We booked this one to relax. No packed itinerary, no early starts, just a week by a pool with the children happy. That is what we got, plus one thing on my son's birthday that none of us expected, and we all came home saying we would do it again.
The resort
3HB Guaraná is a large all inclusive resort that is properly set up for children rather than just tolerating them. There is a kids club, a shallow children's splash pool and a splash pad, one big main pool and a smaller second pool.
We never actually used the kids club, and it says something that we didn't need to. The main pool runs activities through the day for adults and children both, and we all joined in with those instead. We would break the day up by spending a stretch around the main pool and then heading up to the splash pad. The children's two favourite things in the whole week were running across the magic carpet and the pool party.
The whole place is well maintained. It looked clean and tidy every day of the week we were there.
The room
We had a family room: a double bed for us, a good pull out sofa bed for the children, and a balcony. It was spacious enough that nobody was climbing over anybody, which is not something I take for granted on a family holiday.
The food
We ate in every one of the resort restaurants across the week and all of it was included in the price. There is a general buffet open for breakfast and dinner, a snack bar running through the afternoon, and two bookable restaurants, one Mediterranean and one Oriental.
The variety in the evenings was amazing. What mattered more to us is that even with fussy children there were basics available every single day, so nobody ever went without. That takes a lot of the stress out of a week away.
Getting around
We used the airline coach transfer from the airport, which was included in what we booked. When we went out we used Uber, which worked easily in the area and meant we never had to think about hiring a car.
The area
The resort is not in Albufeira itself. It sits in Olhos de Água, a quiet village in the same municipality but about 7km along the coast from Albufeira proper, which is worth knowing before you book because it changes what your week looks like.
Praia dos Olhos de Água is about a fifteen minute walk down from the hotel, and once you are there you have bars, restaurants and a few small shops. Beyond that there isn't a great deal nearby.
We felt safe walking down in the evenings. Honestly, we never felt like anything was missing, because the food at the resort was good and the evening entertainment was strong enough that we were happy to stay put most nights.
The one night we went out
Albufeira old town is a proper trip rather than a stroll, so we got an Uber in one evening and it was worth doing. There are loads of restaurants and the menus all looked good. The beach there is lovely, and there is plenty going on if you want it: pedalos to hire, an inflatable assault course out in the sea, jet skis, and sunbeds available on the beach.
What it cost
Just under £4,000 for the seven nights, booked through Jet2 Holidays. That covered flights, accommodation, the coach transfer to the hotel and our travel insurance. If you're comparing, we've also got a rundown of Jet2 family hotels in Spain.
The bit we didn't expect
It was my son's birthday while we were out there. On the morning, housekeeping left a bag in the room for him with a hotel branded cap, a t-shirt and some sweets, and a note wishing him a happy birthday. Then in the afternoon they rang the room to wish him happy birthday again and check he'd had a good day.
We are often away at that time of year and we have never had anything like that anywhere else. It cost them very little and my son talked about it the whole way home.
Would we go back?
Definitely. We went as our own family of four, but my parents also came, and my sister with her husband and their children. Every one of us said we would return.