Pestana Dom Joao II

Really nice hotel I would like to thank the management for my surprise birthday gift of a cake n bottle of champagne which was unexpected . Really nice touch. Breakfast was more than adequate everything you really needed. Rooms really nice n a great shower. Lifts a bit slow if u r on 2nd floor it's quicker to walk the stairs. Maid service really good if u could pass on our thanks . Upgrade to sea view which was nice otherwise a very nice stay and would not hesitate to come back . Good base for golfers , all courses within 20 mins drive, if u have a car. Hope to c u soon , thanks for a great stay.

We stayed here mid February 2015. We were having a lovely stay, nice room with a sea view from the balcony, good buffet breakfast, reasonable evening entertainment THEN my wife broke her leg whilst out cycling. The help from the hotel / staff was magnificent, nothing was too much trouble, help was freely given. Thanks very much All for less than the price of a Travel Lodge

Location to beach fantastic. Lovely gardens. Modern, clean hotel with good amenities. Room fresh and cheerful, though bathroom window questionable. Also pillows needed replacing. Staff very nice. Breakfasts good.

Stayed on valentine's weekend with the love of my life :) The hotel is set in beautiful gardens and is located right on the beach. Room was nicely furnished with contemporary decor and very comfortable. LCD TV with English channels was nice,with a massive balcony. The breakfast was lovely, no complaints. All the staff were polite and helpful that we met and the gardens were kept immaculate. The pool area was lovely and kept clean - nobody in it! Alvor itself is beautiful with a lovely marina with bars and restaurants. I would definitely recommend this resort and this hotel. A friend of ours recommend yellow fish company for a private transfer, we are glad he did so, its great to have internet on the car to and from the resort, to keep ours friends posted. Friendly driver with great knowledge of the area.

Stayed w/c 8th Feb. Chose half-board & sea view. Staff very professional, rooms nice, apart from the carpet was badly stained. Sea view worth the extra. Meals very nice with a variety of choice at breakfast & evening meal. Overall good value for money.

Recently had a short golf break in Portugal and stayed at the Pestana Dom Joao in Alvor on the Algarve. Very nice and comfortable Hotel, very helpful and courteous staff and excellent food. We would certainly recommend this hotel.

Just spent a week in the Pestana Dom Joao II and loved every minute of it. The location on the beach couldn't be better and the short walk into town suited us well as we only had breakfast in on our stay. Even at this time of year there was plenty of bars and restaurants open to give a good choice for dinner. We had a room facing the road and as mentioned in other reviews it didn't get any sun but we were out most days when the sun was shining so it didn't matter to us. The room it's self was, clean and well appointed the only thing lacking was tea/coffee making facilities. As it was January we didn't think the bed sheets would be warm enough but a request for more bedding at reception soon remedied this, bed was comfy (once I got used to the 'lumpy' pillow) Reception, bar, gardens etc all lovely and clean, free wifi in the common areas but not in the rooms. Great selection at breakfast, including champagne-if you like that kind of thing first thing in the morning! All staff we came in contact with were very friendly and helpful. We will definitely return!

We stayed at the hotel for two weeks 7/1/15, we found everything first class, staff were very nice, food ( we had breakfast in our package) would have satisfied any taste because of the variety, the indoor pool & sauna brilliant, the crazy golf though was extremely challenging all 18 of them!

Myself, my wife and our daughter (10) spent the last week of October 2014 at the Dom Joao. The hotel sits right on Alvor beach, so if you want a swim, a couple of hours on the beach or a stroll on the beautiful sands, you are only a minute away. An early morning stroll onto the beach and left towards the very photographic rock formations is a must. Even into early November the sea off Alvor is still warm enough to swim in, the waves can be quite big depending on the wind and watch out for the current, although it's not mega strong, you wouldn't want to fall asleep on your inflatable. You can hire loungers directly in front of the hotel if that's your thing, otherwise a towel and the usual beach artefacts will do. You can pick up a baguette and a drink in the wooden hut between the hotel and the beach. The Hotel itself... The room (5th floor corner room) was very fit for purpose. Very clean, comfy bed, no noise pollution, a fantastic view. A small fridge allows you to keep a bottle or two nice and chilled, remember...plenty of water. The other facilities.... Pool, a little chilly but large enough. Cleaned daily. The sauna, spot on, does what a sauna should do. Steam room...could be a bit hotter and steamier. Indoor pool...very zen. Nice and clean and if you want to do your daily lengths then it's fine, great for when it gets a bit hot outside and the kids want a cool off. The Spa - in our opinion - could do with a bit of a refresh, but generally it's fine. We didn't spend a great deal of time at the bar, but when we were there it had a typical hotel bar feel to it, drinks were higher priced than a restaurant but not excessively. Entertainment - given the time of year- was mediocre, typically one-man bands doing the late season circuit. If you're asking yourself the question of whether to stay at the Dom Joao, then my opinion is 'go for it'. It's well located and the walk into Alvor will take you 10-20 minutes depending on your legs. It's clean, staff are friendly, rooms are very fit for purpose. Bus stops are right outside the hotel and there is a free shuttle into Portimau. We stayed on bed and breakfast, you could easily overeat, the brekky is very good. We're returning in April based on our experiences in October last year. Transfer to and from the airport will take about 75 minutes.

We stayed here on our first ever visit to Portugal and we were not disappointed. Beautiful clean hotel with well appointed rooms. Just outside the village of Alvor, in a quiet little spot.The staff were all very nice. It was too cold to get the use of the pool but I can imagine lying poolside with a cocktail in warmer weather. If ever in the area I would definitely consider returning to the Dom Joao II. p.s. Can the management do anything about the stray dog who takes up residence on the front step in the evening and likes to shout on his friends!?

Stayed in this hotel one Summer 2013 and returned again this year. Lovely setting on the beach, ideal for strolling and relaxing. Fantastic Salt-water pool in a very well kept garden. Would recommend for relaxation and short stroll into Alvor town which is full of great restaurants and bars. Ideal for family and Couples.

Hotel is in a great location right on the beach and walkable to the town centre. Lovely big modern airy reception and common areas. We stayed in a 1 Bed Villa on the grounds of the Dom Joao. Not sure why they are called villas as they are one bed apartments. Very clean, not very big but fine for 2 adsults and a baby. We were allocated a first floor villa witha tiny balcony which didnt suit as we had to carry buggy up and down stairs. We requested a change and they moved us to ground floor apt with terrace two days later which was way more suitable. Dont know why they would give a first floor pat to a family with a baby knowing they would have to carry equipment up and down stairs. Cleaners were very good, friendly and thorough Went to breakfast twice, massive restaurant, fairly typical breakfast with lots on offer to suit most. Never ate lunch or dinner there so cant comment Pool area and garden is lovely with lots of sun beds. Pool was freezing - but it is an outdoor unheated pool. Nice indoor pool too Lovely beach 2 mins from the hotel. Again water was freezing as it is the Atlantic and it was October.

We've just come back from a 3 day break at this hotel. We stayed at here prior to it being taken over by the Pestana Group. We found the changes amazing, rooms have been refurbished to a high standard and are kept extremely clean, we have never had such a good hot shower in any hotel. Stayed on the 5th floor which we would thoroughly recommend as the views of the coastline and sea are stunning. Staff extremely courteous, friendly and helpful. Breakfast is buffet style with a massive selection of hot and cold food to choose from, including bacon, mushrooms and hash browns. If you have an early return flight as we did, you can request an early breakfast i.e. 6.30 am (as in our case). We expected a small selection of rolls, croissants etc but were pleasantly surprised to find the full works to choose from. Beach location is ideal, can't get much closer, gardens are beautiful and restaurants are within walking distance. If you are considering this hotel for a summer holiday, we cannot recommend this enough. We hope to return very soon.

My wife an i have just returned from the Dom Joao II Pestana. This was our second time and again very good.The location is superb, couple minutes away from the beach and only 10 minutes from the lovely fishermans little town of Alvor where you can find plenty of good bars and restaurants. Clean hotel and the staff is excellent. Looking forward to return next year. We used a company called yellowfish taxis to get to and from the airport, they are simply the best operating in Algarve.Free wifi on board is a great bonus.

Spent an enjoyable week here in early November. Hotel is located on one of the best beaches in the Algarve...a mile long wide golden beach....and some of the famous cliff beaches are within walking distance of the hotel. Room was extremely clean...bed was comfortable. Had a seaview room on the 3rd floor...view was great. Breakfast buffet was generally good for buffet fare. Always good coffee, fresh fruit, make your own toast station, omelet option etc. Lovely grounds around the property. Warm indoor pool. Walking distance to Alvor village. Would return if the price was right. Free wi-fi in the common areas.

This was our first visit to the hotel which was picked through an internet site. We were most impressed - clean, well sized bedrooms, superb location right on the lovely beach at Alvor, wonderful breakfasts and welcoming, helpful and friendly staff. Easy access into Alvor itself. There is no wifi in individual bedrooms but it is available in the public lounge area. Try it - it is worth it!

Having stayed in Alvor on several occasions this was our first visit to the Dom Joao and it certainly wont be the last. We were dealt with promptly and courteously on arrival and nothing was too much trouble for all the staff. We needed to organise transport to Portimao for three days this was done with no problem and Sandra on Reception went the extra mile to get us a very good deal. The room was ideal great sea view and very relaxing and comfortable breakfast was delicious and there was just about everything possible on the menu including a glass of bubbly if you so wished. The hotel and gardens were immaculate and we would not hesitate to stay there again. As a special gesture despite not having informed the staff I received a bottle of bubbly and cake as we were out there celebrating my birthday. Thank you to all the staff for making our stay extra special.

This year we stayed in one of the villas in the grounds rather than the hotel itself. It was great to have more space and the ability to organise a simple lunch on the balcony. We had a ground floor villa which meant easy access to the garden area for sunbathing etc. The indoor pool was also easy to access in poorer weathet but a lot of time was spent on the beach a few metres away. I enjoyed this much more than the hotel and the housekeeping was excellent. I always thought the hotel food including breakfast was very poor so this was the best of both worlds.

We are regular visitors to Dom Joao II and find it consistenly good. The addition of the 'show cooking' is an improvement to what has always been a good breakfast. It is the location that sets the hotel apart from others; right on the beach and an easy walk into town for an evening meal, couldn't be better. Sea view rooms are worth getting for the sound of the waves at night as well as the wonderful sunsets. We will return. A comment for Pestana - please replace the pillows! They are the same lumpy foam that we had when we first visited many years ago. For the last three years we have brought our own pillows, this should not be necessary at a 4 star hotel.

Better than last visit , cleaner and breakfast superb. Service very good and staff very helpful. Excellent facilities including indoor swimming pool.Have been to this hotel at least 8 times in the past 14 years and it seems to get better each time.

A very good hotel only a short walk from a fabulous beach. We paid for a room with a side sea view, we were on the first floor so I suppose the view would have been better higher up but was still pretty good. The room was spacious and we had clean towels and sheets every day. On one occasion we needed the loo in the middle of the night and found the floor had flooded, this was reported and sorted next day but we had no apology from the hotel. Food was very good with lots of choice so weight gain was inevitable! The catering staff were always pleasant and helpful. For the most part hotel entertainment was not up to much so we spent the evenings in Alvor. The walk was not to bad, no pavements for part of it but fairly well lit and less than a Mile. During our stay the weather was excellent with temperatures up to 29C. We enjoyed the stay very much and would use this hotel again.

We had been at the nearby Pestana Alvor Park for our annual visit and found ourselves stuck in Portugal for an extra 3 nights. A quick look on the internet and I was able to book 3 nights here for our group of five at very short notice. Having read some of the reviews on here I was a little apprehensive. I needn't have worried... Booking in was really quick and they even had the rooms ready for us really early as they understood our position. They were able to transfer our profiles on their system over from Alvor Park which made it a very simple process. The rooms were well laid out, with a small fridge which became very usable by removing the inner shelves. Both rooms had a sea view which was simply stunning. Breakfast was everything we wanted and much much more. It made the forced extension of our holiday very enjoyable.

Our 3rd year in this hotel and we were not disappointed. our trip was later this year but the weather was just as hot. the staff are all very helpful and friendly, nothing is too much trouble. the rooms are cleaned daily, with fresh towels and bed linen. we booked a sea view, which was fab.tv in room but only bbc sky news in english. fridge in room so you can stock up from local orange supermarket. plenty of sun loungers in mature well kept gardens. has pools indoor and outdoor. the beach is just a walk through the garden gate. we opted for breakfast only as we like to eat at different restaurants in the evening, but breakfast has plenty of choice from freshly cooked to cold meats and cheeses, fresh fruit, yoghurts and cake! free wifi available on the ground floor. taxi into alvor is set at 3.25 euro or walk takes ten mins. good variety of eateries that are not expensive. alvor itself is unspoiled by commercialism and people are very friendly.gluten free bread can be purchased from the supermarket in alvor. the only critism i can make is that drinks are very expensive in the hotel, although they are doubles. we couldn't wish for a better hotel and service and are planning our return next year.

My parents stayed at this hotel many time quite a few years ago but this is was our first visit and I can see what attracted them back! The hotel check-in was very efficient and we had our bags taken up to our room. We were delighted with our room and the lovely side sea view (room 230). We were there with our 16 year old son and so was a little worried how we would all get on in one room but it was absolutely fine. The room was cleaned every day with fresh towels and toiletries. We really enjoyed breakfast every morning where there was a vast variety of food including freshly prepared omelettes and pancakes. The gardens and pool area were lovely and very well maintained and the location next to the beach (and beach bar!) was fantastic. We enjoyed using the pool and beach. There was also an indoor pool and spa but we didn't use these as the weather was too good to leave the pool. There is also a gym which is near the pool area which my son enjoyed using as well as table tennis. I was a little worried whether he would be bored as the hotel was a little quiet but he enjoyed using the facilities and just chill in out in the gym and pool. It was a short walk into Alvor (about 15 minutes) where there are lots of great bars and restaurants. I would recommend The Phoenix and Vagabonds in particular. If we evert come back to the Algarve we would definitely come back to Alvor and to the Dom Joao II.

We have just returned from a week in this hotel and would highly recommend it. Most of the rooms have partial or full sea view. The hotel gardens lead to a beautiful beach with a hotel beach bar. Rooms are nicely decorated and maid service very friendly and good. Only bad point of rooms is lumpy pillows! Good breakfast service with show kitchen for omelettes etc and plentiful array of cold meats, cheeses, yoghurts Etc along with hot food kitchen. We ate out with friends most nights. - only a ten minute walk into central Alvor - music in the bar most evenings. Free wi-fi in bar and lounge area. We have stayed in Pestana hotels before and they live up to their 4 star status. Staff are all courteous and friendly from the reception, spa, dining room and service staff. Pool and gardens kept clean and plenty of sun beds available. With only a short drive to golf courses we will definitely be back!

Arrived home yesterday from a great holiday with my husband and 12 year old son. On arrival check in was swift. Room lovely, beds comfortable and very clean. Breakfasts were excellent with so much choice and delicious. The pool area and gardens lovely too, with a fabulous location on the beach and only a 10 minute walk into Alvor where there is a great choice of bars and restaurants. The indoor pool is good as well. Would recommend this hotel to anyone. The only reason I didn't give a 5 was due to the tree in front of the balcony, room 134. If management of hotel read this, I would suggest getting the chainsaw out. All in all a great holiday.

Four night stay on a golfing trip (group of 9). Nice hotel on the outskirts of Alvor, 5-10 mins walk from bars and 15 mins from main area of restaurants etc. Clean, recently refurbished rooms with good beds and bathrooms. Only had breakfast in the hotel but was better than expected, plenty of choice and includes omelette bar and fresh pancakes. Large lounge areas with free wifi, games room, very good gym, lovely outdoor pool (with pool bar) and right on the huge beach (nice walk along the beach and the boardwalks over the salt marshes but not floodlit so only in daylight). Nice spa with reasonably priced treatments (sports massage was very good). Good service all round, would happily recommend for families, groups and couples alike. Clientele was at the older end of the scale when we there but this was late season and out of school holidays so not unexpected. Hotel entertainment sounded appropriate for that group......

We stayed in the Dom Joao ii and had a wonderful holiday. Transfers with yelllow fish transfers were quick and safe the driver was great giving lots of tips all the journey . The kids were happy as wifi in the car . Staff were very helpful at the hotel. Nothing was too much trouble. Location is excellent with a very good access to the beach. Pool area is good, although we spent most of our time on the beach as it is so beautiful. Hotel room was comfortable and the shower was nice and hot, together with a comfortable size bath. Food was good. I really loved listening to the pianist at breakfast time. we were never short of things to do and see. We loved the warmth of the hotel, as opposed to some of the large modern hotels in the area. We had a lovely time at Alvor and would definitely recommend this holiday to anyone seeking a chill out time. If you are looking for night life, then it is not too far to travel to the town but we were happy to stay around the hotel and enjoy the gentle music and entertainment. Can't wait to return next year. We also hope that Claire (our lovely rep will still be there).

Had to comment last year on the shoddy overbooking scenario that seems to prevail here. Happy to redress the balance this year. We had ensured in advance that our annual booking for a party of twelve golfers would be honoured as we find the Dom Joao ideal for our requirements and had no problems this year. The rooms are great and the hotel facilities are just right. Breakfast has been augmented this year with the provision of a lady making fresh omelettes and another (one day only sadly) fresh pancakes. Yum. We don't otherwise. eat or drink (much) in the hotel as there are cheaper options close by. Only tiny gripes are the lack of tea/coffee making facilities in the rooms and the fact that the steam room never seems to be working. Looking forward to next year's visit already when hopefully we will have better weather!

Just returned from a week staying at this hotel. Beautiful. Room was a brilliant size, cleaned every day, along with towels and beds changed twice during the week there. It was my partner's birthday while there, and they brought him champagne and cake - excellent. We went on B&B basis and breakfast was brilliant - well impressed with the choices and I am a picky eater!!. Only quibble would say was, like many others, lack of tea/coffee making facilities in room.

We arrived at the hotel early but the rooms were ready so that was great. We had requested 3 rooms on the same floor. We had paid extra for seaviews and I think this was money well spent as we enjoyed the wonderful sunsets over the vast sea every evening. The hotel is located a short walk from the centre of Alvor and directly onto the beach so a perfect location! The rooms are well appointed and cleaned thoroughly everyday. The breakfast is very good. Omelettes are made to order and are delicious. There is a good selection of breads, cakes, bacon sausage etc...everything you could possibly want. Before I came here I had read mixed reviews of both the hotel and the breakfast. Happily our party has all been perfectly happy with the facilities and breakfast. Towels are supplied at the pool which is well kept and a great size. There is a children's pool also and an indoor pool in the spa area.

This was our second stay at this hotel and we enjoyed our 10 nights stay very much. It was a special holiday for us as we were celebrating our 50th anniversary. Our sincere thanks to the hotel for the kind gift of a bottle of champagne which was left in our room on our return in the afternoon. Overall we had a great stay and would recommend the hotel to anyone wanting a clean,well cared for hotel. We will return and will not hesitate to book with Jet 2 again. Thank you to the very good staff.