Residencial Vila Bela Hotel

Myself and my fiancé have just returned from a very enjoyable holiday in Albuferia staying at the Vila Bela Residencial Hotel.
Upon arriving at the Vila Bela we were given a warm welcome and a very pleasant gentleman took our cases for us and carried them to our room which was very nice of him indeed. Our room was very basic, but that was what we were expecting, although it would have been nice to have a small refrigerator in our room just to keep cold drinks in during the day.
Rooms were kept spotless by the hardworking maids that cleaned each room every day. Unfortunately we were in a room at the front of the hotel and it was very noisy at night what with dogs barking and the road noise. The swimming pool was lovely - it was not the biggest pool in the world but was quite sufficient for a cooling dip.
A bit too many rules for my liking but still nice. The pool was high up on the roof of the hotel which meant there was some spectacular views of the sea and surrounding areas. Please note that there are a lot of stairs at the Vila Bela - if you have any trouble walking or are unfit then don't stay there!
Javalli bar very nice but very quiet. It was a very pleasant 5 minute downhill stroll to the beautiful beach and only a few minutes more to the Old Town which was great fun at night. The walk back to the hotel was uphill and quite challenging in the hot weather.
All in all it was a great holiday. Great hotel (apart from the breakfast (2 rolls, 1 slice of cheese and a slice of ham) which was nice but got a bit boring after a few days)
Thoroughly recommended.

We spent 7 wonderful days at Vila Bela.
Staying at such a traditional and welcoming hotel was a pleasure. The hotel staff were very helpful and friendly. The rooms, although basic were perfectly adequate and spotlessly clean with maid service daily. Our room looked out over the pool, which was peaceful with no kids screaming and splashing which made a welcome change.
The Javili bar, which is attached to the hotel, was the perfect place to cool down after an afternoon on the beach. The bar staff were very friendly and informative about the local area, advising us of where best to go and giving us information regarding the history of the bar, which is the oldest bar in Albufeira.
There is no doubt in our minds, we will definitely be returning to Vila Bela. As it is an old, traditional hotel, there are quite a few steps and no lifts. I would recommend this hotel to anyone except people with walking difficulties.

This has got to be the worst hotel I have ever been to. It's not even a hotel. It’s so basic I can't believe how they stay open. It’s right on the corner of quite a busy road and I was woken up every morning around 6:30am with the cars and buses. You see the owners when you arrive and go home, but the rest of the time they don't want to know. We had to leave our room at 11am and our coach was picking us up at 5pm.
They made us leave our cases under the stairs in full view of the rest of the hotel, but no one could watch them for us as they were out of view. They said we could use the swimming pool shower if we needed to "freshen up". The tiny pool was on the roof and the bar was on ground level, so you had to climb something like 38 steps if you wanted a drink. Needless to say we didn't sunbathe around the pool.
I am fit and healthy and found it quite hard to carry my cases up the stairs, so I hate to think how the older guest felt and the hotel was all people in their late 50s, 60s.
There was no TV, soap or even a kettle. The towels were changed twice a week and did not smell the greatest. You could see were the owners were penny pinching at every chance they got, even down to cheap and nasty toilet paper. It was just a dread to come back to the hotel every night knowing where you had to sleep.
I honestly would not stay in this hotel again even if it was for free.

1 reader found this review helpful

This hotel is so basic and not worth the price. There’s no lift and we had to walk 38 steps to the Reception and that much more to our room.
The rooms are extremely basic- no kettle, no TV, no soap or shampoo its as basic as you can get!
I would definitely NOT recommend this hotel. As for the First Choice Rep she was a waste of space. Provided no help or advice.

Just come back from 2 weeks at the Residencial Vila Bela Hotel in Albufeira.
We booked this particular hotel as it stated it was for couples which was great (although there was a school next to the hotel) The hotel was spotless which is a credit to the hard working staff. The location of the hotel was superb. The room which we had was very basic but comfortable.
The breakfast was a let down. Ham, cheese, and jam with bread rolls for 14 days is a real turn off . The Javali bar could have been better, it would have been nice to be able to get a tea or a coffee. Entertainment was average.