What it is

A just-revamped gem on Portugal’s craggy Algarve coast, with a two Michelin-starred restaurant and subterranean wine cellar.

What it isn't

Standard-issue, especially when it comes to design. Expect mother of pearl walls worthy of a latter day Little Mermaid (yes, really) in your bathroom.

What we think

If you’re the sort who prefers doing zilch on a beach vacation, you may want to book elsewhere. Vila Vita’s activities list is longer than a small town phone book: you can play putt putt; have craniotomy-sacral therapy with an on-staff specialist; hit the only Sisley spa in Portugal; and go on a local cave tour and even board the property’s very own yacht to spy on the area’s resident dolphins. Those that prefer to lounge in their rooms will have plenty to love there—all 170 Moorish-inspired interiors just emerged from a facelift as frothy as the sea beyond the windows, with modern lines, blonde wood and an open living vibe. Don’t leave the area without stopping by Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Rocha in Alte—a 16th-century white chapel perched on a seaside cliff.

You're here because

Unlike other resorts on the Algarve coast, service here is fahbulous. Staffers here may be working at the beach, but they’re hardly on island time. They’re each as on-point as they’d be in any 5 star urban hotel.

The Moment

Deep in the 150-year-old clay brick wine cellar, some 26 feet underground, you feel like you’re in a movie as the 11,000 bottles twinkle in candlelight. When your waiter starts bringing dishes to your table—including chocolate and olive oil honey cake with fleur de sel—you feel like you’re not just in a movie, you’re the star.

Restaurants & Bars

- Ocean Restaurant

- Adega Restaurant

- Bela Vita Restaurant

- Aladin Grill Restaurant

- Praia Dourada

- Atlantico Restaurant

- Whale Restuarant

- Vila Vita Biergarten

- Mizu Teppanyaki

- Arte Nautica

- Cave de Vinhos

- Oasis Bar and Terrace

- Cafe Bica

- Whale Pool Lounge and Bar

- Delfim Bar

- Manzar Terrace

- Palm Bar

- V Club Disco Bar

- Garden Bar

Location

Just a half hour drive from Faro airport, and a mere ten minutes from Porches Pottery—i.e. your one-stop souvenir shop.