Reserva Alecrim EcoSuite & Glamping

We have just checked in. It took some time even though we had checked in online beforehand. We are a family of 5 and were advised we required 2 family cabins. We were informed that there was a maintenance issue with one of our cabins and that we would be upgraded. We were not shown to the accommodation and when we arrived at our cabin it was clear that it was already occupied . We went back to reception and they said that it was definitely vacant. A staff member accompanied us and she confirmed that it was indeed occupied. It was a lot of waiting around in the heat. We decided to go to the second cabin and to wait further instruction from staff in the comfort of air conditioning. We could not un-pack or enjoy the facilities. We discovered that this accommodation was enough for a family of 5 and that we did not need the second cabin, as advised on booking. We asked if we could cancel second accommodation as it is our preference to stay together but we were told that a refund for the second cabin was not permitted. We were given a second cabin. The handle was hanging off and the door was impossible to open. I called reception and a staff member came to help us open it. She managed to open it after several attempts. We tried to practise opening and closing the property but it was practically impossible and not fit for purpose. We have chosen to stay with our children as we would not be comfortable leaving our 16 year old sons to manage locking and unlocking the property. The staff member was very pleasant and said that she felt we should be refunded the price of the second cabin and be allowed to stay in one cabin. Two hours into our stay and we are still not sure where we are sleeping tonight. We are awaiting a call from management as the manager is not on site. We should be relaxing in the grounds. It is most unfortunate and what a terrible start to our stay. We would not recommend. Update- just over two hours since arrival we have been sorted out - refund of second cabin. We look forward to an enjoyable stay from here on in.

A very frustrating and disappointing experience so far. Having arrived for check in, and despite having checked in online, we were quite a while in reception before being advised of our accommodation. As a family of 5 we were forced to book 2 units. Upon arrival at unit 1, we noted that there was a guest car already parked outside and some clothing on the sun deck. It was clear the unit was occupied. We then returned to reception - initially the staff did not believe my wife and thought we had gone to the wrong unit. The staff member then came with us - and it was clear that the unit was double booked to them. At that point we gave the staff some time to investigate and went to the second unit to unpack some of our older children’s belongings. This second unit would easily have occupied all the family as there was a pull out bed, 2 bunks and a master bedroom. Our first reaction was to ask if we could take the single unit and be refunded for the second…. Upon contact from reception we were advised of a new unit to replace the double booked accommodation. The receptionist advised us they could not process any refunds. We were then issued with a key to the replacement accommodation. As I tried to open the sliding door, the lock was unreliable and felt very loose and I could not open the door. We were now on the site for over and hour and still had not been able to access the accommodation. We phoned reception again. The receptionist then came to the unit and struggled to open the door. I was unhappy with the idea of having to struggle with the door each time we were to enter or leave the accommodation. I then asked if I could close the door - the door would not budge at all. At this point I asked to speak to the manager. We were advised they were not on site. We then left it in the receptionists hands to contact us with our options. We returned to our other unit to allow our children to head to the pool and try and get some enjoyment out of the day after a long journey. As I type this, we have been on site for 2 hours and we have had no further information as to where we might be sleeping tonight. I wholly expect a refund and some sort of compensation for the inconvenience, stress and wasted time.

Fantastic place to stay in a roomy cabin looking out over the man-made lake which was lovely to swim in, up close and personal with the frogs. Children enjoyed the variety of pools and the nature. Evening food was great on the hill looking out over the valley and the beautiful sunsets.

Lovely place and a relaxing few days. There's limited things to do so I wouldn't recommend a break for much longer, but there's always the option of exploring the local surroundings, beaches and villages. There's also some nice areas for kids to play and several lakes to swim in if you don't mind sharing with the local snakes. Before the visit we were told we had to re-arrange our dates because they'd booked the entire reserva out exclusively, which was obviously disappointing. We booked to stay a day later but unfortunately had to leave a day early, which the staff very kindly refunded. Both on site restuarants were closed for 2 of the 3 days we were there (we were informed a day before arrival), although one of them opened last minute (although the food was very averge). The top restaurant near the bio pool was excellent, good value and all staff on site were very friendly and approachable and made the trip very relaxed and comfortable. The breakfasts were great and an order for 3 people fed 6 of us - delivered to your door. The premium dome house had everything we needed and the views were spectacular. This was our 2nd visit and we'd happily return.

+ Beautiful property with lots of green, pools, and nice iglu homes + Generous breakfast (which you have to order in advance and they bring it at "sometime between 8h30 and 10h00"), amount of food can last for several meals + Fun bio pool (great for the kids to catch and release frogs etc. But so so many unforced errors occurred with us which made our experience suboptimal unfortunately: - 1 week before arrival, we were informed that the room we booked is now not available, a restaurant is closed and the jacuzzi too - we intervened and wanted to cancel our stay, but then were assured that we will get the family room we signed up for - but upon arrival that room was not available and we were placed in a setup which didn't work for small kids (heavy sliding door with key a floor apart from parents etc.) - Upon arrival, before the bad news were conveyed to us, I was made to pay the entire amount, and only then was informed about all the things that were actually closed, plus nitty-gritty inconvenience like if the kids would want to use the indoor pool (of course in April/May), shower caps will be required for € 4.- each... For towels, I had to pay a deposit and carry back the 5 towels to the reception at check-out, and was challenged if these were indeed all 5 towels... In general, it felt as if the hotel tries to save costs and is stingy with guests... So not needed. - The entire property feels quite neglected: e.g. at the infinity pool: broken champagne glasses have been lying there for days, many of the long chairs are damaged, need to be replaced, it seems like no one is taking care of the space. The daybeds were dirty and soaked in puddles of water even on sunny days - no one seems to take care of the area - Internet spots are available throughout the place but login names and passwords vary (you have to go and ask staff for passwords) - IMPORTANT to know: There is no shop and the only restaurant open right now, the pizzeria, only opens 10-15h00 and from 19h00 so if you haven't brought any groceries and haven't booked breakfast, you'll need to hop in the car and drive 20 minutes to the next grocery store.

My family and I adored this place. There are a series of "natural pools" - essentially a series of manmade lakes fed by water filtered by reed beds - brimming with wildlife. It's not for the timid or squeamish - the are countless frogs, salamanders, fish and even (harmless) snakes sharing the water with you, but for those like us who enjoy that sort of thing, it's nothing short of heavenly! The views and ambience are in a league of their own. There's a small but spectacular infinity pool for those who can't face the critters. Domes are generous in size and luxuriously appointed. In fact, the whole experience feels very exclusive with pool service and turn down. We had initially thought it would be pretty much populated with families, but we noticed a lot of couples on a romantic getaway. It's certainly that kinda place. You do need a car, and it's worth knowing that there's no shop on site, but for that "away from it all" feeling, we all reckon this place is hard to beat.