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  • Algarve Holidays
  • Albufeira
  • California Urban Beach Hotel

California Urban Beach Hotel

TripAdvisor Review
Portugal, Europe
Albufeira

Completely renovated,the Hotel California Urban Beach Hotel 4* reopens with a sophisticated image and an Adults Only concept. With a prime location, situated in the historycal center of Albufeira and at 02 minutes' walking distance from the beach. All rooms with a modern desgin, have a double bed and private bathroom with shower, air-condiotining, Smart-Tv, safe, mini fridge and tea & coffee facilities.

Facilities

  • Portugal - Clean and Safe
  • Safari*
  • Surfing*
  • Golf*
  • Cycling / mountain biking*
  • Catamaran sailing*
  • Diving*
  • Jet ski*
  • Green Key – Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)
  • TV lounge
  • Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee

Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.

The Local Area

Tripadvisor Reviews

Trip Advisor
4.0 Very Good224 reviews
Excellent
58%
Very Good
15%
Average
11%
Poor
7%
Terrible
10%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
TripAdvisor Review
Great Location, Service and Food!

I have just returned from a 3-night stay at this hotel - I never write reviews, however, the fact that I felt urged enough to share my experience is a testament to the quality and service that this hotel provides.

• Location - The hotel is directly above the old town strip, which was perfect for us as we went on a party holiday. The ground floor entrance is situated directly on the strip, with immediate access to a large shop for any necessities and all of the clubs/bars that the strip is famous for. • Room - The room was stunning, and felt really looked after and well maintained. We had no issues with noise from the strip, partying was slightly audible but this was part of the charm of its location and was not loud enough to disturb our sleep. The only downside of the room was the lack of storage space for clothes, meaning that we had to live out of our cases. Not too bad for a 3 night stay, but could pose a greater issue if we were there for longer. • Food/drink - Some of the best bar food and cocktails we have ever tasted. We cannot stop thinking about the chicken caesar salad wrap and would HIGHLY recommend. • Service - All staff were extremely pleasant, always smiling and always made us feel looked after and welcomed to their home.

I will definitely be staying in this hotel again, and really look forward to our next trip.

Thank you Hotel Indigo!

Review by Jack C Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
TripAdvisor Review
Exceeded our expectations...

Just back from 3 nights stay as a group and was nervous due to some reviews we read but it all exceeded our expectations. first thing is to shout out to the staff.. couldn't of done enough for us especially the staff in the bar and food area at the pool so attentive. Hotel and Rooms were clean, and beds very comfy and not your typical small hard beds you get in some hotels abroad. Standard rooms were small and some didn't have balcony's (not a deal breaker for our trip as not in room much but worth noting to make sure ask for one on check in) Food was delicious a self serve breakfast with food so fresh and great choice... and same with food menu for later in the day everything was cooked fresh and hot.

Pool is small but the floating star fishes are a lovely relaxing touch and plenty of room but up on the raised area and alongside the pool area with covered cabanas.

only few things we had that were a slight negative

  • Not every room had hooks or a place to hang towels after a shower
  • Not a lot of storage space for clothes
  • directions for getting the water hot! took us a day or so to get that right
  • housekeeping didn't call until well later in the day and for some rooms didn't even make beds just left towels (some of which were quite old and worn)

overall a great stay, location is right in middle of the bars so if you are a light sleeper or go to bed early probably not the best option but for us was just ideal and would definitely return.

TripAdvisor Review
Pool Health and Safety

One issue, poor pool health and safety. The robot pool cleaner is in the pool for hours in the morning, it ran over my foot leaving me with a severe friction burn. Hotel room was clean, staff friendly, minimal noise.

TripAdvisor Review
Awful Hotel

We stayed at this hotel for five nights, and unfortunately our experience was very disappointing.

We arrived in the middle of the night to find that there was only one bath towel between the two of us. As it was so late, we decided to wait until the following morning to ask for more. When we spoke to reception, we were told the towels were being washed and would be brought to our room when they were ready. After several phone calls throughout the day, we still hadn’t received them and ended up with one of us having to use the hand towel to dry off.

To make matters worse, when we used the shower, it flooded the bathroom floor and leaked into the room. Trying to clean up the water with just one towel and a hand towel was extremely difficult. We reported the issue to reception, but were told that maintenance had already left for the day, so nothing could be done until the following day. We were also still waiting for the additional towels.

The next day we finally received more towels, but when we used the shower again it was still flooding. We had to contact reception once more before someone eventually came to repair it.

On the third day, we returned to our room to find an infestation of ants crawling up the wardrobe and around the bin. Considering we were staying on the ninth floor, and the bin had been emptied daily, this was shocking and completely unacceptable. To make matters worse, we also noticed that the curtains in our room were covered in mould, which was both unpleasant and concerning from a hygiene perspective. The ant problem continued for the rest of our stay, and we repeatedly had to ask housekeeping to clean the room and apply ant repellent.

Overall, this was not the standard we expected from a hotel advertised as four stars. Between the lack of basic amenities, the unresolved maintenance issues, the mould in the room, and the ongoing pest problem, our stay was far from enjoyable.

To top it all off, while waiting in reception today for our transport to the airport, we overheard more than five separate guests making complaints to reception. These ranged from rooms not being ready until after 5:00 pm despite check-in being advertised as 3:00 pm, to other guests reporting ant infestations in their rooms. Based on what we experienced ourselves and what we witnessed from other guests, these do not appear to be isolated incidents.

Following my stay, I submitted a formal complaint to the hotel. They responded to say they would investigate the issues and look into compensation, but since then I have heard nothing further despite waiting for a response. The lack of communication and follow-up is extremely disappointing and only reinforces the poor experience we had during our stay. Customer service doesn’t end when guests check out, and the way this has been handled is not a good reflection of the hotel. I definitely won’t be staying here again or recommend this hotel to others.

Review by 820zara Whitehaven, United Kingdom
TripAdvisor Review
Very disappointing stay

Spent 4 days at this hotel last week and ended up Living out of a suitcase through out our stay due to not being aware that the cupboard was hidden behind a curtain. WiFi was extremely poor If your disabled or you have a baby who uses a pushchair , I had to pick up the pushchair and baby together and carry them up and down 10 steps in order to access the street. This hotel has certainly not catered for that.

Also emailed the hotel a few hours after checking out that I had left my track suit top in the room and could they please get a cost to post to me in the UK, 2 days later I am still awaiting a reply.

Review by J406KLpaulb Leeds, United Kingdom
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