Wondering if 3HB Clube Humbria lives up to the hype? Here’s what it’s really like to stay at one of the Algarve’s most popular family resorts.
We’ve just returned from a short break in The Algarve with Jet2holidays. After an amazing Jet2 holiday in Ibiza a few years ago, we were excited to see what the experience would be like in Portugal. The plan? Four nights at one of the most popular 4* all-inclusive resorts, 3HB Clube Humbria.
I’d researched plenty of hotel options before our trip, trying to decide whether we’d rather stay at a 5* resort but on a half-board basis, or for the same money go for an all-inclusive 4*. When we looked at all of the facilities at the 3HB Clube Humbria, it won. We have a three-year-old and an 8-month-old, and this is a resort 100% designed for families. We’re talking water slides, a splash park, playground, kids club and daily entertainment. We knew our three-year-old would love it, and a happy toddler usually makes for happy parents, right?!
In this review, I’ll share my honest opinions on the accommodation, food and entertainment, plus lots of photos so you’ll get a good feel for the resort. If you’re thinking of booking, this should help make your decision!
A Family Holiday To The Algarve
Airport Check-In & Flight
We booked flights to the Algarve with Jet2, one of our favourite airlines. We’ve flown with them countless times before (for work and holidays!) and the service has always been so friendly. They’re used to dealing with families, and all the chaos that comes with kids!
There are several flights from London Gatwick Airport to Faro each week. The flight times for this route are really great for families, with an 11.25 take off and a return at 15.25. It was so refreshing not having to be at an airport at an antisocial hour!
Transfer from Faro Airport to 3HB Clube Humbria
Our holiday was a package, with flights, transfers and our all-inclusive hotel. As a busy mum, it’s such a relief not to have to think about the journey. Usually I’m lugging around giant car seats or travel cots, as well as trying to keep tabs on two little ones and navigate to a destination!
Our transfer to the resort was waiting when we walked out of the airport, and departed within a few minutes. It was so efficient. Thirty minutes later we were standing in the hotel reception checking in. What a breeze!
Review of the 3HB Clube Humbria
Location
3HB Clube Humbria is located in the village of Olhos de Água. This resort isn’t on the coast, but there’s a pretty beach around ten minutes’ walk away, plus a scattering of restaurants, shops and a supermarket close by. If you hop in a taxi you can be in Albufeira in 10 minutes or Vilamoura in 20 minutes.
Accommodation
One of the key reasons I selected this hotel over other similar ones, was that the 3HB Clube Humbria offers one-bedroom apartments as standard. The spacious accommodation features a master bedroom, then a communal space with a kitchenette, dining table and two sofas which pull out into single beds.
There’s a decent sized bathroom, plus a balcony with chairs, table and drying rack. Our apartment also had a hallway, which was a welcome surprise, as it offered one more space where we could put the baby cot, so it wasn’t right next to our bed!
I found it so helpful having the kitchenette facilities. We could wash baby bottles easily, plus sterilise them in the microwave. Plus, there was a kettle for boiling water to make up formula. A lot of family resorts would have all four of us in one bedroom – not great for sleep, relaxation or privacy!
As our toddler is only three and he sofa beds were quite high, we created a floor bed for him. This was much safer as we’d feared him rolling out in the night!
Dining options at 3HB Clube Humbria
We rarely book all-inclusive holidays, so when we get to a resort like this, I get a bit overexcited! I want to eat and drink everything on the first day, just because I can! Are you the same?!
I’ll admit we were a little disappointed to discover that all meals are served in the same restaurant. Yes, that’s breakfast, lunch and dinner all in the same place. We were only staying four nights, but even for us, that felt a bit repetitive.
In terms of food options, breakfast was the same each day with a big variety of breads, pastries, fried foods, cheeses, meats, yogurt, cereal and fruit. There were options to suit all diets.
Lunch and dinner was more varied, and there were even a few themed meals. We really enjoyed the lunchtime BBQ, as well as the Asian evening, where there was a decent selection of sushi. The food quality was a bit hit or miss at times, but there was always something appetising.
For kids, the buffets were great. There was always pasta, sauce, pizza, chips and things like fried chicken, sausages or burgers. If you have a picky eater who loves eating beige foods, this hotel is perfectly set up for them! As a mum I appreciate things like this more and more. It’s a relief to see your kid eating well away from home, as an under-fuelled toddler is a holiday nightmare!
There is one more dining option at the hotel: the snack bar. This is open from 10am until late and serves a range of easy eats from lunchtime onwards. There was usually pizza, hot dogs, burgers, chips, sandwiches, salads and fruit. You could also order ice pops and ice cream from the bar.
Bars at 3HB Clube Humbria
There are two bars at the resort, the snack bar I’ve mentioned above and Melody Bar, which is in the evening entertainment room. Both serve soft drinks, coffees and cocktails. The cocktails were pre-mixed and on the syrupy side. If you’re expecting mixology, you won’t find it here, but you will get a decent drink with a hefty pour of booze! I enjoyed the daiquiris which had a lovely burst of lime, and the tropical punch, which was like a holiday in a glass!
As drinking the tap water isn’t recommended here, we were given refillable bottles at check in. There are water refill stations around the resort, so we didn’t have to buy bottles.
Swimming Pools
There’s a shallow kids pool and main pool (with graduated entry) in the centre of the resort. Then, off to one side, you’ll find the path leading to the splash park and waterslides. It was nice that this was separated, as the vibes are quite different! We spent time between all three.
It’s worth noting that none of the pools are heated, so depending on when you visit, the water may be cold. During our visit in June, we found them chilly in the morning but comfortable by the afternoon once the sun had warmed them up.
The kids pool is really shallow, and felt safe for toddler ages and up. There was a nice feeling in this area, that all the parents were in the same life stage! I had some good chats with other mums about dealing with toddlers – solidarity!
The main pool was a hive of activity. Sometimes there was entertainment or aqua aerobics going on, and there was usually music playing. At times I found this a bit loud, but that’s just my taste.
We enjoyed the splash pad area. This part of the resort has a good amount of shade and there’s no music here so it’s got more of chilled vibe. Our son enjoyed the splash pad, diving down the slides and trying to avoid the tipping buckets!
The bigger waterslides are for kids aged 6-17 or over 20kg. When you check in, your child will be given a red wristband for access to these. They looked like so much fun!
Entertainment and Activities
There was a big schedule of activities each day, some for kids, some for adults and some for everyone! Everything from aqua aerobics and arts and crafts, to archery and bouncy castles. We particularly liked the ‘magic carpet’ which was rolled out several times across the week in the main pool. People lined up to race along it, seemingly walking on water until they dived in the end. My husband and son both loved taking part, and I loved watching!
There was also nightly entertainment which was always family friendly. There was a mini disco at 8pm, followed by a quiz at 8.30pm, then live music or an act from 9pm. Obviously, this is on the late side for really little ones, but our son (age 3) stayed up most nights. He loved the magic show in particular!
The entertainment was good quality. It didn’t seem to feature the big theatrical productions you’ll find at some resorts (we saw an amazing Lion King show at the Grand Palladium in Ibiza), but it was fun, relaxed, and enjoyable all the same. We often ended up chatting with other parents during the evening, which made it a nice social part of the day.
Our favourite night was ‘Fair Night’ when it really did feel like a funfair had rolled into town! There was face painting, balloon modelling, popcorn, crepes, candy floss and more. It was really good fun for everyone.
Kids Club
3HB Clube Humbria has a free kids club with a schedule of activities running every day from 10 – 1pm and then 2pm – 6pm. You can take kids who are younger, but you’ll need to stay with them. There are activities like yoga, bracelet making, colouring, mask making plus a range of toys to play with.
There’s also a range of activities for kids aged 8-15, including basketball, ping-pong, darts and water polo.
Spa
I’d read there was a spa at the hotel. Well, it’s not so much a spa, as a small hut near the main pool, where you can book in for treatments. On my final morning, I booked a relaxing massage here, which was a lovely way to end the trip. Along with a large range of massages, you could also book manicures, pedicures and detox treatments.
Tips for visiting 3HB Clube Humbria
Now I’ve shared my honest review of the hotel, I wanted to give some top tips. These are handy hacks if you’re visiting soon, and want to be in the know from day one!
Where to dine
When you enter the dining room, the staff will ask where you’d like to sit. You’ll spot an outdoor area to the left of the main dining room, but there’s actually another outside terrace to the right. We didn’t find this for a few days, and once we did, it was our favourite spot. It’s a little bit away from the noise of the main dining areas, and has views out of the resort. It felt more like a holiday restaurant than the enclosed areas within the resort.
Second breakfast
Most families go to the first breakfast which runs from 7.30-10am, but there’s a smaller continental selection from 10-12. If someone needs a calmer place to relax with a snack or a coffee, this is a nice place to be.
Towels
As with most European resorts, there’s a culture of reserving sun loungers with towels early in the morning. We noticed that most sun loungers right next to the main pool were taken by 8.30am, even though the pools don’t open until 9am. We didn’t notice this happening at the kids pool or splash pool so much, but if a really good spot matters to you, take your towel down when you go to breakfast!
Shade
There’s limited shade at some points in the day, but we usually found the splash pool had free sun loungers in the shade most days, This might not be the case during peak school holidays, but it’s a good place to check!
Supermarket
We needed to pick up a few essentials during our trip. There are a few shops and restaurants within a few minutes’ walk of the resort, but the nearest big supermarket is Intermarche. This had pretty much everything you could need, from drinks and snacks, to nappies and formula (what we needed!)
Pros and Cons of 3HB Clube Humbria
Like any hotel, 3HB Clube Humbria has its strengths and a few areas where it could improve. Overall, we had a fantastic stay and I’d happily recommend it to families, but as this is a super honest reviews, I wanted to share a quick summary of what stood out.
Pros
- Fantastic for families with young children. The resort has been designed with families in mind, with splash parks, waterslides, playgrounds, a kids’ club and lots of entertainment throughout the day.
- Spacious apartment-style accommodation. Having a separate bedroom and kitchenette made a huge difference when travelling with our baby and toddler.
- Excellent value all-inclusive package. There was always plenty of food and drink available, and the snack bar was ideal between meals.
- Plenty of activities. From pool games and crafts, to evening entertainment and special events like Fair Night, there was always something happening.
- Friendly, family-focused atmosphere. The staff were welcoming, and it was easy to chat to other parents around the resort, making it feel very sociable.
- Great location. While not directly on the beach, it’s only around a 10-minute walk from Olhos de Água beach, with restaurants and shops nearby.
- Easy transfer from Faro Airport. We were at the hotel around 30 minutes after leaving the airport, making it an easy destination with young children.
Cons
- Only one main restaurant. All breakfast, lunch and dinner services take place in the same buffet restaurant, which started to feel repetitive after a few days.
- Food quality could be inconsistent. There was always plenty of choice, but some dishes were much better than others.
- Pools aren’t heated. We visited in June and found the water quite chilly in the mornings, although it warmed up later in the day.
- Sun loungers get reserved early. If you want a prime spot by the main pool, you’ve got to be quick!
- Entertainment is enjoyable rather than spectacular. The evening shows were fun and well put together, but don’t expect the large-scale productions you’ll find at some bigger resorts.
- Cocktails are fairly basic. They’re unlimited, but they’re pre-mixed rather than freshly made.
Would I Stay at 3HB Clube Humbria Again?
Absolutely. This hotel delivers exactly what most families are looking for: spacious accommodation, plenty to keep children entertained, friendly service and a genuinely stress-free holiday.
Watching our three-year-old race from the splash park to the playground, then dance at the mini disco every evening, made us realise this is what holidays are all about at this stage of family life. If you’re travelling with young children and want an easy, fun all-inclusive break in the Algarve, 3HB Clube Humbria is a brilliant choice.
Looking for other more tips for travelling with kids? Check out these posts…
