Hotel Vale do Navio

Not a 4* hotel in my opinion, more a 2* possibly 3* at a push. Photos are very out of date & give the illusion the outdoor pool is bigger than it really is. Stained corridor carpets, holes in bar seating cushions, leaking sink in room, noisy generator below window. The 'seating area' in room was 1 chair next to the patio doors. Booking site boasted floor to ceiling windows with views of the sea in the restaurant - there were bushes all the way around apart from view of the carpark. Very expensive bar prices. Only redeeming point was hotel's willingness to let us cancel free of charge after 1 night, so we could move to another, better one.

Nice quiet location (you need a car), good medium plus quality hotel, friendly staff. Satnav on first arrival may get confused (I mean satnav users, of course) by two close but unconnected branches of road having the same name – you have been warned ! Slightly uninspired food (you can have supper here including a Saturday buffet, but there are better restaurants within a short drive. Wine selection very poor). Breakfast buffet typical - good fruit, poor ‘fruit juice’, best bacon I had in half a dozen Azores hotels ... if you want proper coffee rather than instant you have to ask for it. Restaurant has outdoor seating for smokers. Would recommend overall.

You pay the price of a four star hotel and you get the facilities of a 3 star pushing. We spent 5 nights without air conditioning, the sauna was out of service, the bedroom safe was not working, the gym equipment is rusty and after 2 days of rain we woke up to find a hole in the ceiling just outside our bedroom. The only good thing is that the staff are very nice. I do not recommend staying here.

This hotel is lovely! Very comfortable with an impressive and tasty breakfast buffet, beautiful pools (indoor and outdoor), jacuzzi, etc.I didn't try the gym so can't comment. The rooms are very pleasant with very comfortable beds. Staff are super friendly. I don't usual bother reviewing hotels but thought I'd make an exception because the last few negative reviews put me off booking a longer stay. I now regret only staying one night! Genuinely baffled by the recent negative reviews.

It could be a good hotel but unfortunately it is not. During our 4 night stay people were queuing at the reception to complain: either the air conditioning was not working or the outside pool was in maintenance for several days (during August). The personnel at the reception was friendly and professional but the only thing they could do was to apologize. The food selection at breakfast was fine but the hotel is heavily understaffed so the tables were left dirty for a very long time. Cleaning was done by a couple of ladies with huge trolleys and making a lot of noise while other guests we still having breakfast - not that the restaurant personnel were rude, they just had no clue what they were doing. No room service and no way of getting a bottle of water/soda at 23:30. Although minor, the advertised sauna and Turkish bath were also out of order.