Vila Gale Estoril Hotel

“ A great hotel. Very clean and excellent facilities. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Breakfast was great and was served until 10.30. The train station is just across the road. Trains leave for Lisbon every 20 minutes, which you really shouldn't miss out on - it's a lovely city. Cascais is only a 30 minute walk along the promenade where there are some good cafes and restaurants. Buses also leave from across the road which will take you into Sintra within 30 minutes so you can visit the numerous palaces and mansions on the hillside which housed the royal family during the war. All in all we were very pleased with the hotel and the surrounding area.

“ Top Tip: When arriving at Lisbon airport, the aerobus 1 departs from the main exit into Lisbon every 20 minutes (3.50 euro). The last stop is Cais De Sodre train station where you connect with the Cascais train which calls at Estoril.

“ We have stayed at the Vila Gale Ampalius on the Algarve at Xmas and the New Year many times. There is always a special Xmas Eve dinner, Xmas day brunch and at a sister hotel nearby, an excellent New Year's Eve buffet. So, although we chose Estoril this time, that is why we stayed with the Vila Gale chain.

We very soon regretted the decision.

The 'sea view' room which we requested and paid for was on the sixth floor and the height proved to be a necessary part of the description. It would have been fine except that my wife cannot use a lift. At our request we were given a lower room on the third floor which indeed faced the sea but because it was considerably lower, from this window we needed to look across at a petrol garage, a four lane highway, lots of other buildings and a railway before our line of sight met the sea horizon about half a mile away.

The Vila Gale Estoril is suffering badly from its location. The hotel was almost empty, as was Estoril itself. Although the nicely refurbished and stylish restaurant was open over the entire holiday period, the menu (which I assume was dictated from Head Office by financial constraints) although well-cooked, was very limited and never varied. The bar area was so gloomy it was difficult at any time to see whether it was actually manned. The otherwise comfortable reception area was spoiled by ineffective heating and if you needed to be warm, you had to remain in your room. The buffet breakfast, while not exactly sumptuous was adequate enough.

There was absolutely no entertainment at all except for the continuous low level Muzak tapes, and no special meals were offered except for a pleasant enough and welcome New Year's day brunch, which was complimentary.

The place was well-maintained - except for the continuously troublesome hot air-condititioner in our room - spotlessly clean and the rooms are comfortable. It was also very, very boring (and my wife and I are both well past pension age!)

These adverse earlier comments reflect decisions made by top management and they do not in any way apply to the local management of the hotel itself. Over many years of hotel dwelling we have never found a collection of hotel staff more helpful, more enthusiastic, more pleasant or more welcoming. The Vila Gale organisation must be congratulated (and indeed very grateful) on the total excellence of its employees in Estoril.

“ Top Tip: There is as most people will know, the most gigantic casino in Estoril, which at a guess uses about as much electricity as Manchester. That's it!

There's nothing else. We were hard put to it to find somewhere to eat over the festive period. To get to the 'beach' - about fifty feet of golden wind-swept sand surrounded by five miles of rocky foreshore, one has to cross a six-lane busy highway and negotiate a little tunnel under the railway line.

Apart from the most horrific folk-lorical musical show at the casino which we were unlucky enough to see and, God help us, hear (it was in fact packed to capacity with locals who were more than appreciative of the continous wailing 'melodies' and the amateur dressing-up !) there was nothing else to do in the town. We were under the impression that because of the Casino, Estoril would be a kind of Portuguese version of Monte Carlo.

I suppose we could have chosen Baghdad!

“ Hotel in good position for all transportation
Clean And Friendley

“ Staff were very good, and made every effort to help when asked.
Breakfast was very good value and always well presented.

This is not a good hotel if you are a light sleeper, especially if you stay in Rooms 1 - 8 on any floor. If you are a sound sleeper this is not an issue.

“ Top Tip: The wines at the restaurant on Tamariz beach are over priced. By almost 80% in some cases.
An evening walk along the coastal pathway into Cascais is very relaxing and enjoyable.
There is a small restaurant in Cascais which is half way down the main walkway on the right. It is run by some older men who are traditional waiters. The food is excellent value, as are the wines. The service is also very good.