Iberostar Selection Albufera Playa All Inclusive

We had the most amazing dinner at Martinete Spanish restaurant. Food was so delicious (especially Gambas!). Tolo who served us was the best waiter and full of great recommendations and made sure we were looked after and pleased with our experience. And sangria was 10/10!

Hotel is great! Good for families! Service is great! I recommend you make reservations to the specialty restaurant ahead of your arrival! If you’re a big family it’s a bit tough. However we did manage to get some reservations /waitlist, last minute. We are a big family (11). The food at the Mexican (Nopal) was delicious! Spanish restaurant was good too! Buffet was good and a lot of variety.

Just superb, faultless, very comfortable rooms, wonderfully friendly staff. We loved it all but especially the beach bbq.m and the Sky bar, a perfect holiday destination, so well organised and huge investment in the refurb and the staff training which made it such a pleasurable stay.

The food, staff and facilities are absolutely brilliant. A particular mention for Victoria at reception who was absolutely wonderful for our entire stay. As was a blonde lady on reception but I didn’t get her name. The hotel is of a very high standard and every detail is considered. However, both this hotel and the adjoining Albufeira playa are one and not separate as the different names and placements on their website suggest. This means there are an absolutely humongous number of young children and families about the entire property. We were one of very few couples without children and we found the overwhelming numbers a little tricky to relax in amongst. They even were in abundance at the roof pool (sky bar) despite there being no child friendly facilities up there. Because of this, we upgraded to prestige which meant we could use another rooftop area. The pool here is a small infinity pool (more of a plunge pool than a swimming pool) but this transformed our holiday. It was quiet and peaceful up there, giving us the much needed chance to relax and read in peace. I’m certainly not adverse to children but the number at this hotel was just too much to deal with. In fact, I think that’s why they were everywhere - the parents were trying to escape the overwhelming number of other people’s children, too. Having said all of this, as always, Iberostsar do what they do so well and I can’t fault what was on offer, from food, to entertainment, to customer service. It’s important to add that the beach is also stunning and very shallow, calm water. Take some bread under/next to the boardwalk and see all of the fish! We shall return to Iberostar next year but perhaps to and adults only hotel.

The people in the hotel are so welcoming and kind. The food was really good. Breakfast is extensive and so fresh. Lunch and dinner were very good as well and there was a lot of variation. The animation from the hotel was the best we had so far. There were nice shows and parties in the evening. The concerts were so good. Much better than in other hotels. One night there was an outdoor cinema by the pool which was so well organised and idyllic. There was a big screen, we could lay down on the sunbeds and everyone had an own headset. The hotel is right next to a popular beach. Only downside, there is not much for shopping or drinks outside the hotel. Though the cocktails in the hotel are really good and nice villages are a short car drive away. We just loved our stay here.

To be clear, the hotel itself is a 5, pools, food and Staff - amazing. However, it’s so incredibly crowed that it’s just not a relaxing place. Kids running everywhere. Even at restaurants, you must hold your plates tight….and be ready to pause while walking - lots and lots of kids average age 3/4yrs old. Restaurant reservations are impossible- all booked every night. So buffet every day it was for us:/ The beach chairs - what a nightmare. They don’t belong to the hotel so we had to get up at 7am put towels down, run for bkfast then run back to wait for the guy to come around to charge us. If you are not there, he throws your towels on top of the umbrella and gives the spot to someone else. This happed to the fam by us one day…. Two moms almost fought over the chairs and umbrella. Not relaxing at all. I guess it’s high season- never again. To busy / too stressful / one and done