Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort

The hotel is well run, stylish and comfortable and is located on the Santa Eulalia Beach. The staff are professional and polite. The pool area's were good and get very busy particularly with families. Beds are available on the beach but cost around 15 euros for two with a parasol - this beach is very busy and popular with locals. The food in the hotel restaurants is good but a bit expensive - a two course meal for four with two bottles of wine is likely to cost 200 euros but this is a 5 star hotel so not that surprising.

There are restaurants in Albufeira New Town and Old Town - it takes about 20 minutes to walk uphill to New Town and there are a couple of nice Portuguese restaurants in the `old strip' area as well as the usual Italian, Indian and Chinese which we did not try. The strip is full of bars for party goers. The hotel do a shuttle bus into New Town (the strip area) and Old Town.

We used the spa having been welcomed on arrival with some vouchers which entitled us to use the Thalasso pool at no cost (we used it 3 times it was great) and there are daily treatments singled out for a 50% promotion so we had amazing relaxation massages which cost abuot 37 euros after the discount.