Rubens Hotels Royal Village Gaia

Recent Reviews: 106

• User:Brendon Q

  Trip type: Family

  Great Little Hotel

  31 May 2026

  We booked this online via a travel company, then read the reviews on Trip Advisor and were more than a little worried! What we discovered was totally different to some of the poor reviews left recently.We were greeted by friendly and helpful staff with excellent English.The hotel is well kept and our room was spotlessly clean and had good quality beds and bedding. Breakfast was great with a good selection of food and drinks on offer. The outside pool area was well maintained and the pool cleaned daily by some little robotic device.The location is good for getting to the metro and train station. The bridge and old town are about 10 - 15 minutes walk away.My only slight gripe is that you have to pay to use the inside heated pool - or at least you do if it’s not in your package - this is more about LoveHolidays than the hotel though.Well worth considering and I’d certainly come again.

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• User:SarahG7632

  Trip type: Friends getaway

  Not 4 star, 3 at best

  31 May 2026

  A mixed experience at this hotel. Overall ok but could have been so much better if the owners had a rethink. The positive;Location is about 20 mins walk or v cheap cab to gaia and porto, so very doable.Reception and check in was efficient. Reception staff very helpful and lovely. Hotel decor lovely.Meal had in the restaurant (chicken cesar) was delicious. Rooms big enough (212) and cleaned well where possible (see below). Great TV.Spar pool relaxing and clean and tidyOutside pool lovely and clean and tidy with nice decor.The negative;Shocking music played on repeat - please turn it off!!! It felt like sound torture after 1 day. To enjoy sitting outside the restaurant means guests sit in a car park The absence of a poor bar is rediculous. As is not having staff ask guests if they would like a drink and fetching it from a bar away from where people sit and relax. This is a 4 star hotel after all!The outside pool towels are kept in the indoor spa which means walking around the car park back into the main hotel into the spa and back again. Rediculous design that could so easiely be fixed.Drinks take forever to make by all staff & we wondered why things seem so hard for them to do their job? They seemed to have several jobs to do at the same time. The facilities in the bedroom are poor - no bottled water, too few hangers, no drawers to put clothes in, hook on wall broken, no iron, bathroom tiles wall-papered over so look dirty (cant be cleaned) and the bed was very hard and uncomfortable. The vending machine is of little use when you need it most (arrival) as it requires change. So the absence of water in the room, plus an inability to buy extra was just unbelievable for a 4 star hotel. Staff all lovely when aksed for anything and work so hard but seem anxious and did not spontaneously engage (or even say hello) with guests in a away that relaxes guests. I hope they are not penalised for complaints as all my issues related to ownership and management decisions in my view. The owners could do so much more at this hotel as it has such potential if they considerd the needs of guests and staff more.

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• User:Margy D

  Trip type: Friends getaway

  A slight walk from the center of Porto but clean facilities reasonable space in the room however bathrooms are very very small

  05 Apr 2026

  The hotel is located about a 15-minute walk from the main area.. there is a spa on site and I indulged in a facial which was absolutely fantastic ..the rooms are reasonable size, the windows open so you can have some fresh air and the beds are comfortable and it's quite clean.. be aware that the bathrooms are very very small

• User:L985CEpascalb

  Trip type: Couples

  CAUTION! ANTI WELLNESS AND SPA HOTEL. BE AWARE

  14 Aug 2025

  We had booked this wellness experience months in advance – as the grand finale of our two-week camper trip through Portugal. After all those days on the road, we simply wanted to relax and be pampered on our last day. The plan was a foot massage, facial treatment, and full body massage for two people (12:00–14:15), costing €288 – a premium price for Portugal, so our expectations were high.From the very beginning, the atmosphere was off. We arrived with a lot of luggage – yet no one, neither reception nor concierge, offered the slightest help. In the lobby, dozens of suitcases and bags were simply lying around, completely unsecured for anyone to access. We were hungry and wanted at least a glass of water or a small snack before the treatments. Reception sent us to the restaurant, saying they had vegan pasta. However, the restaurant manager came over – still chewing his own food – and simply said, “No, not available now.” When we asked for at least some bread or water, he ignored us, sat back down, and continued eating. For a “Wellness & Spa Hotel,” this was an extremely rude and unprofessional start.The spa experience was equally disappointing: We were given cheap slippers that broke after three steps and then had to walk barefoot through half the building. During the massage, not once was I asked about pressure or comfort. The oil was ice cold, as were the hands of Rosa, my therapist, and there was no blanket – with the air conditioning running full blast! Within minutes I was freezing, covered in goosebumps, and asked several times for a blanket. Instead of showing understanding, the therapist laughed about it with her colleague. When I finally received a small towel, it felt more like a “better than nothing” gesture. As soon as it warmed me slightly, Juliana simply turned the AC back on.Hygiene was also questionable: they massaged our feet first, then immediately touched our heads and faces – an extremely unpleasant feeling. The facial treatment itself consisted only of: wiping with a cotton pad and tonic, applying a paper mask, and that was it. No words, no explanation, no sense of care or luxury. And yet, Juliana practically begged me to leave her a good review on Google.After the treatments, we were offered chamomile tea and a small fruit plate – unfortunately, the fruit was warm, old, and mushy. Pastéis de Nata were also served, but not vegan, despite me having communicated this multiple times by email in advance.At the end, we spent ages trying to find the changing room to get our clothes and valuables – no one explained where it was, and we wandered around half-dressed for 15 minutes.The conversation with the manager was disappointing: He sat in the open lobby, listened briefly, apologized, offered us a cocktail at the bar and a small room upgrade. The “upgrade” was a standard room, hardly different from the one we had booked. The 15 minutes of wellness time we didn’t receive were not refunded – his only response to this was a short “Oh.”For a hotel in this price range, I expect service, attentiveness, and genuine care. Instead, we felt like inconvenient guests being rushed through. Sadly, absolutely not recommended – there are many wonderful spa and wellness destinations in Portugal. This is not one of them.

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• User:scamplondon

  Trip type: Couples

  Poor hotel not a four star

  02 Aug 2025

  The room was small, there was no safe, the room smelt damp. The breakfast was ok but poorly organised. The staff seemed to be new and were not of much help. The breakfast staff were miserable. There is no way this hotel should be a four star hotel more like a two.