My husband and I recently had a long weekend getaway in the south of Portugal. My friends used to tell me if you ever go to Portugal, you must visit Albufeira. Within the area, you’ll find endless sandy beaches, caves, historical landmarks, and even more! That’s why we booked the 3HB Guarana hotel, and I wanted to share our experience at this specific hotel, along with what to eat and what to do while in Albufeira.
Location
To get to 3HB Guarana, we took a direct 2,5h Easyjet flight from Geneva, Switzerland to Faro, Portugal. The Uber app worked with airport wi-fi so we ordered an Uber from the airport to avoid standing in a queue for a regular taxi. It was just a short 25 min drive to our hotel.
3HB Guarana was previously known as Riu and is located in Olhos de Agua. I picked the hotel mostly because of its location – the same longitude as the famous Pine Cliffs hotel. My lifehack: if a fancy resort is over your budget, find a hotel nearby and book it. 5-stars resorts are often gaining their stars for the location, so I would trust them on that.
Staff
Staff at the 3HB Guarana went above and beyond to make sure that our room is ready for early check-in. The reception was open 24hours, and people were really friendly and helpful all the time. They helped us book a themed restaurant, organized an airport transfer, and even suggested a few leisure activities like a city sightseeing bus and a dolphin-watching cruise.
Facilities
The lobby and a few other areas were recently renovated, so we definitely had that “wow” moment when we walked in. Wifi connection was great inside and outside. Rooms were sparkly clean upon the arrival and rooms were cleaned every day.
Pools
The 2 outdoor pools were very nice, although I was a bit disappointed with the sun loungers as they could not lay completely flat. Another nuisance was that the pool bar was closed and no one mentioned it on the website (apparently it opens from mid-June)
Restaurants
There are 3 restaurants on the property so you definitely won’t be hungry! They have a variety of seafood, themed dinner specialties, and finger-licking desserts! The food was fresh and good but slightly “adapted” (less salty, not spicy, etc). To my surprise, the full English breakfast that was served every day was probably oriented to the majority of the crowd. The only thing I was not very impressed with was the coffee from the machine in the morning.
Overall, I would agree with booking.com rating of 8,8 out of 10! It is an excellent all-inclusive hotel with relaxing time by the pool, hotel evening entertainment, gym, spa, and kids area – perfect for a short getaway!
