Front lady with glasses created a “no microwave use law”
19 Dec 2025
It was a good experience overall. I stayed 3 weeks for a business travel.Pros: Since it was a long stay, they offered free parking. I forgot my laptop charger so I asked to borrow theirs. They said no at first, but they eventually let me use their charger.Cons: breakfast is expensive and they served the same food throughout my 3 week stay. If there were not enough guests, they will only put out the bare minimum, with very limited food options. They refused to let me use their microwave, first claiming it was their hotel policy, then stating it was the law. I asked them to show me the law, but they eventually said it was “their right to refuse.” One lady wearing glasses in particular, had the worst customer service. Everyone else was great including Alexandre, Andre, and the entire restaurant crew. I loved Portugal and I am coming back again for business and leisure. However, I will not be returning to this hotel based on the simple fact that the lady in the front desk with the glasses simply lied about the “microwave law” even when just the night before, the gentleman in the front desk informed me that I was allowed to use the microwave.If you plan to spend big for a hotel stay, I suggest searching elsewhere. You will have plenty of great options!
Vila Galé Hotéis, Proprietário at Vila Gale Collection Palacio dos Arcos, responded to this review
Dear Ryan,Thank you for taking the time to share your experience following your extended stay at Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos.We are delighted to note the positive aspects you highlighted, namely the availability of parking, the support provided by our team, as well as the recognition given to Alexandre, André and the entire restaurant team, whose comments make us very proud.We are pleased to hear that, overall, your experience was positive and that you appreciated the helpfulness of our team, as well as some gestures of support during your business stay.Regarding the situation mentioned about the use of the microwave, we would like to clarify that the hotel follows strict food safety standards (HACCP), which limit the use of food preparation and heating equipment by guests in order to ensure food safety and hygiene. We recognise, however, that our colleague may have chosen her words poorly, which may have caused discomfort. We therefore sincerely apologise for the way in which the situation was communicated.We have taken note of your comment and will reinforce internally the importance of clear, empathetic and consistent communication, ensuring that the rules are explained in an appropriate and cordial manner.We regret that this situation has influenced your overall perception of the hotel. We remain committed to continuously improving our service and believe that every piece of feedback is an opportunity for improvement.We hope that, on a future visit to Portugal, you will reconsider your decision and give us the opportunity to provide you with an experience more in line with your expectations, whether at the Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos or at any of our 52 hotels in Portugal, Spain, Brazil and Cuba — on the beach, in the countryside or in the city, always close to you.Kind regards,Alexandre CastroHotel Manager
User:Baige73
Trip type: Couples
Great location
09 Oct 2025
Such a lovely hotel and great location . Our room was fantastic though upgrading disappointed not to have a coffee machine or kettle . Lovely gifts of fruit/chocolate/ wine though asked many times for a cork screw never arrived. Breakfasts were fantastic though service of drinks a little hit and miss . Would definitely return .
Vila Galé Hotéis, Proprietário at Vila Gale Collection Palacio dos Arcos, responded to this review
Dear Guest,Thank you for choosing Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos and for taking the time to share your experience.We are delighted to know that you enjoyed our prime location, the charming atmosphere of the hotel, and that your room contributed positively to your stay. It is also wonderful to hear that you appreciated the welcome amenities and our varied breakfast selection.We are sorry to learn that the absence of a coffee machine or kettle in your room was disappointing. We would like to kindly clarify that these items are available upon request 24 hours a day, and our team will be pleased to deliver them whenever needed. We also regret that your request for a corkscrew was not attended to and that the beverage service at breakfast was at times inconsistent. Please rest assured that your comments have been shared with the relevant departments as part of our continuous efforts to improve the guest experience.Above all, we sincerely appreciate your kind words and are pleased to know that you would consider returning. We truly look forward to welcoming you again soon at Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos or at any of our 52 hotels in Portugal, Brazil, Spain, and Cuba — by the beach, in the countryside, or in the city, always close to you.Best regards,Alexandre CastroHotel Manager
User:344blankas
Trip type: Business
Away but close enough to the hustle of Lisbon
20 Sept 2025
The hotel was a good choice for a business meeting as it’s easily accessible yet far enough from the hustle and bustle of Lisbon. It can be reached by a 20 minute smooth train ride from Cais do Sodre or by Uber but the car traffic can be pretty bad at certain times of the day, up to 45-50 minutes.The hotel rooms are large and comfortably luxurious with nice amenities and daily chocolates in the evening. Their on-site restaurant is also worth visiting a couple of times, the shrimp risotto was a particular standout on the menu. The staff was terrific, reordering the vinho verde at the guest request. The only small negative was a non-working air conditioner in the small gym but I am sure that was promptly fixed considering the efficiency of the staff. The beach is only a street crossing away and there are several restaurants in the immediate vicinity so if not keen on city center vibes, this is a perfect alternative.
Vila Galé Hotéis, Proprietário at Vila Gale Collection Palacio dos Arcos, responded to this review
Dear Guest,Thank you very much for your detailed and positive review of your stay with us. We are very pleased to know that you found our location convenient for a business meeting, offering both easy access to Lisbon and a quieter, more relaxed setting with a smooth train connection.We are also delighted that you enjoyed the comfort and spaciousness of the rooms, the daily chocolates, as well as our restaurant, particularly the shrimp risotto. We feel especially proud of your compliments to our staff, which have been shared with the entire team, who were very motivated by this recognition.Regarding the air conditioning in the gym, we confirm that the situation was immediately repaired.We look forward to welcoming you again soon at Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos or at one of our 52 hotels in Portugal, Brazil, Spain, and Cuba. By the beach, in the countryside, or in the city, always close to you.Best regards,Alexandre CastroHotel Manager
User:WorldCupGilly
Trip type: Couples
Good base to explore Lisbon, Belem, Cascais and Sintra
14 Jul 2025
We visited for a chance to explore Lisbon and had a good time. We stayed for two weeks, on a package with EasyJet.The hotel is lovely, the public rooms in the old palace are full of character and the guest rooms in the new annexes are spacious and well appointed. The gardens are mostly lawn but there is also the Poets Park to explore and there are adult's and children's pools, both clean and well provided with loungers. Rather shabby and small towels are available from the spa (sometimes also put out on the loungers which can confuse you into thinking someone is sitting there) for use at the pool, but you can get a clean one every day.The situation in Paco de Arcos (not Estoril as advertised by Easyjet) is very convenient, just across the road from the sea and a short walk from the dog-friendly beach and the train station. The disadvantage is that the dual carriageway corniche runs between hotel and beach and can be noisy if you want to sit out on the terrace or under the arches. There are other beaches a slightly longer walk. The village/town is pleasant and home to a small supermarket, shops, cafes restaurants, bank with ATM, vet etc etc.From the station it's a 20 minute train journey into Lisbon or down to Cascais, return tickets for both are less than 5 Euros pp and trains run every 15-20 minutes, so really easy and convenient. It's also only about 30-40 minutes taxi drive from the airport. To get to Sintra is a little more difficult as you need to change stations in Lisbon or get a bus from Oeiras - we went via Lisbon and it was easy, but we did check the route beforehand.There is a buffet breakfast with the usual range of cooked and continental, and a chef on duty to cook eggs and pancakes if you wish. We were half board, so ate in, but this is unusual and there are plenty of good restaurants in easy walking distance so with hindsight we would have gone B&B. There is an extensive menu for dinner, but it doesn't change, so if you don't like/can't eat fish and cheese (as one of us doesn't) your choices are quite limited and repetitive. The food is good - I tried most things on the menu - the portions aren't huge but we never left hungry. The wine is mostly from the Vila Gale chain's in house vineyards and is very palatable and reasonably prices; we sampled a wide range of red and white and found it all good.There were a few things we didn't find as good:Although the bars are described as 'open' from whenever to whenever, they were not obviously staffed, so if you wanted a drink or to order lunch at the pool, you first had to find someone to serve you. Whoever then appeared was very happy to help, but it made the process of acquiring a drink long and tedious. We never lunched in the hotel, because we couldn't be bothered to find someone to take the order. The bar never seemed to do much business and was very quiet - a shame as it was a nice cosy space. It would be an easy fix to staff the bar, as there were always plenty of staff around, making a great show of achieving not very much and would create a virtuous circle of being easier to get drinks, so more people were drinking, so more people were attracted in by the convivial atmosphere and bought drinks. There was one breakfast when the hotel was full after an event that was complete chaos, there were plenty of staff, but no organisation and so two waiters would do the same thing, but no one would do something else.The schedule for making up rooms seemed idiosyncratic. Our room was rarely made up till well after lunch and one day not till after 5. Now, maybe you don't mind the bed unmade when you come in from a day out, but I hated it and found it very not relaxing. It also meant that the maids often wanted access when we were changing for the pool after a morning out. One day they seemed to forget to leave any towels. However, the standard of cleanliness was good and the plumbing functional - the shower drained well.The hotel says it will provide a coffee machine in the room on request - there was a well stocked mini bar. We chanced our arm and requested a kettle (come on, we're Brits and like a well made cuppa), we were told that they would 'ask maintenance', no idea whether they ever did, nothing transpired and no one followed up with an apology or explanation. (I should say that you can enter and exit without going through reception, so you didn't get to know the staff on the desk.)We had a late flight out, not landing till around 10:30, so it was late when we arrived. Despite having missed dinner, and indeed not really wanting food at that point, we did feel that the hotel could have made some recognition of this fact. It's not unusual to arrive late, and either be offered the chance of a cold meal or a lunch one day. There was also no token 'welcome drink'. Not the end of the world, but it did leave us feeling a little bit anticlimactic on arrival.Overall, it was a good holiday and a good place to stay. Really convenient for Lisbon and very welcoming.
Vila Galé Hotéis, Proprietário at Vila Gale Collection Palacio dos Arcos, responded to this review
Dear Guest,Thank you very much for your two-week stay with us and for sharing such a detailed review of your experience. It is a great pleasure to know that you enjoyed the charm of our historic palace, the comfort and modernity of the guest rooms, our gardens and pools, as well as the privileged location to explore Lisbon, Cascais, Belém, and Sintra. We are also delighted by your recognition of our breakfast, cleanliness, and the hospitality of our team.We have also taken good note of the points you mentioned, and we truly appreciate the constructive way you shared them. Pool towels are already being renewed to ensure greater comfort for our guests. At the bar, we have now reinforced the continuous presence of staff to improve efficiency and create a more inviting atmosphere. Regarding breakfast, we strengthened team coordination during peak occupancy times.As for the room cleaning, it is not usual for it to be performed so late in the day and we will review this with our team. Coffee machines and kettles are always available upon request, and we regret the communication failure that prevented you from receiving one in your case. Finally, concerning late arrivals, we will reinforce our attention to situations where late flights prevent guests from enjoying dinner, so that they feel properly welcomed upon arrival.Guest feedback is fundamental for our continuous improvement and motivates us to work daily towards offering excellent service.We look forward to welcoming you back to Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos or to any of our 52 hotels in Portugal, Spain, Brazil, and Cuba.In the beach, in the countryside, or in the city — always close to you.Best regards,Alexandre CastroHotel Director
User:Wander473641
Trip type: Family
A thumbs up by the whole family.
26 Jun 2025
The hotel is wonderful, the staff is great and they have the most comfortable bed and pillows! Don't get fooled by the front facade. It is old world charm, gorgeous furniture and a stunning dining room. The rooms are relatively new and offer modern facilities, large, clean and comfortable.We had a room with a view. The place is perfect for families, the location Oerias is small, quaint, friendly, but using bolt and ubers at reasonable prices made it very accesible.Lots of restaurants in walking distance. A small shop, deli, good supermarket, barber, pharmacy and cookery store! The beautiful water front, and a park nearby makes it pretty. Only negative, there was construction going on which they should have warned us about.
Vila Galé Hotéis, Proprietário at Vila Gale Collection Palacio dos Arcos, responded to this review
Dear Guest,Thank you very much for your excellent review and kind words. It is a great pleasure for us to know that you enjoyed the hospitality of our team, the charm of the building, the modernity of the rooms, as well as the cleanliness, comfort, and especially the quality of the bed and pillows. We are also very pleased that our location and welcoming atmosphere made the stay perfect for the whole family.We are, however, sorry that you were not informed in advance about the construction works that were taking place. This was a temporary intervention, which was delayed due to weather conditions, and has since been completed. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.We look forward to welcoming you again to Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos or to any of our 52 hotels in Portugal, Spain, Brazil, and Cuba.In the beach, in the countryside, or in the city — always close to you.Best regards,Alexandre CastroHotel Director
PaCo de Arcos, Estoril Coast
About Vila Gale Collection Palacio Dos Arcos
User Rating & Reviews
19 Dec 2025
09 Oct 2025
0204 505 9777