This is a great hotel with plenty of amenities and nice rooms, for a low price. But the breakfast…read moreis what really stands out - probably the best "free" one I've ever had. Worth a stop in Tavira, just to spend a night here.

Started out not great!!! Greeted by agent saying it's been very stressful the day!!! Was told to…read morego behind state house and get euro but she never said it closes at 3 and it was 4:30 when she sent us! Asked for a TukTuk and was told something (lol) so confusing we never understood! Awful service. She was in a rush like we know where we are!! Very frustrating since we just flew into Lisbon this morning from Madeira and drove 2.5 hrs to here.

Today I was overwhelmed by the kindness and professionalism of this place!…read more I was having some trouble on my trip through Portugal (gorgeous country, breathtakingly beautiful!) and I was confused and scared all day. In a last-minute attempt to find a hotel, I came here and the staff here made me feel like home! Mares Residencial saved my vacation, and gave me all the safety and comfort in the world! Thank you :)

We started our vacation in Portugal with this wonderful B&B in Tavira. We booked over booking.com…read morewithout any problems, the communication with the staff was fast and very friendly. By car, it's hard to find when you don't know where to drive, but parking on the other side of the river and then walking to the hotel worked well for us :) The welcome was very nice, our room was ready when we arrived, perfect after a long flight from Germany! The room/bathroom itself was clean and properly furnished. I really liked the old tiles in the bathroom, I didn't take a picture of them, shame on me! We only stayed two nights, for a longer stay the space in the closet may be a little too small. In the bathroom was enough space for aaaaall the products a woman needs on vacation. Our room got a balcony, sadly it wasn't a riverview room, I thought! BUT! there were road works in front of the hotel (where the river was) and so we got the quiet site of the hotel this way. I would've taken hundreds of pictures f the beautiful architecture inside if my boyfriend let me, all the wood and nice stairways! The rooftop was pretty cool too, with a few chairs and a sunbed you can enjoy the evening sun without leaving the hotel. The breakfast time is a little bit short, but we managed to get out of bed early so we could enjoy it anyway. The offer of different options at the buffet was appropiate for the low price, but you can not expect to much. At least there were PASTEIS DE NATAS, and all was well ;) The location of the hotel is perfect for discovering Tavira or taking the boat to the Ilha de Tavira. You next trip to Tavira is already plannend and surely, we will stay again here.

I always like to try a restaurant that we have not yet had the pleasure of eating in whenever we…read morevisit Tavira. On this year's mini break we were fortunate to end up in the Portas do Mar on a Saturday night after a recommendation from Luis who runs the Brisa in Tavira. You will need to walk 20 minutes from town, drive or catch a cab, at a cost of 4 euros, to get to the Portas do Mar but it's well worth the trek (if you are staying here out of season it's very near the only ferry crossing that will be running to the Ilha so this might make a good stopping off point on your return). On our visit it was quite empty, unlike most of the restaurants in town, but the punters that had made the journey seemed to be a regular crowd who appreciate the food and wine. During the high season of July and August you will be lucky to get a table and booking well ahead is apparently essential. The restaurant itself is quite old school in terms of its décor and menu, which is no bad thing, and it's situated in a lovely spot right by the river which is a great location to watch the sun go down. We sat in the conservatory area at the front on our visit which was very pleasant. Our waiter and waitress for the evening were both attentive without being over fussy I would recommend that you have a chat with them if you have any doubts about what to eat or drink as they are very helpful. As with most places in Tavira, but perhaps even more so at the Portas do Mar, fish and seafood in particular should be what you are ordering. Armed with a gin and tonic, resisting the allure of the couvert, and after much debate while nibbling on the very tasty bread we finally made our order. I kicked off with a lovely fish soup comes highly recommended; plenty of white fish in a delicate veggie laden broth made for a good start to our meal. B had the asparagus and shrimp soufflé, after a lot of discussion about the merits of in or out of season, which was less successful being a tad burnt on top and a bit undercooked inside. Stick with the fish and keep it simple would be my advice. For our main we shared the seafood cataplana which I enjoyed immensely and B thought was a food obstacle course. I love the drama of the large clam like dish being brought to the table and then flipped open to reveal a multitude of mussels, clams, crab, lobster, bits of white fish and spicy sausage all in a lovely fragrant sauce. To do justice to this meal, and to make sure you do not leave the restaurant hungry, you will need to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in. You will be supplied with the shellfish tools of the trade in terms of cutlery and you will need to put them to good use. If this is not your idea of foodie heaven you might be wiser to sticking with a fillet of fish. The wine list at the Portas do Mar has plenty of choice, even for those of us drinking on a budget, and is very keenly priced. We had a lovely bottle of Planeta which cost 9 euros which was a couple of euros less than we paid in town. I liked this place a lot, probably a little more than B did but as I am the one posting up this review I will give the Portas do Mar a well-deserved 4 stars. I look forward to a return visit.

Nice quite hotel with an amazing view. There is an extra adult pool for relaxing. The main pool got…read morean extra pool for kids if you like to take a look at them. Next to the hotel is an island with beach. You can reach it by a ferry. It is free. Food is very good and you have a choice of different type of meat, fish and vegetables. Spa section was fun and I had a very relaxing massage. Price is ok. For single stay or a family vacation a good choice.

BED BUGS ARE BITING! Nice enough place but service levels…read moreare sub par, definitely not the reported 4 stars. Good location and pretty good food.... But the BED BUGS! They are bumming me out and I have another week to go. Seen welts on other guests too, so the place is obviously infested. :(

Really nice informal kiosk with grill. They do amazing grilled sardines here. With that you can…read morealready be immensely happy. Right by the river bank. In the most enjoyable location. The whole village converges here, in a restaurant that acts as the main square for its communities. The best way to enjoy it is by arriving here by boat through the river.

It's ok. It's a huge place and if you get a place here from the managing company, it's a pig in a…read morepoke. Some people got great rooms, some people got pretty awful ones. We were lucky, we had a relatively good room, but it was pretty far from the dining room. These are like separate little houses- so you can be pretty far from the pool/bar/dining room/store. The food was ok- but not great. Some things- like the carrots and cheese plates- were great, other things, like the meat entre and fries, were pretty crappy. Lots of desserts- and they were good- so if you can live off dessert, it's pretty good! All in all, it's a solid 3. They have a little train that will take you to the beach. There's a really good store right around the corner from the pool area- nice selection and good prices there! The lives music was a 5- fantastic! Sitting out on the patio with a beer and listening to that beautiful music was a 5. Trying to get back to our little hut and getting lost in the middle of the night, though, was a 1. We had to be helped back to our hut by a nice Portuguese family who didn't think we'd find it by ourselves (I give them a 5!)

The food in the restaurant was top notch and service was badazzling at how good it was and the…read morerestraint and hotel deserves 5 stars

The views from the rooftop deck are the best in Faro. You can see the entire marina and watch…read moreplanes land at the nearby airport. The service was great, the menu is extensive and the wine is exclusive. It's a tad bit expensive for the area but worth visiting for a drink.