19th July 2012 – On July 22nd 2011 the Oceânico Group and the Mayor of Lagos, Julio Barroso inaugurated Belmar Spa & Beach Resort, located at Porto de Mós beach, Lagos in the Western Algarve. One year on there is certainly a “buzz about Belmar”, and with staggering occupancy levels of 96%, it’s fair to say the resort has taken off in great style.

“We are delighted with Belmar´s success in its first year. It is a superb four star resort with a stunning location. Our thanks and gratitude go to the entire operational and support team and they must be commended for their exceptional performance,” commented Gerry Fagan, CEO and founder of the Oceânico Group. He added, “It has always been Oceânico’s philosophy to deliver outstanding service to its customers, as we take pride in welcoming many of our customers back holiday after holiday.”

The success of Belmar Spa & Beach Resort can be seen through various holiday booking portals, one of the most popular being booking.com where Belmar holds the rating of “fabulous” with an average score of 8.8 out of 10 from 344 reviewers. Annabel from the UK commented on booking.com, “Belmar was one of the best hotels that I have ever stayed in. The hotel was excellent, the pools were wonderful. It was clean, the staff were extremely friendly and efficient. We are all definitely going to return and have recommended the hotel to all of our friends/family.”

A young couple from Denmark also commented, “Apart from the very spacious rooms, great beds, nice bathroom, kitchen with all the necessary appliances, great location close to a very nice secluded beach, the indoor/ outdoor pools, sauna etc. etc, what impressed us most was the extremely kind and helpful staff of the hotel.”

Clients have also ranked Belmar Spa & Beach Resort highly on TripAdvisor.com, describing their holidays as “Great resort and value for money”, “Perfect holiday”, “Great facilities, lovely staff, good location”, and simply “Heaven”. On Expedia.com, Belmar scores 5 out of 5 with one happy holidaymaker stating that “This hotel should be a five star!”

Paula Borges, Belmar´s Resort Manager commented, “We have welcomed clients from over 25 different nationalities at Belmar Spa & Beach Resort over the past year and there is such a vibrant atmosphere around the resort. We have a strong and dedicated team who work tirelessly to ensure every customer’s holiday is an unforgettable experience.”

Belmar Spa & Beach Resort is ideal for families who want to enjoy pool and beach holidays with four outdoor heated swimming pools and a shallow children’s pool. The multipurpose sports pitch, suitable for tennis and football, and the children’s playground are ideal for keeping the young ones busy. The extensive spa facilities make it a fabulous offering for spa lovers with a wide variety of pampering treatments on offer. Couples can enjoy the spa experience together in harmony in the couple’s suite and after treatments guests can relax in the Suite Serena. The heated facilities include a Turkish Bath, sauna, indoor pool, Experience Showers, hydrotherapy pool and outdoor Jacuzzi. Fitness classes such as Pilates, Toning Classes, Jump and Yoga are offered in the two large fitness studios and the gymnasium is fully equipped with Technogym equipment.

Local residents are welcome to use the spa: either for individual spa treatments or to indulge themselves with a Spa day where full use of the heated areas is included. Memberships for the gymnasium and fitness classes are also available.

Oceânico´s beach front resort comprises an aparthotel and two clusters of tourist apartments, with manned front gate 24 hour security. The aparthotel offers studio, one and two bedroom apartments, and two bedroom duplex apartments. The two tourist apartment clusters contain a mix of two and three bedroom apartments. Each property is fully furnished and is fully equipped to the highest specifications, including air conditioning, a fully fitted open plan kitchen and electric shutters on the windows and patio doors. Resort guests enjoy regular maid service and towels and bed linen are provided.

The Lobby Bar in the aparthotel is ideal for an aperitif before dinner at Restaurante Levante, which offers delicious Mediterranean cuisine in a relaxed setting with striking sea views.

All accommodation is self-catering although a buffet breakfast is served daily in the main restaurant which can be pre-booked when making a reservation (children under 3 years of age are free of charge). An à la carte breakfast menu is also on offer and room service is available to guests in the aparthotel from 8am until midnight. In addition, a take-away service is available to all guests.

Belmar Spa & Beach Resort is located in Lagos just a 50 minute drive from Faro airport. Set within landscaped gardens, the resort enjoys a magnificent sea front setting overlooking the spectacular Porto de Mós beach, which offers two fantastic restaurants for day time and evening dining.

The resort is just a five minute drive from the bustling town centre of Lagos and less than ten minutes from the beautiful town of Praia da Luz. The historic town of Lagos offers many activities including shopping, sightseeing, dolphin-watching boat trips and relaxing days at one of the many sandy beaches. In the evening choose from a wide range of restaurants & bars where you can sample the delicious Portuguese cuisine, as well as a variety of international cuisines. Lagos also boasts a stunning Marina, with restaurants, bars and shops. The quaint town of Praia da Luz, with its cobbled streets, superb sandy beach and spectacular sandstone cliff offers a great range of water sports, bars and restaurants.

A number of airlines fly directly to Faro including Monarch (www.flymonarch.com), British Airways (www.ba.com) and Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) from the UK. Aerlingus (www.aerlingus.com) flies from the Republic of Ireland. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) now offer flights to Faro from the UK, Republic of Ireland and many other European destinations. Car hire or taxi transfers to and from Faro airport can be arranged through Oceânico Direct.

Please visit www.oceanicodirect.com for more details of holidays and special offers at Belmar Spa & Beach Resort or call 00351 282 771 810, / e-mail reservations@oceanicogroup.com.

For media enquiries, please contact Nikki Dale at the Oceânico Group on: +351 - 282 771 819 / 962 032 302 email: nikki.dale@oceanicogroup.com