra offers a good value stay, despite some remarks about the cost of poolside beverages.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Noise level
Quiet
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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We stayed 6 nights at room 122 for new year's day which was a one bedroom apartment. I wanted to change to 2 bedrooms but they were fully booked. On arrival, we noticed bathroom sink was leaking and fridge door wasn't shutting however staff sent maintenance pretty fast. Checking in was seamless, room was very clean. Towels were changed daily. Unless you go to pool everyday, no need to hire pool towels which was €20 deposit and €2 per towel to use. Indoor pool wasn't too busy. Outdoor pool was immaculate, actually the whole hotel grounds were looked after well. Sofa bed was bit uncomfortable but that's what happens when you sleep on sofa bed...it's never comfy! Kitchen has almost everything you need to cook for few nights. You will need to get dish washer tablets if you are using kitchen as there's none to start with. On site market was bit of letdown but a local Aldi is 5 mins walk. Uber is the easiest way to go around the town, although walk to nearest food court is only 20 mins. We didn't use their restaurants on site as 'sexy meat' restaurant which is 5 mins had one of the best steaks we 've ever had. Even weeknights they are busy, so book your table on Google. Some said staff were rude but we didn't think so for 2 dinners we had. Overall, quiet location close to The Strip(not recommended for little children), if we find good deals with easy jet holiday, will return in winter to get sunshine.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Jan 15, 2025
Dear Guest, thank you so much for taking the time to give us your comments and review. All points will be shared with the team who, will be happy to hear you had a great time and will be back to get more sunshine. We look forward to seeing you again and wish you a fantastic 2025. kind regards
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Visited October half term, 2 adults, 2 teens aged 16. Booked 1 bedroom apartment with pool view. First impressions... This is a large hotel which is spread out in blocks but manages to feel welcoming. Staff greeting lovely and helpful and quick check in. Room: 1 bed with doors leading onto balcony, ample wardrobe, bedside tables and console. Bathroom with large walk in shower, wc & bidet, storage and plenty of toilets. Main living area is huge with 2 large sofa beds (with proper mattresses) table & chairs, console, tables and storage - patio door leading to balcony. Kitchen had everything you could possibly need for a self catering holiday including dishwasher, fridge, microwave, toaster, kettle etc. They even had a tea service and tablecloths. Beds were comfortable but I suffer with my back so asked for a mattress topper and this was sorted straight away. Rooms cleaned every day if you requested. Bars/Restaurants : There is a snack bar on the lower level next to the indoor pool, a bar on the ground floor open in the evening along with an A la carte restaurant and a further restaurant on the lower level but this was not open in October/November. We ate at the snack bar which was good value and they do daily offers, the restaurant had a good menu but we did not indulge and the evening bar offers a happy hour, plus there was entertainment each evening such as quiz, kareoke. Pools: There are 2 outdoor pools ( one large & a toddler pool) both have ample sun loungers and the grounds around the pools are immaculate. Whilst not open due to out of season there is an outside bar & toilets and on the terrace outside the snack bar there is a bbq cooking area. There is a small children's area and basketball/tennis court. The indoor pool is a good size and also a jacuzzi plus loungers to relax. There is also an indoor squash court and gym. The rest : Small mini mart stocks everything including fresh bread and pastries, launderette, games room, book nook and plenty of beautiful gardens to wander around. It even has it's own plant jungle on the inside (see pic) which is a unique feature. As you can tell this hotel really has everything! It is also immaculate - so much so I tried to find a fault as it seemed so perfect but honestly I couldn't find one. The location for us was ideal - 5 mins walk to either top of strip or Santa Eulalia the other way and the Aldi, if you want the old town it's about 5 mins in a taxi ( I used Bolt). There are a couple of little shops and restaurants right near the hotel also.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Parking available outside.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Nov 10, 2024
Dear Nicole P WOW! thank you for such a fantastic review. This feedback motivates us to keep raising the bar and we can't wait to be able to welcome you back for another outstanding experience. kind regards
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We stayed here mid Aug as a family of four with 2 teenagers 18 & 15 in a (very roomy) 1 bedroom apartment S/C and can honestly say had the best 10 days at this hotel! Everything from the apartment to communal areas spotlessly clean. Cleaners came everyday which is a first for us anywhere we have stayed before. Every member of staff we had contact with were friendly and approachable. Reception staff and particularly the lady who checked us in (sorry can not remember her name) was so lovely. Bar staff in the green bar are a lovely bunch of people. We ate here on a few occasions during our holiday for steak night, Mexican & barbecue night and the food was lovely and good value for money! The entertainment team were brilliant we enjoyed watching them do their thing everyday by the pool 💃🕺 The gates to the pool are not opened until 9am so there is no getting up at the crack of dawn to reserve sunbeds even in the middle of the school summer holidays there was no sunbed wars 👌🏽 The hotel is in a great location 5 mins walk to the top of the strip, an aldi round the corner & we would get an uber to old town that only took about 5 mins at a cost of around €4. We have never returned to a hotel before but we all agreed that this would be a first and we would definitely not hesitate to book here again. Thankyou vila petra we had a blast ☀️ 🌴🍹
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Sep 7, 2024
Dear guest, Thank you, we are blown away by your review. Thank you for choosing Vila Petra. We can't wait to be able to welcome you back for another fantastic experience. kind regards
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Wow what a fantastic hotel, think it deserves 5 star not 4. The room was large and really well catered with a safe, lots of storage, dining table and colour TV with a few English news channels. The separate kitchen was modern had a full oven, hob, micro, dishwasher and plenty of cutlery, utensils, knifes and crockery/pots/glasses etc so you don't need to bring anything. We ate in a few nights or went to the strip which is a long road about 5 mins from hotel which is full of restaurants/bars. An absolute gem of place to eat is called Garfolandia - small, really friendly run by a lovely lady called Alice. The food was amazing and really good value - would highly recommend.
A 5 min walk takes you to an Aldi or 20 mins to the Continente shopping arcade which has plenty of choice.
The hotel staff were amazing, really friendly and polite. The cleaning team ensured the place is absolutely spotless, even saw them out early in the morning cleaning the loungers. The entertainments team had a good range of activity's for young and old - aqua aerobics, archery, table tennis, skittles, boules, bingo, quiz etc. The heated indoor pool was a gem on a cooler day. The outdoor pool is not heated and water is cold this time of year however once your in its okay - its getting the courage to get in that's the challenge :)
We decided to get a private taxi back to Faro, only took c. 40 mins and the front desk booked it for us. 45 euros for family of 4.
We hope to return again sometime soon - a real gem.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Nov 3, 2024
Dear guest, this review made our day and it motivates us to keep pushing forward in our standard for excellence. We look forward to welcoming you back for another outstanding experience. kind regards
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This was only a short 5-night break but we all had a fab time. The location of the hotel is very nice, just 5 minutes walk from the new town strip and only a 6 euro taxi ride to the old town. We loved the spacious room and especially the kitchen with its proper oven, hob and dishwasher. Although we ate out every night, it would have been very easy to cook a meal in there! It was very handy having a large Aldi supermarket only 5 minutes walk away! The air con worked well, we had a lovely view of the pools and could see for miles.
Cleanliness of the whole hotel was superb. We never had a problem getting a sunbed each morning. It works very well how access to the pool area does not open until 9am and prevents ridiculous sunbed reserving. It’s a shame that all hotels don’t do this.
We didn’t stay around the hotel at night, hence didn’t get to witness the evening entertainment, although I’ve heard it is very good.
There were only a few minor things that could have enhanced my experience even more, but appreciate a lot of this is personal preference!
Would have liked music playing round the pool all day, rather then just when Bellux entertainment came to announce their activities or to do aqua aerobics, etc
Prices at pool bar very expensive. You expect them to be more than supermarket prices but my daughter was charged 7 euros for a small chocolate milk which I thought was excessive!
I know the hotel can’t do anything about this and it is not their fault, but there is a cockerel on some farm land next door and our room happened to be right next to it. 7am would be fine but the cockerel started at 5am every morning! That said, it wouldn’t stop me from coming back - I would just email beforehand and request a room in a different location.
Definitely would love to return to this hotel in the future and can recommend it.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Sep 11, 2024
Dear Guest. Thank you so much for your amazing review. We are happy to hear you had such a fantastic experience with us and hope to be able to welcome you back to Vila Petra in the future. kind regards
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This hotel is absolutely fantastic, I do not have one negative thing to say about it. If you are looking for a hotel with high standards of cleanliness, fantastic facilities, great entertainment and friendly staff then look no further. It is also in the perfect location. Around a 7 minute walk to the top of the new town strip (which has a vast selection of shops and restaurants) but far enough away that you’re not disturbed by the noise. It’s also located only 10 minutes by car from the old town. Use Uber as it’s so cheap and really efficient in Portugal. An army of staff work tirelessly to ensure every part of this hotel is kept scrupulously clean and the grounds are beautiful. The fact that breakfast was included was such an added bonus too and what a fantastic breakfast it was. There was so much choice, cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurts, various types of bread and rolls, cakes and pastries, pancakes, waffles and full English. No fried eggs though (only boiled and scrambled) which are my favourite but I still had plenty to choose from and all of it was delicious. Another massive plus for this hotel is that we didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve sunbeds. The pool does not open until 9 am and there is a man that watches the area to stop people putting towels down and then going back to bed. We never had an issue getting sunbeds for our family of four unlike most other places we’ve stayed where they are all gone by 9am. The entertainment team (Bellux entertainment) work hard throughout the day and night to provide a varied selection of activities. We took part in the Mexican themed night and karaoke which was great fun. The apartment itself was without doubt the most spacious and well equipped apartment we’ve ever stayed in. The kitchen had a Bosch oven/hob and kettle, microwave, good sized fridge and a freezer that actually works as well as a dishwasher and a vast array of cooking utensils and dishes. They even provided a sponge and washing up liquid. If you wanted to cook a family meal here you would have all you need to do so and more. The bathroom was spacious and a shower cap, bath mat and decent hairdryer were provided as well as hand soap and hair/body wash. I was also very pleasantly surprised to see that there was an air-conditioning unit in both the main bedroom and the lounge area which meant that both my girls were comfortable when they slept as well. Almost all of the other hotels we have stayed in previously only provide Aircon in the main bedroom. Our balcony was also more than adequate with a table and four chairs and it had the added bonus of a poolside view and beautiful countryside. Although I’m not the type of person to go back to the same hotel every year, if I was then this would be the one I would choose.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Aug 20, 2024
Dear guest, Thank you for your 5 star review. We really appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear you had such a fantastic time with us. Your words mean a lot to our team. Just to let you know that you can ask for fried eggs,or omelets and they are made fresh :) . We do hope to be worthy of your visit again sometime in the future. kind regards
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A beautiful hotel in a central location - Vila Petra was a perfect place to stay for a week exploring Albufeira. My partner and I stayed in one of the self-catering apartments and found it to be the perfect base for our holiday; it was plenty spacious, maintained meticulously each day by the cleaning staff and felt extremely peaceful and private. We had no problems with any noise or disturbance whatsoever the whole time we stayed.
Check in was quick and straightforward - we arrived a few hours before our room was ready and were able to store our luggage in a side room (my only concern would be that this was left unlocked and with the door open) and walk 5 minutes to the main strip, and a further 10 minutes along to the beach. Our room was fully equipped with everything we might need for our stay - apart from an iron and ironing board, but this was quickly brought to our room within 10 minutes of calling down to reception.
Although we didn't spend too much time around the hotel pool, the time that we did was very relaxing. There were plenty of sunbeds available despite us not coming down from the room until late morning and the poolside never felt too overcrowded. As a couple who personally preferred spending the days on the beach and exploring the area, this hotel was located perfectly. The nearest beach is around a 15 minute walk away, there were plenty of restaurants and bars in the area surrounding the hotel (I would wholeheartedly recommend the restaurant Made in India, which is less than a 10 minute walk away, for delicious food at cheap prices) and Uber's into the Old Town and surrounding beaches were prompt and cheap - costing around €5 a journey. Despite the hotels proximity to the New Town nightlife, there was no noise or disturbance and it felt lovely and secluded.
Overall, we had a perfect week at this hotel and would definitely stay here again on any return trips to Albufeira.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Sep 25, 2024
Dear Guest Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are grateful for your words and 5 star rating and hope to be able to welcome you back to Vila <<<<<<<<<<
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As a family of 4 with 2 teenage boys we were fed up of the usual one bed apartments with sofa beds in the lounge so booked a two bed apartment. What a great choice that was as they are huge. Two decent size bedrooms, one ensuite, a very large lounge with sofa seating for at least 6, fully equipped kitchen (All new Bosch appliances) and 2 balconies. While of little use to us I must mention the ridiculous amount of storage available. There must have been enough wardrobe space for about 20 people, seemed a real waste 😂. One final thing re the room - it has a safe, ready to use and free of charge.
The pool area is very nice and brilliantly maintained. Sunbeds were available at all times during the day, such a nice change to having to get down early or arriving later and having to share beds between the family. There is a bar that is ok in terms of choice (Strawberry Daqaries are great) if a bit on the expensive side. We were a little disappointed that absolutely no inflatables or balls are allowed but understand why the rule is there. That said we did witness a dad with a small baby who was told he couldn't throw a ball to her from one foot away 🙄.
We didn't use the other hotel facilities much but the informal restaurant next to the entertainment area was reasonable and the staff all very attentive. There is a shop attached and offered the same drink choices as the pool bar but at much more reasonable prices. Bit disappointing with it's fresh pastry options but there is also a bar open for breakfast. All staff at the hotel were great and we didn't come across any of the issues covered in some recent reviews.
The location of the hotel (near the strip) means it does attract parties of young revellers and stag/hen parties. However we were never disturbed by noise and the vibe around the pool was always relaxed so young families should have no concerns. That said I would say the location of the hotel is not the best if you are not in Albufeira for the drink. However an Uber to the old town is just €4.
All in all a very good hotel and an enjoyable stay.
P.s Most of the pictures on travel agent sites really don't do the hotel and especially the pool area justice.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Jul 31, 2024
Dear guest, Thank you for sharing your rating with us and for leaving such a great review. This is much appreciated and we will be sharing this with the team. We hope to be able to welcome you back to Vila Petra in the future. kind regards
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Just got back from a week's holiday in Vila Petra with our 17 month old and older child. Pro's- We stayed in a 1 bedroom ground floor apartment which was massive, had everything you could possibly need for a self catering holiday and it was spotlessly clean (the cleaners do a fantastic job). Staff on the whole were helpful. ALDI only a short walk away which was very handy. Far enough away from the strip to not hear the loud music at night too. The Pool was good and they have a lovely baby pool. Con's- Drinks at the pool bar are pricey. No floats or balls allowed in the pool, which I feel let's it down, especially as its a family hotel and children like to have these when on holiday. Our main issue was the soundproofing. A few nights we had issues with groups coming back early hours in the morning and it literally sounded like they were in the room with us. We could hear everything, word for word from the apartment above until 5-6am, even their toilet flushing and their footsteps on the floor above us. Unfortunately they woke us and our 17month old up a few nights we were there, it wasnt just a one off incident. It did put a big dampener on our much needed relaxing family holiday that we worked so hard to pay for. All for having fun on holiday but no sleep when on holiday with a baby is no joke. Please consider that there are young families in this hotel and maybe rethink where you allocate rooms to the group bookings. Such a shame because if it wasn't for these issues we would have definitely returned in the future.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Jul 7, 2024
Dear guest, Thank you for your review. Your comments are much appreciated and will be shared with the team. kind regards
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We're just back from Vila Petra and wished we could stay longer. I'm just shocked reading the bad reviews but the guests that left them must have been extremely out of order as you'd never see or hear any sort of trouble or any sign of the security team.
Hotel staff are very pleasant and welcoming. Table service at the terrace and stone bar is great but can be a bit slow in the evening especially when busy but when you're on holiday you're not in any mad rush.
The apartment we stayed in was spacious and clean, great kitchen facilities and I don't even think we used the TV once which is a first for our family. The bathroom is lovely and great big counter top however the shower is not great at all. It's mounted onto the side wall of the bath instead of at the top so you don't have that much space to wash and the pressure isn't at all that great. I believe it would be better to remove the bath and put in a stand alone shower unit. The bedroom was spacious and the aircon was a welcome addition on the nights when it was over 25 degrees at night. They are only two twin beds and they're not the most comfortable for what is a 4 star complex. It would be great if some of the rooms could have a double instead or at least ones where the wheels could have brakes installed.
Pool area is fantastic, there's never any shortage of sunbeds, and there's little to no messing around the poolside despite there not being a lifeguard. Word of warning to any potential customers - read the rules around the pool because you will be told about the use of balls and inflatibles as both are prohibited. Indoor pool is a great addition especially when the weather gets too hot outside. The gym is fairly basic but great to have the use of. There's a playground and multi-use court, suitable for tennis, basketball and football.
Last but not least, Vila Petra wouldn't be anything special if it wasn't for the wonderful Bellux Entertainment. Their wide range of activities throughout the day and in the evening and the kids club made our time at Vila Petra a great experience. Many thanks to Ana, Mariela, Linda, David, Adrian & Mari who were great to get patrons up out of their sunloungers and get active and meet other guests.
We will be back Vila Petra - we cannot wait.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Aldi literally down the road
Handy snack bar across from the hotel - coffee for less than 2...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Isabel Pereira, Guest Services / Front Office at Vila Petra
Responded Jun 2, 2024
Dear guest Thank you so much for taking the time to give us your comments and reviews. We are happy to hear you had such a great time with us and do hope to be able to welcome you back here in the near future. kind regards
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There are more places to choose from in the Albufeira area.
PRICE RANGE
C$171 - C$270 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
vila petra aparthotel hotel albufeira
LOCATION
PortugalAlgarveFaro DistrictAlbufeira
NUMBER OF ROOMS
141
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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