We just returned from a ten day break in Hotel Luar. First impression was good, the reception area is nice, however the guy who checked us in was a little strange, he wasnt very welcoming but throughout our stay we began to realise he was like this with everyone, not exactly a good match for the job but all the other reception staff were lovely, especially the young girl & older lady. Anyway when we went to our room we were a little disappointed, we expected a higher standard but it was pretty dated. The fridge hummed constantly & we decided not to take an iron with us presuming there would be one available at the hotel but when I phoned down to reception for an iron to be sent up they said it was hotel policy that there were no irons allowed in the hotel, mad or what!! So our only option was to leave the clothes we needed ironed out on our bed & the cleaners would take them & return them pressed 24 hours later......not very convenient but we just accepted it. On the plus side, the hotel felt very safe & was very quiet. The cleaners were around every day to clean our room & we had fresh towels every day also. The pool area is fab, even though we spent most of our time on the GORGEOUS beach we spent some time at the pool area & it was really nice, the pool itself is a really decent size & it wasnt busy & for people travelling with kids it was great as there was a kiddies pool & a mushroom waterfall type thingy.

Breakfast wasnt a success for us, we went down the first morning & it was very busy, it was about 10a.m, breakfast was served until 10.30a.m. First of all there was a disappointing choice, rolls, ham, cheese, scrambled egg & cereal (with a jug of warm milk which had been sitting out all morning to accompany it). We found it hard to find somewhere to sit that morning but we saw a big empty table so we walked over to sit down, then one of the waiting staff started shouting at us telling us not to sit there that those seats were for the footballers who were staying there, we were mortified because everyone stared at us & we were furious as we felt we paid the same bloody price as the footballers so why should be not get treated the same way as them!! Needless to say we didnt come down for breakfast any other morning, even if we hadnt been shouted at we wouldnt have as the food was very disappointing.

All in all, we felt safe & the hotel was clean but I wouldnt class it as a 4 star!

Just returned from hotel Luar in praia da rocha last week. Made the decision of what hotel based on these reviews and so glad we did. Hotel Luar is in the perfect position literally out the back of the hotel is the beach and to the right is the beginning of the strip. The rooms were very clean and sizable. Try and get a room on the right hand size facing outwards is the rooms facing inwards look at each other. Free wifi in lobby. Breakfast was grand didn't expect much from the reviews but if all u need is toast and coffee ur sorted. Also a choice of cereals and meats and cheese. The pool area and gardens were lovely and well kept. We never had a problem getting a sunbed at anytime but then perhaps we were a bit out of season. But with the beach so close it doesn't matter!Again literally outside the hotel and down stairs to the beach. Perfect!! Also the first restaurant you come to called bulli and pupe (I think) is delicious and very good value!! We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely return. The only negative was the beds are very hard and we had trouble sleeping but that comes with the territory I guess and not a big deal!! All in all it was great! U get more than what u pay for really!!

This is a great hotel, we stayed there a for week in September 2011 the pool was excellent never too crowded great position at the end of the strip quiet but easy walking distance to restauants and shops, staff were great they could not do enough for us rooms cleaned everyday,breakast was fine,i think it was more than 3 star.

First of all the location of the hotel is PERFECT. It's literally meters away from the wonderful Praia 3 Castelos beach. The grass in the hotel gard is soft and it's great to have a lazy lunch break there when the sun is burning.
The staff is great, very helpful always present and very fast in answering our demands.

My advise is to book only the room, and not breakfast included for a longer stay. Every day the menu is the same, the food is not of the best quality ( cheap cheese, processed meats, omlette made out of dehidrated eggs, some horrible crenwurst which were impossible to eat, chemical orange juice poured by a machine, same for milk and coffee).
Don't belive the ones who say the room is tiny. It is not tiny at all, 2 big suitcases and one smaller hand bag were placed in the room and we still could move around easily. there is a big closet for hanging clothes, 2 night tables, one desk. It's true they are not the latest fashion but clean and functional. The balcony is farely big, a drier to hang our toals would be OK. The bathroom is great, it has a normal bathtub and is quite roomy. When showering don't use all the hot water because the heater is on the balcony and it needs time to reheat the water.
The air conditioning is functional but noisy. Also I think it is not necessary during the night because outside its not really that hot during the night so a little fresh air is just enough.

there is only one thing I can say about the room - i hate twin beds. It would have been nice to have one double bad.