Vale do Lobo Resort

We love VDL and have stayed a few time previously both in private villas and VDL townhouses but due to hubby’s work commitments I only booked a few weeks before travelling and we wanted to finish our Portuguese road trip here . The apartment was basic very tired and in dire need of refurbishment. Had o known I wouldn’t have booked this apartment, it may be okay for golf parties but it’s not the standard we would expect .

The bathroom was particularly grim , no soundproofing and even though they moved us after a noisy first night we had no housekeeping for the remaining 4 days and had to ask for toilet paper and clean towels ( after much discussion with reception) despite the cleaner being in our block refused us !

Friendly and efficient check in, fantastic villa, just a perfect stay.

We enjoyed our week here. Roomy, comfortable, clean accommodation whilst a little dated. Excellent air conditioning which makes such a difference. Great on demand shuttle service which is essential around a huge estate if you have no car. Decent local dining options an enjoyable walk from our apartment. Fantastic local supermarket available by shuttle. Late return of deposit was a little disappointing and we had to ask for our welcome gift offered by Expedia. Excellent pool area but ridiculous pricing for a space at the beach!

Localização e ambiente

Camas muito duras Avaria comando ar condicionado Toldo estragado

Apartment is a decent size. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

There is zero noise insulation in the apartment, you can hear every footstep from the unit above you. Either insist on a top floor apartment or prey that you are not staying under a family or any night owls. Also, having to pay EUR 28 for a bed and umbrella on the beach is disappointing, I dont understand why that is not included in the resort stay.

The accommodation , grounds and golf course were good and nicely maintained on the whole. Staff were friendly and helpful. Golf was well organised and I felt this is the main reason for coming to the resort as don’t think I’d stay here otherwise. Shuttle bus service was efficient given it’s needed if you don’t have a car. The Well was probably the best restaurant/ bar which was also good fun and atmospheric we went several times but they tend to repeat same music and entertainment.

Given the resort rating and the price we found the areas around the Placa and beach beds looked quite tired. The quality of food and selection of restaurants & bars was very average would expect much better for the prices we paid. There was also a lack of authentic fresh tasting portuguese food. We’re opening to paying higher prices but expect the quality to match. Would have preferred gym to have slightly longer opening hours.

The property, our apartment was nice, a bit tired and old, and air conditioning units on the balcony that were so loud it made it hard to sleep, when maintenance eventually came out to see it, they just shrugged and said 'they're old, nothing I can do'. The resort is massive and they have a shuttle service to get you around to the beach or supermarket etc...this was very good, very quick, and very needed. The resort has a selection of restaurants by the beach, we hated this area, it was like a bad food court, food was poor quality, the entertainment was bad karaoke and it was just full of young kids running and screaming everywhere. We had a 13 year old with us so we weren't expecting a couples holiday, but this was another level. Overall, the resort is pretty, the apartment/villa was good value, and the surrounding area is great with lots of lovely restaurants outside of the resort.