Martinhal Sagres Family Resort — Hotel in Vila do Bispo

Our 2nd year in Martinhal. We loved it last year and some parts of it are great but some parts let it down. We stayed in an Ocean house. It started off badly when I opened the fridge and the shelf on the door collapsed, glass water bottle smashed all over the floor. I started to clean it up and then cut my foot so rang the concierge to ask for help and a replacement bottle of complimentary water that’s on the room on arrival. They were very helpful and sent a person to help cleaning. Then a few mins later a man arrived with two bottles of water and a bill(!!) for €4 x 2 and a €5 service charge! I politely told him that was outrageous and that I wouldn’t be signing. He told me he was only following orders. Anyway messaged the conceirge and they wrote back apologising, agreed that it shouldn’t have been charged for one bottle or the service fee. A bottle of champagne was left in our room which was a nice apology. The food is quite samey, with two of the restaurants serving pretty good food but one being fairly average. Not acceptable for a 5* very expensive place. The service in the restaurants is also very hit and miss. Sometimes it is great and quick and other times you are waiting forever even when it’s not that busy. Most of the staff are really lovely and make a big effort with the kids which is lovely. Swimming lessons and rock climbing a big hit, so was the kids club. Spa is lovely. Had a fantastic massage. The pools are heated in the main complex which is lovely. Adults only pool is a good addition although needs better towel service and why no drinks available?! Cleaning standards not high enough, most days our room was only half finished. As mentioned I cut my foot on the broken glass and got some blood on the balcony in a couple of places. This was never mopped until we drew their attention to it on our 2nd last day. Put it this way - absolutely perfect for small kids but prepare to spend a fair bit when you get there on food, drinks, bike hire etc. There is a lot to like but also things that would really get on your nerves if you were spending a lot. Bike hire for example is completely extortionate - €21 for a kid’s bike for 3 hours. The cobble stones are coming up in places as well which makes them somewhat dangerous and there were some random nails left exposed at the side of the pool! I did flag my issues with service and cleaning during the visit and they said they would “discuss with management”. For that sort of money however, I would expect a lot better. We dropped about...

We have just returned from the most wonderful week at Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort.

Their formula is perfect...A relaxing luxury resort for the adults, coupled with everything you could possibly need for young children!

The food is very tasty with a huge variety on offer. Each restaurant is spacious, allowing for prams and high chairs and messy toddlers! The swimming pools are immaculate and luxurious and staff are extremely friendly and helpful.

We travelled with our 23 month old son and baby bump. It would take forever to mention all of the child friendly amenities and services on offer, but to mention a few...

All baby change rooms are immaculate with mini toilets for little bottoms!

There are dedicated staff and play areas in each restaurant to allow adults to finish eating in peace!

High chairs and booster seats come as standard at each restaurant, as well as healthy child menu choices and mini cutlery/plastic glasses etc.

Use of substantial buggies for a refundable deposit save you bringing your own!

A gift bag with beach ball and hat for each child on arrival and a little toy box on wheels in the accommodation to keep all of your child's belongings in one place.

There are clean and tidy play areas, including a main area with a bouncy castle and trampolines and play houses (not tacky!).

Daily visits to breakfast and at dinner time from the resort mascot went down a treat with the kids (not tacky)!

A beautiful view from breakfast highlights the short walk to the beach.

Daily complimentary sessions, e.g. swimming lessons, for the kids.

Etc etc etc!!!

The overall atmosphere in the resort is incredibly calm and relaxing despite the number of young children present. We felt that we had chosen a place with likeminded parents who wanted a relaxing 5 star holiday and a place to give their kids a fun week. Our son had the time of his life!

We have recommended this place to everyone with young children and will definitely return when child number 2 comes along!

NB - I was one of many pregnant women in the resort and it is worth bearing in mind that whilst all accommodation is within a short walk from the resort amenities (maximum 10 minutes waddle!), the paths are a little...

We just returned from a wonderful 5-day stay at Martinhal Sagres and absolutely loved every minute! We stayed in a 3-bedroom Pinewood House, which was perfect for our family of four plus an extended family member (Aunt). It gave us all the space we needed for privacy, but also wonderful opportunities to spend time together. Our private garden was lovely, and the heated pool was a massive bonus!

The resort grounds are stunning, feeling both luxurious and impeccably maintained, but the best part is truly the brilliant design for families. Traveling with a 6 and 7-year-old, the extensive play areas were a game-changer. The huge playground in the Square was our favorite. We had an excellent meal with superb food and service at Os Gambinos (get the chicken piri piri!), where we could sit and eat leisurely while watching the kids play just outside. We also had drinks at M Bar in the square while the kids played and the service and options there are also excellent. We also loved As Dunas- you simply can't beat the view, and the kids were thrilled to run down to the sand play area while we finished our meal in peace.

We never had an issue finding a seat by the pool or on the beach, and the service was fast, but we were there off peak (end of sept) so I cannot speak to what it is like during peak.

What makes Martinhal so unique is that EVERY area is so thoughtfully family-friendly that guests are spread out vs everyone cramming into one family friendly area of a resort. It felt incredibly relaxing. There was a palpable collective sigh of relief from all the parents, you never had to worry about a child yelling or crying because everyone understood: this is a welcoming, family-focused space. Our family went to Disney earlier this year and the entire family preferred Martinhal Sagres to Disney (it honestly felt like Disney world for us parents!!)

It was a little slice of heaven, and we absolutely plan to return. Martinhal, please open more locations around the world! During our trip we also stayed at Martinhal's Chiado location which was also excellent! I would exclusively book Martinhal Family Resorts for all of our travels if it was an option; I've never found anything like it. Highly,...