Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Algarve

The resort itself is impeccably kept and offers top-notch facilities. The Ocean Suites were spacious and comfortable, with thoughtful touches such as a coffee machine, water filter, and, in the one-bedroom units, a fully equipped kitchen... but it is a question of what you expect from a five star Marriot Luxury collection hotel like this: + Not anyone to proactively help you when you arrive. You need to take out everything by yourself, get into the hotel and ask for someone to help you + Very difficult, close to impossible, to book in restaurants in the hotel. Always fully booked or closed by private events + Very difficult to get sunbeds in the morning unless you arrive at the beach before 9:30am + Concierge emails typically take 48 hours or more to receive a response, and phone calls are difficult to get through (bear in mind this is the only way to book a table in the restaurant) + Resorts swimpools are dirty, far away of what would you expect from a 5-star property As I said, It is a question of expectations...

We stayed at Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites for an extended family trip, with some of our stay booked through a tour operator and the rest booked directly with the hotel. The resort itself is beautifully maintained, with excellent amenities. The Ocean Suites offered spacious rooms and thoughtful extras like a coffee machine, water filter, and a well-equipped kitchen in the one-bedroom suites. Unfortunately, the overall experience was let down by poor customer service and a clear lack of staff training. While the staff generally meant well, the service—from pre-arrival interactions to check-in, concierge, and restaurant staff—was consistently below expectations for a 5-star resort, especially one associated with the Marriott brand. Prior to arrival, emails went unanswered, and our requests for activity bookings were not confirmed. Our dealings with the concierge were especially frustrating. Despite it being peak season, the front desk and concierge staff often seemed overwhelmed and unhelpful when asked even basic questions. Check-in was chaotic. Staff couldn’t manage something as simple as placing different credit cards on the multiple rooms we had booked. A €5,000 charge was mistakenly applied to one card with no clear explanation—though it was eventually reversed, the incident was unsettling. We had also pre-booked and paid for a private airport transfer for part of our group, which simply didn’t show up. Again, no explanation was offered. A further unexplained €495 hold appeared on our card, supposedly for "resort fees"—which we had previously confirmed we wouldn't have to pay for. There was little to no communication about how the resort worked. At check-in, we were handed a map and that was the extent of the orientation. No details were given about what events were happening that week, pool options, family activities, or restaurant highlights. With kids in our group, we expected some guidance—at the very least, a summary of the kids’ club program. As a result, trying to find information about even the most basic things—such as where breakfast was served, how the shuttle system worked, daily activities, or kids’ club offerings—was like pulling teeth. Signage around the resort was often unclear, outdated, or incomplete. The resort app didn’t function properly and the website lacked up-to-date info. While we knew check-in was at 4pm, our rooms weren’t ready until nearly 4:30pm. There was no offer to use the facilities while we waited, and once in the room, we found the sofa bed unmade with no sheets provided, and the sheets on the main bed were stained. These issues were fixed after a call, but it was disappointing to have to chase them at a 5-star resort. The buffet breakfast was good, but again, poorly explained. No one told us how it worked, and things like ordering proper coffee were only discovered by watching others. Staff were often confused by basic requests like tea or bottled water—items that are usually standard at similar resorts.

We stayed for one week, as a family of three, in a spacious two bed Ocean Suite, which was modern, clean, spacious and bright. It also benefitted from a washing machine and a relatively comprehensive kitchenette, which was handy. Pine Cliffs is a great resort for families. It is in a beautiful setting and benefits from an excellent range of facilities and amenities, including a fantastic nine-hole golf course and with access to a fantastic beach. We ate in several of the restaurants during our stay. In my opinion, even though the food in the restaurants was good, the price for the food was high, though again not unexpected in this type of resort. All the staff we met in the reception, restaurants, golf club and concierge made you feel very welcome and were helpful and had a friendly attitude. I would highlight that this is a very busy resort, as you would expect in July. Minor gripes include being required to book some of the restaurants, in some cases days in advance. On the resort website, the Italian appeared to be fully booked all week, though we did manage to get in one evening by just turning up. I had e-mailed the concierge team around four days in advance of arriving, to book several restaurants but had not received a response. The reason given was that they had thousands of e-mails and the team didn't have the resources to be able to read and respond to them all in time. As a result, our restaurant reservations had not been made. It also felt petty to be charging €6 per person to play mini golf given the room rates. Overall, we had a positive stay at Pine Cliffs. It is a beautiful resort with lots to keep you entertained but it feels like it falls slightly short in terms of the luxury that is reflected in the pricing.

Disappointing experience — this is not a true luxury property. Guest relations are unresponsive and unhelpful, even when contacted during the stay. Deceptive pricing practices, including hidden gratuities and charges not clearly disclosed. Poor service culture throughout the resort, with staff poorly trained in handling elite status or guest concerns. Definitely not worth the price or reputation.