Pine Cliffs Residence, a Luxury Collection Resort, Algarve

This resort is far from the 5-star experience it claims to offer. The staff throughout are generally unhelpful and appear unhappy to be there. Our room had a persistent ant problem that was never properly addressed, despite asking multiple times each day. When we raised the issue at reception, we were told that ants in the rooms were "normal" — which was baffling. Dining across the resort was a disappointment: the restaurants are overpriced, serve very small portions, and the food itself ranges from average to poor in taste. There are no warm pools available — something you'd reasonably expect at a resort of this supposed caliber. Most of the sun loungers are basic, uncomfortable blue plastic ones. Only one pool had cushioned loungers, which felt like a tease more than a feature. Service across the resort is lacking. There’s no clear guidance on activities, no one proactively offering help or information. You have to track down each booking location yourself, only to find that most activities are already fully booked. And almost everything is an added cost — for example, an hour of padel tennis for two people was €60. The layout of the resort is inconvenient. It takes around 30 minutes on foot (without kids in tow) to walk from the residences to the beach or hotel lift, due to the golf course layout. The gym is stuffy, dated, and poorly equipped — a single cramped room without much thought to design or extra features you’d expect from a 5-star property. We were especially disappointed with the spa. After hearing such glowing reviews, we were excited to book treatments, only to be met with cold, dismissive staff at the spa reception. When we asked for a treatment menu, we were told bluntly, “No,” and told to look it up online ourselves — no guidance or warmth whatsoever. This unhelpful and unfriendly attitude was present throughout the resort, including at check-in. While we did get an early check-in (which we appreciated), it was delivered in such a negative, begrudging manner by the receptionist that it completely tainted the interaction. Every request felt like an inconvenience to the staff. In short, we wouldn’t recommend this resort. If you’re looking for an overpriced, underwhelming stay with poor service, average food, and few comforts, this might be for you. But for us, it felt like we paid a 5-star price for a 3-star experience — and we’re leaving feeling more disappointed than relaxed.

A Comfortable, Family-Friendly Stay at Pine Cliffs — with a Thoughtful Birthday Surprise We stayed at Pine Cliffs Residence during my birthday, and it turned out to be one of our most pleasant and relaxing family stays in Portugal. The residence-style room was exceptionally spacious, with two bedrooms, a full living area, and even a crib prepared in advance. It made traveling with a young child easy and comfortable — we never felt cramped. The surroundings were quiet and green, perfect for morning walks or just relaxing on the terrace. Our child especially enjoyed the indoor pool and whirlpool, which were clean and warm — ideal for families. Also lovely touches in the room made the experience feel personal and special.

As a Lifetime Platinum Elite with over 940 nights worldwide, I’ve experienced the full range of Marriott properties and unfortunately, this Luxury Collection stay was one of the most disappointing. There was no acknowledgment of status and the check-in process took over 30 minutes. Reception doesn’t even open until 8am. Service was consistently slow. Prices on-site were excessive: €47 for a simple steak, €24 for a Margherita pizza. Children’s “activities” are clearly profit-driven - for example, putting an animal prop on a child’s head, not allowing parents to take pictures and charging €15 per photo. Breakfast was included, but taking your coffee to go? That’ll be charged. The beach was overcrowded, and the cheap sunbeds and umbrellas don’t reflect Luxury Collection standards. Upon checkout, a surprise €20/day facility fee appeared for filtered water in the room and room service we never used. Days after departure, we were charged again for items we never consumed, and no signed receipt could be provided. I’ve stayed in hundreds of Marriott properties, and sadly, this one fails to meet even basic expectations let alone those of a luxury resort.

No Luxury at all! Im a Platinum Member of Bonvoy Marriott, so I spend more than 80 nights per year in hotels and this is a Vacation resort not a luxury hotel!! Lets begin... no adult pool, the front desk CLOSE at 11:00 pm if you need anything, good luck... The beach lounge is 150 euros per day per person,, the free ones are not enough for the guests, I had to go early in the morning to save a place to even sit down!! Rooms, the beds are awful, hard and sheets are cheap, they are so basic that the bathroom is inside the room divided by a glass... no privacy at all, not even for the WC. The food of the hotel is mediocre. The smell and appearance in the lobby and hallways of the hotel is like a Hospital.. ( look the pictures) The price/Value awful. I will never come back and I would not recommend this place to someone looking for a high standard hotel. If you want a Family Vacation resort, is perfect for you.

This is not a 5 star or luxury hotel by any objective standards and I’m really surprised and disappointed by Condé Nast Traveller for listing it among best hotels or luxury hotels in Portugal. This is 4 star hotel, at best and only if you know in which part to book and which pool to use. Restaurants and food overall is 3 star - bland, poor quality and variability, yet highly overpriced. Breakfast is a special standout- worst breakfast we had in any hotel! It is a pity because Portugal has great food, not here. Then location is not ideal if you want on daily basis to reach better external beaches or restaurants, which are plenty in the broader area but everything nice is 20-25 min drive. Main pools - dirty and overcrowded, bad smell. All hotel facilities and common areas with heavy smell of cleaning products. Beach is heavily eroded and currently has tiny sand area, overcrowded and you need to arrive very early to get a hotel bed. Kids club, arcade, mini golf is good for kids and the only standout feature. Rooms are ok, for 4 star hotel. Overall 4 star experience with bad overpriced food and pool and beach which are not great. Forgot to mention - check your bill at checkout as we had 700 EUR added for two dinners of other guests under our room. We had to argue it was not us and compare signature for the staff to acknowledge and remove it from our bill.

A huge resort on an oceanfront area spreading out quite far from one side of the resort to the other but I enjoyed the walk around! The ocean and cliffs in front are spectacular! The rings are very comfortable and they have units with multiple bedrooms.

Our family spent 6 days at Pine Cliffs in the Algarve. We are so glad we selected this resort. From the early arrival to the late check out and the now famous power outage we were able to enjoy our stay immensely. We will plan another holiday there for sure.

A piece of heaven on earth! Beautiful property, with pine trees above cliffs, leading down to the beach. There is a good walking or jogging track, golf facilities, good restaurants and a game room. The walkways to the beach are accessible by stair or elevator. The beach itself is endless in each direction, with fine soft sand. You need to be prepared to pay separately for everything, and it is expensive. As long as you are prepared for that, you will not be disappointed. The rooms are in excellent condition, with a good kitchen and fridge. With plenty of supermarkets nearby, you can also prepare your own food.