The Vila Vita Parc is a beautiful property in Porches Algarve. The hotel has several buildings and kids clubs, mini golf and the staff is absolutely wonderful. The maids are into your room twice a day, service is above and beyond!

The restaurants in our opinion are way over priced! We are comparing to North American standards. Local restaurants are equally as good and a quarter of the price.
We found that smoking is permitted in all outdoor terraces at Villa Vita Parc, so while eating outside on warm evenings you are surrounded by smokers! It was disgusting! What was worse, one evening while at their German restaurant we had a cigar smoker, who puffed away without a care all evening. We changed tables and it was still disgusting. We were somewhat outside but the area, had a roof over it with windows so the smelly cigar smoke stayed in our vicinity! What was
worse was that most of the offenders were German and British and we know for a fact that they are not allowed to smoke in their outdoor eating areas in their respective countries.We were in Germany last fall and have currently been in London so we know that smokers are not allowed to puff in outdoor eating areas.

Th residence has rooms on the ground floor, great for upping and leaving to the grass or the beach but with absolutely no privacy, the least they could do would be to have sheers, otherwise you had to have the blackout drapes closed all day.

UAU......this was my first sound when I arrived in this wonderful place:)! Enchanting Algarve coast is in south of Portugal. It is incredible, for sure those who loves to travel they've been already there or they should go! I've chose to stay on Vila Vita Parc Resort & SPA - perfect hotel to feel a little bit the spices of Portugal style of life. The rooms are big and beautifully decorated, having breathtaking seascapes and marvelous landscaped gardens. Spa suites are adjacent to the spa. Dining experiences it was a gastronomic adventure that make this resort a magnet for all gourmets. From elegantly served haute cuisine at the Michelin-starred Ocean, to rustic cooking at Adega or Mediterranean cuisine at Aladin Grill, this resort offers 7 restaurants and 5 bars (some of the bars are playing live music....it's so special!). You can visit all the small cities near Porches (the city were is located the hotel), the Marina (from where you can go on trips for fishing even sharks!), the Zoo. The only problem that we had was the fact that the Atlantic Ocean was very cold, we've been in June, so it's not the perfect perioad to swim in the Ocean. We were visiting as well one of the biggest exposition in the world for sun sculptures - this year the theme was the most known celebrities in the world...really nice!!!! It's just a flavour of what you can do there! I've enjoyed every moment being there, my advice arrange your next holiday here!!!!

My experience in this hotel began after a journey of 300 kilometers from my home town. At the entrance of the hotel a very solicitous employee addressed me by my own name and told me that relaxing time had just begun. He immediately invited me to proceed to check in. Luggage on the trunk of my car would be sent to my accommodation and my car would be parked in the covered parking lot of the hotel. Six days later on check out, everything was done on reverse order with the same kind of efficiency. After a brief and pleasant dialogue he offered us, (me, my girlfriend and our 4 years old daughter) three small bottles of water for our journey back home.
I was assigned to room 507 in the main building. I am now convinced this is the best place to stay in the hotel as everything one might need is in the building (restaurant for breakfast, library, bar, front desk, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, gym). My room was quite large with separate sitting area and a large balcony with two comfortable arm chairs, footrests and coffee table. We had a magnificent view to the gardens and further away the main beach of Armacao de Pera. Closet space was more than adequate for the three of us. The bathroom was also large. Water temperature of the shower had no fluctuation and was easy to set. I did not like the decor of the room as it showed the age of the decoration project. The pattern of the curtains was outdated and the floor of the entrance and bedroom areas was covered with carpet, something that was banned from decoration a long time ago in this country, as it attracts dust and is difficult to clean. The decor can now be considered as slightly shabby. I’m very found of contemporary design and in this way I was a little bit disappointed. However I have to say that every piece of furniture was in pristine condition, every drawer and wardrobe door would open and close properly. Our room was serviced twice a day, in the morning and while we were dinning. They would leave chocolates in our pillows and my daughter’s pajamas would be folded in a funny way. Everything was kept thoroughly clean, bathroom and balcony included. As I said in previous reviews, I do not travel to sit inside a room and watch TV, so I do not know if the assortment of channels was adequate. They had a radio set with CD player which in my opinion was much more useful. Wifi was available in the room and throughout the hotel free of charge. Prices of the in-room bar were absurdly high, however they offered a bottle of red wine and fruit bowl.
Breakfast was served at the Bela Vita restaurant also in the main building. We always choose a table in the garden area of the restaurant. The buffet was well assorted and pleasantly presented. I have to say however that I have seen better in other five star hotels. I can not rate the breakfast served at the Atlantic restaurant as it was off limits for me because of my daughter.
I dined in four of their various restaurants. The Adega was the first we tried. They had a Portuguese themed buffet for around 45 euro per person, drinks not included, served in the outdoor area of the restaurant. There was a group of singers performing (at heightened decibels). It was pleasant but not outstanding as far as food is concerned. The second experience was also a buffet served at the Bela Vita restaurant. The buffet was set inside the restaurant and the sitting area was on the garden. The food was excellent as far as taste and presentation are concerned. Service with the drinks was hassled. This was a 53 euro per person dinner without drinks. However they charged me an additional 30 euro for the child, something they had not done at the Adega restaurant. The third experience was at the Atlantico restaurant. The food was very good, rather on the small portions but tasting very good and with excellent presentation, just the way I like it. We sat at the balcony for dinner at dusk and were severely attacked by mosquitoes. My girlfriend had to run up to our room in another building to bring a repellent. Again service was slow and inattentive. We showed up 10 minutes before the time of booking but had to wait for 25 minutes before they came up to take our order. During the meal I had to stand up to refill up my girlfriend’s water glass. They noticed it and thereafter they got more attentive concerning our refills. Finally we went twice to the Arte Náutica restaurant. It is situated on the beach away from the hotel. We were there once for snacks and refreshments after a morning spent at the beach of Armacao de Pera. We sat down on the esplanade and appreciated the setting, food and the smiling and efficient service. As a consequence we decided to return for diner a few days later. When I contacted front desk to make the reservation, they advised me not to take my car and arranged a shuttle service to-and-from the restaurant. A very wise decision, my GPS could have driven me through the maze of streets but it would have been hard to park. Again, we confirmed our first impression at this relaxed venue. Food and service left us with an excellent impression.
For lunch we always asked for two snacks, two drinks and a soup for our daughter at one of the various bars at the swimming pools. Everything was again delicious, served by smiling and efficient staff, but we would not pay less than 40 euro for these very light meals.
The exaggerated prices of restaurants at the Vila Vita may not be entirely their fault. Due to terrible financial situation in this country, the government in place had to resort to a wide variety of unpopular measures in order to raise money and repay the huge loans we owe, not to mention servicing the debt meanwhile. One of those measures was to unleash the voracious and much feared tax beast. Less than two years ago bills at restaurants were charged with 6% of VAT and a few months ago it jumped suddenly to 23%.
Apart this, much has been said about this hotel and the general impression is very positive. Of course much of the credit has to be put at the quality of the management and their skill in what concerns the selection of staff. A few weeks ago In a Portuguese widely circulated weekly magazine, there was a rather amusing article about the oddest requests from customers of five stars hotels in Portugal. Obviously the Vila Vita was stated. One of the stories was about a client from Scotland who was feeling like to eat a special cheesecake that he had eaten in a restaurant in New York. In order to promptly satisfy the client, the staff at Vila Vita had no other option but to buy an airplane ticket on the next flight from New York for the cheesecake. I can hardly imagine a cheesecake lying on a seat of an airplane with a seat belt attached to it. Probably the airline carrier sold the seat twice and brought the cheesecake on the galley. Another story stated a Russian client that phoned the hotel requesting to dine at the Ocean restaurant, which is a gourmet restaurant, for his son’s birthday as he would be coming by private jet. The staff answered that on that particular day the restaurant would be closed, to what the client replied: “Excellent, I shall have the restaurant just for myself”. Again the staff had to call the chef and made arrangements in order to meet the request of the client who showed up with his son (still a child), a friend of the son and a nanny to take care of the two. The article on the magazine states the staff as saying that this type of clients do not take a no for an answer nor do they care about the price they will pay. These stories and others that I read, mock these customers but what is relevant is the fact that staff must be able to tackle with stupid requests efficiently and promptly.
Tips for future clients:
- If your budget is tight and/or not flexible choose another hotel.
- If you want to avoid the likes of me, that is to say clients with children, you must always avoid coming on July and August.
- If you want to avoid the expensive restaurants on this resort and you have a car or are willing to take a taxi, be advised that restaurants are plentiful around the place, with a wide range of prices. Otherwise there is a good restaurant 500 meters away (less than 10 minutes walk) from the hotel entrance. Just head to the main road that leads to Armacao de Pera and in front of the junction slightly to the right you will see a restaurant called “O Veleiro” (the tall ship). We were there twice. Expect good food, average to good service and pay half the price you would pay at the Vila Vita. Enjoy the stroll to and from the restaurant at your own pace.
- If you are in a mood to enjoy your favorite drink in the quietness of your balcony but do not want to pay for the expensive drinks of the in-room bar, go the “Intermarché” that is less than 700 meters away. This is a low price chain of supermarkets in Portugal. Buy there your favorite drinks or whatever you need. To get there just head as if you went to the Restaurant mentioned above and at the junction turn left (direction Porches). The supermarket is 160m ahead. Do not put to much weight on your shopping bag, mind the way back to the hotel.
- While preparing to leave home to the hotel, do not overload your luggage with cumbersome towels. The hotel provides them around the beaches and swimming pools.
- Bare in mind that Portugal is a country with mild climate, not tropical hot. Sometimes during winter or spring, I came across tourists in my home town Lisbon, wearing just a t-shirt and shorts while we, regular Portuguese, use thick clothing or even an overcoat. You will never see snow close to the sea but in any other season than summer you will probably get several beautiful sun-shinning days with cloudless skies. Be aware that these days usually come with chilly temperatures (6 to 10 degrees centigrade). Don’t think you will be able to use your summer gear and enjoy a day at the beach or outside pool if you are coming in October through May. It will be too cold for that. At the Vila Vita the only indoors swimming pool is rather small.
- Don’t loose your time strolling around the nearest city, Armacao de Pera. Two decades ago it was a picturesque fishing village with a huge and beautiful beach. Now it has metamorphosed into a tribute to architectural ugliness and real estate agents’ greed. The place is packed with sun seekers in summer and is a ghost town during all other seasons. So told me the shuttle bus driver that took us from the hotel to the main beach.

Great dining facilities , especially fine dining in the 2 Michelin*sThe Ocean and the restaurant offering local dishes. Gorgeous breakfast in the main dining room and outdoors on the terrace. Gardens are just beautiful, unforgettable. The room - we had an apartment/suite - could do with some updating but it was charming with its traditional decor, was clean and functional with the bonus of a large private terrace. Would definitely return!