An exquisite place to spend an afternoon on the terrace of this hotel — it truly deserves its Michelin star and its Relais & Châteaux title.
The service was excellent: attentive, warm, and highly professional, all in a peaceful setting with sea views. The dishes we tried were exquisite — full of flavor, elegantly presented, and perfectly balanced.
The fresh oysters were outstanding, the beef tenderloin was of superb quality, and every side dish complemented the main courses beautifully. The dessert was homemade, crafted with attention to detail, presentation, and decoration — absolutely perfect. Highly recommended.
5 months ago
Stayed in Blue House for 3 nights in May 2025. True gem in this area and beautiful property! All the staffs here were absolutely accommodating to guests needs and very friendly. Breakfast was delicious with various kinds of breads baked by in-house pastry chef :)
All my families - my husband and my parents - were absolutely satisfied staying here. VISTA Restaurant, which I also left a review for, is just amazing - must try!
Will definitely be back if I get to be back in Portugal!
10 months ago
My wife and I stayed for two days and three nights.
On the first day, the property had no WiFi. (Of course, that doesn’t constitute a crisis, but it’s a stated amenity, one that’s particularly valuable to international travelers like us.)
Neither the issue nor the attempts to resolve it were communicated to guests, and no apology was communicated to guests once WiFi was restored at 8 PM.
That same day, the pool and the bar/restaurant area by the pool were closed at 5 PM for a private event. (This area represents the entirety of the usable outdoor leisure space on the property.) Although we were informed of the event several days before our arrival, no adjustments were made to the cost of our reservation. We were expected to pay the full cost of a partial day. As a consolation, the hotel offered to exclude the service fee from any room service orders for guests not attending the private event.
On the second day, the hotel’s street experienced a water outage. We were informed of this at 8 AM and offered jugs of water for showering. No further offerings or communication were provided to guests until water was restored at 7 PM.
That same day, the pool and the bar/restaurant area by the pool were closed for an unknown reason. The towels and cushions covering the chairs were removed, and the window to the bar was shut. When we asked concierge about the status of both, we were told they were open. They were never open that day.
Lastly, on the morning of our departure, which was set for 6 AM, the overhead lights, the phone, and several of the outlets in our room weren’t functional. Based on our walk to the front desk and the checkout process, the rest of the property was experiencing no electrical issues.
We understand things happen and that some things are outside the hotel’s control, but what’s always in the hotel’s control is how it responds—the communication it provides to guests and the efforts it makes to support the guest experience when the unexpected happens. When Bela Vista was faced with the unexpected, we felt its response was that of a shrug and a “Good luck!” Perhaps that’s expected, maybe even acceptable, at a hotel that doesn’t have five stars, but that’s not an excuse Bela Vista can use.
Ultimately, after sharing our opinions and concerns with management, we were told we would be refunded for one night, but this came after hours of back-and-forth communication. It should be noted we haven’t received the refund yet, and the front desk was unable/unwilling to provide any documentation at checkout confirming the refund is forthcoming.
Bela Vista is certainly not a five-star hotel in our book, and we would not recommend it to any Portuguese or international travelers looking to stay in the Portimão/Praia da Rocha area.
6 months ago
