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4.0
#5 of 36 hotels in Vilamoura
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
This attractive hotel is situated directly next to the Marina beach and is located in the tourism centre of Vilamoura. Just across the street guests will find the local casino and the marina just 100 metres away with a huge offer of shops, restaurants, bar and other entertainment attractions in the immediate vicinity. The nearest golf course lies 2 km from the hotel and it is just 50 metres to the nearest public transport connection. The hotel was built in 1992 and completely renovated in 2003. It has 357 rooms divided by 10 floors, including 84 suites suitable for families. Guests are offered a large, peaceful garden and pool area, a stylish lobby with 4 lifts, and a reception that is open to guests around the clock with a safe. It also has parking lot, a game room, a newspaper stand, a shop, a cosy bar and an air-conditioned restaurant with a non-smoking area and highchairs available for small children. The hotel is fully equipped with a conference room and the public Internet terminal room. For an additional cost guests may take advantage of the laundry service and the garage. The impeccable rooms are equipped with air conditioning, electronic safety door look, direct telephone, safe, LCD TV with Cable and Pay TV, Wi-Fi Connection (for and additional cost), Minibar and 24 hour room service, private bathroom with telephone and hair dryer. The hotel has an outdoor pool with a children's area, a snack bar, sun loungers and parasols. In addition, it offers an indoor swimming pool, a gym and a spa centre with Jacuzzi, sauna, massage service and beauty treatments. It is also possible to take advantage of offers such as tennis, golf and snooker/billiard tables. There is a fine buffet available at breakfast and in the evening. At lunch and at dinner guests may dine a la carte or chose from the set menu. It is possible to book a half-board stay. The hotel accepts American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, MasterCard and VISA as payment options.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Ocean View
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Portuguese
Location
Alameda Praia da Marina, Vilamoura, Quarteira 8125-408 Portugal
Name/address in local language
Vila Galé Ampalius
2,487 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Vila Galé Ampalius hotel garners praise for its spotless cleanliness and stunning room views, with guests frequently lauding the diligent cleaning staff and the hotel's enviable beachfront location. While the service is generally recognized for its friendliness and professionalism, it does receive mixed reviews on occasion.
Despite the appreciation for the lively atmosphere and the varied breakfast options, some guests feel the hotel's decor and amenities could use an update. Opinions on value vary, with some travelers finding it reasonable and others pointing out the costs of additional services.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Dated
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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I have just returned from a weeks stay at this hotel. We had booked a sea view and was given a beautiful room room upon the 9th floor , Unfortunately my partner has a fear of heights and when I requested a room on a lower floor the young lady kindly sorted this out for us . The room was of a good size and was cleaned to a very high standard daily. The food was excellent , we went on a half board option and the evening meal was excellent value and the barbecue evenings which were held 3 times a week were exceptional. The location is perfect steps away from a beautiful beach and a short walk to the marina The pool areas are beautiful and beds are spaced appropriately for social distancing and are regularly sanitised. The staff work tirelessly to clean and make people feel safe during covid 19 and I personally felt reassured and would happily return to this hotel again. Thank you for making our break so enjoyable.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:The rooms on the high floors have fantastic sea views
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis, Owner at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 8 Sept 2020
Dear Ruth8765, Thank you very much for your excellent review about the recent stay with us. We appreciate your positive feedback about the hotel facilities. We hope to have the opportunity to host you again in a near future. Kindest regards, Sofia Ribeiro
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This was our first hotel holiday in Portugal as we normally rent a villa with the family but after the lockdowns and limits on travel over the last 20 months we decided that we needed a relatively stress free holiday so booked a package deal with this hotel. We booked a room without a balcony but the receptionist upgraded us to one with a balcony but the initial room had a faulty fridge which was giving an awful smell so we were moved to another room that had no problems.The rooms were spotlessly clean and the maid did a magnificent job every day so no complaints on that score. The breakfast buffet was very good with a good selection of hot and cold dishes which set us up for the day. The pool areas were good but not too busy at this time of year and pool towels were available from the Spa. All the staff were wearing masks and cleaning of the public areas was ongoing all day and guests were expected to wear masks in the public areas. The postion of the hotel is excellent as it is right on to the beach and this stretch is kept in good condition. The rooms are looking a little dated and the layout in the rooms could be improved and the decor is looking tired. The only negative is it's closeness to the Tivoli Hotel where the open air disco can be playing music from 2:00 pm to 2:00 am , but fortunately they were only open one night until midnight but would recommend that when booking ask for a room farthest away from the Tivoli during the Summer. We would return to this hotel especially in September or October when it is quieter.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Farthest away from the Tivoli
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis, Owner at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 11 Oct 2021
Dear johnco56, Thank you very much for your excellent review about the recent stay with us. We appreciate your positive feedback about the hotel facilities and our staff. We hope to have the opportunity to host you again in a near future. Kindest regards, Sofia Ribeiro
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We had a lovely stay in Vila Galé for 4 nights this October and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Vilamoura. Staff were very friendly and accommodating, and also kept the place very clean(regularly cleaning surfaces)which put us at ease during these times. Lovely sea views and a nice pool / pool bar. (Carlos at the pool was a gentlemen) Food was good with plenty of choice for breakfast and cooked fresh to order. Pool bar food and drinks were also quite good with nice wraps/sandwiches at reasonable prices.
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Date of stay: October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bruno Sá, General Manager at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 20 Oct 2020
Dear Alanb085149 Thank you very much for your lovely review about your recent stay at Vila Galé Ampalius. It it a pleasure to realize that you had a wonderful experience with us. Willing to welcome you in a soon future. Best Regards, Bruno Sá
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Avoid this hotel at all costs . The food is totally inedible, you have to book your meal times for you stay in advance so you will need to ask if there is a slot in the morning for breakfast. The floor in the room is covered by cheap flooring which has holes in it . If you want your room cleaned you have to request this or you make your bed clean your room and wash with yesterday’s towels of which you only get two . The beds in a double room are two 100 year old single beds with nasty mattresses. I have photos should you wish to see this tip.
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis, Owner at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 14 Jun 2021
Dear Camper03420210552, Thank you very much for your review about the your recent stay with us. We regret to know that your experience was affected, we are very sorry. We hope to have the opportunity to host you again in a near future. Kindest regards, Sofia Ribeiro
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We have just returned from a week in this hotel after originally booking the Vila Gale Marina which is not yet open. The hotel is dated and our room was very tired but putting that aside the food was excellent (breakfast and dinner), the staff were very good and the cleanliness was spot on. Meals times must be booked on check in but there is flexibility and you won’t be turned away if you turn up at a different time on occasion. The swimming pools are excellent and there are plenty of sunbeds although sadly the usual ‘towel on bed to reserve’ happens from quite early on in the morning. The hotel is in a prime position 1 street back from the marina and next door to the casino which is also worth a visit or two! We hired a car from Europcar which is a 10 min walk from the hotel and this was easy and well worth it to visit the surrounding areas. All in all a good trip apart from quarantine rules coming into force while we were there!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis, Owner at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 14 Jun 2021
Dear LesleyK794, Thank you very much for your excellent review about the recent stay with us. We appreciate your positive feedback about the hotel facilities. We hope to have the opportunity to host you again in a near future. Kindest regards, Sofia Ribeiro
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Ok the big positive is the location, other than the Tivoli ‘ next door’ you couldn’t be closer to the marina. We booked last minute as a large group of families, we were ‘upgraded’ at checkin to a duplex family suite. The space was amazing but the room could do with a big update.
Covid meant the pool bar wasn’t open until our 4th day which was a pain, the cafe was so slow with food and drink.
The main bar shut at 9pm (although we managed to get drinks at 10.15 one night 🤷♀️)
Breakfast was hit and miss, I didn’t mind the reserving of tables beforehand but I wasn’t a fan at all of the tongs passed between people for toast/hot food etc. and the unused cutlery /condiments put onto other tables if they hadn’t been used - surely these should have been washed just in case?
Finally, our room was cleaned every day, it felt the cleanest part of the hotel. Having travelled elsewhere during Covid times, a spray of sanitiser over the sunbeds/tables round the pool certainly wouldn’t have gone a miss, they weren’t cleaned during our stay... Sadly, the staff who have been waiting to welcome holidaymakers back for months were overworked which isn’t their fault!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis, Owner at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 14 Jun 2021
Dear Sophjasp2000, Thank you very much for your lovely review about your recent stay at Vila Galé Ampalius. It it a pleasure to realize that you had a wonderful experience with us. Willing to welcome you in a soon future. Best Regards, Sofia Ribeiro
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Spent three nights here with a group of friends in a duplex room over two floors.
The space you get is fantastic - two large bedrooms (double and twin), three bathrooms, a kitchen, lounge and a balcony. I slept on the sofa bed in the lounge and it was comfortable enough.
The decor is dated, but it is all well fitted and in good condition. The kitchen was probably the most dated part but we only used the fridge for our beers so fine.
Ours was described as a sea view room, but it didn’t directly overlook the sea (it was to the side) but that didn’t bother us.
We were bed and breakfast - didn’t sample it myself but my friends were happy with it.
Plenty of sun beds around the two outdoor pools, one was a bit quieter than the other. There is also a children’s pool with slides, sports court and trampoline around the other side which looked busy. Didn’t try the indoor pool so can’t comment on that.
Staff were very helpful, and quickly sorted an issue with my keycard on a couple of occasions.
You can get use of a safe in the room for 10 euros and the beach towels were free.
The location is great, next to the beach and near one end of the marina (15 minute walk to the other end).
There is a beach club next door and the noise of the music drifted over sometimes if we’re sat on the balcony, but didn’t bother us.
As our flight was a late one, we sorted a late checkout for 30 euros.
I am considering coming back with the family as for the price, the space and facilities are great.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis, Owner at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 11 Jul 2022
Dear Peejdj, Thank you very much for your lovely review about the your recent stay with us. We hope to have the opportunity to host you again in a near future, "Always Close to You!". Kindest regards, Sofia Ribeiro
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Just got back from a 4 night trip for my birthday, first time to Portugal. Checked in easily, luckily there were no groups of golfers arriving at the same time!
Room had mini fridge, safe (€2.50 per night), bathroom had nice walk in shower, magnifying mirror for make up etc, shower gel/shampoo & hand soap. The towels are quite thin along with the toilet paper! There were only 6 hangers in the wardrobe, along with drawers. There are no tea/coffee making facilities in the standard room but we asked for a kettle which was brought up next day along with tea & coffee & 2 cups & saucers. The air con is set at 19 Deg which is a welcome cool down with the temp outside in the mid 30's! We had a problem with the safe not closing but this was quickly sorted out same evening.
Breakfast was fairly good, choice of bread, cheeses, fruits, cereals, omelettes cooked to order, bacon (a bit rubbery), mini hot dog type sausages, pastries. My only gripe is there was no strawberry jam! Who wants pumpkin or tomato jam? Stayed on bed & breakfast basis as the marina (10 mins walk away) has plenty of restaurants to eat in & bars, so can't comment on the dinners.
There are 2 outside pools, a larger one where the activities team provide activities & a smaller one which was a bit quieter. There is also a kiddies pool around the side of the hotel. We did not have any problems getting a sunbed but it was June so only smaller children & a couple of older ones around. As mentioned in previous comments, the music from Puro Beach Club next door is very loud from afternoon onwards. It didn't bother me personally but just to make you aware of it.
We did a boat trip to the Benagli caves through Vilamoura Watersports Centre which we really enjoyed, cost is €39 per adult & takes a couple of hours. Also walked to Quarteira which took about 20 mins along the beach front.
Definitely recommend Vilamoura, lovely beach right outside, the marina to go to at night & only 30 mins in a taxi from the airport. The hotel gave us a bottle of red wine & a slice of chocolate cake on my birthday which was a nice surprise. All the staff at the Vila Gale are very helpful & friendly particularly on reception (maybe not so friendly in the pool bar or the cafe in our experience). We would stay there again as considerably cheaper than the Tivoli.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Marketing, General Manager at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 28 Aug 2023
Dear Guest, Your opinion is very important to us and thank you very much to sharing it. We look forward to seeing you again soon, here or at another Vila Gale hotel in Portugal or Brasil "Always close to You!". Best regards. Sofia Ribeiro
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The positives: The location was perfect. A couple of minutes walk to the marina where there are an abundance of lovely bars & restaurants. The beach was less than a minutes walk away. It was lovely and clean and the sunbeds on the beach where 18 euros for two until 2pm. There was a beach bar close by and a fancy beach club. The transfer from the airport to the hotel was very efficient. We used Sunline Transfers. The hotel restaurant was really lovely with a good choice for breakfast. We only had evening meal on the first night because there are so many amazing restaurants close by. I would recommend the Chinese Zu Yi, Rare steakhouse, Don Toro steakhouse and San Rafael (opposite the hotel). To be honest every place we ate at was really good.
The negatives: The queues at passport control were very busy due to PCR results also being checked but it still seemed to take much longer than it really needed to. I was shocked to find that we didn’t have a balcony in our room. I’ve never seen that abroad before. I did originally have a balcony but I requested a walk in shower, rather than climbing into a bath as I have an ankle injury. There were no instructions on how to use the jacuzzi or the water jets in the indoor pool area. The jacuzzi didn’t actually work despite the help of the member of staff. There was no signage to show you how to find the sauna and Turkish bath. We literally found them by chance looking around by the gym area. You need to have swim caps for the pool or buy them for 4 euros each. For some reason the poolside bar was closed for the first 3 days. The hotel bar inside didn’t open until 6pm so there was nowhere to get a drink all day. It was 25 degrees most days so drinks were needed. The airport when we were leaving was horrendous. It was so busy and not enough staff on. We literally had 10 minutes to get to the gate. Fortunately the gate stayed open for an extra 30 mins otherwise we would have missed the flight. It was so stressful because the airport is huge.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis, Owner at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 14 Jun 2021
Dear Angie_R, Thank you very much for your detaild review about your recent stay at Vila Gale Ampalius. We are delighted to know that you had a nice experience with us, hoping to receive you as soon as possible. Best regards Sofia Ribeiro
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Lovely hotel right on the beach. We had a superior room on the top floor with a big balcony and stunning views. We had a kitchenette, which was a bonus as we were not expecting it, which we was very useful. Extremely clean , new towels and bedding which was also changed mid week. The cleaners respected the 'do not disturb ' room sign as just recovering from cancer find I get tired in the afternoon and fall asleep. It helped with the bed and pillows being so comfortable, and I slept better than I had for weeks. Breakfast was a delight, plenty to choose from from a cooked breakfast to a selection of breads, rolls, croissants, and pastries to yoghurt and fruit. Even a lovely Asian lady with a friendly smile who cooked pancakes and eggs should you wish. Pity the waiting staff were offhand, they were only clearing tables but an occasional smile wouldn't of hurt them. Location could not of been better right next to the harbour and a bus stop outside that took you into Quarteira for free or Albufeira and Faro at a cost. It was the last week in November and very quiet but that was just what we wanted
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Top floors have great views
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vila Galé Hotéis , General Manager at Vila Galé Ampalius
Responded 19 Feb 2024
Dear 348JanetOB, Thank you for your comments and for choosing our hotel. It was a great pleasure to have you with us and we hope to see you again soon. Best Regards Sofia Ribeiro
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Ballynahinch, United Kingdom465 contributions164 helpful votes
Out the front door & turn right.
At the main road turn right and continue past the casino.
Another few hundred metres on the left, there’s a few restaurants & a small Spar, which does all the basics.
Even taking your time it’s no more than 3 or 4 minutes walk.
There are more places to choose from in the Vilamoura area.
PRICE RANGE
₹8,515 - ₹13,910 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
vila gale ampalius vilamoura, ampalius hotel vilamoura, hotel vila gale ampalius
LOCATION
PortugalAlgarveFaro DistrictQuarteiraVilamoura
NUMBER OF ROOMS
357
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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