The 402-room upscale Alvor Baia Hotel Apartamento is especially popular with families, thanks to its expansive grounds with an enormous outdoor pool with kiddy pool, playgrounds, kids' club, game room, apartment-style rooms with kitchenettes, and lively animation team. The hotel is in a residential neighborhood with little of note in the immediate area (and it's a 20-minute walk from the beach), but it offers a free shuttle. Other features include two buffet restaurants (though the food gets mixed reviews and lacks variety) and a kids' disco.

The Pestana Dom Joao II doesn't look like much from the road, but around the back its gardens and pristine sunbathing lawns paint a prettier picture. The family-friendly beachfront hotel offers direct access to the great Tres Irmaos Beach and is within walking distance of restaurants and shops in Alvor. Its 384 rooms are contemporary and colorful and have private balconies, though not all have sea views. Kid-friendly amenities -- including the kids' pool, outdoor sand-filled sports court, game room with a pool table, and kids' club -- are conveniently clustered near each other. The kids' club has supervised activities and a daily entertainment program, but it's only open during the summer high season (June to September).

The mid-range Pestana Delfim Hotel's shady lawns and kid-friendly amenities makes it popular among unfussy travelers who like the relaxed vibe, all-inclusive rates, and close proximity to one of the best beaches in the Algarve. This one is just behind the upscale Pestana Alvor Praia, giving guests relatively easy beach access, even though the hotel isn't on the water. Facilities abound, including a  large outdoor pool with a sundeck and a kids' pool, tennis courts, game room, and a kids' club, but the whole property is thoroughly dated. Most of the 312 rooms have private balconies with sea views, but the garish old decor and tube TVs aren't up to advertised four-star standards.

The Pestana Alvor Park Hotel is an upper-middle-range hotel in a quiet neighborhood near central Alvor. The 55 modern apartment-style rooms have kitchenettes and dining rooms, and appeal to families and couples who like room to spread out. The hotel has a grill restaurant; snack bar; and indoor, outdoor, and kids' pools; as well as ping-pong, foosball, and a pool table. Guests can also use the facilities at the Pestana's sister hotel Pestana Dom Joao II.

Renovated in 2010, Prainha Clube is an upscale apartment complex within a larger resort that includes the sprawling Prainha Village. The hotel takes it's name from the small Prainha Beach, right below the picturesque cliffs. The hotel's 61 Studios and One- and Two-Bedroom Apartments are all set far back on the property above the cliffs, but most still have views of the sea from their furnished balconies. Flat-screen TVs come standard in the rooms, but Wi-Fi costs extra. In-room kitchenettes have white-marble counters with stovetops, microwaves, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers.

Large two-bedroom Family Apartments with kitchenettes and private balconies make this upscale hotel a good pick for families. The property has an outdoor pool with kiddy pool and lounge bar with a handsome outdoor terrace. It also offers several freebies: breakfast, Wi-Fi in the lobby, and shuttle to downtown Alvor and the beach.

The value-oriented, 107-room Luna Clube Brisamar is the most affordable all-inclusive option in the area. For families on a budget, the price may be right, but the dated one-bedroom apartments are the only type available. They have kitchenettes and balconies, but also old tube TVs; the air conditioners are mounted in the living rooms where they can't cool the bedrooms in hot weather. The outdoor pool has a big sundeck with a bar, and the all-inclusive rates make meals easy with kids, but with just the one buffet restaurant and lounge bar, there aren't many choices.