We arrived a little too early to check in but had an excellent club sandwich and beer at the pool bar, which set the mood for the holiday. We booked a family suite overlooking the marina which was for 3 adults and 1 child. Our initial impression was everything we had hoped for. Good sized dining / sitting area and well equiped kitchen. The balcony overlooked first the really pleasant marina then just behind that the river / sea entrance with beaches on the opposite side. One double bedroom overlooked the same view as the balcony and the second twin bedroom had mainly views of the back of the castle walls across the small road, but because we were in the end block it also had views of the beach and sea (but only the end blocks have this). We were surprised to find stairs leading from inside the room to an enormous roof terrace with sunbeds and drying facilities, exclusive to each apartment on the top floor. The breakfast in the hotel is very good (buffet) with a wide selection and is a wonderful way to start the day at a table overlooking the marina. The restaurant in the hotel for evening meals is good but a bit expensive compared with similar or better quality in the town. The pool area is nice (pool quite cold) with plenty of sunbeds and a small childrens play area just below.
The rooms are in blocks all around the marina and can be a pleasant five minute (flat) walk around the marina to the hotel & reception. At the end of the marina is a nice beach with crazy golf and several bars and nice fish restaurants although it was very quiet (june1st). However if you can climb the 60 or 70 steep steps (alternatively walk round or catch small road train) upto the Fort it is a short cut to Praia da rocha. The centre is probably a mile away but there are bars and restaurants after the first few hundred meters all the way to the centre. Praia has a good selection for eating from pub food to quality restaurants.
I read a few earlier reports about unhelpful hotel staff but we found them very helpful. We had a slight problem with our electric supply tripping out but they sent an electricaian round and the duty mamager even came to the pool where we were sunbathing to update us on the repairs! I stay in some good hotels with my job and we never normally go back anywhere, but we would go back to the Tivoli.

loved this hotel stayed for one night and reception gave me upgrade to junior suite. What a luxury this was. My friend stayed in a normal hotel room and to be honest it was normal hotel quality. The suites are worth the extra (if you dont get upgrade of course) as the standard and largeness of the room are miles apart. I had bedroom equipped with extra large king size bed, the biggest living room i have ever seen in "hotel land" which had a kitchen area, equipped with microwave, kettle and it is all brand new. The pool looked nice and i imagine in summer would be lovely. The restaurant was nice, although the breakfast was at the lower end of the market, certainly not what i expected for tivoli. The views from this hotel are amazing, its right on the new marina and very close to the beach 3/4 mins from the hotel walking. Don't bother with PDR, i thought it was "tacky" and the marina restaurants were so much nicer. The receptionist gave us this tip on arrival. Taxis to PDR cost nearly 4 euro, but it is literally 10 minutes walk. I would stay here again and would say i thought the staff were friendly and courteous.

We stayed here in June 2006. The room was spacious, modern and spotlessly clean with two balconies and fabulous views overlooking the marina. It was lovely to sit here with a drink and watch the wealthy yachting fraternity pottering about on their boats. The pool is also very good, but there is a lack of shade. There are too few umbrellas, especially when there are so many young families staying. There is a bar at the pool that serves snacks, but you wait an age to be served, then wait forever for the food, then grow even older waiting for the bill. This despite repeated requests from the waiting staff, who are pleasant but useless. The staff in the hotel generally are okay, polite but not particularly welcoming. The atmosphere is more like a business hotel rather than a holiday hotel. The Portuguese generally seem to be polite and efficient, but lack the personal warmth that we have experienced in Spain, or more particularly in Greece.
The hotel is in the best location in Praia da Rocha ie. the outskirts. Downtown PDR is pretty awful. At night hordes spew out of monstrous edifices such as Club Praia da Rocha. Blokes with tattoos and football tops stretched over ample beer-bellies, and their lobster-coloured wives in white stillettos and Elizabeth Duke jewellery fill the countless Irish bars that offer English lager and live football. It is ghastly and depressing. One oasis of sophistication in this cultural desert is the Titanic restaurant where you receive five-star service and food at three-star prices.
Fortunately around the marina it is quieter and there are a few good restaurants - particularly Nosolo Italia, a super Italian that serves very good pizza, pasta and great sandwiches at lunchtime. And the ice cream - wow!
So back to the hotel - room cleaning is to a very high standard, although your room mightn't be cleaned until tea-time. It also lacks a proper residents' bar. Kids facilities are a swing, a slide and a jigsaw. It's about a five to ten minute walk to the main beach, then another five to ten minute walk to the sea. This is a huge beach.
There is no decent supermarket nearby which is a pain when you are trying to cater for a fussy-eating 4 year old. Breakfast is good and substantial, but the same every day. No egg-chef, and too much tinned, rather than fresh, fruit are my whinges here.
Overall a good, clean, modern hotel in a good location let down by some small issues. If you get better weather than us you mightn't even notice them!

Hotel Tivoli Arade
26th September 2006

Have just returned from the most wonderful week at the Tivoli Arade, truly a most enjoyable experience! Arrived on 15/09/06 and left 22/09/06, thoroughly relaxed and rested.

The hotel covers quite an area, with its different blocks of apartments and services. It is absolutely spotless, and extremely well kept, the staff are very pleasant and helpful, and the views are magnificent.

I would say that I expect a very high standard of cleanliness and comfort from a hotel and this one did not disappoint. The rooms are spacious, very well equipped, very comfortable and of course spotless, the maids are in every day and do a really great job.Being at the far side of the marina meant that we could get the buggy to and fro but for the most part preferred to walk and savour the view.

The boys that drive the buggys could not have been more mannerly and helpful and are a credit to the hotel.Looking right out onto the marina was gorgeous and was the sort of place I would have travelled to on previous holidays to spend some time, and here it was right facing our room!!

For the last few years we have hired private villas for our holiday as I had not found an hotel that came up to my expectations, now I have and I can't wait to return to the Tivoli Arade.