reviews of sheraton pine cliffs

Reviews of the Sheraton Pine Cliffs from Tots Too guests

Review from VH, guest in July 2011: "We had a lovely holiday (except 7 hour flight delay on the way home but these things happen! At least it wasn't on the way out there).

Review from LM, guest in June 2011: "We had a lovely time thankyou...the Resort was really amazing.....apartment was great...location perfect....not overlooking the pool...but just behind..which was perfect for us as we overlooked trees and part of golf course so felt private...

from HD, May 2011: "We absolutely LOVED every minute of it. Travelling to and from couldn't have been easier (although we were a bit cheeky and upgraded to business on the way out). The apartment was gorgeous and having your own washing machine and dryer and dishwasher was immensely helpful. Everything was expertly organised by you - they knew all about us at the kids club (I even saw Rio Ferdinand there on the second to last day!)

from LT, May 2011: "We had a lovely holiday thanks, great weather (except for the first day!) & Alex loved it.  We did want to give you some feedback though, see below:

Thanks very much again"

from ML, October 2010: "We enjoyed the holiday very much – the beach was lovely and the free towels ensured we didn’t constantly have damp beach towels draped everywhere.  The staff were lovely and the apartment was huge – we found the washing machine and dryer very useful.

I think the main downside was that our youngest was borderline for a pushchair (he has not long started school and is a young 4) so we opted not to take one but wished we had as it was quite a trek for him back and forth to the beach and then back again later for dinner in the hotel (there was no restaurant open past 7pm at the residence end of the resort).  I would recommend anyone with a child in this age bracket to err on the side of caution and take a pushchair – although this is probably only at the end of the season as I think a shuttle runs at peak times.

Can I also thank you for your assistance – I’m usually the type who books it all myself directly but found your service excellent and a great time saver."

from JF, October 2010: "We had a great holiday – the weather was lovely for late October.  The accommodation was fantastic and exactly what we were looking for – it’s difficult to find somewhere which is part of a good resort but also has self catering facilities and good spacious accommodation, I don’t think I could cope if we had to stay in a hotel and all be in the same room!

We were staying in one of the garden residences, I’m so glad we went for the garden residence at it was nice for Harry to play just outside and be completely safe.  I thought the resort was beautiful and very well maintained.  The only negative in the accommodation is that the kitchen should be equipped with some children’s crockery and cutlery, luckily I packed our own plastic cups, plates and cutlery and it’s a good job as the apartment only had large glass tumblers or wine glasses.

The Residences are not located close to any of the restaurants – The Grill which is close by does not serve dinner and closes at 6.30 so we had a bit of a walk to the main hotel in the evenings, this was a problem for us but could be for some people. We cooked a couple of nights and had room service one night, this was nice but VERY expensive.

Unfortunately the swimming pools are not heated and given that it was late October they were far too cold for small children.  By the end of our week, most of the younger kids had terrible coughs and colds.  We did find another pool closer to the golf club which was slightly heated but this was still only a tiny bit warmer than the non-heated pool.  It seems that everyone else on the resort had also realised this was a slightly better pool so it tended to get very crowded here and it was a struggle to find a spot to sit.

We didn’t use the kids club but did take Harry to the park and play area which he enjoyed.  The shuttle train wasn’t running but this could be because it was low season, the resort is easy enough to get around on foot so it didn’t cause any issues for us but I guess it would be better to know in advance for people who would rely on the shuttle to get around.

We thought the food was very over-priced and the children’s menu could be improved, it was fairly basic with just pasta or fish fingers/chicken nuggets and chips.  The breakfast was very good though and well worth the 20 Euros.  I don’t know if it’s possible to book for BB but I’d do this if we stayed there again. The restaurants were under-staffed – again, this is probably due to the time of year, but the service could be very slow at times and we heard several people complaining.

The supermarket on the resort is handy for basics but not very well stocked – there is no fresh meat or fish.  We hired a car and went to the supermarket to stock up but again we couldn’t get any fresh meat or fish which was a little disappointing.

Our transfer didn’t arrive on the way home so this was a bit stressful – we only just made our flight.  The driver told us that the resort hadn’t confirmed the pickup although I’d spoken to them the evening before to confirm that everything was arranged.

Overall we had a great time and we would book again, in fact we are considering  Pine Cliffs for our Easter break, maybe we could have a chat about getting something booked?

I’ve also recommended the resort and Tots Too to most of my friends who have young families.  We will certainly book with you again – thanks so much for all of your help. Hopefully we can speak later this week and make some plans for Easter."

from EW, October 2010: "We had a great holiday, we were lucky the weather was lovely all week which obviously made it.  Pine Cliffs was fantastic for what we needed. With a 3 and 5 year old we found it easy to get round the resort and, to have the facilities it has, you have to expect to walk a bit. The beach was beautiful, the resort was very well maintained and our apartment had everything we needed and was serviced every day. The swimming pools were beautiful though very cold though one was heated (but only just!). Having towels provided everywhere for free was brilliant. We never had a problem getting somewhere to sit.

from PL, October 2010: "We had a fabulous time. The resort was lovely. Happy to give feed back.

Villa was really clean and tidy, and the daily maid service was brilliant. It had a well kitted out kitchen with all mod cons - Washer/Dryer, Dish Washer, Oven, Microwave - all good quality. The rooms were a good size and were nicely decorated but not plush. The only down side being that it was quite open plan and hard floors, so quite noisy and also difficult with the 2 toddlers as there were a few steps to the lounge area, and a flight of steps to the upstairs bedroom from the lounge with no doors, which proved a bit of a nightmare and we ended up having to position chairs in front of them to stop the little ones, stair gates would have been a huge help. The double doors in all the downstairs rooms to the outside were also a pain as they were not lockable and the kid’s could open them.

Garden and pool kept clean and tidy, but the garden was not secure and the pool which was a godsend being gated, was not usable as not heated and far too cold, also the shallow end was quite deep, far too deep for children. We didn’t use it at all, which was a real shame.

Good facilities in the resort though not all open as slightly out of season. The heated indoor was great but you had to wear swimming hats. The outdoor heated was also great and the baby pools a great hit. The pools in the Kid’s play area were not in use.

The Kid’s club looked great but as out of season was very quiet so we didn’t use it, although we did take the kids in there to play.

The beach was lovely but the steps down made it a bit of a hike with the prams/kids etc so we only did it once. Although the restaurant there was lovely.

There was a great super market just outside the resort but we did find that milk and meat were really hard to get."

from KH, September 2010: "We had a really lovely stay at the Sheraton Pine Cliffs . The accommodation was very good and the kid's club was excellent & the kids had a lovely time there.

from SB, September 2010: "We had a fantastic time at Pine Cliffs , the residences are great and the overall resort is excellent particularly for us with two toddlers – we will definitely look to travel there again.  The Porto Pirata area with bouncy castle, pirate galleons, mini-golf, and playground had an almost daily visit from us!  The pools were great, with good kids pools and safe stepped areas on the larger pools.  The only criticisms of these facilities would be that the Porto Pirata looked a bit tired and will need an upgrade soon, and ideally the pools would be heated.  Having gone in Sept, towards the end of our stay we stopped using the pool nearest the residences and used the heated pool by the golf apartments as it was much more comfortable.

All the staff we came in to contact with were excellent.  The restaurant food was good, with a suitable children’s menu.  On the negative side, we had expected the prices to be on the high end of the scale but some of the items were grossly overpriced and on one occasion I came away from the meal feeling a little ripped off.  I don’t mind paying ‘hotel prices’ and expected as much at a Sheraton resort but the boundaries were pushed on some things and we learnt to choose carefully from the menu to get something like value for money.

Also worthy of note were the transfers which were extremely professional and comfortable.  The car seats were of good quality and the standard of driving really good – none of that stereotypical European driving with one driver even choosing to use his Bluetooth rather than taking a call on his handset, which in my experience is unusual to say the least.

Finally, I have already expressed my thanks to you in previous emails for the help, information and guidance provided in choosing and booking our holiday but I would like to mention it again.  I am extremely pleased with the quality of service provided by Tots Too and you personally and will certainly come back to again for future holiday enquiries."

from LM, September 2010: "We all had a wonderful time at the Sheraton Pine Cliffs, so much so we will be going next year!  Portugal was wonderful.  The only downfall was the pram we had pre-arranged, the first one we had, the straps were broken, so Bobbie was able to get out! (well she fell out in reception).  The second one had one loose strap, & the third buggy would not collapse, so we were unable to get a taxi or the train on the complex with the buggy.  Just by chance on our second day we came across James Munro, the Director.  He stopped and gave us a lift back to our apartment: he also tried to collapse the buggy with no success, & neither could his staff.  A very friendly and helpful man.

We will certainly recommend your services. ( Already have.)"

from LD, August 2010: "We had a fabulous time at Pine Cliffs : the accommodation, service and facilities were all excellent. Many thanks for your help in selecting this. I may well be in touch in a few weeks to look at options for next year!"

from RM, August 2010:  "In short, it was fantastic. I would definitely go back there in a heartbeat - the travel time is great, the accommodation first class and facilities brilliant. Thanks again for your help - we will certainly look to use Tots Too in the future."
 

from PM, July 2010 "We had a truly brilliant time. With a 3 year old the whole place was perfect for us ... a bit pricey (to say the least) but apart from that it was perfect .... the only one thing I would say was that the kids menu was a bit limited but no big deal.

It's a bit of a "perfectville" bubble (cannot really walk out to anywhere else) but for what we wanted - just to relax and do nothing it suited perfectly, the accommodation was fantastic, the staff were really helpful (in the excitement of getting there we left our pushchair at the airport and they lent us one for two weeks). Alexa, our 3 year old daughter, had an absolute blast ... in fact while we were checking in she could see the main pool and unbeknown to us (as we were concentrating on checking in) she stripped off in reception unpacked her little bag and shouted "Come on guys, let's go swimming" ... it was a very funny start to the holiday ....
We are thinking of going back next year for 3 weeks so if u have a special deal for repeat customers let us know!!! :))  Thanks so much for all your help ...." 

from JW, July 2010 "we had a lovely holiday.  We thought the  Sheraton Pine Cliffs was excellent.  It's a wonderful location with fabulous pools, excellent service, good choice of restaurants and true 5 star accommodation. The lift down to the beach was amazing. So thank you for your recommendation and your excellent service.  I have already passed your details onto a couple of friends. "

from RG (beauty editor at Red), July 2010: "We had an amazing time thank you!  Brilliantly organised by yourself and Tots Too.  We really appreciate you getting us a room in the best possible location and making our trip so successful.  Another triumph..."

Review from DW, guest in June 2010 "We had a fantastic time, thank you. The resort was perfect for our needs, with beautiful gardens and facilities. Staff also incredibly friendly and helpful. Very good for toddlers! We had a few minor gripes with the townhouse- a number of dead light bulbs that had not been replaced/no cutting knife in kitchen/irrigation hose that saturated the balcony in the morning." 

Review from RH, guest in June 2010 "Firstly thank you for the recommendation, we have a superb time and the resort was just what we wanted.  In addition, the service and advice we received from you was fabulous and we will definitely be coming to you again with our holiday requirements.  We have already told our friends about you and the resort so hopefully more bookings.

 In terms of comments on the resort:

·         Resort was fantastic – the suites were very high spec, very tastefully furnished, clearly quite new, very well maintained and extremely clean.  The space was certainly large enough for our family.  Good beds and linen and top bathrooms.  Kitchen had everything you needed and was fully equipped.  Your recommendation to get a garden access was excellent – it was by far the best for the children.  In fact we overheard some people who clearly had not received that advice commenting they would have to get one next time.  We had a room on block 3 which was midway between the pool at the suites and at the golf club and was fine.  We would have preferred block 4 as the garden would have gone down to the Residences pool and we asked when we saw it but they said these were the most sought after rooms for that reason and there wasn’t one free.  Block 1 would also have been good as they look out onto the golf course pool (which is heated so better for the kids).

·         Service was good – staff were friendly and very attentive.

·         Children’s club – again was excellent.  We had 9 days of mornings for all 3 and it came to €801 which was not too bad (bizarrely 8 days was more!).  Absolutely no issues and the kids had great fun.

·         Restaurants – the restaurants in the complex were ridiculously overpriced.  We took the children to the Italian restaurant in the hotel.  We had 3 courses and a bottle of wine – kids ate from the kids menu and the bill was €170!  The food was pretty mediocre.  Lunch was more reasonable and better quality at the grill restaurant at the Residences but still expensive.

·         The only thing that was disappointing was the shop in resort was also massively overpriced and was not stocked very well – no meat or fish.  It seemed a little ridiculous to me that they attract people who want to self cater and then force them to go outside the resort to shop due to the price/ choice of the resort shop.  If I were them I would make it much better and cheaper and hence keep the profit for themselves!  There is a supermarket and very good fishmongers 5 mins walk from the hotel entrance (turn right), but if you are going to use the self catering facilities you need a car for at least a few days to stock up.  We did this – we hired a car for the first 2 days to do a big shop in the large supermarket in town (and to go to see Zoo Marine – dolphins).  It was about £50 per day incl car seats.  If we go again I think I would get a car for the whole stay as shopping is much easier and it was good to get out of the resort.  You can do it without using the local supermarket but you either need to go every couple of days or take a big rucksack and be a Royal Marine to carry it all back.

·         It is clear that many people who were there go year after year – we met a couple who were on trip number 3.  They shared some tips – they said that they go for B&B as it is not much more they can stock up at breakfast for free (sounded like bread rolls in your handbag to me) – not sure if that is true?  They also said room selection was key.  Blocks 5-8 are a long way from anything (incl childrens club).  There is also a new development on the site but not sure what that is called.

·         Transfers were very good by the way.  All the right child seats were there and the drivers both ways were very attentive and helpful."

Review from KB, guest in June 2010 "Thank you, we had a lovely holiday despite rather inclement weather.  The resort was exactly what we wanted and the accommodation was perfect.  I am already considering a return visit." 

Review from KH, guest in April 2010  "We had a very nice holiday at Pine Cliffs. The best thing about it was the accommodation itself; the apartments are brand new and very spacious. It is rare that you are able to enjoy the advantages of self catering (space, convenient with kids) with the advantages of a hotel (facilities, room and maid service). 

We also found out that in an emergency the guest services are very helpful and very friendly. Our son cut himself on a broken cup and needed stitches. Martine from guest services came with us to the doctor. She also helped us with all the follow up arrangements (ultrasound, additional doctor appointments, etc) and she regularly checked on our son's progress. We were very grateful for the care from guest services. 

On the other hand this accident highlighted one small but important short fall with respect to the apartments' kitchens, which is that they have no kids' crockery and cutlery. Given the apartments are so geared for young families this seems a surprising oversight (and hardly an expensive one to fix). We would appreciate if you could pass on these last two comments to the hotel. 

The other major shortfall was that there is no decent supermarket nearby. The on-site shop has only a limited range, the larger supermarket across the road has closed down and the other one nearby isn't great. (Meat didnt look great and no fresh fish.) The near-by fish monger looked unacceptably run down and dirty. So the result was that we had pasta for dinner most nights which is hardly what you'd expect to get on holiday. On previous trips we really enjoyed eating fresh fish in Portugal so that aspect of the holiday was disappointing. We had room service a few nights but at Euro28 for dish (eg lamb) it felt a bit steep for what it was. With hindsight, once we had realised the issue with the supermarket we should have hired a car or taken a taxi to another shop, but Toby's accident dominated the first half of the holiday so it was a little late by the time we fully realised. 

Finally, the outdoor heated pool was not warm at all, and hardly distinguishable from the non heated pools. Even the indoor pool was quite chilly (but apparently children can go all day, not just the morning). 

A note about reviews. We always ask our clients for their feedback after their stay, to help us advise you better. These reviews are genuine and unvarnished. Please remember that people have different preferences, which is why one guest may rave about a place and another be disappointed. If there is a negative point in these reviews that causes concern, we urge you to raise it with our knowledgeable team who can provide the full context. We pass any concerns raised by our clients onto the hotels, so the issue may since have been resolved.