Atismar Hotel

Super nice and friendly staff! Marvellous food!! Make sure you go all inclusive and you’ll have one of the best experiences in Algarve!

There were two positive aspects of our stay at this hotel:

• Friendly and welcoming staff.
• Modern rooms with decent air conditioning.

Unfortunately, apart from those points, the hotel was a major disappointment and I would not recommend it for an all-inclusive holiday.

The buffet selection was very limited, and most of the cooked food was extremely greasy. After one meal, we both experienced stomach issues, so we avoided most of the fried dishes for the remainder of our stay. Vegetarians are likely to find very few options available.

There was no air conditioning in the restaurant area, making it very uncomfortable during meal times. We often sat near the doors where it was slightly cooler. We were so dissatisfied with the food that on three of our six days we chose to eat at local restaurants instead, which defeats the purpose of paying for an all-inclusive package. The snack bar offering was also very poor, consisting mainly of slices of cheese, ham, bread, and onion rings.

The day and evening bar areas felt plain, dated, and lacked atmosphere. The evening bar was combined with the dining area, so it suffered from the same lack of air conditioning. There were also no daytime or evening activities organised by the hotel.

The room itself was modern, but the wardrobe was far too small for two people to unpack comfortably. Towels were supposed to be changed three times per week, yet ours were not changed at all during our five-night stay. There was no hairdryer in the room; one could be borrowed from reception, but only after paying a €20 deposit.

The location was decent, being very close to the beach and nearby restaurants. The pool was relatively small but acceptable.

One maintenance issue that stood out was an air-conditioning leak in the outdoor restaurant area, which dripped continuously onto one of the tables throughout our stay.

Apart from the rooms, most of the hotel appeared quite outdated. There were two lifts serving around ten floors, and although they were supposedly designed for four people, they felt cramped with more than two passengers. The lifts were also frequently used by staff, which often resulted in long wait times.

I understand this is a three-star hotel, and I did not expect luxury. However, I have stayed in other three-star hotels that provided a significantly better experience.

Expectations will vary from person to person, but overall we were disappointed with our stay and would not return or recommend this hotel. That is particularly unfortunate because the staff were genuinely friendly, helpful, and welcoming throughout our visit.