The Rui Guarana Hotel is a huge hotel and holds 1000 guests. It has a well kept grassed outside area and two large outdoor pools and countless sun beds, also an indoor pool and spa but this pool is unheated and there are no changing rooms.
Food and drink are all-inclusive in the price of the stay which means no end of holiday bar bill.

The main dining room is like a large noisy canteen and the tables are laid-up rather plainly. Everything is self service as the food is buffet style and the beer (in very small measures), the wine and soft drinks are all self service on tap. The range of food is extensive, imaginative and excellent. There is a bar/entertainment area and the staff will make up drinks but there is no table service. There is a poolside bar but again no pool side service.

The reception staff were very pleasant but because of the total self service environment there is no interaction with the staff beyond checking in. The decor in the hotel is almost non existent, plain walls, no statues and few pictures and the bar/entertainment area consists of all dark brown walls and pillars. There is nothing to give it a colourful lift. It cries out for the services of an imaginative interior designer. The result was that we found the hotel visually quite sterile. The evening entertainment was awful, often a two man group singing such out of date songs. Definitely needs improving.

Our room was spotless and large with a balcony and a large comfortable bed but the fridge was empty and there were no tea/coffee making facilities but there was a hair drier. The bath towels were like hand towels and could be bigger and thicker.

There was a promised pool view, but only if you went to the balcony rail and looked directly down, otherwise the view was of the tops of domestic housing.

A short walk (no steps) takes you to a small sandy beach. As for the village of Olhos de Agua, it is tiny with few facilities but there are a few small bars nearby and a shop.

I am sure that many people have had a good time here but for me it did not quite light my fire sufficiently to return in a hurry.

Nice hotel, great food and staff generally very friendly and helpful. The rooms were comfortable.
Can't give it a 5 star rating due to a couple of key points. The room was described as a suite with two bedrooms and a sitting/drawing room. This was untrue - the accommodation was a large bedroom with two armchairs in with another en-suite bedroom directly off of it. I don't appreciate being effectively lied to.
Also when we checked into the room there was a half-used packet of polos and some tablets (yes, seriously!) that the previous guests had left behind and the cleaners had ignored - imagine if children had got hold of the latter.

Unfortunately I have been back a week from a wonderful 7 night stay at the Riu Guarana Hotel in Olhos D'Agua in the Algarve in Portugal.
The hotel is in pristine condition, cleanliness, food quality, bedroom comfort, communal areas are all first class.
However what makes this hotel that extra bit special are the 'Staff' from those on reception, to the bar staff, to the restaurant staff, the management, the entertainment team and the cleaners, they are all lovely.
A special mention for Ana Olivera on reception who was really wonderful in trying to accommodate my requests, she is a real asset to the Riu name and this hotel.
We were truly able to relax at this hotel.
My only criticism is there are no Adult Only areas!
The indoor swimming pool area is open to children which makes things very busy if the weather is a little chilly or inclement.
Also my partner and I enjoy having a drink before a late dinner but there is no adult only bar or quiet bar to relax in.
After dinner the only place for a night cap drink is the large entertainment bar, which at that time in the evening is very busy, especially if it is a little to chilly to sit outside, you will struggle to find a seat.
This hotel is crying out for a small Adult Only bar!
However it is worth taking a stroll down the hill towards the local beach which has some nice bars and restaurants to choose from.