Vale do Lobo Resort

The apartments location to beach and restaurants was great. It was a good size with lots of outdoor space

The bed/pillows not comfortable. Better outside lounge furniture The resort wasn’t busy and we couldn’t check into our room earlier even though it was ready

Beds were very uncomfortable, I guess like prison beds

This was supposed to be a 5 star stay. I have done 5 star stays in Dubai.. you could dribe a jumbo through the difference to Vale do Lobo. Reception slightly offhand, have repeated the same instructions so many times that they are now bored so new customers come away and don't know where breakfast is (i handed in 4 out ot 5 breakfast vouchers as i has no idea of where i had to go.. asked twice). Apartment badly maintained.. the bathroom was finished by a child re tiling. They left barely enough loo paper for 1 person for 4 days, the sliding doors would not shut properly making a safety risk.. all in all SO NOT 5 star. I wont repeat. Very expensive for very little value. 1 item of value was the welcome basket.. 2 bread rolls, 3 jams, sardines and cheese.. delicious. The accomadation was dated, not secure and noisy at night. Think you can find better quality elsewhere locally.

So NOT 5 Star. Basic, dated, noisy and very expensive (London prices). Logistics a nightmare.. expensive cabs or ring for shuttle bus.. can take up 30 minutes to get there and no pre booking.. rubbish if on a schedule. Security in apartments poor.. the doors are dated. No item in the hotel info for recycling .. you have to work it out for yourself locally. Breakfast in 1 place 10 minutes drive away, call shuttle waut 30 minutes then drive 10 minutes all before getting a cuppa... no thanks. Honestly I will not return as very disappointed after all the hype.

Apartment was supposed to be ready for 4pm, wasn’t ready until 5 30pm, very poor communication from front of house staff-we arrived on Friday and left on Monday- the apartment was not cleaned once, no fresh towels were provided or toilet paper.

Perfect

Clean and perfect

We have just returned from what was our fourth stay at Vale do Lobo — and sadly, it was by far the worst holiday experience we’ve ever had. A destination we once trusted and enjoyed has now completely lost our confidence due to the appalling and dishonest treatment we received. Key issues to be aware of: - €500 cash deposit taken on arrival and never returned - Accused of damaging a table, without any evidence (photo below) - No joint inspection, no before/after photos, no proof — just a €1,103 bill for alleged damage - Staff were hostile, dismissive, and unhelpful when we refuted the accusation - A formal red book complaint was made against both the house and the resort — met with a wholly unsatisfactory response - We felt so uncomfortable we chose to leave early, and had to find last-minute Easter accommodation - Still no refund of our deposit, no quotation for the alleged repair/replacement, and no apology for how we were treated The villa was not in the condition we expected on arrival — broken pool lights, missing tiles — all of which I reported to reception after check-in. Then, midway through the stay, I received an email from reception accusing us of damaging a marble table and demanding €1,103 to cover the cost. We were shocked. We had treated the property respectfully and categorically did not cause any damage. Yet, when I asked for evidence — before/after photos, or even a quote to justify the charge — they refused. There was no inspection, no documentation, and no attempt at a fair discussion. I was expected to simply accept the accusation based solely on the word of the cleaning staff. I asked to speak with management, and after being passed around and waiting over two hours in reception, with our children in tears, I was finally told the Operations Director had approved a refund of the remaining nights — but that they would still be withholding the €500 cash deposit. Again, no proper explanation or documentation was provided. I lodged a formal complaint in the red book, highlighting the villa condition, the false accusation, and the resort’s shocking treatment of us. The response I received was cursory and dismissive, with no meaningful investigation or resolution. This is absolutely not the behaviour one expects. The experience left our family distressed and forced us to scramble for last-minute accommodation in peak holiday season. We are still out of pocket. We have had no follow-up, no proof of damage, no quotation, and no apology. Think very carefully before booking at Vale do Lobo and if you do - query the security payment and take pictures of everything once you get into your rool. If anything goes wrong, you are completely on your own — and worse, you may be treated with suspicion, hostility, and no regard for fairness or basic decency. We will never go back !