How to Book

Please browse our website or brochure to find a villa, check the availability and prices.

Call our reservations team on 01428 727277 or request a call back so we can give you more information about any villas you have selected, double check availability, confirm prices and make a provisional booking. Please be aware that currently we are unable to make online bookings and that the availability shown on our website does not include any provisional bookings so it is imperative that you check with us first.

If you decide to proceed with a booking, please call our reservations team on 01428 727277 who will make a provisional booking for you and will also advise you of the deposit amount required in order to confirm your booking. Your deposit payment can be made by cheque, debit or credit card (please note that credit card payments attract a 2% fee). We will send you a confirmation invoice via email by return - please check this carefully and let us know immediately of any errors or omissions.

Don't forget that you can call our customer services department on 01428 727277 at any time to:

• Add additional services or facilities to your booking such as car hire, transfers
• Make changes to your booking such as adding additional party members or advising us of a change to your details
• Cancel your booking – please be aware that cancellation charges will apply as per our terms and conditions

Click here for our FAQ

Essential Information

The following information is not intended to put you off, but is an honest guide to the way of life in Portugal. As at home, things occasionally go wrong, and whilst we have only chosen those villas which we feel will provide the perfect holiday accommodation, we cannot guarantee that things won't happen that are beyond our control.

Weather

Weather in the Algarve is generally good throughout the summer, with a low average rainfall. Buildings are designed and furnished to be comfortable in hot temperatures, and may not be as well suited to wet or cold periods as houses in northern Europe. Humidity can be a particular problem in countries where temperatures are usually high. In very wet periods, villas may give the appearance of being damp. However, as soon as the weather reverts to normal, and houses can be aired properly, any sign of dampness will quickly disappear.

Building Work & Disturbance

As with any country, building work in Portugal is sporadic and can start at any time. Even villas in developments that are well established, can be affected if a neighbour suddenly decides to renovate or improve. Likewise local councils may start road works with little or no notice. We do not control such work and we do not always receive advance notice of when it will begin. However, if we are made aware of any such disturbance that is likely to affect your enjoyment, we will contact you as soon as we are aware of it. If this happens, you will be entitled to exercise the options outlined in section 5 of our Terms and Conditions although compensation will not be payable unless the work is being carried out by, or on behalf of, one of our own suppliers. If building work starts during your holiday we will do our best to try to move you in resort

Security

Be as security conscious whilst on holiday as you would be at home. Do not leave valuables on view in cars, and always be sure to secure the villas doors, shutters and windows when going out, or if you are by the pool. We recommend you do not take items of great or sentimental value on holiday with you.

Mosquitoes & Other Pests

As with all hot countries, insects can be a problem. Use plug-in mosquito repellents in bedrooms, and a lotion to protect exposed skin when eating out. Uncovered food will attract hoards of ants so store all food in the fridge or in airtight containers. Ant powders will solve the problem if it occurs, but prevention is the best cure. Likewise accessible food is a great temptation for mice and other rodents so please remember to store provisions carefully.

Cats, Dogs & Other Animals

Stray cats and dogs can occasionally be a problem in some areas. Should either beg for food at your villa, however sweet they look, please do not feed them. They may not be strays – just opportunists looking for an extra meal! The next clients may not be as tolerant. Many local families keep dogs, which live outdoors and may sometimes be heard barking. Villas in rural areas may be located close to farms and smallholdings so wild animals and farmyard noises are likely.

Water, Electricity & Solar Power

With little or no rain, shortages do occur which may result in a low water pressure or supplies being cut off for short periods. Please bear with it, the locals are suffering in the same way. The water is safe to drink, but may taste different and we therefore recommend you stick to bottled water for drinking and washing salads etc. Portuguese plumbing is not as efficient as we are used to and cannot cope with the disposal of nappies etc. If a blockage occurs, the floor of the villa may need to be dug up which will undoubtedly cause disturbance to your holiday. Electricity cuts, especially after storms, are not uncommon. Some properties rely on solar power to heat water and if there is insufficient sunlight, shortages of hot water may occur although there is normally a back-up system which should prevent this from happening. Insufficient sunlight may also affect the water temperature of solar heated pools.

Beaches, Swimming Pools & Safety

Where we advertise the distance to the nearest beach, please bear in mind that access may be difficult for those with limited mobility. No swimming pool is safe for unsupervised children and many villas have bedrooms with direct access to the pool. Pool dimensions, where provided, are only approximate. Swimming pools are generally 1m – 2m deep so are without a very shallow end so we would strongly recommend that upon arrival at your villa, you check the position of the shallow and deep ends. Please refrain from diving into the pool at any time. Towels for use by the pool are only provided if stated in the villa description and must not be taken to the beach.

Toys, Games & Sports

Where advertised tennis courts, table tennis, snooker and pool tables are there to provide enjoyment but please don’t expect them to be of championship standard! We recommend that you take bats, racquets and balls with you as these may not be provided. Occasionally owners and departing guests will leave toys and games for the following clients to enjoy but please exercise caution if you decide to use them as we cannot be held responsible for any accidents that may occur as a result. Please also be aware that villas near golf courses are at risk of stray golf balls entering the garden!

Damage

We accept that accidents do happen, and if you break something, please either replace it or report it to the house manager who will endeavour to replace it for you. All breakages should be paid for before vacating the villa. Your travel insurance should cover you for accidental damage or breakages whilst on holiday but keep all receipts as they will be required for any claims on your return. If you are unable to obtain an official receipt, a letter from the house manager should suffice. Unreported damage or breakages will result in a deduction from your security deposit so it is advisable to report anything, however minor, before you depart.

Extras

Pool heating, central heating (including electricity for mobile heaters and fuel for open fires or log burning stoves) and air conditioning are NOT included in the brochure price unless otherwise stated and must be booked and paid for in advance. It should be noted that pools can take anywhere between a few days and a week to heat up. If the villa is vacant, or the clients occupying the house immediately prior to your arrival did not require the pool to be heated, then in order to ensure that the pool is warm enough for your arrival, it will be necessary to preheat the pool in advance. Therefore, a pre-heating charge will be made in addition to the cost of maintaining the heat for the duration of your holiday. In general pool heating will heat water between 3 and 8 degrees Centigrade above the average air temperature and the weather also has a dramatic effect on the pool temperature. Heavy rainfall or exceptionally cold nights can seriously reduce the effect of the heating. Pool heating supplements are non-refundable, irrespective of what temperature the pool reaches, as the majority of the cost is incurred in the first few days. Any cancellations will not be possible after the heating is initially switched on. It is not recommended to heat the pool during the hot summer months when heated pools can sometimes turn green with a reaction to the chemicals. This can be rectified and your house manager should be notified immediately, but we cannot accept responsibility if you opt for pool heating in July and August. Please note that unheated pools will feel cool in early and late season.

Welcome Hamper

To save you the chore of shopping immediately on arrival, we will provide an initial food pack to get your holiday off to a good start. This will be sufficient for a light meal on arrival and breakfast the following morning and will include bread, rolls, butter, milk, tea, coffee, sugar, eggs, water, ham, soft drinks, wine, fruit and salad (items may vary subject to availability). Please note that an initial supply of toilet paper, bin bags, washing up liquid and an insect spray will also be provided. Clients staying at more than one villa during the course of their holiday will only be provided with a hamper at their first villa.

Equipment

All accommodation is equipped with a fridge or fridge/freezer, cooker, kettle, iron and ironing board and sufficient utensils, cutlery and crockery appropriate to the maximum occupancy of the property. Barbecues may be gas or charcoal, fixed or portable. Extras such as washing machines, dishwashers, microwaves, TVs, VCRs, CDs, DVDs, where they are installed, are noted in each individual villa description. Please bring your own tapes, CDs and DVDs and a small supply of washing and/or dishwasher tablets, where appropriate, as these are not generally provided.

Satellite, Cable TV & Internet Access

Please note that where a villa description contains satellite and/or cable television, where advertised, it does NOT give access to the subscription channels (e.g. Sky which includes movies, sport and entertainment). Eurosport and News are usually available but may be the only channels available in English. Some owners have provided ‘free to air’ channels which will give access to a limited number of English terrestrial channels. We therefore cannot guarantee, or be held responsible, for any specific channels that may or may not be provided. If there is internet access at your chosen villa, there may be an access charge in common with many wireless ‘open zones’. We cannot be held responsible if the service develops a fault or is unavailable for any reason.

Maids, Gardeners & Pool Maintenance

The frequency of maid service is stated in each brochure description. The maids duties include general cleaning (but not washing up or personal laundry), sweeping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms. They will ensure clean bed linen is provided once per week and the towels twice per week. Please note that maids do not work on Sundays or public holidays and that the frequency of service includes the change over day. Therefore, if maid service is twice per week, the first clean will be on the day of arrival and you will only see her once more during that week. Maids do not dispose of household rubbish, which should be bagged up and taken to one of the many local public bins. Where it is indicated in a villa description that a washing machine is not available, for maid’s use only or that laundry is by arrangement, it should be possible for you to make a private arrangement with the maid to do personal laundry. Swimming pools need regular maintenance in order for them to remain in sparkling condition and the gardens need regular work. Our staff, however, will be as unobtrusive as possible. Sometimes essential maintenance or repairs need to be carried out at the villa but any arrangements to complete work will be made with you in advance by your house manager. Should you notice anything that needs maintenance during your stay it is essential that you advise your house manager. We will do our best to ensure that anything that needs repair or replacement will be done with the minimum amount of disturbance to you and your party.

Arrival & Departure

We will endeavour to have the house fully cleaned and ready for your arrival by 2pm on the day of your arrival and would ask you to vacate by 10am on the day of departure. It would be appreciated if you would strictly adhere to these rules, as cleaning the whole house thoroughly and to your satisfaction is a lot of work for the maid. If, when you arrive, work is still continuing, please allow the maid to finish. If you arrive on an early flight, it is sometimes possible for you to leave your luggage at the villa from 12 noon onwards and use the pool and terrace. If you are permitted access to your villa early, please be aware that your complimentary food pack may not have been delivered. We endeavour to have these delivered by 3pm on your arrival day but should you decide to go out after your arrival we may not be able to access the property to leave your hamper.

Villas

Each villa we feature is individually owned, and furnished to the owner’s personal taste.We have given each property a star rating but, as no official classification exists for villas, the ratings are subjective and based purely on our opinion and are intended as a guide to assist you in choosing the right house for you. Where we state that a bed is a double, it could mean that there are two single mattresses on a double base made up as a double bed. Cloakrooms consist of a WC and hand basin. Bathrooms have a full size bath, and shower rooms have walk-in showers. The distances quoted in the brochure and on the website are approximate and intended as a guide only.

Cots, High Chairs & Extra Beds

These are not in each villa as a matter of course but can be ordered in advance. The cots will either be foldable travel types or standard wooden frames, but not necessarily to British safety standards. In either case, cot linen is not supplied. Extra beds may be camp beds or divans and may be supplied at additional cost, subject to the villa owners agreement.

Breakage Deposits

We understand that accidents happen but should you or a member of your party cause damage to a villa or its contents, villa owners have the reassurance that we hold a breakage deposit. Generally, breakage deposits are refunded in full within 14 days after your return as most clients treat the villas with a great deal of care and respect. The maid will have checked the villa prior to your arrival to ensure everything is in good order. Should you notice anything amiss, please report it immediately to the house manager. It is imperative to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance as charges incurred for damage can usually be claimed back from your travel insurance provider.

Travelling to Portugal - total flexibility

Affinity Villas believes our clients should have total flexibility in choosing their holiday by offering all elements of a traditional package separately. Our accommodation is priced per property per week, with no complicated under occupancy supplements to calculate. Car hire rates are not 'packaged' giving you total freedom should you wish to make your own arrangements, though we think you will find our car hire prices are amongst the best value you will find!

Flights to Faro

There has never been more choice for flying to the Algarve with many low cost airlines, internet flight operators and traditional scheduled airlines all competing in a thriving market. There are currently airlines operating flights to Faro from Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Cork, Dublin, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Jersey, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle, Shannon and Southampton. It takes between 20 to 80 minutes to drive from Faro Airport to any of our villas (please see each villa description for a clearer indication).

Flights to Lisbon

An alternative option that you may wish to consider is flying into Lisbon, the main international gateway into Portugal. With the constantly improving road network, the drive from Lisbon to the Algarve is relatively simple, but it will increase your journey by 2.5 to 3 hours in addition to the times indicated on each villa description.

We’ll help you find flights

For those of you without the time or the inclination to search the internet, or phone around for the best deals, Affinity Villas are more than happy to do this for you! Simply call us and we will search all the airlines to find the best priced and timed flights from your preferred airport, giving you the opportunity to compare all the available choices. You are then more than welcome to book your own flights with the 'direct sell' airlines or we are happy to book charter flights for you. Any flights that you do book with Affinity Villas are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority and our ATOL number is ATOL 6160.

Driving to Portugal

Each year a small number of our clients decide to drive to Portugal, rather than taking the usual option of flying. With a ferry or Channel Tunnel crossing to France, then driving through France and Spain to Portugal, you could expect the journey to take approximately 2 to 3 days to complete. Alternatively, you could opt for a ferry crossing between Portsmouth and Bilbao, or Plymouth and Santander, and drive approximately 11 hours down to the Algarve.

Booking Conditions

Please read the following terms and conditions carefully before you book, as these, together with the Essential Information, form the basis of your contract with us and our obligations and your commitments are detailed below. Should you have any questions regarding these terms and conditions then please do not hesitate to ask. Your contract is with Affinity Villas Ltd, registered under the laws of England, who act as agent for all property owners and other suppliers. When accommodation together with flights are purchased from us we comply fully with the rules and regulations imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority and your holiday will be covered under our ATOL licence number 6160.

1. BOOKING AND CONFIRMATION

When you make a booking with Affinity Villas Ltd you must accept on behalf of your party these terms and conditions and by doing so you also guarantee that you have the authority to accept these terms and conditions on behalf of your party. A contract between you and Affinity Villas Ltd will be made once we have received your 30% deposit, or full payment if your booking is within 8 weeks of departure, and we have given you verbal confirmation. This contract will be governed by English law. We will issue you with a confirmation invoice detailing all the elements of your booking. It is your responsibility to check this carefully as any changes subsequently made to your booking will be treated as an amendment or cancellation and maybe subject to a charge. If you make any special requests, and we do not confirm whether these can be met prior to booking, such requests will not be guaranteed. We will not be able to advise you whether such special requests have been fulfilled before you leave. You should check carefully the booking details and all documentation provided to you (including these booking conditions) and contact us immediately if you think any details we give you are inaccurate. The person who makes or pays for the booking must be at least 18 years old. We reserve the right to refuse single sex groups and if a single sex group booking is accepted, an additional security deposit will be required.

2. BALANCE PAYMENT.

The balance of the price of your holiday must be paid at least eight weeks prior to the departure date. The due date will be clearly stated on your confirmation invoice, if the balance is not paid in time we reserve the right to cancel your holiday, retain your deposit and apply cancellation charges as set out in section 6 below. If you pay for your holiday using a credit or charge card there will be a 2% handling charge, however there is no charge for payment by debit cards or cheques.

3. PRICE GUARANTEE.

The price of your holiday elements booked with us will not be subject to any surcharges after our confirmation invoice has been issued. If you obtain a quote from us for a booking but do not book it at the time, we reserve the right to increase or decrease the price at any time before you book. Villa prices quoted are per villa per week. Car hire prices are quoted per week. Flight and transfer prices and any additional service costs are quoted on an individual basis. All prices are quoted in Pounds Sterling (unless otherwise stated).

4. ALTERATIONS BY YOU.

If you wish to make any changes to your holiday after it has been confirmed this must be communicated to us as soon as possible and in writing. Charges for changes or cancellations are calculated from the date we receive your request or notification. We will try to assist wherever possible but cannot guarantee that any such changes can be made. If we are able to comply with your requested change an administration fee of Ł25 per person named on the booking form will be charged together with any increased costs from our suppliers. Where changes to accommodation or car hire are requested within 8 weeks of departure then cancellation charges as set out in section 6 may apply and the amended arrangements will be treated as a new booking. Any request for changes to flight details will be subject to the cancellation and amendment terms as imposed on us by our flight suppliers, this can often be as much as 100%. Cancellation charges for accommodation will not apply for name changes where a new party member is substituted for one who is prevented from travelling. In this case documentary proof of a serious reason (e.g. your own personal illness or injury, the personal illness, injury or death of a close relative, jury service or redundancy) must be provided. You must give us at least 28 days notice in writing and enclose the administration fee of Ł25 per person in addition to any charges or costs levied by our suppliers (this can be as much as 100% for flight suppliers).

5. ALTERATION BY US.

We reserve the right to change any holiday details, including the price, before you book in which case we will tell you before the holiday contract takes effect. Occasionally a change or cancellation may occur after you have booked, but before you depart. A change may be “major” or “minor”. A “major” change is one which materially affects your confirmed holiday, such as a change of accommodation to a lower standard than you have booked, a change of UK airport (excluding between London airports) or a change of time of departure by more than 12 hours. Any other change is “minor”. If there is a minor change before you depart we will try to let you know (although we are not obliged to do so) but you will not be entitled to cancel or receive compensation. We reserve the right to correct minor or obvious errors in your booking details at any time. If there is a major change before departure we will tell you as soon as practicable. We will then offer you the choice of accepting the change, taking the alternative accommodation (if it is more expensive you will have to pay the difference, but if it is cheaper you will receive the appropriate refund) or cancelling and receiving a full refund. In addition, unless the major change or cancellation is caused by force majeure (see below) or occurs before the date the final balance falls due for your holiday, we will pay compensation as detailed below:

More than 56 days nil
29 – 56 days Ł20 per adult
15 – 28 days Ł30 per adult
Less than 14 days Ł40 per adult

The meaning of 'force majeure' includes, but is not limited to, war, threat of war, riot or civil disturbance, industrial dispute or threatened industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire or flood, terrorist activity or threatened terrorist activity, closure of ports and airports and car hire depots, unforeseen local building works or road works, actions of national or local governments or any similar circumstances beyond our control.

6. CANCELLATION BY YOU.

You, or any member of your party, may cancel your holiday at any time providing that the cancellation is made by the same person who made the booking and is communicated to us in writing. As this incurs administrative costs, we will retain your deposit and in addition will apply cancellation charges as shown below:

56 days or more loss of deposit
Between 56 – 29 days 50%
Between 28 – 15 days 75%
Less than 14 days 100%

7. CANCELLATION BY US.

We reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your holiday. However, in no case will we cancel your holiday less than 8 weeks before the departure date except for reasons of force majeure or failure on your part to pay the final balance. In circumstances where we are unable to provide the holiday booked, we will return to you all monies paid, or offer you an alternative holiday of comparable standard and if a cancellation occurs within 8 weeks of departure, compensation will be paid on a similar scale to that shown in Clause 5 above.

8. INSURANCE.

You must have adequate insurance cover before you travel and you should provide us with the details of your policy before travelling. It is your responsibility to ensure any policy meets your needs, including the cost of cancellation by you and assistance overseas if you suffer accident or illness. Even with travel insurance, the individuals in your party may still need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Please take this and your travel insurance policy with you on holiday.

9. FLIGHTS AND TIMES.

Any flight bookings that we make for you are with reputable suppliers, whose booking conditions we accept on your behalf. These terms and conditions may be different from ours. Flight times on your confirmation invoice cannot be guaranteed and where changes are made these will be notified to you in writing wherever possible. Actual times will be shown on your flight tickets and must be adhered to as failure to do so may result in missed flights, in which case we are not responsible for any additional costs that you may incur in making alternative arrangements. By booking flights with us you accept the flight operator conditions of carriage, many of whom limit their liability under international agreements.

10. PASSPORTS, VISAS AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS.

British citizens require a valid full passport and visas are not required for travel to Portugal. If you do not have valid documents you will not be able to travel. The carrier may be subject to a fine if you try to travel without the correct documentation and we reserve the right to recover any such charge from the passenger. For citizens of other countries, up to date information on passport, visa and health requirements should be obtained from the Portuguese Embassy.

11. YOUR ACCOMMODATION AND SAFETY.

You undertake to accept the holiday accommodation allocated to your booking and to take responsibility and exercise reasonable care in respect of your accommodation and its equipment and facilities. It is our aim at Affinity Villas Limited that your holiday is safe and trouble free. We are actively working to raise safety standards of accommodation overseas and will, of course, do our best to ensure that. In return we ask that you be mindful of your own duty of care and give thought to your own and other members of your party’s safety whilst you are away. Local regulations may mean that the layout and services within the accommodation are different from those to which you may be accustomed. Accommodation compliance is always with respect to local regulations. The accommodation provided must only be used by the person(s) shown on your booking confirmation and subletting, sharing or assignment is prohibited. The maximum number of occupants for each accommodation unit detailed in our descriptions should under no circumstances be exceeded. Our staff and villa owners are instructed to refuse admission or evict as necessary to comply with this condition. Likewise, if in our opinion, you are, or appear to be, behaving in such a way as to cause disturbance or annoyance to third parties, or causing damage to the property, we may terminate your holiday. In this situation we will have no further liability to you and you will be responsible for any extra expense you incur as a result. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims for damage or breakages.

12. ENGLISH LAW AND JURISDICTION.

The contract between us and any matters arising from it will be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and are subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.

13. COMPLAINTS.

In the unlikely event that you do encounter a problem you must immediately notify our local representative or our UK office to try to resolve this problem at the time. If there is an identified problem at your accommodation we reserve the right to access the property to rectify any problem and allowances must be made by you for any local conditions regarding the reasonable time taken to rectify the problem. A failure to notify us, or allow us or our suppliers to rectify the problem, will reduce or negate any claim for compensation that you may wish to make. If your complaint cannot be resolved locally you are required to complete a report form available from our representative or alternatively you can write down brief details and ask our representative to fax our UK head office. Please bear in mind that complaints raised on your return from holiday are rarely resolved satisfactorily and we will not deal with any complaint that has not been reported to our local representatives unless there is a valid reason for not doing so. All complaints must be made in writing within 28 days of your return, to our Customer Relations Department at 1b Newtown Road, Liphook, Hants,GU30 7DT.We reserve the right not to deal with any complaints received more than 28 days after your return.

14. OUR PROMISE.

We accept responsibility for ensuring the holiday elements that you book with us are supplied as described and the services offered reach a reasonable standard. If any part is not provided as promised, we will pay you appropriate compensation if this has affected the enjoyment of your holiday but we will not be responsible for your disappointment as a result of unrealistic expectations. We accept responsibility for the acts and/or omissions of our employees, agents and suppliers save where they lead to death, injury or illness except as provided in Clause 15 below. In respect of the services provided by air carriers, our liability in all cases shall be limited in the manner provided by international conventions and in respect of spoilt holidays our liability will be limited to a maximum of three times the price of your holiday.

15. LIABILITY.

We accept responsibility for death, injury or illness caused by the negligent acts and/or omissions of our employees or agents together with our suppliers and subcontractors whilst acting within the scope of, or in the course of their employment. We will accordingly pay to our clients such damages as might have been claimed in respect of death, illness or injury caused by negligence as accepted under English Law.

16. PERSONAL INJURY (UNCONNECTED WITH ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY US).

If any client suffers death, illness or injury whilst overseas arising out of any activity which does not form part of the holiday arrangements made through us, we shall, at our discretion offer advice, guidance and assistance to help you in resolving any claim you may have against a third party, provided we are advised of the incident within 90 days of the occurrence. Where legal action is contemplated our authority must be obtained prior to commencement of proceedings and be subject to your undertaking to assign any costs recovered or any benefits under an appropriate insurance policy to ourselves. Our costs in respect of the above on behalf of you and your party shall not exceed Ł5,000 in total.

17. DATA PROTECTION.

Affinity Villas will not supply any personal client information to any 3rd party excepting that which is required by a supplier to process your booking.

18. GENERAL.

Bookings are made subject to the terms and conditions of property owners/agents for whom Affinity Villas Limited act as agents. The law regarding accommodation for persons with disabilities varies from country to country and we cannot guarantee that all accommodation, transport and amenities will be equipped and suitable for wheelchair users or disabled persons. The general information contained within the brochure and on our website, together with the Essential Information, also form part of Affinity Villas conditions of booking.