Algarve Vacation Recenzje 

This is our third stay with algarve vacations and definitely our best villa to date. We booked our transfers through the company as well this year which made finding the property so smooth. Communication before our holidays has always been very good and the use of WhatsApp to answer any queries when in resort gives really swift answers. We will likely be back in Albufeira next October and will definitely use algarve vacations if we do return.

What a nice villa. Close to restaurants and. shops. We enjoyed every minute with our whole family in the complete and spacious villa. Cleaning was excellent.

My family and I stayed here in July: 3 adults 4 teenagers. We absolutely loved the apartment! The location is excellent, the apartment clean, and we all agree that we would stay here again if given the chance!

Algarve Vacations, never again!!!! €10500 spent and we had no running water for 24 hours therefore toilets wouldn't flush and taps weren't working. With 12 people in the villa this was a HUGE sanitary problem. Algarve vacations got the taps running within 24 hours but felt the unsanitary conditions we faced wouldn't be reimbursed. Vrbo have been excellent and refunded from their side, hats off to them especially for their aftercare!!!!

Algarve vacations are going to be taken through the courts. €1500 per night, you'd think they'd look after their guests a little better.

Villa Gamboa was nice but needs a BIG refurb especially kitchen. Surely all the money that the management company make from not looking after guests they can pay towards some better cooking facilities. Of course they wont!

Good space for big group if you dont need running water and like ants.

I cannot stress strongly enough how much I would urge anyone considering Villa Royal Mill (also advertised as Villa Moinho 119) to look elsewhere. I would not recommend this property or Algarve Vacation to anyone, under any circumstances.

Having enjoyed villa holidays for almost 25 years, we have never experienced anything remotely as disappointing, stressful or unacceptable as this. What should have been a relaxing holiday became an exhausting ordeal involving serious security concerns, numerous maintenance issues, misleading expectations and customer service that left us feeling completely abandoned.

Do not assume that the negative reviews are exaggerated or that your experience will be different. Ignore at your own expense.

The impression we were left with was that customer care effectively ended the moment our final payment was received. Before payment, you are a prospective customer. Afterwards, trying to get meaningful assistance felt like an entirely different experience.

The villa was nowhere near the standard we had expected from its online presentation. The photographs create an impression that, in our experience, did not reflect the reality of the property. We were left feeling that the marketing had set expectations the actual accommodation simply could not meet.

A Serious Security Incident and €900 Missing:

The most distressing incident of our stay was the disappearance of €900 from the bedrooms during a mid-stay clean. We reported the matter to the GNR, the Portuguese police.

To make matters worse, there were no safes anywhere in the villa for guests to secure their valuables.

We cannot independently establish who took the money, but the circumstances in which it went missing raised serious concerns for us about security during the cleaning process and the handling of the subsequent complaint.

What we found particularly unacceptable was the response from Algarve Vacation. We were told that theft from the rooms was the responsibility of the property owners rather than theirs. Once the police had been informed, the company stated that it would deal directly with the authorities, leaving us feeling that any meaningful support or proactive investigation from the company itself had effectively stopped.

For a company that markets its property-management services around overseeing matters such as maintenance, security and cleaning, this response was extraordinarily disappointing. When something this serious happens during a managed stay, guests should not be left feeling that everyone is passing responsibility to someone else.

This was not a minor inconvenience or a complaint about personal preference. €900 went missing, the police were informed, and we did not receive the level of support we expected.

Our communications with Olivia Grimes were, in our opinion, dismissive, impersonal and largely unhelpful. We also found it extremely frustrating that we could not get a direct conversation with her. Emails bearing her name were frequently answered by other members of the customer-care team.

The local rep was also disappointing. It took several days for him to arrive, and when he eventually did, his focus appeared to be on reminding us of the villa rules rather than addressing the problems we were experiencing. After that visit, we did not see him again.

Air conditioning (or lack of): Despite the expectations created by the listing, several bedrooms did not have air conditioning, leaving them uncomfortably hot.

Pool area and broken tiles: The pool area was in a poor state of repair, with numerous sharp or broken tiles and seating and table areas that appeared unsafe.

Broken pool umbrellas: All the poolside umbrellas were broken or unsafe when we arrived. Despite repeatedly asking for assistance over the course of a week, only one additional umbrella was eventually supplied.

The most concerning aspect of this property/company is seeing the way negative reviews are challenged by the host.

At what point does the repeated presence of negative feedback prompt genuine reflection rather than another rebuttal?

It is difficult to accept that every dissatisfied guest is simply mistaken, unfair or inaccurate. When different guests independently report negative experiences, those accounts deserve to be taken seriously. They cannot reasonably all be dismissed just because the host disagrees with the way they have been described.

Accountability is not about winning an argument with a reviewer. It is about taking responsibility for problems and demonstrating that they will be addressed.

We would not return to Villa Royal Mill, and we would not recommend Algarve Vacation.

The booking process was clear and straightforward, and communication before and during our stay was prompt. The villa we stayed in is also in a great location. Unfortunately, the overall experience fell short of expectations in several important areas.
On arrival, we found broken glass on the kitchen floor and stains on the rugs and sofa. We reported these issues immediately at check-in and provided photographs. While the villa was reasonably clean in other respects, these problems were disappointing and should have been addressed before guests arrived.
More concerning was the broken patio door lock. We reported this during our stay, but it was not repaired, leaving an unresolved security concern. This villa has recently renovated, so the absence of a safe was also a notable omission.
The handling of the security deposit was particularly disappointing. The stated return deadline passed without the deposit being received. When I contacted Algarve Vacations, I was told it had been released and that I should contact my bank. I was ultimately forced to pursue a credit card dispute to recover my money. Even then, the property deducted a 2.9% charge, meaning I did not receive my full deposit back.
It is a shame, as the location and prompt communication were positives. However, the cleanliness issues, the unresolved security concern and, in particular, the unnecessary difficulty and cost involved in recovering the security deposit significantly detracted from our stay. I would encourage future guests to be aware of these issues before booking with Algarve Vacations.

So much to say just don't know where to start.
The lack of customer support upon arrival and the ongoing problems and issues during our 2 week stay were just too bad it just had to be said.
It took a few days for a vacation rep to arrive at villa.

Not all rooms had aircon and this was highlighted from the very start only to be answered by the arrival of a dehumidifier a few days later, (no rush really when trying to sleep in nearly 30 degrees heat)

BATHROOMS
The bathrooms and shower areas in all the rooms are all outdated and really lack space and updating. No towel rails in some rooms and for the ones that did they were falling off the walls. As a 5"10 male of medium build the shower space is only adequate for a 10 year old child at best. Smelly and sometimes blocked drains.

The handrail for stairway from front door up to kitchen is extremely loose and unsafe.
The lack of safety detailing around the outside area, I'd have been safer on a building site. Tiles on the outside seating area around the table are broken and chipped, brush off any of these while walking by and your leg is sliced open, not to mention with young kiddies running around. Concrete tiles around sunbed area by pool are either loose, broken or some loose and corners sticking up. The swimming pool wall was (in my 20+ years annual holidays was the worst I've ever seen) ABSOLUTELEY FILTHY. A party member scrubbed 1 section of water line of the wall with scrubbing brush and detergent and the scum just came straight off. Umbrellas were completely broken, again had to wait for a few days for replacement.

ROBBERY/THEFT
The worst of all was a security issue of trust when cleaners arrived for cleaning of rooms and beds and a sum of 900 euro was stolen between 2 different rooms. There's no safety boxes in any room. When issue raised, Algarve Vacations did not want to hear of it or help in any way. Simply shocking.

All in all a simply shocking holiday experience from start to finish and I'm not surprised this is not the first negative review.

The only positive of the holiday was the people we were surrounding ourselves with. Family xxx

Great service from everyone at Algarve Vacation, the villa, villa cristiano was superb. Very roomy, tidy and looked after. All fully equipped with everything we needed and the outside areas were looked after every morning. Towels changed mid week. Location was excellent we had a car but it's not strictly nessesary as buses run along the main road and both local taxis and Uber know where the villa is.
All in all a perfect week

We recently spent two weeks at Villa Marrakech in Carvoeiro as part of our honeymoon, we are an older couple recently married and part of the holiday involved staying with our family of 6 adults and 2 children aged 11 and 5. We honestly couldn’t have chosen a better place.

The villa is beautiful, spacious and really feels like a home away from home. There was plenty of room for everyone, a fantastic well-equipped kitchen and the outdoor space was just stunning. We loved the pool, gardens and BBQ area, especially the traditional bread oven.

One of the things that worked particularly well for us was the lovely ground-floor en-suite bedroom. My husband’s mum stayed there and could go straight out to the pool area independently, which was perfect. The beds were also incredibly comfortable, which makes such a difference after a busy day!

The location is brilliant, right in Carvoeiro and within easy walking distance of the beach, restaurants and local facilities. The TVs in the bedrooms were also a surprisingly useful touch( who needs to watch tv on a holiday ), especially when one of our grandchildren needed some quiet time after a long day out.

We really appreciated having fresh house and pool towels every few days, and the cleaning team were always friendly and discreet.

The service was excellent too. I had a problem with my phone when trying to upload our check-in information, and Olivia, Aurely, who gave us such a warm welcome when we arrived, and the rest of the team were incredibly helpful and took the stress straight out of it.

We absolutely loved our time at Villa Marrakech and were genuinely sad to leave. We would definitely book with Algarve Vacation again and would absolutely love to return to Villa Marrakech. Hopefully very soon!

Wir hatten am vierten Tag unseres Urlaubs einen Wasserschaden im Haus.
Im ersten Stock schien ein Defekt zu sein, der dazu führte, dass das Erdgeschoss erheblich in Mitleidenschaft gezogen wurde
(Flur, Schlafzimmer, Wohnzimmer)
Wir haben versucht mit Eimern, Schüsseln und Töpfen das Wasser aufzufangen, was nur begrenzt funktionierte. Handwerker , die nachmittags kamen, konnten den Schaden nicht beheben, das Wasser lief weiter trotz abgestellter Hauptleitung. Man hat uns für den nächsten Tag drei Ersatzhäuser angeboten mit dem Hinweis die Nacht über dort verbringen zu müssen. Mangels Alternativen haben wir dies gemacht und die Nacht über damit verbracht fortlaufend Wasserbehälter zu leeren. Auf unseren Rückruf am nächsten Morgen teilte man uns mit, dass nur noch ein Haus mit Poolheizung zur Verfügung stehen würde und das von uns ausgewählte Haus nicht mehr verfügbar sei. Notgedrungen haben wir dies akzeptiert und konnten dann erst am späten Nachmittag umziehen. Das neue Haus war sehr schön von der Ausstattung, lag aber direkt in 200 Meter Entfernung von der Autobahn.
Nachdem wir unser ruhig und in Strandnähe gelegenes Haus verlassen hatten, waren wir plötzlich 59dBa durchgehend bzw. in der Spitze 69dBa
ausgesetzt. Algarve vacation war nicht bereit eine Entschädigung zu zahlen und sitzt unverändert auf unser Kaution, die wir zwischenzeitlich abgefordert hatten.
Unsere Empfehlung: nie wieder und Warnung an Hauseigentümer. Der Umgang mit der Bearbeitung solcher Schäden lässt zu Wünschen übrig
Wir mieten seit 40 Jahren an der algarve Häuser, haben so etwas noch nie erlebt. Unsere Ansprechpartnerin war Olivia Grimmes.Nie wieder diesen Anbieter!!!
Wolfgang - September 2026

Would definitely recommend this place, If we could give this place and the host 6 stars I would. Absolutely beautiful villa and very helpful and responsive host. My family and I stayed here for my wedding and we were sad to leave, some great memories were made in this place this week. Thanks again for everything, we may see you again next year

I strongly advise anyone considering a stay at Villa Royal Mill (also called Villa Moinho 119) to look elsewhere. I do not recommend this property or Algarve Vacation to anyone. Believe ALL of the negative reviews others have left, and do not think your experience will be any different. In our almost 25 years of villa holidays this is by far the worst experience we have ever had.

Their customer care completely ends the day they take your final payment. The villa is grossly misrepresented in online photos and whoever staged and edited these photos is very clever at their job. After booking was paid, dealing with this company was an absolute nightmare.

The most distressing part of our trip was a massive security breach. During a mid-stay clean, €900 was stolen from the bedrooms by their cleaners. To make matters worse, there are no safes provided anywhere in the villa to protect your property.

When we raised this, Algarve Vacation completely washed their hands of us. They claimed that theft from the rooms is not their responsibility but that of the property owners. Because the GNR (local police) were informed, they stated they would now only deal directly with the authorities, refusing to establish an internal investigation or take any responsibility.

This total lack of accountability flies directly in the face of their own online marketing to prospective villa owners, where they clearly state that they look after everything from maintenance and security to cleaners and gardeners.

Infuriating, Faceless Customer Service & Absent Reps

The customer service is a complete sham. The responses we received from Olivia Grimes were incredibly dismissive and generic. Be warned: you will never get to speak to her directly. Her emails are frequently responded to by other members of the "customer care" team and simply signed off with her name to avoid real accountability.
Furthermore, the local Algarve Vacation welcoming committee/rep took a few days to even arrive. When he finally did, he was only interested in lecturing us about the rules of the villa rather than helping us with its numerous issues. He was never seen again after that.

False Advertising & Subpar Property Conditions.
• No AC in all bedrooms: Despite listing claims, air conditioning is missing from several bedrooms, leaving them uncomfortably hot.
• Disgusting Pool & Broken Amenities: The pool area is in a very poor state of repair. There are a lot of sharp and broken tiles, and the seating and table area is in a dangerous state of repair.
• Damaged Equipment: All poolside umbrellas were broken and unsafe on arrival. After a week of constant asking, they finally provided just one additional umbrella. Furthermore, they hit you with steep additional charges just to heat the pool and use the jacuzzi.
• Plumbing Nightmares: Kitchens and bathrooms suffer from severe plumbing issues. Many toilets and drains frequently blocked, emitting terrible smells throughout our stay.

• Safety Hazards: The basement apartment had a faulty door that actually locked guests inside, which was a massive safety hazard and took a few days to finally be changed.

• Dated & Broken Interior: The décor is incredibly aged and old. The kitchen and laundry facilities are of a very poor standard, with several appliances completely out of order.

Final Verdict
Between the filthy conditions, structural hazards, blatant theft, and their well-documented reputation for unscrupulous deposit retention, booking this villa is a massive financial and safety risk. Save your holiday and stay far away from Algarve Vacation.

Edit: 10 October 2026

I am updating my review because the company’s response completely minimises the reality of what happened.
First, a portable dehumidifier unit delivered three days later, did nothing to improve the conditions in the basement apartment. Access to a jacuzzi advertised as part of the villa already, do not excuse the fact that the property had significant, unaddressed maintenance issues that impacted our vacation. These small gestures do not wipe the slate clean for a sub-standard villa.

Second, and most critically, regarding the disappearance of money: a security breach of this level is terrifying for any traveller. While the company claims they are "willing to cooperate," their overall handling of a theft on their property lacked the urgency, empathy, and proactive support a customer expects when their safety and belongings are compromised by the very people trusted to look after your safety.

The heated pool and jaccuzzi are listed as part of the facilities, not an optional extra.

For anyone with any doubts, I can provide full transcripts of WhatsApp messages and emails to show that the response below is untrue.

24hr cust care couldnt care less!

Unreal location with lots of food places and things to do around .villa was clean and very spacious for 10 of us

We hebben 2 fijne weken doorgebracht in mar 1 townhouse.
Het huis was van alle gemakken voorzien de tuin het zwembad heel netjes en het uitzicht geweldig !..

We booked Villa San Juan for a family holiday for six people. The villa itself was lovely and in a great location, but unfortunately the overall experience was badly let down by the way our stay was handled.

Our first impression was extremely poor. We arrived around five hours before check-in and completely understood that we couldn’t access the villa early. All we asked was whether we could leave our suitcases somewhere safely. This was refused, leaving six of us with all our luggage for five hours.

When we finally arrived, there was no real welcome whatsoever. No welcome pack, no basic essentials and not even a bottle of water in the fridge. For a villa costing a significant amount of money, we expected a little more thought and hospitality.

The biggest disappointment, however, was discovering that there was major construction work immediately next door. We effectively found ourselves spending our holiday alongside a building site. We did not feel the extent and proximity of this work had been made sufficiently clear when we booked. Had it been, it absolutely would have influenced our decision.

We raised the construction issue during our stay and were told that the work was being carried out by a third party and was outside the owner’s control. Of course an owner cannot control what happens on neighbouring land, but guests can and should be clearly informed about significant construction before booking and paying for their holiday.

This is particularly frustrating because the villa itself has a lot going for it. With better communication, transparency and some basic attention to the guest experience, our opinion could have been very different.

Future guests should specifically check whether the construction next door has been completed before booking.

Caracas 1 was a great apartment. Very clean, with everthing you need while in vacation in the Algarve. Location was also very good. Quiet but still close to great restaurants and old town Albufeira. Highly recommend. Lastly our host Sandra C was amazing. Very attentive and helpful.

Our host was brilliant helping us with our questions and needs during our visit. Thank you Melissa.

La villa es preciosa, muy amplia y cómoda, con todo lo necesario para una estancia estupenda. Está distribuida en dos plantas con dos dormitorios en cada una, todos con aire acondicionado, 4 baños, uno de ellos en la zona de la piscina y camas muy cómodas.
La cocina está equipada de sobra. No necesitas nada. La piscina es perfecta y la ubicación también, a pocos minutos en coche de preciosas calas y playas, así como supermercados y restaurantes.
Para repetir, sin duda.

We stayed at the villa Dorado & had the best experience with our family of 5 adults.
The villa had everything we needed & more, the pool was enticing every day, there was plenty of of sun loungers & chairs to sit around the pool & to eat on the table along with the BBQ!!
The location was perfect, 2 minutes from the busy strip of bars & restaurants but not hearing any of the noise when back in the property.
A 5 Star review & would love to come back next year as would the family !!
Also our host , Sandra was very helpful & informative with her recommendations of fantastic boat trip to the caves followed by best fish restaurant in the region .

DO NOT RENT VILLA MAURITIUS – Severe safety hazards and terrible service!
We rented Villa Mauritius in Galé through Algarve Vacation for over 30,000 DKK (€4,000) for one week, and it was a dangerous and massive disappointment. The entire villa is heavily worn down, old, and seriously neglected both inside and outside. It is evident that no form of real maintenance or renovation has been carried out since it was built.Active Safety Hazards & Injury: A massive amount of small mosaic tiles are missing from the pool floor and walls. This left razor-sharp exposed concrete edges, and we severely cut our toes and feet to pieces while swimming. On top of that, the outdoor plastic terrace chairs are matted and degraded; two of them snapped under normal use, causing a guest to fall hard and get injured.Zero Responsibility: When we sent full photo evidence of our physical injuries, Algarve Vacation flatly rejected all responsibility, calling structural pool failure "normal seasonal wear."Unusable Basement: The advertised "games room" in the basement is completely raw, freezing cold, stripped of any comfort, and contains broken equipment. Worse, it stank so intensely and dangerously of oil/petroleum fumes that it was entirely unusable. Their staff member, Martin, explicitly confirmed the smell on-site but did nothing.False AC Advertising: The listing guarantees air conditioning. In reality, there is none—only noisy, portable water fans that make a deafening noise and do not cool down the rooms, making it impossible to sleep.Terrible Standards: The mattresses are rock-hard and feel decades old. The master double bed is tiny (only 140x180 cm), and the main living room sofa is heavily stained, worn down, and completely unsanitary. There was also no one to greet us upon arrival despite an advance agreement.Because Algarve Vacation, Muchosol, and HomeToGo refused to take responsibility for these safety breaches and our injuries, an official case has now been filed with the European Consumer Centre (ECC) for a full investigation. Save your money and your safety—do not book this property!