So we were keen to take Jovan abroad on our first holiday together but to say we were anxious and a little worried would be an understatement. We needed somewhere far enough to escape the UK rain and top up our Vitamin D, but not so far that the plane journey would feel like a long, torturous and agonising experience. I asked friends and family and scoured Instagram and the name Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel seemed to pop up a few times. So we decided to book 5 days at the resort in Sagres towards the end of September to coincide with Jovan’s 2nd birthday.
Our flight was at 8am meaning we had to leave the house for 5am, two hours before Jovan usually wakes up (this is what happens when you leave your husband to book flights). As I carried Jovan from his cot fast asleep to the car, I whispered to my husband ‘this is going to be a disaster’, pre-empting a frenzy of tantrums on the plane. I wasn’t wrong. Jovan had a couple of major meltdowns, mainly because he wanted to run freely up and down the aisle and the flight attendants were getting in his way. And also as he is incapable of sitting still in a chair for longer than 10 seconds. We also sat right next to Ryan Thomas (from Corrie, I think?!) and his fiancée Lucy Meck and Jovan kicked Ryan a few times whilst having his meltdowns - I think I lost count of how many times I said sorry. I was already dreading the flight back and we hadn’t even made it to Portugal.
Upon arrival at Faro airport, we collected our rental car and drove to Sagres. The drive was just over an hour and was very straightforward, plus we saved over 100 Euros in not getting a private transfer. As we entered Martinhal, we were blown away by how beautiful the grounds were. It screamed luxury. I put my hands up and say I am a hotel snob. I love staying in gorgeous places which, to be honest, is probably because we rarely get to stay anywhere anymore (sob!). I honestly cannot gush enough about the hotel. The flight in was already a distant memory.
The staff who met us at the reception were very friendly and helpful and we were greeted with drinks. They gave my son a bag with a hat and a small ball much to his delight. We were already very impressed and it is fair to say the high level of service continued over the next 5 days.
The whole resort is very child friendly and they seem to have thought of everything. They have a baby concierge service who provide everything from bottle warmers to buggies. There are four pools in the resort but we only visited two of the four as they were closer to our room. The one overlooking the beach is the busiest of them all and where we spent most of our time. The pools have changing areas, toys in the pool for children so you don’t have to pack any and all the pools are heated. There were also play areas by the pools which Jovan just adored. It never felt that any of the pools were too busy and there were always sun loungers available, no matter what time of day we went to the pool.
The resort also has three restaurants – O Terraco which also hosts the breakfast buffet, As Dunas which is a seafood restaurant, and Os Gambozinos, which offers fantastic pasta and pizzas. I am a vegetarian and I was surprised at the great and healthy selection of vegetarian food in all the restaurants. All three restaurants also have a play area where children can play and colour under the watchful eye of a carer. The only downside to this was Jovan (and might I add he was the only child doing this) used the ENTIRE restaurant as a play area and we spent a lot of time just chasing him around tables trying to get him back to into his highchair whilst he fell into fits of giggles. And we often failed. It was like a Benny Hill sketch every night. There is also a surf shack-themed M Bar which is a coffee shop by day and a bar by night as well as the Wolf Pop-Up Grill and the ice cream parlour. The food was delicious and we definitely made the most of it judging by the fit of my jeans on the way home!
The resort also has its own village shop so you can stock up on essentials as well as freshly baked bread and takeaway meals. Jovan can be a fussy eater and stick his nose up to new tastes so I packed what felt like half a suitcase of Aptamil readymade milk. But the shop was full of children’s meals, snacks and milk (including Aptamil!) so I wish I had known this in advance.
The village square is the lively heart of the resort and where we usually had to drag Jovan away kicking and screaming. The playground is adjacent to Os Gambozinos and M Bar so you can sip a latte or a mojito whilst keeping a watchful eye on your little ones. There are also loads of activities for the whole family, from football, table tennis and archery to films as well as a kids’ club which caters for 6 months to 16 years. These are at an additional charge. Whilst we thought we would use the babysitting facilities, we didn’t on this occasion as we just enjoyed our time with Jovan so much.
The beach is also by the resort. It is not too busy and there are sun loungers which are at an additional charge. The only downside is it is incredibly windy. The resort is windy but the beach was a little unbearable. Jovan became uncomfortable and after paying for sun loungers and ordering drinks we left after 10 minutes. It was clear why more people spent their time in the resort rather than the beach.
We also informed the hotel that it was Jovan’s 2nd birthday whilst we were staying with them and they offered a complimentary chocolate cake which we chose to have at dinner. We were taken aback by the effort the staff put into this. I was half expecting the cake to be placed on the table as dessert but all the staff came out singing happy birthday to Jovan which he just absolutely loved. The delight in his face was definitely the highlight of my holiday.
There are things to do outside the resort and a number of gorgeous beaches to visit, although we did not have much time to do them on this occasion. We did visit Lagos Zoo as we had the car and it seemed like a good choice for a toddler. It was approximately 30 minutes’ drive from the resort, not too busy and reasonably priced. The zoo is not huge but it is well laid out and definitely worth a visit. Plus, we got to feed Flamingos which was a first for us all!
Overall we were very impressed with the level of service, the layout of the rooms which were extensively equipped with luxury furnishings and toiletries and the facilities offered. I also had a massage at the spa at the resort which I highly recommend and was just what I needed to end the holiday. There were small things that made this holiday special such as the effort all the staff made with Jovan from the staff in the restaurants to the cleaning staff, the attention to detail and the friendliness of everyone we met. All the guests had children with them so when Jovan was having one of his meltdowns, no one batted an eyelid as everyone was in the same boat. Other than the wind, which unfortunately I cannot blame Martinhal for, we could not think of a single downside. It is a little on the pricey side (I found myself saying ‘how much?!’ a number of times during this holiday) but the quality reflects the price.
You can see why Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel is described as the finest luxury family resort in Europe and we will definitely be returning there soon.
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