Vila Joya

We stayed at Vila Joya for 3 nights celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary and absolutely loved it. From the minute we arrived we felt as if we were being welcomed into someone’s luxury home rather than a hotel. The staff were so friendly and could not do enough for you. Before we went to our room we were shown to the bar and offered a complimentary drink. We had gin and tonics and the barman chatted to us about the various gins and was very knowledgeable. Whilst we were enjoying our drinks we were asked by one of the staff members in the restaurant, I believe his name was Paulo but I could be wrong! Anyway he offered us a light lunch as we said we were dining later so we sat outside overlooking the sea in the Michelin starred restaurant eating the best Caesar salad ever! After lunch we were shown to our amazing room which has an incredible view from the balcony and a bottle of champagne waiting for us! A lovely surprise. We ate at Sea restaurant and the Michelin starred restaurant twice during our stay and the food was amazing in both. For breakfast we sat outside with the fantastic view and enjoyed both the vast buffet and a freshly prepared hot option. It was a lovely way to start the day drinking our coffee and gazing at the view. We spent the days by the pool which was so lovely and peaceful and also enjoyed lunch in the pool restaurant. The whole experience was incredible and when they describe this place as paradise they are not wrong. Every member of staff was polite, friendly and welcoming and we cannot wait to return to the fabulous hotel. Thank you for making our 40th Wedding Anniversary so special!

Another day in paradise. Wonderful food, beautiful setting and excellent staff. A must visit that still enchants over many visits.

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!

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.

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 !!!