Island Armona Vacation Packages

This is a beautiful hotel in a great location. On arrival Delphine at reception was very warm,friendly and helpful. He greeted us warmly each day. The other reception staff were also wonderfully kind and helpful. The room was sparkling clean. The cleaners work particularly hard to maintain the cleanliness of the rooms daily. Janeth from the dining hall greeted us with a warm smile every morning that we went for breakfast. There is a great breakfast selection but will be slightly limited for those who are vegan. The pool isn’t huge but didn’t feel small either. Even with multiple families, there was enough space for everyone to have fun and play. I would say, they could do with having a few more sun loungers though.

A beautifully situated and well appointed boutique hotel graced with courteous, efficient, multilingual staff. The pool and decking is framed with magnificent Mediterranean pines and rosemary. Gym is well equipped and the breakfast buffet abundant. Bedlinen is the finest, softest most silken cotton and the pillows provide a sweet slumber. Clientele in July was a mix of Portuguese ( a good sign when you stay in a country that its own people choose it) and some English, Irish and Italians. Guests were mostly well behaved.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Grand Muthu, and it’s somewhere we would come back to. However, it’s important to know what to expect. We would be coming back for the atmosphere, but essentially nothing else. Positives: - The pool was the biggest highlight, it was large enough that even when it was packed there was plenty of space. (Just make sure to grab a spot before 9am) It was also very clean. - Proximity to the beach was great, we were able to end our days with a beach walk, which had beautiful views. - Excellent air conditioning. - The location was great. New town was a quick walk, old town was a quick taxi as well as the Albufeira Marina. - Looked better than surrounding hotels. Negatives - This hotel shows its age, a lot of damage and not updated spaces. While it was reasonably cleaned, it still felt old. - Housekeeping was okay, we came back to a messily made bed, or only one towel instead of two. We ended up buying our own soap because even when requested it was not replaced. - We did see several cockroaches both outside and inside the hotel. As well as lots of ants inside our room. - The absolute worst thing was the food. The aquabar had decent food, but the listed partner restaurants were horrible. A lot seemed like microwaved or store bought packaged food. We did enjoy ourselves but we would not get the food package again, and our expectations would be to relax and enjoy the beautiful pool / beach as well as explore the nearby towns more.

Pros: Beautiful villas - gorgeous ocean views, great food options, wonderful staff. Cons: So, MANY, damn kids, strollers, smokers, and a plethora of Brits everywhere you go. Felt like UK 2.0 had taken over Portuguese culture. No exclusive adults / over 21 areas available. Kids/strollers + smokers in champagne bars, restaurants.