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4.5
#1 of 5 hotels in Gale
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FEELS LIKE HOME, TASTES LIKE PARADISE! Vila Joya is located above the Atlantic and is surrounded by an evergreen garden with direct access to the sea. With its 13 rooms and suites, a two Michelin star gourmet restaurant since 1995 and 350m2 spa and ocean-view gym, this Moorish style building - formerly a private summer residence - is now one of the most beautiful privately-run places in Europe. Open from March to November.
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
Quiet
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, German and 1 more
Location
Estrada da Galé, Gale, Albufeira 8200-416 Portugal
Name/address in local language
Vila Joya
293 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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Vila Joya is a precious little gem on a small cliff of Algarve. A private house transformed into a luxury guest house with 13 rooms all different and with their own character but all with a view to the Atlantic Ocean. Personalised and all with handpicked furniture and style, the exquisite touch of the owner Joy. A warm welcome from her and her extensive team, relax and let them pamper you. Fitness centre, tennis court and charming spa to enjoy in between meals at the beach, the pool or the 2 star Michelin restaurants. The beach and pool restaurants have nothing to envy to the Michelin restaurant, all the culinary and F&B teams are doing a fantastic job and Joy is running a tight boat. Don’t miss the raspberry cheesecake, any fish cooked to perfection, the spectacular breakfast is a must with a large cold buffet, à la minute hot dishes and freshly squeezed juices. Don’t look for a cookie cutter experience, you are not a guest, you are family and nothing is too much to please you and it is a surprise and delight in every corner, from your bathroom to the grounds, inspiration is everywhere and the only reason for you to leave will be because you already know you will be coming back.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
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.
The hotel is an amazing enclave in the Algarve. Small number of rooms with plenty of space to relax by the pool/beach. We stayed in Suite Saudade which was next to the spa but still very quiet. It has a nice sitting area, comfortable bed, and an amazing spa like bathroom. The gym is small and they are working on expanding the spa so continuing to improve on the amenities offered. We enjoyed Vila Joya Sea (beach shack) so much the first night that we booked a reservation on our last night as well. There we many things on the menu and with only two of us we did our best to try as many as we could (do not miss the beef quesadilla - the meat comes from the Michelin restaurant). We also enjoyed dinner at Vila Joya (Michelin restaurant) and it was incredible. We have had the great fortune of enjoying a number of Michelin restaurants around the world and we can tell how this has maintained its stars for so long - an amazing journey. We chose not to rent a car while there and spent most of our days relaxing by the pool or walking along the beach. Staff was very attentive. There is not a lot to do in the surrounding area and the hotel is in a residential area (cars line the street each day to go to the public beach) but you feel very secluded in the hotel. A great break in the middle of our travels in Portugal.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
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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.
This is our second stay and definitely not our last! Everything about this place is superb. The grounds and location are immaculate - so beautiful and peaceful. The staff are exceptional and you want for nothing. The rooms are comfortable and to wake to that view every morning is the icing on the cake. Breakfast is utterly delicious as is the Michelin dining. Expensive but paradise is! One (minor) complaint - please consider offering organic toiletries instead of common Molton Brown ones in the bathroom. Fingers crossed…
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Date of stay: September 2021
Location
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Sleep Quality
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.
We are not strangers to Portugal snd come here often to experience nice beaches , good food, warmth and hospitality of local people , so coming to Vila Joya was a bit of a cultural shock , although the place is very beautiful , the rooms are very nice , beach and scenery are amazing, but hotel really lucks this warmth hospitality and guest experience that this top price place should have . Although the restaurant is amazing and staff is very warm and friendly , it ends there with hospitality. And instead you are met with cheep, cold, calculative and inhospitable approach! It’s a pity as what we experienced could’ve been on a much higher level matching amazing place this hotel is located in! I believe something for managment to think about and to change.
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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.
We wanted to have a diner at the restaurant, but due to covid only house guests were allowed. So we decided to do a little bit crazy and stayed here for the night. At 990 euro for a night this was very crazy, but hey we enjoyed it ! The room was large, with a nice terrace with magnificent views. Large very comfortable bed and nice seating area. Perfect walk-in shower. Lots of space around the small pool, wonderful gardens. If you want perfect service, in a small and beautiful setting, this is the place to be. Very nice breakfast, but probably a lot less spectacular because there was no buffet possible due to covid.
Will we return ? For dinner certainly ! For staying : maybe: i'll first check my bank-account ;-).
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Date of stay: July 2020
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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.
It’s been a few years since we last dined at Vila Joya and we’re looking forward to an exceptional culinary experience. I can’t say that we were disappointed however would suggest that quality has been substituted by quantity to the detriment of the overall experience that is no longer up to the standard expected of its 2 Michelin stars. Service was however excellent but the food heavy and just too much !!!
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Date of stay: September 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.
There are not enough words to say about vila joyA ! The setting is spectacular. The staff unparalleled in every area. The food ? What can I say? Up to me the third Michelin star would have arrived yesterday ; such extraordinary food . Sitting in the beach @ vila joyA is a dream come true.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Slow down and enjoy it!
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.
We have been here four times now. One of our favorite places to stay when we travel for a long weekend without kids. So personal, waking up with the sound of the sea. Suite Saudade is our favorite. The food is magical. From breakfast to dinner, perfect. Vila Joya Sea in particular is fantastic!
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip 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.
This hotel is undergoing somewhat of a transformation at the moment. An already fantastic property and location with the only two michelin starred restaurant in Portugal, it already has unrivalled exclusivity in the Algarve. Owner Joy Jung is adding probably the most renowned SIX SENSES spa to the property and is reducing the number of suites to 14. The suites are without exception beautiful and amazingly appointed. Bang & Olufsen CD player and TV and unguents by Molton Brown. Our Royal Suite 2001 was simply breathtaking..totally over the top luxury..FENDI furniture..a huge round four seater tub with star lighting over head and a huge terrace with tables and chairs and sun loungers. The view was the best I have ever seen..and I have stayed in some fantastic hotels. This is a real and much needed departure for an Algarve that has rested on its laurels for too long. If you are serious about food and staying in ultimate luxury coupled with extremely charming and sophisticated service, then I urge you to visit. The room rate currently includes a fabulous continental breakfast ( no dodgy croissants here!) AND dinner for two. The menu as you would expect changes every night. Despite worrying about dining at the same venue every evening, it was a true pleasure. Why would you want to dine anywhere else when it simply wouldn't be anywhere near as good..Or with that incredible view. Residents are mainly German ( as Joy and her family are German and have owned this property since the late 1970's) couples and few families. My husband and I and young son were made extremely welcome...the suite was perfect for us as it has its own entrance to the gardens and was next to the restaurant terrace..making life easy at breakfast time and for listening out during dinner. The beach front location is beautiful and again kept our son very happy indeed. If your little darlings aren't used to leaving beautiful ornaments/furniture alone, you might spend the whole time worrying what might get broken...there are also lots of steps down to the garden and pool and beach..and no lift...this is a minor difficulty. Hurry up and go, otherwise you might be disappointed..with only 14 suites this well kept secret looks set for a lot of attention.
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Date of stay: May 2005
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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.
We fell in love with this place while staying there on a press trip a couple of years ago so decided to splash out and return for our honeymoon in August. I have to say, sadly, the experience was completely different the second time around. Throughout the stay we got the feeling we weren't actually welcome there and were treated as second rate to other guests, the majority of whom were German. On the last day of our stay, one waiter made this absolutely clear when we sat at a table for breakfast that he had 'reserved' for some guests by putting the hotel brochure on it. Obviously unaware of this reservation system, we offered to move, but before we could the waiter snatched the brochure off our table and launched into a rant at us on how he would now have to set another table for his guests. Upset and embarrassed we decided to skip breakfast, finish off packing and check out as quickly as possible. We did complain to reception, who sent the waiter up to our room, but rather than apologising he just tried to talk his way out of the situation. All in all it was a disappointing stay from somewhere we had held in such high regard. Needless to say we won’t be returning again.
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Date of stay: August 2010
Value
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Sleep Quality
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.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your question. We are able to offer a lighter room service menu served on your terrace or balcony or alternatively there are many wonderful restaurants close by which we will be happy to arrange a reservation for. There is the possibility we will also have another option on our property but that is yet to be confirmed.
We very much hope to hear from you soon and should you require any further help or information please contact us at info @ vilajoya . com.
Sunny regards
The Vila Joya Team
Dear Bertie
Thank you for your interest in coming to visit Vila Joya.
Regarding your query, we are a small boutique hotel that whilst happily accepts children, has limited child facilities. As a consequence, we do not tend to attract many families.
That being said, during the summer holidays there is very often one or two families staying with us, however, in our experience they have always been extremely well behaved.
We hope this answers your question and hope that perhaps you, one day, join us here at Vila Joya.
Kindest regards
The Vila Joya Team
There are more places to choose from in the Gale area.
PRICE RANGE
€1,054 - €1,888 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
vila joya albufeira, vila joya hotel albufeira
LOCATION
PortugalAlgarveFaro DistrictAlbufeiraGale
NUMBER OF ROOMS
13
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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