Viceroy at Ombria Algarve

Beautiful, quiet location. Our accommodation (2 bedroom house with pool) was exceptional. The staff were so friendly and helpful - from the front desk to the pools and restaurants and the turndown service - and they made us feel welcome and thoroughly relaxed. The beaches are a short drive away but we hardly ever felt the need to leave. We plan to come back.

Writing this as I leave this beautiful hotel. Such a vibe, full of life hotel. Genuine service and a great spa and gym. Work it out to get good sleep. Thank you for late checkout guys

Decided to make our own way by car to vale de lobo , on arrival , “Well” ( the beach club ) acknowledged which hotel we were from but then informed us the section we could use was further down the beach with no amenities, however if we pay €45 in cash ( red flag ) we could use the beds directly in front of their building/ hut and pay for refreshments via card Today we decided to use the beach amenities again and the beach available to the Viceroy without paying the €45, these amenities are a good walk away from any refreshments , no attendee in sight , no towels , looks a bit tired and dirty if being honest . If the above is common practice, it is poor on the hotels procurement and standards as a partner provided, or if/ are the “ Well “ taking advantage of this situation ?however it needs addressing.

This hotel is lovely but the service falls very short of a 5* hotel. The setting is beautiful and the rooms are lovely. However on check in (which took over an hour) they didn’t have a cot or steriliser despite us confirming they did months before and reconfirming a few weeks before. We were told for a steriliser we needed to pay 100euros a night to upgrade… then after lots of back and forth they found one. The door to the room didn’t close and it took a long time for someone to come and fix it. The sink also was broken on arrival. When speaking to reception there was no apology it was like we were an inconvenience to them. They also misplaced some of our luggage for several hours on arrival as well. The pool area is lovely however you can’t even get water before 11am (there is no service) this is something I have never experienced at a 5* hotel. In addition one restaurant has closed and the bar closes at 7pm. If you want a drink outside of 11am - 7pm you have to be eating in the restaurant or call room service (again, not the service / amenities expected at a 5* hotel). I booked to visit the spa which was really lovely however you can’t even only the facilities for 2 hours even when paying for treatments. I went 3 times and every time was the only person there so it’s clearly never used, a wasted amenity. As a hotel guest you should be able to use the spa whenever you like, I understand they may want to ensure it’s not overcrowded so you could perhaps book a time slot like other hotel do, but to charge paying guests to use the facilities is ridiculous and again not what you get at any other 5* hotel. The restaurant that was open was very good the somelier was amazing and super friendly and knowledgeable. We tried room service as well but sadly this was lacking as well items forgotten and what did turn up was stone cold. The hotel itself is beautiful and clean and tidy and that of a 5* hotel but the service and amenity availability is a huge disappointment.

We thoroughly enjoyed our weeks stay here - and has some amazing pro’s to the hotel and would be somewhere I would return too, if the minimal cons are addressed and sorted prior to a return. The hotel itself is beautiful and its own amenities are superb, they have used a lot of quality finishes and attention to detail which really is stunning. The pools are well maintained, and so are all the areas surrounding it including the cabanas, sunbeds and chairs. Our room was more than suitable, with lovely products and appreciated the welcome gifts. The bed was hard, and wasn’t to our personal liking, but each to their own with this. They could have done with a table and chairs on the balcony, rather than the alcove chair, so we could have sat and enjoyed the stunning view. Some of the staff were great, and some were simply not good enough. I could sense they were having issues with staff and the quality. A couple of girls at breakfast were so miserable and just rude, they didn’t belong in hospitality! We said they were missing a trick with service around the pool, they could have made a lot more money with being prompt with orders and asking if anyone wanted anything. Albeit the guys around the pool bar were all great, an asset to the hotel just need a couple more of them in peak summer! Everything was super clean and concise, but only had turn down service twice in a weeks stay. The location…ok if you want to stay on complex the whole week. Dining options were limited with just Ombria Kitchen and the golf bar. We love exploring the algarve each time we come, which made the Ubers and taxis very pricey to do so, but we did know this when booking but something to mention so you are prepared for it. May be easier if you hire a car, but we drive a lot day to day so didn’t want the hassle. We personally prefer staying nearing Quinta De Lago so you are nearer to the amenities, shops and restaurants nearby. We did a couple of experiences off resort, the new farm and the buggies around the countryside, both well organised and sorted by the guest services. This hotel will be something truly special, but I do think they are experiencing some new teething problems which I am sure in time they will iron out.