Vale do Lobo

Amazing stay at Vale do Lobo resort with our family. We stayed at villa 732. Highly recommended. The villa was perfect - 2 bed/2 baths plus private pool, patio and bbq. Perfect for our family. The complex was fantastic - supermarket, golf course, private beach with restaurants and communal pool. The villa was clean, bright, modern and had air con. The resort was spotless and well maintained. Staff were incredible. The resort was very quiet and perfect for us. I’ve seen some reviews complain about the noise from gardeners in the morning. The staff work tirelessly to maintain the golf course and resort and it looks incredible. Work is not done too early in the morning and I see no criticism. I’ve also seen reviews complain about the 5pm check-in - although later than we’d prefer, it is well advertised when booking and you are reminded again by email a few days before. We were able to drop bags and use the resort /restaurants/pool and they called us as soon as the villa was ready. We had a fantastic trip! We will be back!

As I write this, I am currently staying at the Vale do Lobo resort, and I have a number of concerns to address. Although I have never left a review on TripAdvisor, I review hotels and spas for a living. When I go on holiday, I prefer not to leave feedback, as it feels too much like work. However, my experience here compels me to share my thoughts. First, the resort's website is confusing, to say the least. My family—my husband, our three children, and I—have been visiting Portugal for 12 years. This year, we decided to try a new location, switching from Carvoeiro to Vale do Lobo. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a clear sense of the resort from the website. Typically, we stay in hotels that offer large family villas with private pools and access to all hotel facilities, such as the gym, spa, and breakfast. I believed Vale do Lobo would offer similar amenities, but that was not the case. The resort lacks a central hub. Our villa was located about 1.5 kilometers from the main reception area, which is just a general service area without the feel of a main hotel. The beach square, which includes the resort pool and "The Well" wellness space, is another two kilometers away from our villa. While these areas are accessible via the resort’s shuttle service, the distance is still inconvenient. Upon arrival at 11:30 AM, we were informed that check-in would not be until 5 PM. Anticipating this, I had packed a bag with swim gear and snacks for the kids so we could use the resort pool in the meantime. I asked reception to let us know if our villa became available earlier, but no such luck. Now, let me address "The Well." This place is far from a wellness sanctuary. Although entry is free for residents, non-residents are charged a hefty fee. Upon entering, we were asked if we had any food or drinks in our beach bags. I had forgotten that the kids had snacks from the airport, which were promptly confiscated. To make matters worse, my 7-year-old daughter was eating an ice cream that we had purchased from the resort’s snack bar right next to "The Well," and they made her stand aside to finish it before allowing her to enter. Frankly, who in their right mind would do that to a child? Despite the resort's claim to be family-friendly, I have never, in all my years of staying at five-star resorts in Portugal, been told we couldn’t bring snacks to the pool. After this frustrating encounter, we finally found two sunbeds, but with five of us, we needed one more. When I asked a pool attendant for help in moving an available bed closer to ours, he flatly refused. Already upset from the earlier incident, I insisted he either move the bed or get the manager. While I understand this might make me sound difficult, I believe that when you’re paying a premium for a facility, basic customer service should be expected. The atmosphere at the pool was also far from family-friendly, more reminiscent Love Island than a luxury resort. At one point, a rowdy guest, who appeared quite drunk, threw a jug of sangria into the pool while shouting obscenities and being overtly sexual in the pool with two women. Security did intervene, but the overall vibe was inappropriate for children. Additionally, the pool water was grimy and murky, prompting us to leave shortly after and return to our villa. The villa itself was nice—a spacious property with three bedrooms and a small pool, perfect for our needs. However, that was one of the few positives of our stay. Dining was another challenge. Everywhere was fully booked, so I recommend securing reservations well in advance. The reservation process was confusing, as it was difficult to understand where everything was located within the resort. On our third evening, we dined at Bamboo, an Asian fusion restaurant near the golf course (which we had wisely pre-booked). The food was excellent, and the atmosphere was fun and would definitely recommend. However, during dinner, I became severely ill and had to be rushed to the local private hospital. I underwent emergency stomach surgery and spent three nights in the ICU, followed by two additional nights in the ward. I was released with caution to spend the last two days of our holiday with my family. Given my limited mobility and pain following the surgery, I arranged for wheelchair access and assistance at the airport for our flight home. We requested a late check-out from the villa—just an additional two hours to save an additional journey that would require further assistance for me and also leave me exhausted. However, the resort refused, citing the need to prepare the villa for the next guests by 5 PM. Despite explaining our distressing situation to the manager, they still denied our request. While the area itself is beautiful, the resort’s management and customer service leave much to be desired. I strongly urge them to reconsider their approach to hospitality. My family and I will not be returning to Vale do Lobo.

We have been coming here for over six years. We have always enjoyed the surrounding and atmosphere. It is disappointing this year to see a drop in the levels of care and attention around the resort. Small details: conditions of the pathways, which are often cobbled need repair. Bins not emptied, showers for the beach not working. We really like VDL, I hope the management team can get things back on track. Still very much worth a visit. These are small points in the greater scheme but need mentioning.