Vale D’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa

From the moment you drive through the gates of the beautiful 22 acre property that makes up Vale D’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa, you feel you’ve found your home-away-from-home. This five-star resort, located in Portugal’s Algarve region, exudes a casual, understated elegance that instantly puts you at ease. Only a 40-minute drive from Faro International Airport, it is easily accessible and centrally located for visiting several of the Algarve’s renowned beaches, including the famous Praia da Marinha. It is also within easy reach to several golf courses, water parks, and other local attractions. Vale D’Oliveiras is the perfect location for a luxury family vacation in the Algarve.

Space to Spread Out

The resort is comprised of 80 one- and two-bedroom apartments, each with a full kitchen, washer/dryer unit, a formal dining room table, and a garden or terrace. Our family of five stayed in a 2-bedroom apartment, where one room had a king size bed and one had two double beds. The hotel can also provide a crib for the youngest ones in the family. Our spacious and nicely decorated apartment had plenty of room for everyone and opened up to a garden, where the children played soccer in the afternoons, and my husband and I sipped our coffee in the mornings.

For those who need a little less space, there is also a boutique hotel with 22 double rooms, a jr. suite, and a master suite. Regardless of the accommodations you choose, you will have access to all of the amazing amenities the resort has to offer. And you can choose to enjoy your meals in the comfort of your own room by ordering from the delicious room service menu.

Gastronomy

The on-property Olive Tree Restaurant serves a well-appointed breakfast buffet, offering a spread of both hot and cold items and a coffee bar. With both indoor and outdoor seating areas, the Olive Tree also serves lunch and dinner, during which the menu offers a unique choice of local ingredients. We thoroughly enjoyed our daily breakfasts and one very memorable dinner at the Olive Tree Restaurant (their lamb dish is to die for, and I don’t normally eat lamb).

In the late afternoons and into the evening, you can visit the Olive Bar to enjoy cocktails and a delectable selection of tapas. You can also choose to have a light meal in the casual, alfresco dining area of the Jasmin Pool Bar, which opens seasonally. We ate lunch there daily. Their sandwiches and pizzas are delicious, and their selection of homemade ice cream is the perfect way to cure a sweet tooth (the basil lime was my favorite). All of the restaurants on property offer children’s menus and highchairs for little ones.

Health & Wellness

Vale D’Oliveiras offers both a health club and a spa, with the club featuring a fully equipped gym with wellness and fitness classes, tennis courts, an indoor heated pool, jacuzzi, and sauna. The indoor heated pool was a huge hit with our little ones. They not only enjoyed the warm water, but they loved the fact that swim caps are required—this was quite the novelty for our family, and everyone had a good laugh. The resort offers two outdoor pools, one of which is a wading pool for the little ones. We absolutely loved this feature, as we could easily relax knowing that our little ones could safely enjoy the pool.

The Lisvaya Spa, housed in the hotel building, offers an extensive range of wellness and beauty treatments. Although it is small, it is thoughtfully laid out with a changing area, treatment areas, and proper relaxation areas. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a signature massage. My therapist was very sweet and competent. Had we stayed longer, I probably would have convinced my husband to watch the kids and snuck off for a second treatment. Actually, we could have arranged for babysitting so that we both could go together. Have I mentioned their fantastic childcare options?

Activities Abound for The Little Ones

The Vale D’Oliveiras resort strives to make your stay fun and comfortable for the entire family, and they go the extra mile when it comes to entertaining the little ones. Ollie’s Kids Club, which opens during Easter and in the summer, is included in the rate for children 4-11 years old. It has a schedule that is jam-packed with activities—face painting, gymnastics, movie and popcorn sessions, reptile lectures, and much more. Our girls both chose to be Wonder Woman when they had their faces painted, while our youngest would not leave the playground area. The ladies that run Ollie’s Kids Club are kind, and you can tell they truly enjoy their time with the children.

The resort also has offerings for tweens and teens, such as mountain biking, ping pong, tennis, and soccer. And for those after hour moments, or for the really little ones, they offer babysitting upon request. We never really felt the need to use the babysitting, as our little ones spent their days between the pool and the kids club, which allowed the hubby and me to relax throughout the day. However, it’s nice to know that the service is available if need be.

Other Amenities

If you’re looking for some light snacks to keep in your kitchen or you want to cook your own meals and don’t want to drive the seven minutes to the local grocery store, there is a small market on property that stocks a small selection of most items. We were even able to buy diapers in a pinch for our little one there.

Meetings and Events

The resort is the perfect venue for events of all types. Whether you are looking to plan a celebration, a meeting, or any form of group event, Vale D’Oliveiras is well equipped to host you. They have a multi-purpose room, several break out rooms, and their facilities are very versatile in general. What I loved and would consider if I were hosting an event, was their outdoor spaces. Their well-manicured gardens, including a beautiful organic garden, are simply stunning, and would make a great venue for a wedding or cocktail party.

Regardless of the type of vacation you are looking for or what your needs are when you travel, your expectations will be exceeded when you stay at this lovely resort.

Our stay at Vale D’Oliveiras was endorsed by Great Hotels of the World (www.ghotw.com), a renowned sales and marketing representation company for upscale, independent hotels.