Octant Vila Monte — Hotel in Olhão

Just returned from a fantastic 9 nights at Octant Vila Monte. From the moment we arrived we knew we were in for a treat here. The always helpful reception staff greeted us with a cool drink and immediately offered to collect our luggage from our hire car. |There is something very special about this hotel and its staff. It is very high end, but not stuffy in any way.|Service was outstanding across the whole hotel, and we were always greeted with a friendly smile. Nothing was ever too much trouble, whether it was helping to arrange a birdwatching photography trip to Rio Formosa or a massage for our 8 year old (lol).|The hotel itself is beautifully designed, from the stunning lobby, restaurants and vast grounds (watching turtles in the lake was fun!), through to the Junior suite we had too (and the outrageous Indigo villa, which we went for a tour round too... wow). Our room was a good size, clean, good strength shower, lovely light.|We had planned to do a little travelling during our holiday, however the stunning family pool was too tempting, and we spent most days lazing and paddling, often sipping delicious cocktails (or tasty fresh lollies) from the pool bar. We've often ended up with freezing pools on holiday - but this was absolutely spot on, and heated. There was a second adult pool, which we didn't use, but it looked lovely too. |I hired the incredibly knowledgable and lovely Luiz for a birdwatching walk at Rio Formosa during a sunrise - it was a brilliant experience, and one I would recommend. We also went for a picnic morning at the sandbank just off the coast - great fun having a swim in the Atlantic! My wife went for a massage with Anna, and she loved it. She also went for the shamanic voyage, which she thought was fantastic too.|Food was always delicious. The breakfast buffet was vast, with a range of fresh juices, many pastries and large range of other items - all delicious, alongside eggs (however you want them cooked). We ate lunch and dinner at the hotel every day of our stay, and it was always a treat. There was a kids menu, and our son loved it - chicken, fish, pasta, pizza, all the usual favourites. He also made good use of their wide range of mocktails (often dwarfing him once they arrived). We loved the meat - the chef cooked this to perfect, and we sampled pretty much everything on the menu during our stay. I highly recommend the charcoal grilled pork, lemon roast chicken and the T-bone steak... They know how to cook a steak here. Salads are great too. Their selection of wine is fantastic. Staff at the restaurant were just lovely, and it was pretty sad saying goodbye to them all at the end of our stay! A special mention to Olympia and Siciliano in the restaurant, the pool bar staff and actually, many more - they were all so nice!|Wifi was very good. We worked a little and the connection speed was spot on.|Honestly, I cannot think of anything negative in any way. Perhaps the price of food, it was not cheap, but then we could always just eat out if we wanted. It's only 30 mins from Faro and even closer to other places.|Everything was just so easy here, it is everything you could...

Vila Monte is a truly magical place; from the welcoming fire in the reception with amazing gin cocktails prepared by Tiago to the perfect lounging spaces by the two pools (and everything in between), our stay was memorable.

Just renovated, the rooms are massive and above-all comfortable and cosy. Every detail has been considered, from the bench at the end of the bed (which proved incredibly convenient) to the large bathroom and luxurious bed. Sun hats, walking sticks, beach wraps and a beach bag also awaited us, perfect for trips to the private Vila Monte Fuseta beach. Views on the hotel grounds and out over the countryside were lovely; two windows in the main room and one in the bathroom.

The on-site restaurant, while a bit expensive for Portuguese standards, never failed to please with wood-fire pizza and Josper oven steaks. The breakfast buffet (included in our stay) was one of the best hotel buffets we have ever had; with a plethora of fresh homemade juices and smoothies (different each day), hot options (eggs, baked beans, bacon etc) and cold options (muesli, fruit, cereal, cheese, meats, pastries). You even have the option of asking for omelettes, but we never needed to given the buffet choices.

The staff was wonderful - we were looked after impeccably, but without imposition. Various people helped us book horse riding (20 minutes away), beach trips and restaurant recommendations (go to the famous Octopus place in Santa Luzia for sure). Tiago made us lovely cocktails each evening and also made sure we were comfortable to watch the rugby in the reception with other guests. He also made us the most amazing take away breakfast (without charging) when he heard we were leaving too early to catch the buffet. Vila Monte also has a lovely bedtime service of dropping of their fresh homemade cookies. We miss those cookies!

In terms of location, Vila Monte is in the countryside on a hill with beautiful panoramic views to the sea and rolling hills; it is just on the outskirts of the small town of Moncarapacho which is just about 10/15 minutes drive from the fishing town of Olhao and the Fuseta beach. Just a little further is Santa Luzia (an octopus fishing village) and then Tavira. The hotel is just a few minutes from the main highway so very easy to get to from Faro or from Lisbon. I would not worry at all about not bring right on the sea. All the hotels on the sea seem very touristy, same for Tavira, so if you are not into touristy destinations, Vila Monte is your best bet.

Highly recommend it...only downside is you will probably not find such a lovely hotel at your next stop, particularly...

What a great resort/hotel. It’s an oasis of lush gardens and relaxation. And close to the coast. This was our first visit to an Octant hotel and won’t be our last.

We stayed in one of the secret suites. They are huge. A nice patio with couch, table and chairs, and a plunge pool. Inside there is a living room with full bathroom, a solarium/perfect area for reading or napping, and the bedroom with attached full bathroom. TV’s in the bedroom and living room. Rooms are all quite spacious. And I love the white washed with the colorful tiles.

Thank you for the full sized, great smelling toiletries. There are robes and slippers (land fun hats) in the room. Good sized and plentiful closets for storage.

The gym is large with some free weights, weight machine, ellipticals, and I think a treadmill or two.

There are two pools, one for families and one adults only. Lots of lounge chairs and umbrellas to lay in the sun or shade. Water is chilly in the adults pool but refreshing after a hot day.

Breakfast is in a pretty buidling with many tables inside and out (with a nice view). Breakfast was good, the eggs to order were great. We had one dinner at the restaurant, it was good.

The store in the lobby has a lot of local products and cute things you didn’t know you needed. Good place to get treats to bring home.

We did the excursion to the almost empty island. Short van ride to the dock and super short boat ride to a small island. They provide chairs, umbrella, towels, and water. Great beach with soft sand and tons of shells. They packed a cooler for us with wine and beer to enjoy.

I got to do the body scrub class with Bruno. He is amazing!! He’s full of great info and stories. The Octant is lucky to have him there. We learned about body scrubs and local herbs then got to make our own. Fun.

Service was great. The personal concierge was so helpful (and so easy to communicate with on what’s app). I love that there are two resident cats. 🐈 They are both so sweet

The hotel is a short drive to town for grocery stores and restaurants. The Benagil caves and seven valleys hike are about 45 min away.

Overall a wonderful place to stay in...