Vilalara Grand Hotel Algarve

Me and my partner stayed at the VilaLara Grand Hotel Resort in the Algarve at the end of August, and the experience was absolutely incredible from start to finish. We booked one of the deluxe suites, and it was perfect — spotless, spacious, with a beautiful shower and bath, and plenty of counter space by the sinks (which was ideal for all my makeup bags and hair products!). The room cleaning service was also excellent. The resort itself was breathtaking — welcoming, calming, and beautifully maintained. When we arrived, we were greeted with warm hand towels and bottled water, and given a lovely tour of the property. The beach and pool were stunning, and the beach service was top-notch. For dining, the resort offers several options, and we tried two of the three restaurants. Each had its own style, but both were absolutely amazing. The staff and chefs were so accommodating with my food allergies, which made dining stress-free and enjoyable. Some of our favorite moments were sipping wine on the comfy cabanas in the evenings, exploring activities at the resort, and even venturing out to hike the famous Seven Hanging Valleys Trail nearby — one of the most beautiful coastal walks we’ve ever done. This stay deserves more than five stars. Everything was perfect, and we truly hope to return every year. Highly recommend!

We stayed here for 4 nights after our wedding in Cascais. It was absolutely perfect for what we wanted, a relaxing, luxury stay. |The beach was beautiful with plenty of sun loungers, the pool area was lovely too but we spent all day on the beach. |The food was amazing, we particularly enjoyed the breakfast. |The area around the hotel wasn’t the nicest but there were a couple of good seafood restaurants that the reception staff recommended. However, given how nice the hotel was we didn’t really leave. We loved the gym and the tennis courts which we used daily. |Thank you for a lovely stay!

What a beautiful, lush resort with spectacular grounds. . A great place to relax. Beautiful secluded beach, several nice pools, tennis and pickleball courts. Only tried one restaurant, A Costa, which was pretty good. Breakfast was included and an extravaganza. One of the largest buffets I have ever seen and the quality was great. A nice omelet station, incredibly fresh oranges and melon and delicious croissants. |I highly recommend this resort.

A Little Slice of Heaven in the Algarve||We’ve just come back from a stay at the Vilalara Grand Hotel in Porches, and I honestly didn’t want to leave. It’s one of those rare places that feels quietly luxurious – nothing flashy or over the top – just effortlessly elegant and beautifully done in every way.||Location|Getting there was a breeze – only about a 40-minute drive from Faro Airport, which was ideal. The hotel is tucked away on a lovely stretch of coastline, so it feels peaceful and private, but you can also walk into the local town quite easily if you fancy a change of scene or a meal out somewhere different (we found a couple of lovely local restaurants with fantastic food and even better prices).||First Impressions|The moment you arrive, you get that exclusive but understated vibe. The resort is really spacious, spread out over lots of smaller buildings rather than one big hotel block, so it never feels busy or crowded. Everything is beautifully maintained, and there’s a real sense of calm about the place – the kind of spot where you immediately start to unwind.||Facilities|The facilities are fantastic. There are tennis and padel courts, and even dedicated pickleball courts, which my husband was very excited about! The spa and gym are top-notch, and there are several pools to choose from, plus a kids’ club that looked great fun and busy whenever we passed by (ours are a bit too old now, sadly). I also loved how many little quiet corners there are around the grounds – cabanas, shaded seating areas, and hidden terraces where you can just switch off and enjoy the view.||Pools and Beach|The main saltwater pool deserves a special mention – it’s long enough for proper swims but still beautifully designed, surrounded by loungers and greenery. It felt calm and never overcrowded, even when the hotel was busy.|The beach is absolutely stunning - it’s that classic Algarve mix of golden sand and dramatic cliffs, with really comfortable sunbeds and umbrellas. Such a lovely spot to spend the day, and only a short stroll from your room.||Rooms|We stayed in one of the suites, and it was gorgeous – spacious, stylish and extremely comfortable. The furnishings felt luxurious but relaxed, with lots of natural tones and textures. The bathroom setup was clever, with the toilet separate behind a glass door, and everything felt spotlessly clean. I also really appreciated that the fridge was empty, so we could store our own drinks and snacks instead of juggling overpriced mini bar items. Another nice touch – plenty of bottled water provided every day, so we never ran out.||Grounds|The gardens are breathtaking. It honestly felt like walking through the tropical house at Kew Gardens – lush, full of colour, and immaculately cared for. The planting is mature and varied, and there’s always something blooming. Walking anywhere in the resort was a pleasure in itself.||Gym and Spa|The gym has clearly been recently refurbished, and it’s brilliant. Loads of equipment for all levels and types of workout, from cardio to weights, and little touches like iced lemon and lime water make a big difference. Everything was spotless and well maintained.|The spa could honestly be a destination on its own. I had a treatment with Maria, who was absolutely superb – really knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what she does. After my treatment, I was shown to a quiet relaxation area with curtained-off recliners overlooking the gardens – such a lovely way to finish.||Food|The food throughout our stay was excellent, especially breakfast, which was a real highlight. Everything was so fresh and beautifully presented – plenty of healthy options, pastries, and local dishes to try. We ate at the hotel a few evenings too and found the quality consistently high.||Staff and Service|The staff really make this place special. Everyone we met was friendly, professional and genuinely warm. The housekeeping team were brilliant – always cheerful, and they somehow managed to keep my teenage son’s room looking civilised, which is no small feat! The service overall was spot-on – thoughtful without being over the top.||In Summary|Vilalara Grand Hotel is one of those rare places that manages to feel both luxurious and laid-back. You can do as much or as little as you like – relax by the pool, play tennis or pickleball, wander down to the beach, or just explore the gardens. Everything feels beautifully done, yet there’s no sense of fuss or formality.||We left feeling completely refreshed and already planning when we can go back.||A genuine five-star experience – calm, luxurious, and absolutely worth it.

Spent a week at vilalara. Lovely hotel, very helpful staff and great facilities. |Relaxed vibe, with activities and facilities spaced out. Restaurants were good and accommodated gluten free, even for pizza - which was an unexpected bonus. Tried pilates and Thalassa boat tour from hotel. All well organised. Lovely beach.

My husband and I came to Vilalara for our honeymoon and it was undeniably the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at in either of our lives. The grounds are pristine, the design is intentional, the views are heavenly and the food is some of the best we’ve ever eaten. Most importantly, the staff is unlike hotel staff we’ve ever met. They were professional, kind, warm and welcoming. We felt extremely well taken care of and that each staff member went out of their way to make our honeymoon unforgettable. In particular, Vetor and Antonio from the A-Costa restaurant, who every night brought us special ports, Madeira wines and other Portuguese drinks to celebrate - all paired with a history lesson and deep knowledge of the region. We are beyond grateful to the entire Vilalara staff for making our honeymoon so special and we already are plotting our return.

We had a very good experience here - the room was spacious and well kept and had everything we needed. The grounds themselves were a standout with a variety of flowers and trees everywhere that to me seemed like a great deal of care and love went into it. The restaurants were pretty good - I liked the tasting menu at Coral and Piscina is worth a try as well. The beach is the star though - really beautiful - I loved getting down there around 7.30/8 am for a morning swim - almost had the entire beach to myself - which seems rare for the middle of August. Loved the spa, the steam and sauna worked well and we were always the only ones there so we got to have it to ourselves. The property itself is very large so some people may be put off by the slightly long walking distances.

We arrived on a Sunday for a two night stay. The grounds of this hotel are absolutely stunning. One of the prettiest we’ve seen. There’s 3 restaurants on property but one is closed Sunday and Monday- which turned to be very inconvenient when we were told upon arrival we needed reservations to eat at them and were given attitude when we couldn’t get any. Since the hotel is very isolated it’s not simple to eat away from the resort. So that was frustrating. Also the beds are very hard and uncomfortable. Otherwise a gorgeous and relaxing place to unwind.