Rachel McDermott
Nicely presented hotel with extra detail made to communal areas to provide a luxury feel on arrival. The beds were extremely comfortable but other aspects of the room such as the bathroom and surfaces felt a little tired and tatty.
We visited in February outside of the main season which may have explained the service being slow at times and tables not cleared away.
The food was nice and fresh but some variation would have been preferred over a five day stay.
Excellent fast free WiFi.
We didn’t realise the hotel was a little further out of Albufeira than we would ideally have wanted but it was easy to get a taxi there and back.
Matthew Wilson
Nice hotel with lovely clean large rooms that has heating and air conditioning, with a pool view. However the garden's are in need of some attention and the hotel is looking tired and could do with being revamped. Staff were very accommodating but the food is mediocre as you can get ready for a change after a few days. But a nice place for a quick break away from the normal. Many thanks.
Azadeh Babakhani
I recently stayed at this hotel expecting a true 5-star ultra all-inclusive experience, but unfortunately, it fell far short of that standard.
In my opinion, this hotel is closer to a 4-star property at best. Many basic services that should be included in a 5-star UALL package required extra payment. For example, even something as simple as an omelette at breakfast came with an additional charge. Access to the indoor pool was also not included, which is quite surprising for a hotel of this category.
Another major downside was the location. The hotel is far from both the city center and the beach, and unlike many other hotels in similar situations, there was no complimentary shuttle service provided. Typically, 5-star hotels offer regular transfers for guests, but that was completely missing here.
The overall facilities also didn’t match expectations. There was no proper outdoor snack bar, and snacks were only available inside the restaurant, which limits the “all-inclusive” experience.
Overall, this did not feel like a 5-star ultra all-inclusive hotel. I would strongly advise future guests to reconsider paying extra for the UALL package, as it does not deliver the level of service and convenience one would expect.
Please be aware of these points before booking.
Jane Higgins
After checking in at reception, my husband and I went along to the restaurant for lunch. The warm welcome we recieved from the restaurant manager was continued throughout our stay. The restaurant (and reception area) is light and decorated in a contemporary style. The choice of food throughout our stay was delicious and of high quality. The best thing about our stay was the staff. Everyone on the hospitality side was warm, friendly and helpful. We felt truly spoilt by the attention to detail and genuine smiles of kindness.
As a whole, the public areas of the hotel, and our room, was very clean and tidy. The many options of seating were thoughtfully decorated and overall there was a calmness about the place.
We stayed off season, over the Christmas period, so I'm sure the hotel was not at full capacity. There was a range of guests, from couples like us, to young families and larger family groups. The games room was well used, as was the bar. The drinks list for the all inclusive guests was good.
We made use of indoor pool on the first day, taking advantage of the free access on that day. I feel it needs to choose between being an indoor pool or a spa, as the mixed use is confusing. It was too cold to use the outdoor pools, but it clear to see they were well kept and had plenty of seating options and loungers. It was a shame that the sauna and steam rooms were attached to the changing rooms and single sex, as this is something we usually like to enjoy together.
The hotel is a short walk to two beautiful beaches, both of which are excellent examples of the coastline the Algarve is famous for. The Marina is a 20 walk away, and the old town 40 minutes. There are taxi options too.
Overall, we loved our stay at Sau Raphael Suites. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and we would recommend it to anyone.
Thank you for looking after us.
Alisa Kotlova
We stayed at the hotel in February 2026, staying with a family of two adults and one child.
It's a 5-star hotel, but the rooms are very tired, including linens (bed linens with blood stains, towels which are simply unpleasant to use), and furniture with stains.
Breakfasts are good. We did not go to the hotel for lunch and dinner, although there is a lunch on the Swedish table system and a restaurant.
There are three outdoor pools and a spa (for an additional fee). The spa can get so crowded that there are no available sunbeds, and guests leave towels on the floor.
We spent 40 minutes trying to resolve the sunbed issue. It took the third employee to fix the problem, and they brought us sunbeds from outside. Did anyone wipe down the sunbeds? No.
The area is green and nice, there is a small playground.
In 10 minutes on foot, the coastline and the beach.
Unfortunately, the experience of staying at a hotel did not make us want to return or recommend it to friends.
