Stayed at the Vila Gale Amapalius for 2 weeks. The hotel is very, very, noisy. Firstly the Tivoli Marionotel has outdoor concerts regularly which are very loud, the furniture in the room was moving with the noise. Children were crying with the noise and no one could get any sleep or rest, then there is the building work going on at the Tivoli from early morning until late at night, you can here it from your rooms, the pool area and garden area, again not very restful - 6 days a week. Then to top it all there are teams of drunken golfers coming in at 4 am shouting and banging on doors. All this was reported in resort. Vilamoura is a beautiful resort with plenty of places to eat and drink, a mile walk to Quarteria one way and the same the other way to Falesia Beach. Excursions good value for money and reps in resort very helpful.

Just back from a holiday in Vilamoura with seven other women. We had a great time. Slight problem with two of the rooms as we we given double beds and we don't know each other that well! It was late at night so the sofas were made up and we were moved the next day. Our room on the eighth floor was huge with views over the beach and Marina. We eight of us met there each evening to watch the sun set before going out to eat. We ate in the hotel, in the Marina and followed a young man to a portugese restaurant and never had a bad meal all week. Especially liked the Thai restaurant almost opposite Mcdonalds. We played golf three days and on our off days we did the historical Algarve tour which took from eight am to eight pm, cost 22euro with lunch for 12 50 great value. We also went on three hour catamaran trip up the coast 16euro again well worth it. Everyone we met was lovely and helpful. Not sure that there's enough to do at this time of year if you don't play golf. Only fault we had with the hotel was the lack of tea making facilities. We had a kitchen but it was locked.

Just returned from our stay in Vilamoura and thought it worth adding a review as we found the ones we read very helpful to us before we went. Vilamoura is undoubtedly a beautiful place but if you like character then look to the older towns in the Algarve. Pupose built resort that caters for most age groups though older kids will struggle a little if they aren't beach lovers. Our 15 year old was bored to tears but our youngest loved it. The Ampalius Hotel was great on first impressions, the reception and lounge are really attractive though we were disappointed with the rooms. They are small and a bit dated. Wardrobe doors out of a youth hostel and check out the built in unit drawer that is completely useless as it cannot be opened unless you took the wardrobe doors off. We were with other family members and this was the same in all three rooms! Gave us all a good laugh to be honest. These are 3 star rooms and don't be fooled otherwise, though they are clean and adequate. Our biggest problem and something to aware of if you have small children is that the Casino next door is seriously noisy, the music thumps out all night and doesn't stop till 6.30am. We were on the fifth floor so beware!! We are the sort that tolerate most things really so I think some of the comments in other reviews about the staff are a little unfair in my estimation. True, they may not be great communicators [their English is rather better than my portuguese] but we were always greeted with a smile and in the most part were helpful. Remember these people must put up with significant amounts of rudeness on a daily basis from disgruntled Brits who complain because the sun isn't warm enough! The rooms are kept spotless and bathroom sundries replenished often. The maids are really conciencious and curteous. The bar staff work really hard but the prices are high so be careful! The swimming pool is freezing, coldest water I have ever been stupid enough to jump into. Breakfast is great though some days are better than others for some reason. Good if you are late risers as its served till 10.30am. Location is superb though if the weather is against you you may struggle to entertain yourself. The restaurants are good in the marina. There is a suggestion that the marina food is more expensive but it wasn't really. We tried many restaurants off the beaten path and they were equally priced. Worth a mention that you will be plagued by restaurant touts with leaflets in the marina. We found this a bit tedious after two weeks. The beach is right next door to the hotel and huge so will cater ok when busy. My favourite pastime was a stroll to quateira where the fishing boats come in and service the market on a wednesday. Also the gypsy market which is huge though be careful what you are offered. My 15 yr old son was offered canabis within minutes of arriving.. Overall a good holiday but I don't think I would repeat it, It just sort of lacked something for me though I still can't quite put my finger on it. All our family members felt the same oddly enough, but if you've already booked don't panic, I'm sure you will have a great time.

This is a top rated hotel situated right on the beach and only a few hundred metres from the marina. If you get a sea view then the view is stunning - if you manage to get a sea and marina view then even better. The Vila Gale chain, having stayed now at two of their hotels, is one I would recommend.

Rooms are a reasonable size with a portable bed added for our child to use. Breakfast buffet was varied and plentiful. The bar area was pleasant with some form of entertainment every night. Even though there is a 7.5 Euros charge do make use of the spa area. The spa pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room are a good way to spend an afternoon if the sun is not shining.

Would also recommend hiring a car to get out and about the Algarve. If you have never visited before then try the beaches at Benagil, Sao Raphael and Praia du Gale. The beach at the hotel is good too. If you have little ones then spend a day at Zoomarine. If its shopping you want try the Forum at Faro or Algarve Shopping at Guia.