Vila Gale Eco Resort de Angra - All Inclusive

We ended up staying five nights, even though the minimum stay was three. The private beach, huge pools, and separate kids' pool made it feel very family friendly, and the food was always available and delicious. The guys at the swim-up bar and the separate bar near the beach were great. We'd driven for nine hours on our first international vacation and were looking for somewhere without a reservation. We had no idea this was an all-inclusive resort. The security lady wouldn't let us in at first, but my Brazilian girlfriend persuaded her to call the main office about availability. We had no luck at first, but once we got in, we were amazed. Everyone was so welcoming, and the forest setting was breathtaking.

The setting is beautiful, with rooms looking out over the beach and turquoise water, and they're spacious. But they haven't been renovated in a long time. The staff speak almost only Portuguese, and getting help can take anywhere from half an hour to two hours. We waited for a broken lock to be dealt with, for the air conditioning to be fixed, and for an extra bed left from previous guests to be removed. Music by the pool is very loud from early morning until late at night. The sound quality doesn't come close to matching the volume, and it's hard to relax or fall asleep in the rooms. The meeting rooms have no windows, and their air conditioning can't be adjusted. It's either running so cold it feels unhealthy, or off and stuffy.

The nature was amazing, but the hotel's food was mediocre, the worst part of our trip. We had to cut our stay short and were promised a refund for two nights. That agreement was made with the front desk staff, Ms. Thais Bastos, but when Expedia staff contacted the hotel later, they refused to honor it. It felt very unfair and upsetting. I hope they'll recognize the mistake and issue the refund as agreed.

The buffet was messy and the food was cold, while the shared areas weren't cleaned often enough. The rooms are spacious, but the hotel's infrastructure clearly needs maintenance. There also seems to be a real shortage of staff, and we had to ask for towels to be changed.