Hotels with charm
4.8
Vila Joya at a glance
With a private setting and an elegant Moorish look, Vila Joya offers the ultimate in luxury accommodation in the magically beautiful southern region of Portugal, the Algarve.
Perched on the Atlantic, in the 1000-year-old city of Albufeira, conquered by the Arabs and conquered by the Moors, Vila Joya is a long way from the busiest tourist areas.
The hotel is open all year round, but the ideal months to visit are May, June and September, when the Algarve beaches are warm but not overrun by tourists.
Vila Joya, opened in 1982, was named after Joy, the daughter of the Austrian-born owner, Klaus Jung. The hotel attracts many German-speaking guests, as well as luxury travelers from Europe, North America, and Brazil.
Albufeira is two hours and changes by car south to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. A closer airport is in Faro, a richly historical city that has produced artifacts of the Paleolithic, Roman, Moorish, Spanish and English occupants.
The best rooms in Vila Joya
Vila Joya is a small hotel that offers great comfort. The hotel has 18 elegant rooms with an Asian accent and three larger, luxuriously decorated suites. Vila Joya’s suites, and its spa too, are located in a building separated by a bucolic garden path. The only sounds you hear in a Vila Joya suite are bubbling water in your private pool and the crash of ocean waves on a nearby cliff.
The Royal Deluxe Suite
Vila Joya’s ne plus ultra accommodation is its nearly 1,000-square-foot Royal Deluxe Suite, which could be the Iberian Buddha Retreat. This charming suite is filled with fresh roses and green plants, and features a wooden image of the Buddha.
The beautiful furnishings in the Royal Deluxe Suite include twin sofas, a table and four chairs, and a desk. The living room and bedroom have flat wall TVs with Portuguese, German and American channels.
In Portugal, it’s rare to get hotel rooms with king, queen, or even double beds. Hoteliers simply put two single beds together. No matter. Vila Joya’s sumptuous laminated ‘memory foam’ mattress felt a bit soft at first, but soon had the effect of floating. Guests are likely to sleep blissfully.
Double sliding doors separate the living room of the Royal Deluxe Suite from its bedroom, so two couples sharing the suite can have complete privacy. The main bathroom, however, must be shared. (There is a small guest bathroom near the entrance of the suite).
The main bathroom is luxurious and spa. Its deep porcelain bathtub is for two. His and hers terry robes are strategically placed next to the temperature controlled steam shower. A full-length mirror flanks the twin sinks. The floor is opulent white marble.
Clothes and luggage can be stored in a huge walk-in closet big enough for Lady Gaga to visit. The safe is easy to use.
In-room amenities are sparse but well chosen. A basket of fresh fruit sits on the wooden desk. A bedside chest is stocked with local Sagres beer (complimentary) and top-notch Billecart-Salmon champagne (not).
Three sets of French doors open onto The Royal Deluxe Suite’s private patio and cabana area, equipped with a private pool and hot tub. Clad in traditional Portuguese blue tile tiles , the pool is the size of a casual dip or soak, but not for swimming.
• There is also an outdoor hot tub and outdoor shower area big enough for a party.
Vila Joya’s Wi-Fi signal is spotty and the bandwidth is slow, but it’s free. There is no business center. Vila Joya has a non-smoking policy, and pets are not allowed. There is ample parking in an enclosed courtyard.
Dine at the two Michelin star restaurant in Vila Joya
Vila Joya’s magnificent restaurant, run by Austrian-born star chef Dieter Koschina, holds the rare two Michelin stars, there are only two such restaurants in Portugal.
The dimly lit dining room has high-backed chairs draped in white cloth and a formal cast. Diners can opt for a table memorably set al fresco, overlooking the ocean. Chef Koschina specializes in freshly caught Atlantic fish cooked with French flair and creativity, and served continental flair.
All three meals are served daily. Breakfast begins at 8:30 am, and a light a la carte lunch begins at 1 pm Dinner generally begins between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm, and can last for several indulgent hours. An ever-changing multi-course gala dinner is served every Thursday. Another offering guests enjoy: wine tastings from Vila Joya’s 12,000-bottle cellar along with tapas prepared by chef Koschina.
Room service breakfasts arrive in a relaxed manner. But there are better options. Guests can savor fresh fruit, hot breads, and cafezinho (Portuguese espresso) at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, with seating in Vila Joya’s stately dining room or on a terrace overlooking the deep blue Atlantic.
• Read more about the restaurant Vila Joya with a Michelin star here on Luxury Travel
Spa and gym in Vila Joya
Vila Joya has a small but well-designed gym, with an elliptical machine, treadmill, and stationary bike. Free weights are few, but there are weights, some stretching devices.
The quiet Asian-looking Joy Jung Spa offers a range of facial and body treatments including hydrotherapy, facials and body wraps with marine botanicals, and sports massages. The spa is equipped with a state-of-the-art steam room and a sauna bath.
The Vila Joya golf academy
The Vila Joya Golf Academy, 10 minutes from the hotel, is the main swing center in the golf-crazed Algarve. The intensive courses at the academy range from the intensive two-day course to the intensive 5-day course, geared to your level. The school’s mentor, Portuguese golf pro José Ferreira, has improved the players’ game on the Ladies European Tour, the Challenge Tour and the European Tour.
Vila Joya offers room packages for Golf Academy students and golfers on vacation. There are 35 golf courses within 45 minutes of the hotel.
Vila Joya International Gourmet Festival
Vila Joya is the site of the annual International Gourmet Festival, held every January. Vila Joya owner Klaus Jung started the festival in 2007 to commemorate his late wife, chef Claudia Jung.
Today, the 10-day International Gourmet Festival is a highlight of the global culinary festival calendar. Culinary and social in equal measure, the festival introduces attendees to dozens of celebrity chefs from around the world. They have come to Vila Joya to cook, talk, mingle, sign books, compete in contests, disc jockey, laugh and cook some more.
Is Vila Joya suitable for your Portuguese beach getaway in the Algarve?
Vila Joya may be the right Algarve hotel for you if:
• Likes quiet and secluded luxury
• Loves the idea of walking a few steps to a two Michelin star in-house restaurant
• You would love to settle into a comfortable mattress and be lulled by the sound of the waves crashing
Vila Joya may be the wrong Algarve hotel for you if:
• You prefer to stay among English speaking guests
• You prefer a young and lively crowd at your hotel
• You are looking for a resort with several activities and offers such as golf
• You travel with children
For more information on Vila Joya in Albufeira, Portugal
• Vila Joya website
• Facebook page
• Vila Joya on Twitter
• By phone: +351 289 591 795
• Via email
• Vila Joya
Praia da Gale
Albufeira, Portugal
• Official Portugal travel website
As is common in the travel industry, the guest author received a free stay to describe the hotel. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
