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Stayed here for a week with my wife and the hotel is the best 4 star hotel I've ever been in. Its clean, tasteful and the staff are excellent. Its located right on the beach and has landscaped gardens, pools (indoors and outdoors both), decent gym and a good restaurant and bar.Breakfast is well arranged and they even do a Champagne! Hotel offers many free activities during the including courtesy trips to Portimao. Wi Fi is available but only works in the foyer. Staff are very cheerful, friendly and constantly cleaning! Hotel is within walking distance of two supermarkets if you need to get some bottled water or snacks. There is a bus stop right outside the hotel. Its ideal for couples or families. Not for hen for stag do's.

Have just returned with eight friends from a golfing holiday based at the Dom Jaoa. This is an ideal hotel for golfers who want to take advantage of the Pestana range of courses. The staff are very effecient and friendly. Forget the moans about breakfast - for goodness sake you are on the continent - heaps of fresh fruit, a selection of fresh breads and rolls, hot coffee and tea - what more do you want. The rooms are spotlessly clean with clean towels every day. So the beer is expensive - well don't drink there!! Fabulous beach on the doorstep. A great hotel - our third visit and will go again.

We booked this weeks holidays with Thomson after excellent communications from the hotel team - mainly Sergio, who was able to confirm that the outdoor pool had reasonable access into it for disabled visitors and that the beach had a boardwalk which was fine. We had requested a room that got the sun all afternoon as my husband would have to be in the room a lot at that time of day and as he feels the cold terribly needed the afternoon sunshine. We were allocated a super room on the 5th floor which had wonderful views but no sun! The lovely lady on reception - who was rushed off her feet - was able to move us immediately which was excellent, and MUCH appreciated.All the staff at the Dom Joao are fantastic and nothing is too much trouble! Nice buffet breakfast and the restaurant manageress reserved us a table just by the buffet every day so that my husband did not have too far to get his breakfast - fantastic - thank you !Our only problem was that to get to the Bar/Restaurant area, we had to go up about 7 steps, which with a walker is a bit tricky!! Luckily we had lots of help from other residents, but my husband always found it rather embarrassing. There WAS some kind of lift contraption there and also into the restaurant, but we had been told that it had to always be operated by a member of staff and that it usually always broke down! needless to say we gave them a miss - just in case!! There was also another 4 or 5 steps down to the ground floor where you walk out into the beautiful grounds and gardens, (OR you could go down about 10 or 12 steps from the bar!!)Having said this we had a fabulous time. The sunbathing area is quiet and calm and access to the beach was great, although the so called beach boardwalk only went for about 150 yards before it ran out and we were into soft sand again!! The beach sun beds and covered in "cabanas" were a great idea, near to the boardwalk and the toilets and the beach bar , so we were happy enough - it would just have been a problem for us to get to the sea, but you cant have everything! beds and cabanas/sunshades 12 euros for the day - for two., whether you stayed at the hotel or not.The beach is AMAZING and you can easily walk along to the caves and the beautiful green lagoon, which are situated directly below the Pestana Alvor Praia hotel and appartments.The Alvor Praia where our friends were staying is alao a very nice hotel but with much easier disabled access i.e. ramps or lifts everywhere and we do feel that Pestana really do need to address this problem at the Dom Joao asap, My husband was COMPLETELY unable to get down to the Spa /ndoor pool (warmer than the very cold outdoor one!) as there were 8 or 9 deep steps down, with no lift!!! Not really fair I would say, although I was able to use it every day, needless to say he was NOT!!! Again, somewhere else where he was not able to go which in this day and age is really not acceptable.............Having said that we WILL RETURN, but maybe in the beach viilas which may be a little easier to negotiate!! Our thanks to all the staff, espec in the restaurant and beach bar who made us feel so welcome.

This was our second year at Dom Joao and we intend going back next year.The staff are very professional and friendly and the Hotel is very clean.We had the choice of 5 great golf courses all belonging to the Pestana group.Drinks are a bit pricey and the breakfast whilst adequate could do with some more imagination.We booked our trip with Your Golf Travel who picked us up at the airport and took us to our golf locations on time all included in the cost.Whilst his was our 2nd golfing trip to Dom Joao some of my playing partners are considering a family holiday at this hotel in the near future.Looking forward to next year already.

just returned from week at the Dom joao .we found staff very help full,hotel and bed room very clean,out side grounds kept well the hotel iswell located for lovely beach.evert morning we found breakfast lovely plenty of fresh fruit.We will go back for another stay.