Pedras d'el Rei

We have been passing the property for many years on our way to the lovely Barril beach nearby and it was convenient to stay one night this year. Staff were friendly, the price was right and we were not disappointed. Dinner was excellent and also well-priced in a cosy part of the bigger restaurant. The small supermarket on-site had good fresh food and the room well-equipped with kitchenette and bathroom. We would stay again !

Estadia com bom conforto. Faltou uma ligaçao a Internet e falta de cabais TV

We ate here on November 29th 2022 at lunchtime on the terrace and ordered to cheeseburgers and chips with bacon added to the burgers. First class !. And the 2 half bottles of white & rose wine were great too. The waitress who served us was very friendly.

Lugar incrível! Cabanas em bom estado e confortável. Ótimo atendimento na recepção Recomendamos e pretendemos voltar. Único defeito é umidade embaixo da pia da cozinha, que deixa um cheiro ruim, quando se abre a porta do armário.

Endroit tranquille, bel emplacement face à la lagune.

La situación

A lovely location let down by terrible standards. The accommodation was grim and very dated. It was badly equipped without things like kettles, corkscrews, hairdryer, scissors etc. We saw rats circling the properties which was probably due to the overfilled rubbish bins which were not emptied regularly. The food in the main eating area was awful. The chips, which come with most meals, were easily the worst chips I have ever seen, they had no potato in them, they were like poor quality crisps. This place is ultimately let down by its leadership and management, there is a lack of staff in some busy areas like the bar (only one bar attender) and the restaurant. We loved our holiday in Portugal and met so many friendly Portuguese until we arrived here.

After a day or so staying here, you pickup a theme that this place just needs a big chunk of investment. The villas are rather run down and not matching the decor on the TUI site. Lots of little bodge repairs with exposed mains, lights fittings hanging on by 1 of the 4 screws, missing cupboard doors etc. some of the pictures are also of an unrelated restaurant business down by the beach. The beds themselves are terribly soft and uncomfortable and the “sofa” is just a single bed with two pillows. Unlike other guests, we were lucky enough to get aircon but only on one floor. Would have been unbearably hot for anyone without this! While the cooker was obviously a recent replacement, the kitchen utensils aren’t complete. No bowls, no coffee jug, no kettle, no tumblers or wine glasses, corkscrew not the right size to extract a cork etc. the list goes on. If you’re looking to have breakfast or an evening meal in the villa, you’ll struggle. The pool itself is a lovely temperature but very cloudy and remained so all week. Looks like the filter isn’t up to the job at hand and needs upgrading. While there’s a lovely area for lounging round the pool, there’s a chronic shortage of seats and parasols. You really need to be at the pool before 9:30 to reserve a parasol or you won’t get one all day. There’s easily enough space to triple the number of loungers and parasols and each day you see a steady stream of disappointed faces looking for shade. Some other reviewers have mentioned paying for loungers. This is no longer the case but you need someone to be poolside when they setup and unlock the loungers. The Nora eating area serves basic food but be prepared for a really long wait for service. The staff don’t seem to scan the room so you’re best off walking up to the bar to order and pay. Overall, I think we were lucky with the room and looking at other reviews and pics, I can understand guests frustration and it could have been worse. As a family, we enjoyed the week and learned how to work around the issues but it’s not somewhere I’d recommend and won’t be coming back. We’ve been to similarly priced accommodation in the Algarve on previous years so it’s definitely possible to get better value for your money

Kaikki oli lähellä ja paljon paikallista väkeä. Ei turistirysä.

The downside - I had the cheapest accommodation; a studio. It was a bit tatty, the beds were incredibly hard and uncomfortable, and there was an ant problem that meant any opened food (even cereal) had to be stored in the fridge. It was very dark, with a north facing patio looking onto a weedy courtyard, and the patio doors couldn’t be opened properly as they jammed on the floor. Hot water in the shower came and went and a wall light stopped working while I was there. The upside - the grounds are lovely. It was quiet when I was there (mid May) and quite often I had the pool to myself. The location was great, a short drive to Tavira, a walk or mini train ride to the beach on the island (which is gorgeous). Staff were really pleasant and helpful. The on-site cafe is nice, I didn’t use the restaurant. The supermarket on site was a bit rubbish with limited opening hours, but there is a proper supermarket five minutes down the road. There’s no free wifi but you can rent a router for €2 a day. Would I stay again? Only if I could afford their better accommodation.