Hotel Faro and Beach Club

I highly recommend this hotel. Its convenient location near the airport made travel incredibly easy. The property was exceptionally clean throughout, and our room was serviced thoroughly on a daily basis.The breakfast selection was excellent, offering a wide variety of high-quality choices. We also thoroughly enjoyed the pool area; the water temperature was perfectly warm, and the hotel thoughtfully provided all necessary pool towels and equipment. Throughout our stay, the staff members were professional, accommodating, and eager to help.A standout feature was the hotel's flexibility on our departure day. Because we had a late flight, the staff permitted us to use the spa facilities to shower and refresh after check-out. This exceptional service greatly enhanced our experience, and I would absolutely stay here again.

This review is to assist those planning an inexpensive, disability-friendly holiday abroad. I care for my 90 yr old mother. Infirmities affect where to go, how to get there/get about, what to do. UK booking sites or holiday articles rarely address such needs but some cities eg Brussels/Ghent do produce helpful guides. The elderly need warmth, tire quickly, nap frequently. Excursions must have rest stops & late starting times. She has hearing loss (can’t hear announcements), arthritic hands (can’t manage keypads, internet or escalators, needs adaptations eg grip rails, walk in showers), uses a mobility aid. As we were born in India, near the Taj Mahal, we prefer the bustle of bazaars to cultural buildings. We live in England, on the NE coast, in an area once proud of community spirit from shipbuilding, fishing. We love warmth, the sea, above all, friendly PEOPLE! We made two, 1 week visits to Faro, Sept 2024 & June 2026, staying at different hotels. Travel rules, restaurants, resources change quickly. Your needs/tastes will be different. I’ve tried to give practical advice which can be adapted to other places. Do do your own research.

Faro is warm, easy to get to year round by direct flights, largely pedestrianised, compact, things to see/do in a short stay, but with good transport links to elsewhere.

Equipment Abroad: Instead of taking bulky mobility aids with you, use a (UK based) disability mobility service which can loan equipment in many cities including Faro. In our 2024 visit, I booked a foldable wheelchair, with daily hire cost & delivery to/collection from our hotel. After a ‘test drive’, my mother said my pushing was too bumpy on cobbled areas, so relied on her walking stick for that and the 2026 trip.

Travel & accommodation are best booked together, through an agent, not online. An agent has more leverage & can support you if a difficulty occurs. (Otherwise, if you book separately, but have a travel problem, the hotel can still hold you to their charge). Always take out travel & medical insurance –it starts the day of purchasing the insurance, not the date of travel, which covers you for pre-travel hiccups. Some insurers specialise in elderly/infirm, but charge a premium. For any purchase over £100, UK citizens should pay, fully or in part using a credit card.

Flights- airport passenger assistance is often available but is demand led, so book ahead, outward & return. Check that the carer can accompany the disabled person through checking-in/security/customs etc. For early morning flights, some airports allow night before check in of hold luggage.

Faro airport passenger assistance are SUPER EXCELLENT.

Airport-hotel/vice versa. Instead of being met, we took a taxi from the airport rank. My mother had difficulty raising her leg high enough to board some taxis, but the 1st driver kindly referred us to a colleague. We asked the hotel to book one for the journey back and used the same driver for some trips.

Disabled Accommodation. Often, ‘disabled friendly’ means a single, adapted room (Those with more facilities can be very expensive or out of town). In 2024, websites listed only a few potentially suitable hotels in central Faro. I rang the one in Rua de Portugal, enquired facilities & availability. It seemed ok. Then my agent said, reasonably, booking didn’t guarantee that room. They asked the hotel to confirm, in writing, it would be held for our booking. The hotel did, by email & told us to book. Our agent began the process – flights& accommodation- 1 hour after that reply, but the hotel gave away our room for part of our stay. Not by mistake: the hotel suggested we change our flights! The room they substituted for the last day of our holiday, the shower door was too narrow to allow anyone other than a child to enter.

Eating: The elderly may have problems chewing/swallowing. My mother now can’t manage meat and has difficulty with thick crust pizzas or some types of pasta/fish. This trip she forgot her dentures. The region does produce excellent fruit /veg /cheese, which you’ll find in supermarkets like the Mercado Municipal & elsewhere. For some reason Faro cafes/restaurants largely DON’T do vegetarian options.

Occidental Hotel (finally!) We stayed here the 2026 trip. It overlooks the marina; is close to gardens/gift stalls, Faro tourism office, a fun city tour train, boat trips, the internal & distance bus station. Nearby, or within 1 mile are many restaurants and a pedestrian shopping area.

The hotel’s revolving main doors have a disability adaptation to slow down, & there are ordinary doors and a side entrance ramp. In the foyer there is an iced water cooler flavoured with slices of lemon/ginger/cucumber. There are toilets on the ground floor & restaurant, as well as in each room. The disabled access room is on the 1st floor. Everything – lift to all floors, room entry, lights, air conditioning – is accessed by room pass. The shower is walk in. I didn’t check the cord alarm. There is an in internal phone in the room. Room service (how do I operate..?) and cleaning was very good as were reception. Hopefully, I’ve attached photos of the room

We didn’t try the pool, gym, or wellbeing facilities, tho’ my mother was tempted. Breakfast (my best, ever) & meals are on the 4th floor. Most important of all, the staff - ice cooler refiller, cleaners, reception, restaurant - are KIND, FRIENDLY, GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO OFFER/SUGGEST HELP.

Excursions: Ask Tourist offices for free, large scale city maps. Boat trips are good value. Do pay attention to where you board – departure points have changed between 2024/6. We didn’t explore trains. If you are not confident of your language skills to negotiate travel within or outside Faro, try bus services with circular routes, or that stop at bus terminals. For example Olhao’s Saturday quayside market is lovely, but ends early afternoon. It’s a long, hilly walk to/from Olhao’s main bus station. Take a taxi Faro-Olhao but for the leisurely return, look for the circular bus route to get to the bus station, then take the bus Olhao-Faro.