Name: AP Cabanas Beach and Nature
Price range: from £403.20pp (7 nights includes flights and transfers)

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AP Cabanas Beach and nature deserves it's 4 stars. The location is perfect allowing for quiet relaxation by the pool, or only 7 euro via uber gets you to Tavira, or a short stroll leads to Cabanas with lots of bars and restaurants. Rooms are small but adequate, food is well prepared and varied. A smaller selection than most all inclusive but this adds to the quality. Staff are friendly, and rooms cleaned daily. The lobby bar does get busy in the evening but rooftop bar offers a quieter option. Only negative would be that some of the loose slabs around the pool need attention. 

Relaxing stay 

Séjour du 2 au 10 avril 2025 en chambre vue piscine.
C’est la quatrième fois que nous séjournons dans cet hôtel ; c’est donc en toute connaissance que nous y  accordons notre confiance ; nous n’avons pas été déçus.
Au niveau des chambres, si elles sont relativement petites, elles offrent tout le confort utile pour un bon repos (bonne literie) et une réelle détente. 
Le restaurant offre des plats variés de qualité irréprochable. La cuisine est savoureuse et ne prête à aucune remarque négative. Il n’y a pas de file d’attente ni de nuisances spécifiques (bruit, dérangements ou laisser-aller). L’absence d’enfants en est bien sûr la conséquence tangible.
Le personnel, très dévoué, vous aide discrètement et efficacement. A l’arrivée, on vous accueille aimablement en français et toutes vos demandes ultérieures s’expriment de la même façon. Nous tenons à mentionner la gentillesse de Anisley qui vous renseigne sur toutes les possibilités qu’offrent l’hôtel et son environnement.
L’arrêt de bus (vers Tavira) est à 1 km et la gare (train de l’Algarve) à 2 km environ. Toutes les informations horaires sont disponibles à l’accueil.
Les environs offrent de belles balades faciles vers le port de Cabanas ou vers la ville de Tavira (centre commercial) sur des chemins pittoresques. On n’oublie pas le petit bateau électrique qui vous conduit vers l’île de Cabanas.
En bref, si vous choisissez cet hôtel, c’est pour votre repos naturel total. Il n’y a pas d’animation sportive ni d’animation récréative. On y trouve le bien-être de la vie.
Nous y retournerons prochainement pour le plaisir de vivre sereinement.

Calme et détente

I chose this hotel for the location as I wanted a few quiet days away. The hotel didn’t disappoint in that area. 
Not a large hotel so it didn’t feel like you were falling over people. 
The room had everything you would need, although noisy from other guests returning after being in the bar! This is the same with most hotels, nothing that a pair of earplugs won’t sort out. 
I can see why the bathroom is a concern for guests, a glass panel separates the bathroom from the bedroom, covered with a see through voile curtain! Not an issue as I was a solo traveler but I would avoid this hotel if I was traveling with friends/family and sharing a room. Absolutely no privacy. Another design flaw is the bathroom sink, it’s modern and doesn’t allow you to fill the sink, so when having a shave you have to keep the tap running. The hotel promotes being ‘water wise’ so has failed in its own policy. 
The pool was a good size with plenty of sun-beds and parasols around the pool and on the grassed area. 
The restaurant was typically buffet style and I was able to find something I liked each time. I never left the restaurant still feeling hungry! 
The staff were for the most part pleasant, restaurant staff keen to whip away your plate the second you put your fork down! Some of the bar staff looked miserable. The reception staff were the most pleasant, friendly and keen to help especially when I had cause to complain. This brings me to why I have given only 2 stars. 
The night I arrived I made a coffee in my room, I noticed that the cup was chipped, not a big deal as these things are easily missed. 
The next day after my room was cleaned I again made myself a coffee and noticed the ‘clean’ cup had a chip in the exact same place. Now this could have been a coincidence but I decided to do a simple test for the next room clean. 
I made a mark on the cup so I could easily identify it and left it used in my room. The next day after my room was cleaned I checked to see if the same cup was still there. It was! Apparently cleaned! There is no way that housekeeping ran downstairs with my dirty cup and had it cleaned before replacing it in my room. So I’m guessing it was washed in my bathroom sink before drying it on whatever the cleaner had to hand. 
I addressed this with management who were very apologetic and promised to investigate the matter. I was informed that all used cups/glasses were removed and washed in a dishwasher. Not the case with mine. 
Overall a pleasant few days away, I would book here again if by myself, and most certainly will be washing the cups before I use them in any future hotels I stay in.

Poor hygiene standards

Rooms clean but small, good choice of drinks at bar, food choices poor and mainly the same every day. Food quality and choice was biggest let down, mosquitos in their plenty because near the river marshes. 
Main bar area is more like sitting in a school canteen or corridor.

Nice hotel rubbish food

The AP Cabanas Beach and Nature, purports  to be at one with nature and its resplendent settings, providing tranquil and restful surroundings.
 
But does no one from management ever walk the hotel with an outsider to see what needs to be redone, refurbished or radically redesigned?  

In the building world, the term ‘snagging’ refers to jobs still to be finished, this hotel needs snagging big time.

I have to say at the outset that my observations, will probably have bypassed the majority of guests.

I will outline my observations without comment {mostly}

1.	Views over tidal estuary, fantastic.
2.	The young lady working the 3rd Floor Pool bar was amazing
3.	Main Pool area had so many trip hazards – broken tiles – uneven grassed areas –   
        transition area to outdoor sitting area was a trip hazard too.
4.	The railway sleeper stepping area, again uneven and hazardous.
5.	Loud noise from public bathroom hand dryer in Block 4, meant adjacent  
        bedrooms and sitting area by bar suffered severe noise levels
6.	Foyer furniture was grubby and worn, and circular rug is lethal with its turned up 
        edge.
7.	Bar service area far too small for a 340 bedroom hotel
8.	Tables were ‘sticky’ from a quick wipe over.
9.	Dining room had no Hand Sanitiser dispensers.
10.	Dining room staff did an amazing job of clearing and resetting, as very few tables 
        for potential 600 + guests.
11.	Bedroom Air conditioning had no individual room control in main block, despite 
         South facing rooms, 20 degrees was the lowest setting. Sweltering. I did 
          complain, and wish I had known other rooms were available with controllable 
         AC, I would love to have moved to one, but was fobbed off.
12.	Others have commented on the glass bathroom situation. Enough said
13.	Smoke detector falling from ceiling in room
14.	Landing had wall mount sockets loose but still in use.
15.	Sewer smell on Floor 2 Main block
16.	Door handle was loose and had to wait for door to close too
17.	Bedroom was not clean on arrival – windows had palm prints – balcony broken 
        tiles – table stained – floor stain from a glass by bed.
18.	Noise from ‘revelers’ after Midnight – one needs to complain to reception and 
         security will step in, why does Security on their rounds not step in before 
         complaints received?
19.	 Mosquitos – due to the excessive room heat i was forced to open the windows to 
         be able to breathe at night, and of course was bitten and observed I was not the 
         only person. bit it is by a swamp and that is why controllable AC is vital 
        for guest comfort.

Here are a few suggestions, going forward that you may or may not bother with:

1.	Reception:     Please ensure your staff are wearing uniforms that fit them, 
        are not stained or discoloured. Poor first impression.

2.	One escorted 90 minute walk around the Swamps a week:       
       To endorse your Eco and Green credentials, why has there been no signage 
        erected by dunes, with information on pathways, indicating what one may see, 
        hear and enjoy, so that apart from Monday and Google, some of the area
         can be better enjoyed. 

         Perhaps local information about the men in the estuary at every tide turn what   
         are they looking for.  

         It is all passe to you locals but for tourists, info like this is gold!

3     The Salt Flats:       why is nothing being done by the Hotel to facilitate a visit   
        and  experience of the salt flats? 
                       
       I would have  been delighted to see the process, to purchase Tavira Salt…
       what a unique Marketing opportunity for you missed!

1	Tavira:      in the poorest part of Southern Italy a hotel I stayed at had a daily 
         shuttle to the local Town, for 8 Euro return trip the hotel bus took ten guests. 
          A little earner for them and an excursion for guests without transport.  
         We all loved it door to door.   
        Here it is almost a mile walk  to a bus stop – three hour between busses – no    
        buses at weekend - return taxi 15 Euro.   

In summery AP Cabanas Beach and Nature, in my opinion needs to take a close look at its provision from estate management to customer experiences from an outsiders perspective, that is if it wishes to improve?

I was disappointed, most people are not as fussy as me.  

In conclusion, I now realise that the ‘blurb’ in the holiday brochures for all the main package providers, is totally inadequate, and questions need to be asked of any Hotel prior to booking, if like me you like a cool room, and feel a need to question anything else in the brochure which could be well out of date at time of printing.

I actually wrote an truly excoriating review of this hotel, but decided it would be a waste of time to publish it, as it would fall on deaf ears.

One more thing…..if you love the company of Middle aged male Golfers, with quite disgusting personal  hygiene habits in dining rooms and beyond, and  are happy to clamber over abandoned golf bags, and put up with the braying shouting obnoxious behaviour… this is the place for you.

The Emporers New Clothes

Built in 2004, this complex comprises a total of 96 apartments as well as 2,000 m² of pleasant gardens. Located close to the beach, guests are welcomed in the foyer with a reception area, a safe and a currency exchange desk. Further facilities include an air-conditioned à la carte restaurant, a bar, a café, Internet access (for an added fee), WLAN access point and a TV room. Room service and laundry service, as well as bicycle rental, are also included in the facilities. Younger guests are offered a kids club and a playground to let off steam. Those arriving by car may take advantage of the car park or garage facilities.

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AP Cabanas Beach and Nature