Isla Cristina Palace

Very spacious and somewhat secluded hotel where you can come to rest. September 2026 Okay, (TLDR) a wonderful somewhat secluded hotel where you can relax. I promised myself to be brutally honest and comprehensive, so here we go: Lying: The hotel is 15km from the border with Portugal, which you reach via a winding highway. At 1 o'clock at Faro airport. I had planned to cross the Algarve, so in terms of location this was not optimal for me. A trip to Sagres takes about 2h15, Carvoeiro 1.5h. But due to circumstances, I ended up staying several days in this gigantic hotel. The beach is close, very wide and long, so there is enough space for everyone and on most days in September it is already pleasantly quiet. The photos here are from before a small renovation, by the way. So no children's pool and other sunbeds. The restaurant: I had bed and breakfast and used the evening buffet for a few days for an extra charge. I cannot talk over lunch. (Note: Spain and Portugal are not ideal regions for vegetarians, and the hotel came in handy because in the wider region, there is really no substantial lunch or dinner to be found outside of the classic veggie burger and pizza. (salad with tomatoes counts as an appetizer for me). The hotel offered different options daily, and for 40 euros for the evening buffet, this was still a reasonable deal. But I'll be honest, so also the downsides: - once the pasta was so undercooked that it was still crunchy. - breakfast cakes are of moderate quality - good illy coffee at the pool bar, but instant coffee at breakfast is incomprehensible for a coffee lover - Warming trays would not be a bad idea, because the buffet is so large that your food is sometimes lukewarm by the time you sit down at the table. For meat and fish eaters, there is a much larger and more varied selection of fresh fish, grilled meat, sushi, local specialties, etc. There seems to be enough variety, but I cannot speak about the quality. However, I do feel sorry for the staff who 'prepared breakfast in the morning. They are clearly understaffed (sometimes only 1 person), so not everything is available for the early birds at the opening time of 7:30. However, many will not notice for clear reasons. :-) When you ask to go out, you can also ask for a picnic basket. Very complete: 3 pieces of fruit, salad, sandwiches, bottle of water, and something sweet. What else do you want? The rooms: very spacious, slightly dated but certainly still okay (given the age of the hotel). Daily cleaned but sometimes still a greasy floor. Spacious wardrobe, desk, good air conditioning and very spacious bathroom with separate shower, bath and toilet. Downside here: the beds are as hard as an average yoga mat on a concrete floor and the pillows are loosely filled covers. That can be better! The staff: Extremely helpful and 24/7 available. An extra shout-out to Simona who helped me with translation in a situation I never would have gotten out of myself, but the others were also always ready to help with small inconveniences. The swimming pool: For the athletes, the very nice swimming pool is I think 25m long, so lanes can be drawn here just fine! Many sun loungers, although putting a towel here is also a sport. No screaming animation during the day, but peace. The bar: Both the pool bar and the regular bar are equipped with competent bartenders. Tibeau Courtois also works there as a bartender, or is that a lookalike. The cocktails are okay, but like in many hotels, they aren't really strong. Tinto de verano was a refreshing surprise and the local beer. The roasted vegetable sandwich, sorry, but that was disappointing. The pizza was more than okay. The entertainment: Almost every evening there is something in terms of performance. From regional to vocal, R&B/Soul to Rock, and all of a good level. However, it is dead silent until 11 pm. Spa: Up to 2x use of a targeted massage: The first was top level physiotherapist. The second one was somewhat lost in translation because I couldn't speak Spanish but it was also definitely okay. Large relaxing spaces and indoor pool. So, I hope someone has something about it. Thanks to everyone at the hotel. Everything together a recommendation! At the best hotels I have ever seen.

Danny Huytink 2 reviews·3 photos 23 hours ago New Couple They come here annually since 2023. Service and friendliness of staff top. If you like peace and relaxation, all the positive messages below are true. Definitely 5 stars, minus 2 points. First point: during our stay now (we are still here) it is noticeable that this year for the first time there are people with inflatable air beds, tires, balls, etc., while this is not allowed according to policy. Second and most important point .. lay a towel. Between approximately 8:30 and 9:30, approximately 60% of the beds are already reserved, although this is also not allowed according to policy. I asked the reception, the answer is... towels are collected around 9 o'clock. We have been here since Sunday, and every day beds are reserved and we haven't seen a single day they are removed.. I even offered a possible solution, but see no change, unfortunately. This problem gets bigger every year. We will then go to the little beach where you indeed pay for a bed. Animation every evening, the quality in 2026 is less than in previous years. If one really goes after the towel, they will see us again.

After my stay, I consider that the hotel is far from the level I expect from a 5-star hotel. The first thing I think future guests should know is that you have to be careful with the "all-inclusive" concept, because it doesn't actually mean everything is included. There are certain food and drink items with a surcharge, parking is paid, and beach loungers are as well. The most concerning thing was precisely this last point. Before using them, I asked the hotel directly via WhatsApp how much they cost for all-inclusive guests, and they replied in writing that 2 loungers + 1 umbrella cost €9. At check-out, they charged me €15. When I complained, they explained that it was €15 because it was on the beachfront, something they had never communicated to me beforehand. Even after showing the written conversation from the hotel itself, they maintained the charge. As for the food, lunch is quite weak for a hotel of this category. There is a grill prepared on the spot, but to avoid waits, the meat sometimes ends up being raw or too undercooked. The desserts have little variety and their quality could be improved. The breakfast also seemed to have little variety in pastries to me. It is surprising that there are no simple options like a chocolate croissant or a pain au chocolat. The drinks are another negative point: they are offered as “100% natural detox juices,” but they are packaged products, and the overall quality of the drinks seemed quite low to me. The rooms are spacious, but the decor is dated. I would rate the cleanliness at approximately a 7/10. Another impractical aspect is that guests do not wear an identification wristband, so you always have to carry a card to be able to consume or use certain services. I also consider it important to mention that, when something has an additional cost, the customer is not always informed before using it, which can lead to unpleasant surprises at the time of check-out. The positive side Not everything was negative. The rooms are spacious and there are quite a few free amenities: toothbrush and toothpaste, nail file, Gillette, cotton pads, and slippers. In addition, the free bicycles for one day are a very positive touch and a good way to see the surrounding area. In summary: the hotel has good aspects, but, in my experience, the quality of the food, the drinks, the transparency of the “all-inclusive,” the surcharges, and certain service details are not up to what I expected from a 5-star hotel. If you are going to book, I recommend asking beforehand what is actually included and what all the surcharges are, especially at the beach.