Monte Do Malhao - Art, Eco & Spa

Extremely rude owner. We arrived early and were not even allowed to enter the gate to park our car (so that we could take a walk as suggested at their website), but were told only to come back for check in at 3 pm. 2 pm we received an email with the code for the gate, when we came at 2:30 nobody was at the reception. My wife called and the owner shouted after her “you do not respect rules, I told your husband already not to come before 3pm!” We decided not to check in and hope the owner uses our prepaid money for a therapy. We run ourselves a 50 bed resort. This behaviour is simply a no-go. We did choose them because of their good ratings…

Booked at the last minute after our original B&B found builders had unexpectedly moved in to renovate their next-door neighbour! We felt sorry for the B&B's owners, but not for ourselves as we landed in this beautiful eco-hotel. Small (9 rooms) and intimate, run by a very kind and welcoming couple (Alexander & Susana) and their delightful friend Ana. A series of interesting rooms - from comfortable doubles to larger more luxurious rooms with well-fitted bathrooms and even a couple with hot tubs! Very comfortable (large) beds and good showers. Eco-friendly products. Set into a hilltop landscape, the building is modern and smart. It includes an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and gym area, plus an outside pool. Many places to sit and sunbathe or stay in the shade. Several hammocks :-) Lovely breakfast with local products and good coffee. Close to excellent restaurants. 15 minutes from the fabulous and less crowded Eastern Algarve beaches and the beauty of the Ria Formosa - 35 km of islands, channels and waterways. A garden of flowers, trees and herbs with oranges. Several goats and a donkey. In short, a quiet, peaceful place to retreat from noise, stress and work (although it does have decent wifi if you must be digital). Truly special. Now our default residence for future visits!