Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Algarve

Perfeito

I’m currently staying at the Pine cliffs Ocean suites. Just wanted to share my experience at breakfast this morning. And I hope that others won’t experience the same hospitality and treatment in the future. We went to breakfast this morning and wanted to sit outside in the shade. We asked the hostess if we could sit in the shade and she said no. Instead she gave us a table in direct sun even though there were half a dozen tables available. No problem. Within seconds she seats other guests down at those exact tables in the shade. No problem perhaps she thinks we don’t deserve those tables. So about ten minutes in, I’ve picked up a few items from the buffet and my coffee. I still see other tables empty so I decided to move to a table in the shade. As it is breakfast buffet and it’s low season on a Tuesday morning, occupancy is rather low and breakfast isn’t as busy. The hostess then comes over splits the table for 4 into twos and tells me she will clean the table. I said okay sure thinking she will clean the other table she just separated (even though both tables were clean). She then comes over with a bottle of disinfectant( even though I’ve watched her clean the other tables with nothing but a piece of tissue). Begins to spray my table with disinfectant. It’s all over our food. Our drinks. Our clothes. Our phones. My wife’s handbag. So my wife hurries to move the food and coffee to the table next to us. She then turns around and sprays our food again with DISINFECTANT! My wife ask her what she is doing. She replies by screaming “I NEED TO CLEAN TABLE”. My wife asked her why she’s spraying our food with disinfectant and her response was “YOU WANT TO CHANGE TABLE YOU NEED TO ASK ME” and then sprays the disinfectant directly into our coffees. So at this point we understood she was doing this intentionally simply because we didn’t want to sit in the direct hot sun for the entirety of our breakfast. So naturally the entire restaurant is now observing the situation. Our response was that we’d like to speak to a manager. She replied “You want manager? No manager now. You have to wait for manager. You want to complain? Here is my name (shows us her name tag). Complain”. As former ambassador and current titanium elite. My wife was shocked and shaken by the situation. Never in the 15 years of us traveling around the world and staying over 600 nights at Marriott have we ever experienced something like this. We have never met or spoken to this women. We have never had any interaction with her. We have no idea why she did what she did. But I do believe under no circumstances should you ever spray disinfectant at your guests and their food.

Been holidaying at Pine Cliffs for over 25 years and most often twice a year! Our first holidays at the Resort were in the original hotel which we loved but nowadays we really enjoy the Ocean Suites which are fabulous. We like having an apartment which suits our needs better when we stay for longer periods. The staff are so helpful and we have got to know many of them over the years and when we return it is like catching up with old friends. The Resort is immaculate with beautiful grounds and great facilities to suit everyone. We particularly enjoy the 9 hole golf course! The stunning Mirador cliff top bar is a great place for pre dinner drinks with amazing sunsets. Can’t wait to visit again in May.

We have been fortunate to have a good few holidays at Pine Cliffs over the past few years and it never disappoints. All the staff are so welcoming and friendly and the service in the hotel and in all the restaurants is excellent. We love the golf course and once again the staff at the Clubhouse and the Golf Restaurant are great too and all go the extra mile to make sure our holiday experience is the best possible. This is by far our favourite holiday hotel and we can't wait to go back again in May!!

Our second time in the Algarve and so pleased to have stayed at the pretty Pine Cliffs - think comfort in splendid surroundings. The Ocean Suites are very well designed for privacy and functionality. The kitchen and living room are so gorgeous and perfectly equipped (there is everything you need). So we opt out of breakfast, as it was very easy and only a short morning walk to the nearest shops for fruits and snacks for the children. There is a pool a few steps away from your Ocean Suite. If you stay at the OS you have free access to the spa which is lovely too. We prefer the sea though - and Praia da Falesia is absolutely stunning - it reminded me of Brazil with fun waves and golden sands. In February the sea is cold ( and so clean!) but not a problem for us as we are big fans of cold water. Just wished they had more options on their Beach Restaurant bar menu. The walk to the beach is easy offering a beautiful view of the falesias. My recommendation is to read the website to understand the difference between the residence/Ocean suites and the hotel. The resort has plenty to offer in an elegant relaxing way and their service was really good. You know when you arrive at your hotel room for the first day and everything is spotted on? Everyday, the cleaners were so good that it felt like we had just arrived - the bed, bathroom, kitchen everywhere was organised as if it was our first day there. We dined at the Pescador most of the nights and the food was amazing. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. We ventured out to Olhos d'agua once but most restaurants are closed in February. We hope to come back next year. Have a good season!