Dom Joao II Hotel – Alvor – Algarve

We had an excellent family holiday in Pestana Dom Joao. The hotel was in an excellent location right on the beach, so you had the choice of dipping in the pool or the sea to cool down. It had decent food & our 7 year old son especially loved the buffet in the mornings. Rooms are clean & modern with satellite TV and a modern bathroom. The sea view is worth the extra money as it’s beautiful.

Only minor criticism was the air-conditioning which was minimally effective at keeping the room cool. We stayed on a B&B basis, which we prefered as we enjoyed the variety of trying different restaurants in Alvor. The walk into Alvor is only about 15 minutes but there is also a good cluster of bars & restaurants as soon as you hit the outskirts of the town (only about 5 or so minutes from the hotel). The best food was in the “Lemon Tree” in town, excellent quality & friendly service too.

The hotel entertainment was fine & we enjoyed their show nights (1-2 nights a week). They put on one or two other shows (like a kids fashion show or local Algarve folk dancing). The other nights it was basic keyboard & singer stuff – OK as background noise but not worth staying in for! There was some entertainment every afternoon apart from Sunday, if you could drag yourself away from the sun-lounger, shooting target practice, beach football, volleyball & pool aerobics!

A great holiday which we loved & so did our son. I wouldn’t hestitate to recommend it for couples or families, but not for singles looking for a wild time.