I agree with several others commenting that the check in process was a little onerous and that some of the other factors are less than ideal; such as the towel and safe key scenario, the lack of housekeeping if staying less than 4 days, and uncomfortable beds and furniture.
So, yes, I would say it’s a bit much to call it a 4 star resort and spa. However, it was a very good value for our family. The grounds and amenities were nice, the 3 bedroom apartment that we rented was spacious and clean enough. The full kitchen, that was also stocked well, was nice and we did eat in 1 night, so we put it to use (the super market was about a 12-15 minute walk). The laundry option in the kitchen was also helpful with this as a second stop in our travels.
The people we interacted with were friendly enough without being overbearing and all spoke English pretty darn well, which is impressive. That aspect was helpful for our family, because while we can speak conversational Spanish, we don’t speak Portuguese.
The access to the beach was excellent and it’s not far to town, which was a great area to eat, and walk around. The good at the Bel Mar was just fine as well, and the dinner was priced pretty fairly. The bar drinks as well.
We’d stay there again if back in the Algarve in the future based on it meeting the areas that are important to us while traveling.