Ponta Delgada is a small city on São Miguel in Portugal’s Azores archipelago but we found a hotel gem in Vila Gale Collection.
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Location
Vila Gale is right perfectly situated for a first-time stay in Ponta Delgada. Opposite of Forte de São Brás and on the square Campo de São Francisco, the property is in the heart of everything and makes the narrow city alleyways a short walk. Views of the ocean, the seaport, and the hills in the distance make it an ideal location to base any visit to São Miguel. The airport was approximately 10-15 minutes away, an inexpensive cab ride of about €10.
Address: Campo de São Francisco, 9500-199 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Phone: +351 296 240 430
Property
A converted convent and hospital, the 92-room 4-star hotel offers unique features in a classic design. With both an indoor and outdoor pool, a grotto with spa, and incredibly tall ceilings throughout, the character and charm meet modern amenities.
In addition to the fitness facilities, the hotel also offers a kids club and a bar off the lobby. A separate restaurant is also available and I will cover more in the below section on breakfast. Included parking is behind the building but fair warning to renting a car in Ponta Delgada.
Breakfast
Included in our rate was daily breakfast for each of the registered guests, in our case we had two rooms with two guests each and an infant. There was a wide selection of both cold and hot offerings. In a humorous exchange with a server, I had requested creamer for my coffee and was offered 2% milk because creamer “isn’t healthy” which was funny to me as cakes, french toast, sausage, and fried bacon were available. That direct approach is one of the reasons I love Europe, but I decided not to point out areas of hypocrisy with that statement.
On the weekends, the egg station was well-serviced but during the week we had to ask for someone on a few occasions to make eggs or crepes.
The juices were boxed which is expected from an included breakfast buffet, however, the island is home to pineapple farms and I was able to get fresh orange juice freshly squeezed in restaurants. I understand that complaining about an included breakfast can ring hollow for some but in semi-tropical locations where citrus is locally available, I find this as a bit of a disappointment.
Room
The rooms had incredibly high ceilings with giant murals, a signature of the Gale Collection hotels. The windows overlooking the square, the fort, and the sea were such a lovely welcome surprise. The rooms had uncharacteristic size and space with room for a couch (pull-out for those with extra guests.)
Bathroom
Like the bedrooms, the bathrooms were spacious too. The shower was particularly large, and while we initially struggled with limited water pressure, a simple call to the front desk sent up an engineer who adjusted the setting and turned the shower into an impressive experience.
Service
Not every stay goes perfectly and no one should expect it to. The question is how a service provider reacts and approaches the challenges they face. We had poor water pressure initially, but we told the staff and they promptly made an adjustment. There wasn’t a room service menu in the room, but the front desk helped me promptly and dessert for two arrived at our door.
The staff genuinely cares and it shows. They made reservations for a taxi the morning of our departure, greeted us warmly when we returned to the hotel, anticipated our infant, and provided a crib in the room.
Conclusion
Some of the hotels in Ponta Delgada including the Grand Hotel and Azoris Royal Garden were considered but ultimately not chosen on our trip are also centrally located but the quality of accommodations and value for money were inferior. We paid approximately $175/USD and were happy with that given the size of the rooms, the pools, and facilities, it felt like a fair value. We would consider alternate hotels on our next visit but it would be hard to match the sea views, the historical fort across the street, and the access to the square.
What do you think?
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