MARTINHAL SAGRES BEACH FAMILY RESORT

We have just returned from a 7 night stay (13-20 June). We are a family of 4 with a 4.5 year old and an 18 month old. We booked through Tots to Travel which was very easy. Martinhal arranged the transfers to and from the airport which were in very comfortable vehicles and costs122 Euros each way. The location is truly lovely. Beautiful sandy beach and hilly gardens provide the glorious vistas. We had a heat wave whilst we were there so didn't experience the infamous wind but after speaking to others there who had been before its nothing to ruin your holiday. The beach is public so there are no Martinhal specific areas but this really didn't matter. There is a cafe on the beach that has parasols for 10 euros, we found we didn't really need them. We just rolled the buggy on the beach and our 18 month old snoozed happily in the shade that it provided. The water was lovely, and we managed several dips. Martinhal provide buckets and spades for the kids to take to the beach - nice touch. We stayed in an Ocean View House which was pretty much perfect for us. All the facilities you could want including a full size fridge freezer, dishwasher and washing machine. Cleaning products were also included as well as the daily maid service. They provided loads of extras for free: high chair, step, potty, bed guards, cot and linen. The TV had a good selection of channels along with Internet access. There is also free WIFI which we found to be reliable. The swimming pools are all delightful, we alternated each day. **Our only complaint lies here: some of the edges round the pools are a little rough...and our elder son's fingers suffered a bit** The resort has several eating options, and we ate really well. Prices range from about 6-10 Euros for kids and 15-30 Euros for adults. We didn't find this too expensive and all the food we had was very tasty with plenty of good options for the kids. There is a small on site supermarket which is expensive but there is a large supermarket near by if you need it. The village square in particular was super. It's a playground surrounded by places to eat, drink, and sit outside. This is where we spent most evenings with the kids running about enjoying themselves whilst we chilled out and watched. Great design. We didn't use the Kids Clubs so can't comment on that. But my eldest did go to the mini disco on Friday night which he enjoyed. He was a bit disappointed that there were no disco lights though...! I enjoyed a massage at the Spa...I would definitely recommend. In conclusion we had a super time. The staff are all very friendly and treat the kids like they are guests too. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble. I really hope that we can return one day...if we can afford it again...

My family, 3 adults and 4 children stayed in a villa in the most gorgeous location in Sagres, the Martinhal family beach resort. The villa (372) was large and looked comfortable. Day 1... No internet in the villa. Upon complaining, we were told there was no internet in the whole resort. When the internet was finally restored, we discovered it only worked upstairs in the great room. Big bummer. We had a private pool in the villa. The electronic shutter did not close properly, and we had to call maintenance to fix in case one of our kids fell in. The TV did not work, had to call their IT dept to come and fix. Worst of all, the worst most awful smell of sewerage came from the toilets. Upon complaining, we were told the problem was fixed. It wasn't. This was day 1. Day 2.... So we decide to leave the villa to the plumbers to fix our toilets and head down to the beach. As it turns out, Martinhal does not own the beach front, so we had to pay to sit and use the umbrella (10euros). What is worse, we were told that we could sign for our expenses (like any other normal resort). Unfortunately, the two restaurants in the beach front were not a part of Martinhal "beach" resort....and they only accepted cash. Martinhal is NOT a beach resort, it's just located near the beach, for which one has to pay to use. We come back from a really fantastic beach...truly stunning beach...to our villa and take a shower. Moments after, the smell of sewerage wafted back again. We called maintenance again and spoke to their duty manager and customer services manager....we got a gift basket for our troubles. Day 3.... The sewerage smell re-emerges despite 3 days of the plumbers working at our villa. An offer to change our villa was made by the staff....with only one night left on our holiday. We decide to just put up with it. Day 4 We decide to BBQ our own dinner at the villa and it was the best meal we ate in 4 days. At around 700 euros a night, we smelt sewerage every night on our precious holiday. We complained and genuinely felt bad complaining, but the smell was just too much. Excuses were given like a diaper was flushed which caused a choke in the drainage....but at 700 euros a night it shouldn't have been our problem. The GM and customer services manager decide to give us 20% off our stay, which came to about 400 euros.....which were our expenses at the resort. We had 2 meals, a few beers and wine and did a bit of grocery shopping. Yes, all of that amounted to 400 euros. Sad thing is that it wasn't about the money at all. Martinhal Family Beach Resort claims to be the finest most luxurious resort in Europe. So we decided to spend a bit and experience the best of what Europe had to offer....we came with certain expectations and we were bitterly disappointed. We have been lucky to have the opportunity to travel to plenty of resorts around the world. Martinhal tries really hard to put up an air about themselves (noticeable at check in)...there is nothing exclusive about this place except for their rates. Martinhal is NOT a beach resort. It's a time share located in a gorgeous part of the world. Portugal is a gorgeous country wth even more amazing people....but the people running this place were not Portuguese....the man who brought us to our villa was a curt young German, the Customer services lady was Irish, the GM was French....only the plumbers were Portuguese and they were the nicest of the lot! Everyone else just wanted us out of their hair and get on with their resort.

Just got back from our second stay at Martinhal Sagres. There were 6 off us , my wife and I, our 4 yr old twin daughters and their grandparents. This time we stayed in one of the luxury 3 bed villas with our own private pool with views of the beach and the sea. It was absolutely fantastic, and much better than it looked in their brochure. So much space inside and out with a large grassed garden area and fenced pool and great sunbathing area with lots of beds and all nice and safe for our twins who are still learning to swim. The restaurants and resort are of a very high standard and the way the staff look after the kids mean the adults can relax and unwind. Plenty of play areas to take the kids to and all safely within view of the restaurants so the kids could play whilst you finished your meal. Weather was perfect for us ranged from 25 degrees up to 34 degrees as we left on the last day, that was hot but this was the start of the heatwave that is hitting Europe at the moment. It is the staff that make your holiday and they did. Also it was good to see all the staff who made a great impression on our first stay still there 9 months later. We were exceptionally looked after again on this visit. The grandparents both have mobility problems so the staff went out of there way to help with buggy rides to and from restaurants 2 or 3 times a day, everyday. They even shuttled us several times down to one of the restaurants 400 yards down beach which was off site. They insisted on doing this even though we wanted them to book us a taxi for the trip. That was above and beyond what we expected. I now can't wait to book another stay next June

Just got back form a great week at Martinhal. Loved the resort, the facilities were great and the staff were very professional and friendly. Kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Only drawback would be the onsite supermarket: it is insanely expensive. I would advise those with rentals cars to drive to Sagres to do their shopping, and those without to get a cab into town to do a supermarket shop. Aside from that everything else was awesome. would definitely go back.

The Martinhal Sagres Resort is pretty much everything you expect after seeing their marketing literature proclaim them to be Europes Finest Family Resort. Located beside the southern most tip of Europe on a cliff aspect overlooking Sagres Bay and a preserved parkland area- the views are spectacular for a start. Check-in is a seamless and relaxing affair with a brief overview of the property handled by check in staff, in our case Salvador- just what you need after a long days travelling to get here when you mightnt have the energy to concentrate too much. The fact that after you complete the initial formalities at the counter that you can retire to adjacent couches for a initialisation chat is an excellent touch and sets the tone for a relaxing break. We described the overall location as being like " the Connemara of Portugal" in that the rugged landscape is largely untouched in terms of development and the whole area has a really authentic feel to it. To be able to drive for 10 minutes along cliff top coastal roads to reach the southwestern most point of Europe adds to what makes this place somewhat special. The properties themselves are contemporary design, spacious, well maintained & super clean. The presentation of a small welcome pack of milk and bread and a few other essentials is always a welcome treat when you arrive to any self catering property. The Resort is obviously really child friendly - each restaurant has an area where the kids can play with the supervision of a member of the kids-clubs team and there are activities for all ages available on an extensive programme. Along with the on- site crèche facilities, this place really offers Mams and Dads the chance to enjoy their holiday also and get some genuine downtime. A daily morning walk on the beach is a must- even if you are not a walker, consider it a stroll and enjoy the tranquility of the location. The daily appearance of Rafi (the resort mascot Fox) at the village square/ M-Bar provides great excitement for kids and adults alike and there is always a lively atmosphere around that central playground and bar area, alongside the Os Gambozinos restaurant. Of course, the VW Camper and the ice cream parlour make it a location for all ages which is brilliant. Food in Os Gambozinos restaurant is brilliant - as is the service and overall value for money. Unfortunately, our first experience was on the last night of our stay and we were really disappointed we hadnt tried it earlier in the week. It is by far the most enjoyable dining experience of the whole resort. With the exception of Os Gambozinos, the only thing that lets down the resort somewhat is the food offering. It would be very unfair to say anything bad (other than the scrambled eggs at breakfast buffet should be hot ( or at least warm!)) but it is certainly not of the calibre of food that you would expect for either the price or the location. To have it in keeping with the overall luxurious tone of the resort, the food needs to have something slightly extra to make it feel special. If it had that little extra omphhh, you wouldnt consider it too-dear. As it is, I would see the Dunas and Terrazo offerings as slightly overpriced. BUT - it wouldnt stop us returning!!!! This is a really quality resort - great staff - great for kids and their adults - great location - very happy to recommend Martinhal Sagres very highly!!