Monchique Resort and Spa Hotel Review -The Algarve

I visited the Algarve in Portugal for 4 nights and I stayed at the Monchique Resort and Spa which I absolutely loved! Here I am giving you the lowdown on this 5 star hotel located in the mountains of Portugal! LITERALLY

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Contents of this Post

1. General Info
2. The Patio Suite
3. Food
4. Customer Service
5. How to Get to the Hotel
6. How to Get Around the Algarve
7. Final Thoughts

General Info about Monchique Resort & Spa

Monchique Resort and Spa is a 5 star hotel located in Serra de Monchique, Portugal and features different restaurants, two bars, 2 outdoors pools, a gym, a meeting room, a zen room, a kids club and a spa. There is a Pizzeria and a general restaurant, as well as an on-site market with wines, food, pastry, snacks and souvenirs. The Mezzanine cocktail bar often has live entertainment and the bars serve a variety of drinks and light snacks.

The hotel is a 60-minute drive from Faro International Airport. It is only a 20-minute drive away from several beaches in the Portimão area, and a 15-minute drive away from the nearest golf course.

There is also a schedule of activities that go on at the hotel that you can book onto for FREE. I went on a sunset walk around Monchique with the hotel. Please note this is a proper walk so wear trainers and be prepared for uphill walking.

The Patio Suite

There are two different types of rooms, a Patio suite and a Panoramic suite. I stayed in a Patio suite that also included a fabulous intercontinental breakfast.

The suite included

• a separate bedroom with a TV, a safe, a wardrobe and drawers.
• Large living room (the sofa can turn into a double bed) with a TV.
• two bathrooms, that have towels, robes, free products and a hair dryer.
• a balcony (terrace for the panoramic suite) with outdoor furniture and some with stunning views over the mountains and coastline.
• Free of charge WiFi available in all areas of the hotel.
• A kitchen area which had a mini two hob electronic stove, an oven, a dishwasher, a kettle, mugs, glasses, plates, bowls, a fridge/freezer and a toaster.
• A table in the kitchen area.

Cleanliness

The hotel in general is clean and well maintained. The rooms are cleaned daily.

Price

The Patio Suite costed €535.50 for four nights and this was with a genius discount via booking.com which gave me 15% off the original price. There were three of us so we were able to split the price into 3 places which turned out to be £178.5 euros each. This price was great, so I recommend if you plan on staying here to go with at least 3 people, 4 if you can to make it the cheapest possible.

Customer Service

Pre- Arrival

Before arriving at the hotel I messaged them to ask about how big the sofa bed was since one of my friends would have to sleep on it. I also asked if they could take a picture of one to see how big it is. They responded with the dimensions and no picture although we coul figure out it was a double bed based on the dimensions sent. Maybe I am being a little extra here BUT they are a 5 star hotel, taking a pic should not be too hard for your customers. I know this a small issue and it did not affect my opinion of the hotel.

I also messaged about an airport shuttle and they responded promptly within 24 hours. All of this was done via booking.com since I made my booking via booking.com

Post Arrival

Monchique Resort and Spa Hotel has 5* in person customer service and I can’t fault them in any way at al!

When I arrived at the hotel I paid, I was given a rundown on the hotel and given a bag and a water bottle. The concierge took our bags up and we were given a tour of the resort to help us find our way around since there are 3 different buildings in the resort.

The front desk is also 24 hours and no question is too small to ask since they are very helpful. There is also a place in front of the mini market by reception where guests can use the bottles they recieevd at check in to take water. This water has differene fruits in them every day!

Food

Guys if I tell you! I woke up excited to go for breakfast every morning!! This intercontinental breakfast was amazing. I had their chorizo sausages everyday!!

Below are some pictures of the breakfast area:

Pizzeria

I also had pizza at the pizzeria for dinner one evening. I had the Monchique which was the special pizza that I would not personally order again!

The Spa

The Sensorial Spa has a sauna, steam room, aromatherapy, an indoor heated pool, relaxation rooms, 8 treatment rooms and much more. To use the spa facilities without any treatment you have to pay 25 euros. Once you have paid you can use the spa for that day, from 9am to 8pm and come and go as you choose. If you would like any treatments you will need to pay for that as well

I used the spa for one day and it was great! I used it in the morning and then went out for the evening. I kind of wish the spa closed a bit later perhaps 9pm or 10pm so that it would make it easier for people to go out and come back to the hotel and still be able to use the spa well if using it for the day.

How To Get to the Monchique Resort and Spa From The Aiport

The Monchique Resort and Spa is approximately 60-minute drive from Faro International Airport.

I contacted the Monchique Hotel and Spa to ask about the airport shuttle and I was quoted €90 euros one way for pick up from Faro airport.

I decided to use a different company called FATO.Their charge is €70 euros each way making it €140 return. It costs an additional 5 euros each way if you want the driver to go a quicker route. You can pay via cash or online when you book the aiport transfer.

You could also try an Uber or a metered taxi but I think a prepaid booking is the way to go to get the best price!

Getting around the Algarve from The Hotel

The hotel is approximately 20 minutes away from Portimao and Lagos and there is no frequent public transport.

If you have not rented a car it is better to just use Uber rather than ask at the reception because they inflate the prices. For example to take a taxi from the hotel to Monchique town we were quoted 25 euros by the hotel but via Uber it was approx 12 euros. My guess is that they inflate the price beacuse they take a cut from calling the cab.

Since the hotel is in the mountations, cars may not be readily available via Uber all the time. I recommend with your first Uber, ask if they have a business card which they most likely would. This means you can organise pick up times with them. Once you are in Lagos, Portimao or Albufeira using Uber will not be a problem but getting out from the hotel it might be useful to know a driver.

In the Algarve we met an Uber driver who ended up giving his business card. He charged us what the Uber app would have charged so there is no surcharge. I would recommend him since he was lots of help and even was able to recommend things to do.

My Final Opinions

I rate the Monchique Resort and Spa as a 9/10. This hotel is a place I would recommend couples, families and group of friends. It’s a hotel that caters to everyone, especially families with children. They have a kids club where parents can keep their children. In general I felt the Algarve was fairly kid friendly place but also great for couples and for groups of friends.

I would 100% recommend this hotel. The only downside is that since it is in the mountains, you need to rent a car or use taxis which requires money and will always be more expensive than public transport.

Once you have decided how you will get around, go ahead and book Monchique Resort and Spa for your next holiday! If you are still planning on your trip check out my Algarve Guide. 

If you are interested in visiting the Algarve you may also be interested in visiting Malaga

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