Vilar do Golf

"We stayed in July with our 3 kids and have been going for many years. The accommodation is of a really high standard. The grounds, shop, pool areas etc are all very well maintained and couldn’t fault the staff. However, as the years have gone on, the whole atmosphere has changed in the place. It’s considered a family resort and when we were there, there were loads of families and pre teens and teens. However, there are no activities or kids club catering to them. Thankfully there is a ping pong table and pool table. However, The ping pong table needs to be under shade and the playground is not great at all for younger kids. The lovely girl in the kids club this year catered solely for toddlers and it was mainly crafts focused. The kids club should be near the pool area and not hidden away. The activities should cater for all ages like it used to. Jose used to get people involved around the pool and there was ping pong comps, pool games, soccer, aqua aerobics, olympics and prizes etc and a great buzz about the place. This then leads awkward or shy kids making friends and subsequently having a great holiday! Happy kids= happy parents. You need someone who’ll get people involved if they wish to and not hide away in a hut far away from the pool. The fairways across the road put on soccer and activities every day and it’s packed with kids! There is a demand. I know it’s hard to hire animation staff but it is an integral part of a family resort and should be a high priority. Otherwise, you’ll lose families. Vilar do golf is a beautiful place, lovely location near the beach, fabulous accommodation and has so much potential if they could invest in a decent activity/club in July and August. Its really dropped the ball the last few years and subsequently has lost its spark and therefore, we’ll definitely reconsider coming here next year."

"It's okay. Not the warmest welcome we've ever received - mainly form filling, the extraction of the "tourist tax"/€100 deposit, and the issuing of a map. While my husband golfs, myself and my daughters do not. Therefore we were excited to see the "spa" but it was basically a changing area beside the pool with a sauna that you have to ask someone to turn on! On check in to the self-catering apartment, there was a lack of special touches (e.g. complimentary bottle of something, fresh bread) that would have signalled our custom was particularly valued. We were disappointed that there are no classes available, for instance yoga or meditation. A massage is 95 euro for an hour, in a small makeshift room beside the pool - not exactly enticing! This resort is nice, but lacks amenities for women and doesn't exactly welcome you with open arms. For a self-catering apartment, it's eye-wateringly expensive, and needs to work significantly harder to justify the cost. Being situated in Quinta isn't enough!"

"Lovely clean and well maintained resort. Nice pool and facilities. Good Italian restaurant. Great if you love golf. Would recommend a car if you want to use the beaches nearby or go to shopping centres or some of the other good restaurants in the area."