The staff were very friendly throughout the hotel. I spent some time in the spacious foyer where I did some writing and correspondance and found Washe and Olga at the bar, very friendly and helpful in the morning and Oleanna and Rui and Taha just as helpful in the evening. The proximity of the beach and the town was great. The food was good and the housekeeping staff were thorough and polite. All staff at reception were very helpful and friendly. The sunsets were beautiful.

Location, friendly staff, facilities

Pillows are very “lumpy”, need to be replaced, beds are very hard

The staff were so accommodating and polite! They were all super baby friendly and it made it so much easier for our first holiday as a family. The breakfast had huge variety. Lots of facilities and the location was right on the beach which was ideal! Would definitely go back here! We rented a car and the car park was ideal in the hotel!

Aircon didn’t seem to cool the room enough and we only went in April so this would be a slight problem for the middle of the summer. This hasn’t really got much to do with the hotel, but the outside pools were too cold to go in April. However, they had a loved inside pool!

Location to beach and boardwalk . Buffet food was very good with range and quality. Gardens were beautiful and staff were excellent. Sea view with balcony recommended . Car parking was great at hotel.

Did not like the salt water swimming pool. Pool was not really inviting as most people preferred not to use it. Hotel of this calibre should really have a perfect pool. it was clean however. Considering that there was no tea or coffee provision in the rooms we felt there should have been tea/coffee service in the main building lounge during the day.

Location is 5 minutes by taxi from Alvor centre or 20 minutes via the lovely boardwalk. Quiet location by the sea really adds to the property, slightly removed from the hustle and bustle. Simple hotel, does what it says on the tin and has a bit of everything - Breakfast great, gym simple but good, indoor pool with sauna, outdoor pool with plenty of deck chairs, small kids club also. Hotel was undergoing some routine maintenance as they prepare for summer and this was to be expected.

A little pricey for drink & food with mandatory service charge.

This was our second stay at Pestana Dom Jao II and it was truly excellent. Breakfast was beautiful each morning and there was plenty of everything. The cleaners here do such a thorough job and and very polite and kind. All of the facilites are well maintained and the staff are very good at their job.

The only thing we noticed was that other guests were up early and reserving pool chairs with towels. I cant remember that happening last year and I didn't think the hotel allowed it. Some of the reserved chairs did not get used until much later in the day. Its honestly not something I expected in a 4 star hotel.

The staff were incredibly welcoming and friendly, especially the staff on reception. A surprise upgrade to a room with a sea view was most welcome. The location is exceptional, and the expanse of the gardens makes it easy to be amongst others or own your own as you wish

The seating in the bar area could be more comfortable. It sometimes has the air of a cafe which doesn't fit in with the quality of the hotel itself. More light in the bathroom in the room would also be helpful

Great location Lovely gardens

Rooms are very dated especially the bathroom, Towels were off colour and quite thin and washed out Breakfast was quite good but not kept very hot,the cups for hot drinks run out most mornings so had to wait for them to be replaced,we've stayed at this hotel 3 times because we love the location but don't think we will stay again unless they do some renovations

The facilities in general were excellent as was the service. The buffet style used at mealtime worked extremely well. Although there appeared to be many guests, it never felt crowded or that service was affected by this. A shout out for Vanda and Jessica who were soooo helpful on reception.

I appreciate that it is a matter of individual taste but the mattress was not very comfortable and I felt was very hard. Tea making facilities in the room would have been a great bonus.

From the moment you set foot in this hotel you feel like you are the only guest there. This was our third time staying. There seems to be plenty of staff and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Rooms are comfortable with individual balconies and excellent showers. Nothing is too much trouble for staff. We were even provided with breakfast at 2.30am on the last morning before our very early checkout. This was offered to us without being requested and is testament to how staff at this hotel go above and beyond for their guests. Bus stops right outside the hotel will take you to surrounding towns with ease. The outside pool and terrace areas are beautiful and well maintained. Hygiene levels in all areas are excellent. Buffet breakfast has everything you could want and while it can be busy, the efficiency of staff helps everything to run smoothly. Room service from the restaurant was also excellent with food delivered in a timely manner while still fresh and piping hot. Communal areas within the hotel are beautiful and comfortable and the views of the ocean are stunning. Upon arrival we were given a card which gave a discount on every meal or drink purchased within the hotel, this was a nice addition and we used it many times.

There is nothing we didn't like about this hotel. The only issue we ran into was with paying within the hotel with Google pay. Other guests said they had the same issue so this might be worth noting as card payments are the preferred payment especially at the poolside cafe.