Name: Mar a Vista
Address: Cerro Da Piedade, 1, Albufeira, 8200-320, PT

4/10

Poor

20 Jul 2026

Alina

Hotel Mar a Vista is likely the carcass of a former excellent resort. Hotel is in real need of renovation and the description on the website should be changed to reflect reality. The hotel is 7 minutes away from the sea side if you descend on a zip line
The breakfast is as basic as it gets: one type of cheese, one type of ham, one type of bacon and the scrambled egg is not always fresh (second day had a very strange texture and smell). No chance of fresh seasonal fruit and veggies. This literally should be included in price as opposed to have to pay extra. Just a thought. We did appreciate the daily pastry.
Staff was very friendly always, and at arrival receptionist said they will provide us with a better room (if this was the better room, I wonder how the bad rooms look like). I wasn't fussed about the decor being outdated as I was fussed about the bathroom grout full of mold, defectuous balcony shutters and the tiny toilet lock on the entry door.
The pool area was tiny, compared to the pictures on the advert and the breakfast outdoors area is just a a small balcony.
Portugal and Albufeira are amazing... Hotel was just providing shelter for night. However ratio value for money in this case was rather negative.
Sorry, maybe we will be back if significant changes are made.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2026

Mali

Very good and affordable, staff were helpful and accommodating, and was overall a really good stay (especially if you’re low maintenance when it comes to these things).

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2026

Madeline

Miguel was a great help. Location was great and in a quieter part of town. Beautiful view from the terrace. We had a great time here.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

25 Sep 2025

Romulo

Not airconditioning, tv remote was not working, limited shampoo and soap supply

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2025

emilia

We initially didn’t get the best room. It had carpet & felt a-bit rundown, but we asked to change the next day to a different room & The staff were very accommodating. They swapped us to an amazing room with most fantastic view!! (5th floor)
The breakfast was great! Location great & everyone was really friendly! They made sure we were well looked after x

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Sep 2025

Nelson

Upon arriving we noticed many stains on the carpet. The room was large which was nice but we found a large cockroach in our room. The staff was very kind and helped us catch/kill the cockroach. The breakfast online is advertised as being €2 but is actually €8. There is a pool there which we did not visit. The bathroom was quite small and poorly designed as the door couldn’t open fully without hitting the toilet. A paper sign is above the toilet asking that you do not flush any toilet paper in the toilet which is something we were not used to. The beds were two single beds pushed together with no topper or anything so we slept separately on our respective mattress which was fine. Overall the room was fine but I wouldn’t go back.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2025

Monica

Great stay

Was good for my budget. Great staff, I didn't need much, but the welcome was nice 🙂 amazing views by the way.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 May 2025

Martyn

Nice clean place to stay.

Great hotel ideal for old town slightly hilly but easy to walk to old town or marina.. cheap taxis back to hotel.. hotel is clean with lovely views of the sea.. rooms are basic but clean..

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

20 Apr 2025

david

it's an old building, but they keep it clean. It's way up on a hill above town, so getting to restaurants is easy, getting back to the hotel on foot to slot of work

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

16 Sep 2024

Beverley Ann

We didn’t notice that the hotel rooms didn’t have AC so thankfully the nights were cool enough to keep the room temp okay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Sep 2024

Stuart

Slightly outdated but very clean, with pleasant staff

4/10

Poor

01 Sep 2024

Yolanda

The ladies at the front desk were very nice and the rooms was very clean. The hotel did not have AC and the 2 little fans in the room were not enough. The street lights are very bright and disturbing at night. It was very noisy specially at night. The gargabe truck picked up the garbage at 2:45am and woke us up. In the room we were at there was a lot of weird noises happening. Someone dragging a chair across the floor, feet dragging, and many more noises that made it impossible for us to rest. We ended up leaving at 4:30am and went to the car and slept there. It was such a horrible and uncomfortable experience. If you are looking for a nice quiet place to rest, this is not your hotel.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Jul 2024

Sanja

Pros

Walking distance to the beach ,restaurants ,bars
Pool
Free parking
Friendly staff
Balcony and water view
Breakfast on site

Cons
Bit outdated
No toiletries
1 plug in the room

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2024

Lynsey

Room and location ideal for our one night stay.

8/10

Excellent

29 Jun 2024

Kathryn

Lovely Staff

The staff there are really lovely, kind and very friendly and helpful. I’m sure if my husband and I were in our 20s and 30s we could have made it through, but the bed was so hard we went through 3 rather sleepless nights so we left two days early. On the positive, it’s a nice location with restaurants nearby.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Jun 2024

Richard

Helpful

Front desk were so helpful, ensuring my request for a balcony was possible, second day onwards.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

30 May 2024

Mr Samuel J

Love the staff

Staff amazing

8/10

Excellent

24 May 2024

Kirsty

Solo female traveller - Stayed here a few times as it's cheap and close to everything.

Some things that are negatives but don't put me off personally are the noise through the walls/halls, the hills you have to walk up to get back up from anywhere in town, and the lack of plug sockets in the rooms (one by the fridge, not by the bed).

Positives - it has a handy wee pool that's never too busy, 24/7 reception staff who are usually always friendly and helpful, fridge in the room, and walkable to supermarket, town and beach.

The basic room is a window, whereas the double rooms up top have a decent sea facing balcony. You get what you pay for basically.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

01 May 2024

Caroline

A lovely budget hotel, very clean and staff all friendly. Sun terrace with hilltop views an added bonus too

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

26 Apr 2024

Michael

Friendly hospitable staff spotlessly clean comfortable beds compact bathroom with what seems to be an endless supply of hot water
We were there early season but were very impressed with this 2 star hotel

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Apr 2024

Malcolm

Nice staff clean hotel small but nice pool

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2024

Susan

Good value, well recommended

Excellent value. Room was clean, bed comfortable, bathroom obviously recently refitted and spotlessly clean. Breakfast typical Portuguese, but also bacon, scrambled eggs and a variety of cakes.
Staff friendly, check in very efficient and receptionist happy to converse in Portuguese although I am English. Happy to recommend. Don't miss Ténis Pizza, 5-10 minutes walk - so good.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2023

Gary

First time in Albufeira

Great hotel, nothing fancy but probably deserves 3 stars rather than the 2 it publishes. Staff were brilliant and very friendly, changed our room after we requested one with a balcony. Bit of a hike up the hill from the beach but absolutely worth it for the views. Has a very small pool but we never used as no view and tended to be in the shade

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2023

steven

Albufeira Gem.

Very good stay, excellent service especially from the afternoon desk lady(i believe her name was Illaine. Super friendly and helpful.
Decent breakfast,and refreshing small pool.
Amazing view from our deck outside our room. Close to everything restaurants, groceries and an easy 15 minute walk down to the beach.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Sep 2023

Winny-Gaëlle

It was nice

8/10

Excellent

31 Aug 2023

Angie

The stay was very nice but rooms have only 1 point of plugging in items. Glad took an extension wire. Fan in room but no where to plug it in! Balcony was small but had a lovely view. Cleanliness was excellent. Shower was very small and not great!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Aug 2023

Gloria

It is a nice hotel with great views of the beach from some rooms. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The beds were comfortable but there was no air conditioning and it was very hot with the windows open all night long. Couldn’t sleep well due to heat. Breakfast was adequate. It was within walking distance to the beach and city center .

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2023

Simon

Great location. Friendly staff.

Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Jul 2023

Jessica

Great pool, coffee/breakfast, great views, convenient bar on property.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jul 2023

Saliha

Floors were dirty and never mopped. Our balcony was 10 steps away from people at the front of hotel so anyone could walk through anytime so we had to be careful. We couldn’t leave it open at night for air for safety reasons so it was very hot in the room. There was only 1 fan so it was difficult to sleep. Bed wasn’t the most comfortable. Staff were friendly. Housekeeping came at inconvenient times such as 10am which is far too early for me and my family. That’s when we get ready for the day. As a result, we didn’t get our room cleaned often.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2023

Kelly A

This property was in the old town of Albufeira and it is conveniently located at the top of the hill. Whichever way you go when you head down to the main town, you will find options for dining, supermarkets and the like. The main town is about a 10 minute walk, which is all along the water. I felt extremely safe staying at this property. The staff was super helpful. Each and every person at the front desk, day or night, was knowledgable and kind. I felt very much at home. Please note that the summer months are HOT and there is only air con in a select few rooms. There are fans and the ocean breeze helps at night - but not so much in the day. The pool is very small but refreshing for a quick dip. If you want to spend time by the water, your best bet is to head down to the beach (which is quite lovely).

Ubers are easy to find and you will not wait more than 5 mins at peak times.

While there are some quirks to the hotel and some things that need to be updated, the stay was lovely and the beds comfortable and the room clean.

Enjoy the views at the top of the old town and embrace the quirks!

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2023

Claire

Really nice staff who make sure you have a great stay. We had the air con in our room which we preferred to the balcony view during this hot spell. They also kindly supplied us with a kettle to have our coffee in the room.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jun 2023

Verified traveler

Last minute golf break

Overall it was ok. I was probably unlucky in that I had a room directly by reception so heard every single coming and going due to paper thin walls. Only two accessible power points, one that was taken by the fridge, so in effect, one plug socket.

Nice view of the bay/beach due to the hotels elevated position in the resort. 10-15 min walk all downhill via path/steps to Old Town Square.

Friendly helpful staff.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jun 2023

Ian

The staff were very nice, the place itself is a bit run down. No air con and flimsy curtains in the rooms. Was ok for the price but will not be returning.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2023

Serena

Serena's review :)

Really enjoyed my stay. I loved my room (311) was such a joy to come back to it after a busy day. Loved the balcony and the shower was the best shower I've ever taken.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

12 May 2023

Catherine

The hotel is clean and rooms are spacious. The views from the balcony and the roof top terrace are beautiful especially during sunset. The mini fridge was perfect to keep drinks and snacks. The pool is super clean and there’s lots of lounge chairs available.

The outlets are a bit far from the bed but I just plugged my phone in when I went to bed and had no issues

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

08 May 2023

Les

Ticks all the boxes!

Pleasant little hotel, staff all friendly and welcoming.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2023

Chiedza

All went well and was as expected! Had a lovely stay with friendly staff.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Apr 2023

Lance

Staff greeting was terrific. Bus stop nearby. Short walk into town though down a steep sidewalk.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2023

Sebastiao

It was very peaceful and pleasant our stay at the hotel, very friendly staff, nice place, wonderful view.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2022

shirley

balcony looking out over town and ocean. some aspects need renovating, but overall not bad. Love the originality of the elevator. the staff, including cleaning ladies, are fabulous. can't say enough about them all. made us feel like family we stayed for 2 weeks and don't regret it at all. we are older so we had to rent a car. the hotel sits atop a high slope to ocean and the walking up and down hills and stairs can be a bit too much, but that is not the hotel, just the area. we would stay again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2022

faye

A pleasant surprise!

We planned a last minute trip for 3 nights and wanted to keep the budget down (which the hotel certainly did!) with that in mind, I was really dubious as it wasn’t the usual type of hotel we would book!!

We were more than pleasantly surprised! Yes, the decor was dated and could do with a major overhaul but the hotel was clean and comfortable. The staff were really helpful and friendly and……the views we were in room 404, which had a balcony overlooking the town/beach and was great to watch the sunrise.

I used the pool area for a couple of hours each day, and was usually the only person there so it was lovely and peaceful!

All in all, although I would never have usually booked a hotel like this, I did fall in love with it a little bit!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Oct 2022

Verified traveler

Low cost and handy for old town

Have stayed here a few times with no issues. It is a cost friendly handy little place. Rooms have fridges and beds are comfy. Only complaints would be that when I arrived this time the fridge had been defrosted and water was all over the floor, and the receptionist was sick and I got a bad case of covid days later :(

Simple things which could be avoided by common sense/better staff decisions.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

27 Sep 2022

Lesley

We did read other reviews, but weren't too concerned as all we wanted was a clean bed to sleep in at night... Unfortunately though, I think the cons did outweigh the pros here.

PROS
*The staff, with the exception of the breakfast room staff, were very attentive.
*Shower over bath was fab.
*Room was clean & serviced daily.
*Breakfast, although many cons (see below), did have nice cheese and ham, and bread rolls. Bacon was lovely. Some days they had nice cake.

CONS
*We had no balcony. Some of our party complained about their room being smelly and were given a room with a balcony. We stayed in our room.
*Bathroom sink didn't drain properly and kept filling up (room 403).
*Pool tiles could've done with a thorough clean. Water itself was great.
*Pool area has nothing else except sun loungers and the pool. Nothing handy to get a snack or a drink.
*There is a bar by reception, but very small and not well stocked. Bottle of water very expensive. No food available, only crisps.
*Breakfast was a real disappointment. Out of date yoghurt, no milk on one day and not even an apology, coffee machine coffee horrible. Scrambled eggs looked like they were a day old.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

13 Sep 2022

ROMAN

Nice clean hotel with friendly staff

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2022

R

Friendly staff and good room would recommend

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

27 Jul 2022

Sabrina

Advertised as having wifi and air conditioning, it does not. Very outdated and uncomfortable beds. Staff were great and welcoming, however the hotel stay was uncomfortable. Will not be coming back, especially for the price we paid for the rooms.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2022

Adam

The staff was amazing! Hotel is a little outdated but everything was fine and comfortable.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

15 Jul 2022

Verified traveler

OK

Basic hotel, in need of a bit of tlc, location not great (for an oldie) due to steep hills to climb.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 May 2022

Ellen

Tudo limpo, quarto confortável. Muito satisfeita

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 May 2022

Caroline

We had a lovely holiday, the hotel was clean and comfortable. The staff were extremely friendly and very efficient.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

21 Apr 2022

Diane

Hotel with a view

This cute little hotel is exactly as advertised. Front desk service was excellent! Staff is friendly, professional, and very helpful. The hotel is clean and well maintained. Although close to the older town, it is uphill on the way home. Yet there are various taxis for a reasonable price. The walk into town is nice as all downhill. Views from front balconies are spectacular! Price is awesome.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2022

Paul

Property was clean and good value for the price. 5 minute walk to the centre of Albufeia.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

19 Jul 2019

Michael

Great views

Nice little place out out the way with friendly and helpful staff

Friends

8/10

Excellent

27 May 2019

Gareth

Clean and tidy and only a 5 min walk into town

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2019

Susan

Very good budget hotel

Staff were nice. Room was big and comfortable and the balcony had a great view. Not too far from town and lots of different ways you can go. Asked to borrow a kettle and they gave me a tray with cup and saucer too. Cleaners came every day and towels changed lots. WiFi only worked very close to reception. Breakfast wasn't amazing but did the job.

6/10

Pleasant

05 May 2019

Caroline

Basic but fine

Hotel located up a hill therefore not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties, although fantastic views. Room I had was spacious, clean and bed comfortable, so bedroom itself was fine together with the new fridge. Hotel overall could really do with a refurb as hallways dark and carpet dirty. Bathrooms let the rooms down with enamel peeling off the bath, chipped tiles, shower not staying on holder etc. Overall I knew I had paid a low price therefore no worse than expected and was fine for a few days away with a friend. Quiet location at night too which was great

8/10

Excellent

05 Sep 2018

Kathleen

Cheap and cheerful

Great value . Excellent staff. Rooms cleaned every day and clean towels. Wifi only in reception area. Could do with new sun loungers and up dating

Friends

4/10

Poor

09 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

We weren’t expecting much since it was one of the cheapest hotel we found (still expensive since it was high season). Staff is really friendly but the facilities are terrible, bed and pillows very uncomfortable, pool is not inviting at all, bathroom really old.

8/10

Excellent

16 Jul 2018

steve

You get what you pay fir

Let’s face it, it’s not 5 star luxury but as a budget hotel for a short stay it was fine, I wouldn’t take the wife and kids but as a short lads break where the essentials are a bed and a shower it actually exceeded my expectations. The staff were very helpful with nothing to much trouble..

2/10

Poor

14 Sep 2017

D

Basic but not as clean as it should be.

Very basic. Very poor bathroom, water coming out of bath taps was brown. Pillows way to flat. No safe. Very noisy, slamming doors and beds. Cracked bath tub, sink. Towels are only replaced every two days. No wifi in rooms. Dirty sunchairs next to pool. Carpets need replacing. No air conditioning in rooms. I've stayed in better 2 star places than this.

4/10

Poor

04 Sep 2017

Verified traveler

Good location/ Mouldy rooms

Room it was dirty and extremely smelly from mould. It was obvious that they didn't pay enough staff for maintaining the hotel. When you pay 90 euros per night you expect better conditions. Staff were very friendly and they were trying their best to accomodate you. We got a room at the bottom floor next to the swimming pool and every morning at 6 we had to wake up because someone was cleaning it. Everything was dusty and mouldy in the room and our clothes got a really bad smell by the time we left. Avoid albufeira all together if you can. Rent a car and drive elsewhere in Portugal.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2017

Verified traveler

Great experience !

- amazing and helpful front desk
-mins away from the beach , great location
-free taxi call service
-clean rooms (must specifcy if air conditionner because too hot in albufeira)

8/10

Excellent

10 Sep 2012

Verified traveler

Great hotel for price, ideal for younger couples

Hotel is what you pay for. Location is ok, with 5 mins walk downhill to the beach and could be difficult for some on return. Amazing views but and the old town is within 10mins walk. Do not plan a holiday in this hotel if you want to stay around the pool or have children. Pool and area around is small, about 6-8 people with sun beds max! Overall nice hotel, very basic 2 star but parking is outside free of charge, staff are friendly, towels and sheets made or changed daily and air conditioned rooms

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2011

Andrew

After an initially confusing check-in and what appeared to be a disgruntled receptionist we managed to get to our room which was basic but well presented and clean. Just under a 10 minute walk to the beach and also convenient for the coach to the Slide & Splash waterpark (there is a bus stop less tan 2 minutes away).

8/10

Excellent

01 Aug 2011

Verified traveler

Good quality price ratio

It is exactly as it seems to be. Convenient, not expensive, good but not amazing, clean and at good standard, good views and location (10 min walk to Albufeira centre).
24 hour reception helped as we arrived very late.
Good quality/price ratio.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jun 2010

Verified traveler

Mar A Vista Albufeira

We were impressed by the hotel services. Distance to the beach and city center was very short and we would recommend this hotel to other travelers.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2009

S

Great Hotel!

Good location in a quiet part of Albufeira, but only 5 min walk to the town center and to the beach. Clean rooms. Staff pleasant and helpful. Breakfast very good. And price is very attractive too!

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jul 2009

C

Exactly what you pay for

I stayed in this hotel in July and although its a kind of decent hotel there are some dodgy bits, one of which is that its on top of a mountain and getting up it is very hard work especially if its mega hot! The second is that the balcony doors are wooden with a door and a extra shutter on the outside the problem is that these constantly bang together in the wind which is very very annoying. A few other less important things are that we had
No microwave
No cooking facility
No sky TV (3 Portuguese channels only)
And a terrible view (a big white wall)
which were all promised, However all that in mind its very cheap so i suppose its exactly what you pay for just don't expect any kind of luxury, just one other thing the maids come every day which is very good.

8/10

Excellent

23 Sep 2025

Göran

Slitet rum. Trasiga krokar och hållare för toarulle. Gamla smutsiga/trasiga heltäckningsmattor i korridorer.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2025

Rodrigo B

Hotel bem localizado, perto da praia, mas comladeiras e escadas durante o caminho.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2025

Inger Grethe

Albufeira mai 2025

Veldig hyggelige og hjelpsomme folk i resepsjonen. Bra utsikt, koselig hotell, litt slitt. Kommer gjerne igjen.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2024

Karin

Die Lage der Unterkunft ist sehr gut. Das Personal aufmerksam und freundlich. Besonders hervorzuheben ist hier die Dame am Empfang. Ich verreise sehr oft und hatte selten eine so sympathische, freundliche, kompetente und hilfsbereite Dame an der Rezeption. Riesenlob dafür.
Das Hotel selbst ist an einen Berghang gebaut, hat einen Außenpool und einen netten Ausblick. Ich hatte zusätzlich eine sehr schöne, große Terrasse mit Tisch und Sesseln. Das Zimmer ist sehr geräumig und mit Kühlschrank ausgestattet. Das Bett war gemütlich. Alles ist schon ein bisschen in die Jahre gekommen - mich hat's nicht gestört, aber man merkt es natürlich. So gab's nur eine freie Steckdose und der Kühlschrank war manchmal etwas lauter. Das Frühstücksbuffet hat keine großartige Auswahl, für mich aber ausreichend. Auch hier wieder auffallend das aufmerksame, freundliche Personal. Ich habe mich jederzeit willkommen und gut betreut gefühlt. Alles in allem hat für mich das Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis gut gepasst und ich war zufrieden.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2024

Elson E

Muito Bom.

Hotel muito bem localizado, perto de tudo, atendimento dos funcionários excelente. Cama confortável, um bom café da manhã. O único senão a respeito da estadia é em relação ao número de tomadas no quarto apenas duas tomadas uma para a Tv e outra para o frigobar que tenha uma conexão (T) onde conseguia utilizar para carregar os equipamentos eletrônicos. O prédio é antigo mais o local é muito bonito, da sala do café tem uma visão muito bonita da praia e da cidade de Albufeira.

Self

4/10

Poor

19 Sep 2024

Nina

Porte et fenetre peu insonorisées
Odeur fortes dans la salle de bain
Mais l'hotel netait pas trop chez ce qui est rare a Albufeira !

Partner