We saw this new hotel last year while staying at another Pestana owned property in the area and resolved to stay there this February.

What is so attracive about the place are the large stylish rooms with kitchen facilities which free you from the morning breakfast "scrum" downstairs and the hotels close proximity to Alvor.

The property is decorated in the modern , retro sixties, boutique style and pretty much everything is pared to the bone.
However, sometimes it appears that Pestana group have gone too far along the minimalist line and their usually excellent , effusive, service from reception and concierge appears to have been overlooked.
We got the feeling that the hotel has not yet found its niche. The downstairs breakfast area and bar were deserted, why would they be otherwise? Meanwhile the one internet facility in the library was often oversubscribed and getting access was not easy. The very efficient "hit team" of 3 room maids just about managed to irritate my wife by showing up around 10 am or earlier every day, there was no "do not disturb" facility in evidence!

The property looks smart, but local tourist trade operatives ( taxi drivers, restaurant owners) hardly know about it and there is little identification outside that the place is a hotel, or who owns it (more minimalism maybe?).

Rooms , there are only 55 of them , are well equipped with efficient air con and heating. There are huge balconies with views to the sea, comfortable beds and everything works well. Up to the minute piped music, not muzak, floats through the air in all the public areas and creates a relaxing vibe which is only broken by inadequate sound proofing and noisy plumbing in the rooms.

Overall this is a very nice hotel but feels strangely out of step with the rest of the Pestana group.
In short it's a minimalist boutique, confused about its service levels.
If Pestana can sort it's identity and lift service levels it will be great.

Just a footnote, but did you know there is a great beach at the rear end of Faro airport runway? It's called Praia de Faro, 2 minutes from the fuel station roundabout. If you want to spend some time before your flight relishing great food and atmosphere, it's the place to go. We found a restaurant here called "Camane" (left after the bridge) which has just about the best food in the Algarve for about 40 euro's each. For a bit less per head (20 euro's), then "O' Pacquette" , opposite is almost as good.