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Difference between the three Pine Cliffs/Algarve properties in Portugal?
I'm kind of confused about the three different SPG properties in the Algarve, Portugal, all with the name of Pine Cliffs: the PC Hotel, the PC Ocean Suites (slated to open late June) and the PC Residence. Are they all on the same, large property? And if so, am I correct in assuming that the PC Suites will be nicer than the PC Hotel (which I've read very good things about)?
Thanks for any help in clarifying this. |
Pine Cliffs is the whole campus, and everything is together on the same site.
Pine Cliffs Hotel is the renamed Sheraton Algarve Hotel. The Residences are apartment units scattered around the grounds, bookable by the day and also for fraction ownership sale. The Ocean Suites is a whole new block, adjacent to the hotel, added to increase the number of suites available in the hotel, and are also available for fractional ownership. |
The Pine Cliffs Hotel will be fully renovated when it reopens this summer. Ocean Suites is brand new and opening for the first time. So both of these properties will be redone and the best to stay at.
Residence will be a bit older but still suites. Note that there are other Pine Cliffs villas or apartments that aren't part of SPG but branded similarly. Quite confusing. |
Suites look fabulous.
But just one queen bed is a deal buster for us. What happened to king bed as standard? Did they run out of space in the design? Exception: Presidential suite for Euro 5,100 has two queens :D |
Originally Posted by travelexpert
(Post 26663369)
Suites look fabulous.
But just one queen bed is a deal buster for us. What happened to king bed as standard? Did they run out of space in the design? Exception: Presidential suite for Euro 5,100 has two queens :D |
Originally Posted by Oxon Flyer
(Post 26659504)
Pine Cliffs is the whole campus, and everything is together on the same site.
Pine Cliffs Hotel is the renamed Sheraton Algarve Hotel. The Residences are apartment units scattered around the grounds, bookable by the day and also for fraction ownership sale. The Ocean Suites is a whole new block, adjacent to the hotel, added to increase the number of suites available in the hotel, and are also available for fractional ownership. |
Originally Posted by travelexpert
(Post 26663369)
Suites look fabulous.
But just one queen bed is a deal buster for us. What happened to king bed as standard? Did they run out of space in the design? Exception: Presidential suite for Euro 5,100 has two queens :D |
Thanks for all of the useful replies, folks!
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Originally Posted by GVA
(Post 26663425)
Kings have never been a standard in Europe. Most hotels will have doubles or queens and the exception is Kings.
I cannot remember NOT getting at least a king (or two singles/doubles) in Europe. But I rarely stay anywhere other than the main chain hotels (Hyatt, Marriott, SW, IHG and Hilton). |
Any more recent thoughts?
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Pine Cliffs is an ocean front private semi-secluded resort with a golf course, several pools and a beach concession. On site there are several different complexes with slightly different brands, but all owned and operated by Pine Cliffs, including private villas, townhouses, apartments, condos and one hotel. Of those, three are under management by Marriott. All facilities (restaurants, bars, beach concession, etc) are shared by all resort guests, regardless of which complex they’re staying at (with the exception of one of the spas and one of the pools which are for Ocean Suites guests only). The hotel is a typical luxury collection property with rooms and suites and is fully owned by the resort. Ocean Suites is a building adjacent to the hotel and consists of condos (studios and one-bedroom) that are mostly privately owned but rented out through Pine Cliffs under the LC brand and operated as if it were an all-suites hotel. Pine Cliffs Residences is an appartment complex spread out over several two-story buildings around the golf course, all of which are privately owned or under fractional ownership and, again, rented out through Pine Cliffs under the LC brand. |
I stayed there this summer. Was pretty unimpressed with the resort as a whole, not just because they overcharged me by 500EUR of other people's discretionary spend and then were unapologetic when I made them pay it back after lots of investigation weeks later. It is nowhere near the usual Luxury Collection level.
On the specific question of this post, it's really just one hotel with different room types masquerading as different hotels and so I suspect the best value is always in the basic hotel but then getting a better room within it. The Residence have a nicer breakfast by a pool, but guests of the other parts of the property can take a 5min walk in the morning and go join them instead of in the mad crush of the main hotel if they're aware of it. |
I stayed here in Summer 2017, in the LC hotel part and upgraded to a duplex suite as a SPG Plat50 and LTP. I was relatively happy, although the onsite restaurants seemed overpriced and the breakfast buffet was a zoo at times. It's a pretty setting along the coast that locals seem to recognize as a prestigious resort. My impression was that the residences were varied, with some being stunning huge and high quality homes while others were cookie cutter townhomes in various locations on the property. The hotel that seems to be called suites was IMO downscale compared to the LC and seemed to have units oriented toward (large) families, so that its "private" pool was filled with screaming kids ina way that that main LC pool was not. If you go, be prepared for a huge mixed use property, which is also the case for some other SPG resorts in Portugal such as the Sheraton resort at Cascais, although there the time share etc. units seem less obtrusive. If you go, you need a car here (and even more at Cascias) as there are only a couple basic restaurants and shops located within walking distance.
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I second all of MSP Economists comments. We were also upgraded to a nice duplex suite( although with parking lot view) in the hotel.It was pretty busy with families and we were there in May, shoulder season. The restaurants on site are so so and overpriced and while there are some within walking distance I would agree that a car is necessary. Loved Albufueira, although again it might be different at peak season.We also got a great rate following the specials link on the hotel's page on the former SPG website.
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Whether you stay here or not, Portugal's Algarve region is very nice. I went in December 2015 and it was perfect; low 70s during the day. Great food and wine. Reasonably priced, like the rest of Portugal.
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