Vila Foz Hotel and SPA

"I stayed at Vila Foz for 7 nights as part of a Jet 2 package holiday and from the moment I arrived I felt like the most important guest. The location is beautiful, away from the noise of Porto and just across the road from the shady promenade and lovely Atlantic Ocean. Within the hotel you are not aware of external noise at all and it did not disturb my breakfast when I chose to eat outside. My room was one of the smaller Anice rooms but was generous in size, beautifully appointed with everything I could possibly need even down to umbrellas and sun hats. It was in the newer part of the hotel and overlooked a quiet road. The room was cleaned everyday and linen changed. The rest of the hotel’s public rooms were spotlessly clean at all times. The atmosphere in the ground floor rooms was inviting, the panelling conducive to quiet chats with friends. I found the staff exceptional in that they all, porters, reception staff, dining staff and bar staff demonstrated the very best of warm Portuguese hospitality and friendliness, even advising on wonderful day trips, helping with the loss of a phone in Porto and remembering my evening tipple. Breakfast was amazing, a fantastic selection of fresh fruits conveniently cut to bite size and the widest selection of cereals, juices, breads, breakfast meats, cheese, eggs. I didn’t try the oysters and champagne but they were there. I did not try the spa facilities so cannot comment nor did I eat in the Michelin star restaurant. This was a luxury break of 7 nights which included flights. I was very happy with the value and would have no hesitation in recommending Vila Foz if you want a very comfortable 5*hotel with very good food, lovely walks just across the road and away from the bustle of Porto. The 500 bus stops a few yards from the hotel every 20 minutes so it is easy to get into the city, taxis are frequent and there are bicycles available if you choose."

"‼️ I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding my stay at Vila Foz Hotel & Spa. I booked their Onice Room. According to the official description on the hotel’s website, this room type is described as overlooking “one of Porto’s picturesque streets.” However, the reality of the room I was given was entirely different. The direct, central view from my balcony was a line of municipal waste containers (ecopontos) located directly underneath the window, together with a parking lot. There was also a distinct unpleasant smell coming from that area. In my view, this did not correspond to the advertised “picturesque” experience or to what one would reasonably expect from a 5-star, MICHELIN Key property charging around €500 per night. I was also deeply disappointed by the reception’s handling of this issue. When I brought this mismatch to their attention, I did not receive what I considered to be an adequate apology or an equivalent solution. Instead, I was told that moving to a room that better matched the standard I had expected would require an additional payment — first €100, later reduced to €75. I found this unacceptable. In my opinion, the room description did not match the actual room experience I received, and the proposed solution placed the burden of correcting that mismatch on the guest. I have fully documented the view with photographs and videos. We hoped that at least the following day would pass without any further issues. Unfortunately, the problems started again at breakfast. First, they forgot to bring coffee for one of us. When we politely reminded them, we were informed that our order had been lost, even though one of the cups of coffee from the same order had in fact already been delivered. We were also surprised to learn that breakfast was supposed to include a hot dishes menu. Nobody had offered it to us. Why this happened remains unclear to us. At that point, we decided not to argue further, as our previous attempts to resolve issues had not produced a satisfactory response. Then, during check-out, we spent over half an hour trying to explain to the reception staff — three of whom were present — that this level of service was absolutely unacceptable for a hotel of this category. Unfortunately, we did not receive any meaningful resolution. Aside from apologies, we did not feel that the hotel properly acknowledged the mistakes or the seriousness of the experience. The overall impression we were left with was that our concerns were not taken seriously. For a luxury hotel, this was extremely disappointing. It is also a massive shock to me that a hotel offering this level of experience is included in the MICHELIN Guide and holds a MICHELIN Key. I sincerely hope the MICHELIN Guide monitors the reputation and guest experience of the properties it includes. I am also considering submitting a formal complaint through the Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico. In short: never again. Based on my stay, I cannot recommend Vila Foz Hotel & Spa."

"My first experience at a 5* hotel and I must say a new experience The rooms and spa was exceptional the only thing that let it down one star was the service at breakfast food was amazing even though I am not a big breakfast man eggs cooked to perfection meat fruit etc great biggest let down was the service maybe the way it should be but had better service with less stars Constantly had to ask for coffee cooked eggs and top up To those that like oysters champagne and everything refined maybe your cup of earl grey but as a hard working business owner felt second class"