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Rua Das Corais, Sesmarias, Albufeira 8200-613 Portugal
Name/address in local language
Kimpton Atlântico Algarve, An Ihg Hotel
4 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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The Kimpton Atlântico Algarve, an IHG Hotel, garners mixed reviews; it's lauded for its proximity to picturesque beaches and a bustling marina, and guests enjoy its spacious rooms. However, some visitors express dissatisfaction with the value, citing steep prices for food and services that don't meet expectations.
While the amenities and breakfast variety receive praise, the additional costs and sporadic service quality draw criticism. The atmosphere is often described as lacking vibrancy, and despite the general cleanliness, there are concerns over room upkeep.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Uninspiring
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Detailed Reviews
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The hotel is normal for a 5 star. I will talk about the room that was assigned to us, which was 216, it is located down the elevator and be careful because although the photos on the hotel website show that all the rooms have a balcony with glass, we had a balcony but with everything cement with which you couldn't see anything. The theme of the room is good, although it has deficiencies for a 5-star hotel. The mattress that each one will have an opinion on is soft and every time one moves the other notices it. You have only 2 free Nespresso capsules per day for 2 people, from the third one you want to take you must pay €3/capsule, I understand the hotel's policy, but for a 5-star hotel they could go further and leave more capsules free. They give you bathrobes, but we don't know why every day of the 4 we were there we never had the 2 bathrobes from the first day. The water pressure was not good, the telephone shower barely had pressure and you had to shower with the rain shower. The room was warm and the windows were huge and closed tightly with no problems. Breakfast is made on the 2nd floor but in another building, the first day it is difficult to find your way, then it is easy. Its hours are from 730 to 1030 and you have everything, but for a 5-star hotel it has small flaws such as the hot products, which were hot on some days and not on other days, without knowing why. Sometimes both the fruit and the ham that they put were a little damaged, they didn't look fresh. The restaurant is huge but there is a lot of noise due to the chairs that do not have heels and every time you move them you can hear it throughout the restaurant. Pool and SPA theme. We didn't use the spa but its price for 3 hours was €10. The pool, being a 5-star hotel and located very far from the center, had very short hours, it started at 10am and ended at 7pm. If you go at the last minute, be careful because it gets full of people, in our case it was all children. Yes and it was a horror. The water temperature fluctuated like the heat of food without knowing why, in addition to the 2 water cannons that the pool has, only one worked, the other we do not know because it did not work during the entire stay. It should have more hours, the same as the gym that closed at 7 p.m. Otherwise everything was fine but for a 5-star hotel it has flaws, such as the humidity in the hallway that was in our area where we were staying, there was a lack of maintenance.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Cuidado con el tema de las habitaciones, y con los balcones porque aparecen que son de cristal y...
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.
We stayed here for a week with 2 children (7 & 9) during the last week of the summer holidays. There are a variety of reviews on here, some bad, which I wanted to come on here and give my honest opinion.
I thought the hotel was lovely, clean, and the hotel staff were very welcoming. The grounds are really well maintained and the pool area is lovely. Paint colours and carpet colours may not be to everyone’s taste, but this certainly doesn’t dictate the enjoyment of our holiday! Some reviews mention a lack of atmosphere, if you like music and entertainment around the pool then you will be disappointed, however we didn’t mind this too much. The pools were a little cold, but it didn’t stop our girls spending all day in the pool, coming out every so often to warm up, we also didn’t mind too much and were able to spend plenty of time in the pool with the children. There is a lovely walk way down to the beach with a restaurant and on our last day we enjoyed watching the sunrise just above the beach.
Food - We stayed half board and the food was of a great quality. Something for everyone at breakfast with an omelette station, choice of continental, fry up, fruit and pancakes/waffles with lots of toppings to choose from. We had a few lunches at the pool bar, and thought the food was really good here. For dinner, there was enough to choose from for the children, and plenty of choices for everyone, including vegetarians. The desserts were great as well, a selection of 5/6 choices all of really good quality. Food was always warm, as warm as can be expected for a buffet. Compared to many hotels we have stayed at, I though the quality and selection was great.
Staff - The staff are all wonderful, helpful and hard working. I wish I had noted names to recognise them individually, but I would say 95% were all great and it would be hard to name everyone. We really enjoyed cocktails at the roof bar, it was a lovely setting and most days there was live music, which we all really enjoyed.
Room - We stayed in a suite, which as a family of 4 gave us ample of space which we appreciated. The views were mostly of the pool, but you could just about get a glimpse of the sea too. When we arrived only 1 spare bed had been made up, which upon calling reception was quickly resolved for us. We received a complimentary bottle of water in our room which was very much appreciated, however this was hit and miss as to whether it would be replenished every day or not.
Housekeeping - The only area I felt let the stay down slightly was when the rooms were cleaned the dirty glasses were never taken away, or replenished. We ended up having to leave them on the floor by the door in order for them to be taken away, we would also sometimes receive a complimentary bottle of water but with no drinking glasses. On another occasion we were not left enough towels, and the floor hadn’t been cleaned, but as I said this was the only thing we felt was maybe not up to standard of the rest of the hotel.
Location – there is a lovely marina nearby with plenty of restaurants, where you can also get boat trips. Old town is only a 5 minute drive away too.
Overall we really enjoyed our stay, thank you.
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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.
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The hotel as such is not bad at all, although for a 5-star hotel, several points could be improved, but oh well. The reception is very nice, but for a 5-star hotel and being at half throttle, if you arrive at 1:30 p.m., the room could have been delivered. It is true that the day we left, around 10:30 a couple was given the room. The room, be careful, because on the website the rooms appear with a glass balcony and for us, at least on the second floor, they gave us the balcony with a wall, instead of glass. The room is spacious, with the shower and toilet separate and the sink also independent. There is a refrigerator, kettle and capsule coffee, but they charge you for the second capsule, and that in a 5-star hotel and not having anything around the hotel, well, it is a bit unfavorable. The TV sensor was down and you could barely change the channel, and those details for a 5 star, well, well The breakfast was good, organized, with cut fruit, various types of coffee, breads, sweets, sausages, which sometimes were a bit of low quality. There are hollow hot products, balloons... which were always cold, but hey, it's another point against a 5-star hotel. At no time do the allergens come written down, so you have to ask, a bit of a hassle. The pool and spa area is spacious, what is not so extensive is the hours, which closed at 7 in the afternoon. A 5-star hotel, with nothing around it, that the pool area closes at 7 in the afternoon, in my opinion, seems lacking. The facilities and gardens are good but people can sneak in as there is no security at all. In fact, there was a boy in a caravan, with 3 hounds, and the dogs were sneaking into the garden and no one did anything, not the people in charge of the hotel, not the owner of the dogs. In my opinion I would not repeat.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Si os Dan las habitaciones de la planta 2, los balcones no tienen cristal y. O se ve nada, ya que...
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.
The hotel has been sold and will be closed in November, so the staff are demotivated. No Help center was offered on arrival - the Bellboy stood next to the reception and watched us. We stood 10 minutes without attention at the reception, three employees were busy selling trips. There was no adequate welcome as you might expect in a 5* category hotel. The biggest outrage, however, was the refusal of a drink. We were already on the road for many hours. Also on renewed demand for a glass of water the refusal - the pool bar would open in about 1 hour - alternatively we could still have breakfast (for 35,- € per person) An absolute cheek! The property is completely run down, repairs are only done in the absolutely necessary area. The furniture by the pool is heavily worn. Parasols are partially torn, tables broken. Cleaning the pool area is absolutely unacceptable - disgusting! Rooms are insufficiently cleaned - so it took 5 days to clear the balcony of bird droppings. Dust is hardly wiped, soap is not replenished - much is done only after complaints. The toilet flush was defective and was not repaired until departure. In the late evening around 11 p.m. the bar calls - one had left without paying, which was definitely not true an excuse for the late disruption? Unfortunately not! Restaurant: Dinner was after a relatively short time only lukewarm, the quantities delivered too large and the keeping warm insufficient. At breakfast there was always something missing, sometimes no cups, then no knives. A request for salt and pepper was answered with the remark: It's on the sideboard back there. In a 5* category hotel! Unprofessional service.
If you really want to be annoyed, this is the place for you! Have fun! Once and guaranteed NEVER again.
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Automatically translated
Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Am besten schnell vorbei fahren!
NICHT empfehlenswert!
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.
Anyone who regularly stays in a 5-star hotel will need a holiday after you've been here. Forget any form of luxury, finishing, service, friendliness, good food and drinks and then you are left with this hotel. The whole building is run down, from tattered carpets, cracked tiles and soot smears, they have it all, including cobwebs and layers of dust. The smell of the buffet is pungent in the corridors, both the breakfast and dinner buffets have substandard offerings and the quality is at the level of a gas station. The first morning we had breakfast right in front of the swinging doors of the restaurant where staff were constantly storming out, doors that were really dirty, but that is the general tone of the entire hotel. The widely praised view from their bar is the garden on one side and a wall on the other. Behind that wall there is indeed a beautiful view, but it is of little use while sitting. The cocktails are virtually alcohol-free, I rarely drink alcohol, but you can drink 5 of their cocktails in a row and still get into your car safely. Accompanied by a bowl of tough, aged nuts. The staff is anything but, they are just like the building and don't even try anymore, and to think that the Portuguese are generally very friendly. By Dutch standards this is a 3 star hotel.
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Date of stay: February 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.
From the moment we booked directly with the hotel the staff gave excellent communication. On arrival, the welcome was friendly and checkin was quick. The room booked exceeded our expectations, an inland twin 259 which was nice and quiet, the room was large with a balcony. I would choose seaview next time as I love a view. The beds were incredibley comfy with fluffy pillows. Clean towels and toiletries provided daily. The showers were hot and great pressure at anytime of day. Hairdryer wasn't great so bring your own. (Only negative) Pool towels were readily available exchange when you needed. The breakfast is plentiful, offering a huge selection of meats, breads, hot and cold buffet, omlettes, homemade delicious patisserie, huge choice of fruits, amazing fresh juices and also prosecco included. Dinner was €40pp but we didn't try. The staff throughout the hotel from reception to the bars were extremely friendly. The hotel eve bar offered amazing cocktails and bar snacks, we tried some chicken wings which were to die for and nachos with homemade guacamole, delish! We arrived on my birthday, the hotel arranged for a beautiful surprise! we were sent a cake, even candles! and a bottle of prosecco to our room, such a lovely touch to our stay. The grounds of the hotel were kept beautiful and only a short walk to the beach where you can have a drink or meal there. Independent to the hotel and charged for loungers. We hired a car as cheaper than a taxi from the airport and hotel parking was free on the main level of which we managed to park daily or there was an underground parking lot for an additional charge of €5 per day. We made the most of the car to try and experience the Algarve and visited Praia De Gale beach only 15 mins away... Incredible beach! ... No problem parking, amazing day with a couple of beach bar restaurants. We also ventured to Alvor beach but we preferred Gale!
I am sure there is more I can say.... For now... We will definitely be back! Thank you so much for a wonderful stay.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Bring a hairdryer
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.
Me and my partner spent a week at the hotel in July at our arrival our first impressions were that the hotel is beautiful and very scenic. We were on an early flight so our room was not available until 3pm. The reception staff were very accommodating and polite who then advised that they would have our room ready as soon as possible and assured us they would send the maid to clean the room so we could access the room early which they did. We booked a bed and breakfast stay. Breakfast was average however doesn’t live up to 5 star standard as I have stayed in many 5 star hotels. Around the pool is we’re the majority of your stay is spent during the day time which once again is very aesthetically pleasing but that is the only pleasing thing about the hotel is the way it looks. The pool/snack bar staff were horrendous and completely ruined our experience. Just to name a few things we ordered drinks round the pool which never showed up after waiting 45 minuets we then went to the bar and re ordered the drinks and nobody had notice that we ordered these 45 minutes ago! The price of the bar was abysmal. If I am paying €4.50 for a coke at a 5 star hotel the least I would expect is a can or glass bottle this was not the case it was in fact a family bottle of Coke getting poured into a glass. It takes 2 staff members to bring over 2 small pots of Mayonnaise and there is always 5 staff members stood at the bar and when u try and get there attention they look the other way and pretend they haven’t seen you. Everything seemed like a chore for them and their attitude reflected this. The hotel offers a dinner buffet option which is between €30-€40 euros per person as a disabled person who was having a bad day with my mobility me and my partner decided we would eat there we walked in and walked straight back out as the standard of the food was despicable I wouldn’t eat there for €5 never mind €40 therefore had no option other than to order an Uber eats. We would not recommend this hotel to anyone who is visiting Portugal and will be escalating this matter with TUI who we booked our holiday with. I am flabbergasted that this is a 5 star hotel and think this needs reconsideration.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip 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 NAU Hotels Resorts, Diretor-Geral at Kimpton Atlântico Algarve, An Ihg Hotel
Responded Aug 6, 2023
Dear guest, Thank you for selecting our Hotel Nau São Rafael Atlântico and for sharing your experience. We are very sorry to hear that your stay fell short of your expectations and we sincerely apologize. We would like to point out that this type of situation is not at all usual in our hotel. Regarding the meals served in our buffet restaurant, we always value variety and diversity, having different menus for each day of the week, so that customers can enjoy variety throughout their stay. Breakfast has more than 60 delicacies and for dinner, we have two meat dishes, two fish dishes, and the most varied side dishes, as well as simple and composed salads, several starters and also a wide range of fruits and desserts. We regret that we did not meet your expectations and will pass this feedback on to our team. Please note that we always have a customer relations manager and a service manager to ensure the satisfaction of our customers. Taking into account your comments, we will continue to make the necessary efforts to improve our services and ensure that we meet the high quality standards we set for ourselves. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on another occasion and reverse the less positive image you may have left of the Hotel. With sincere regards, The Management
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The hotel is really pretty, the exterior and the swimming pools offer a resplendent setting. The plus is access to the beach from the hotel thanks to the pontoon which offers a magnificent view of this beach. The rooms are very spacious and very well decorated. The only downside is that the maintenance of the common areas sometimes leaves something to be desired. The breakfast was very good but there was a lack of food for people who don't eat meat or pork.
The spa costs extra (10€) and many showers were under maintenance.
The staff was not very friendly (especially the welcome) or the hello was optional. The breakfast servers are very friendly.
I recommend but I consider that it is a 4* hotel + than a 5* hotel
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip 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.
Check in was seamless, room clean but dated as other reviewers noted. Hotel grounds itself are nice, a lot of maintenance jobs clearly put on the back burner, chipped doors/damaged doors etc. Shuttle into town every night is a nice touch.
Our room wasn’t turned down on our final night, the lady who did eventually come to clean our room knocked on the door well after 4pm, not very convenient and we had to pass as we were getting ready to go out.
Internet/TVs did not work at all on our final 2 nights. I did enquire and was simply told it is out of our hands. Don’t think that is of a 5* standard.
Paying an extra 10euro to avail of jacuzzi/hot tub/ sauna is very saucy and frankly a money racket.
Dining: we only availed of the breakfast buffet, it was decent, not amazing.
Staff overall friendly. Is it worth the money? No, stay in a 4* closer to town and your money would go further.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip 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.
The reviews for this hotel were so negative that I came here with very low expectations. To be fair, most of the hotels I could find in this area had horrible reviews - so much so that I came here with the last half of my trip unhooked. I figured I would check it out and play it by ear. I was pleasantly surprised when everything at the hotel was lovely! The hotel is new and the rooms are spacious. I requested the two twin beds be combined and thought it would be weird or uncomfortable but I could barely notice it wasn’t a king. I’m pretty picky about beds, but this one is very comfy with plush, down pillows. The room is so spacious it is almost suite-like, with a balcony overlooking beautiful palm trees and a garden, and a shower with water pressure that is heavenly. The room also has a coffee machine and 2 nespresso packets and a water bottle that are replenished daily. Someone from guest relations, Beatriz, left me chocolates and dessert in my room every day and texted me on WhatsApp after check in to ask if I needed anything. The handout I was given said they gym opened at 10am but I was pleasantly surprised when I could use it at 8am (and there were several others!). I picked this resort for its proximity to the beach (and I read online that the beach had a restroom and bar / restaurant). The restroom at the beach is open to the public and you can rent a chair and umbrella for 18 euro a day on the beach. The restaurant / bar has great cocktails, yummy food and descent prices. I only paid for the breakfast version of this hotel and breakfast every day was delicious. I spent the rest of the day on the beach, which is not part of the hotel. I was consistently impressed with this hotel - truly 5 stars and very reasonably priced!! So impressed that I’ve booked another stay and will be back later this week.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
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 NAU Hotels Resorts, Diretor-Geral at Kimpton Atlântico Algarve, An Ihg Hotel
Responded Oct 13, 2022
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for sharing your experience at our Hotel NAU São Rafael Atlântico. We are very pleased to note your satisfaction with our service and hotel facilities. Your satisfaction is our main focus and we are proud to see that we met your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you back in the near future. Yours sincerely, Beatriz Português Guest Relations
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Basic pool is included although limited to 20 people. Upgrade to better pool is - I think but check with them - reception speak excellent English. 10 euro
There are more places to choose from in the Sesmarias area.
PRICE RANGE
C$250 - C$566 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Nau Sao Rafael Atlantico
LOCATION
PortugalAlgarveFaro DistrictAlbufeiraSesmarias
NUMBER OF ROOMS
149
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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