swempo80
Google
Just returned from a fantastic 9 nights at Octant Vila Monte. From the moment we arrived we knew we were in for a treat here. The always helpful reception staff greeted us with a cool drink and immediately offered to collect our luggage from our hire car. |There is something very special about this hotel and its staff. It is very high end, but not stuffy in any way.|Service was outstanding across the whole hotel, and we were always greeted with a friendly smile. Nothing was ever too much trouble, whether it was helping to arrange a birdwatching photography trip to Rio Formosa or a massage for our 8 year old (lol).|The hotel itself is beautifully designed, from the stunning lobby, restaurants and vast grounds (watching turtles in the lake was fun!), through to the Junior suite we had too (and the outrageous Indigo villa, which we went for a tour round too... wow). Our room was a good size, clean, good strength shower, lovely light.|We had planned to do a little travelling during our holiday, however the stunning family pool was too tempting, and we spent most days lazing and paddling, often sipping delicious cocktails (or tasty fresh lollies) from the pool bar. We've often ended up with freezing pools on holiday - but this was absolutely spot on, and heated. There was a second adult pool, which we didn't use, but it looked lovely too. |I hired the incredibly knowledgable and lovely Luiz for a birdwatching walk at Rio Formosa during a sunrise - it was a brilliant experience, and one I would recommend. We also went for a picnic morning at the sandbank just off the coast - great fun having a swim in the Atlantic! My wife went for a massage with Anna, and she loved it. She also went for the shamanic voyage, which she thought was fantastic too.|Food was always delicious. The breakfast buffet was vast, with a range of fresh juices, many pastries and large range of other items - all delicious, alongside eggs (however you want them cooked). We ate lunch and dinner at the hotel every day of our stay, and it was always a treat. There was a kids menu, and our son loved it - chicken, fish, pasta, pizza, all the usual favourites. He also made good use of their wide range of mocktails (often dwarfing him once they arrived). We loved the meat - the chef cooked this to perfect, and we sampled pretty much everything on the menu during our stay. I highly recommend the charcoal grilled pork, lemon roast chicken and the T-bone steak... They know how to cook a steak here. Salads are great too. Their selection of wine is fantastic. Staff at the restaurant were just lovely, and it was pretty sad saying goodbye to them all at the end of our stay! A special mention to Olympia and Siciliano in the restaurant, the pool bar staff and actually, many more - they were all so nice!|Wifi was very good. We worked a little and the connection speed was spot on.|Honestly, I cannot think of anything negative in any way. Perhaps the price of food, it was not cheap, but then we could always just eat out if we wanted. It's only 30 mins from Faro and even closer to other places.|Everything was just so easy here, it is everything you could want in a hotel.