Vila Galé Coimbra

The Vila Gale Coimbra is a contemporary and immaculately kept hotel. The lobby is filled with natural light from a glass atrium and floor-to-ceiling windows, and it has dark-wood floors polished up to a high sheen, walls painted a warm shade of sage, and lampshades hanging above rows of couches in shades of green and chocolate brown. Next to the glass wall that separates the lobby from the hotel’s main restaurant is a grand piano. This restaurant is decorated in a similar manner to the lobby, while the smaller a la carte restaurant is outfitted in a monochrome color scheme, with a shiny black quartz floor, white linen on black wood tables, and giant macro prints of white roses hanging from a black feature wall. The hotel’s pool terrace is a modern one, with a covered bar area, and black loungers. Despite a somewhat corporate atmosphere, the hotel attracts couples, families, and business travelers.

The hotel is well-located for business travelers looking to stay in the more modern part of Coimbra, where the city’s business takes place. Although the immediate area around the hotel is far from inspiring, there are a number of bars and restaurants near here, as well as views of the adjacent Mondego River. The historic center of Coimbra, however, is a 15-minute walk away at least. The Se Nova de Coimbra, a 17th-century cathedral with a dramatic Mannerist interior right next to the University, is a half-hour walk away, as is the Jardim Botanico. Guests might be better off getting taxis into the old quarter of the city. Expect transfers to Porto Airport to take between 85 and 100 minutes by car, and between 105 and 120 to Lisbon Portela Airport.

The hotel’s 229 rooms are all decently sized, and many of them have large, furnished terraces. They are decorated in warm shades of cream and sage, plus jazzy works of art faintly reminiscent of Klimt’s work hanging from the walls. Standard Rooms have two single beds that are usually pushed together to form a double bed, a desk, and two dining chairs around a little table. Superior Rooms are larger, adding a king-sized bed and bathrobe. Suites have a bedroom separated from a living area by sliding doors; their living space has a leather couch and glass-topped coffee table. All rooms have a desk, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, minibar, air-conditioning unit, and safe. Bathrooms are sleek and modern, done up in a shiny monochrome color scheme. They are equipped with a shower/tub combo and a bidet, as well as a magnifying mirror, hairdryer, and a tray of free toiletries. 

The Vila Gale Coimbra has a quality list of features that will keep both business guests and vacationing tourists happy. An excellent and expansive spa offers treatment rooms for massages and wellness therapies, a sauna, Turkish bath, hot tub, and an indoor pool with waterfall jets. Next to this is a spacious and bright gym with treadmills, cross trainers, cycles, various weights machines, and free weights. An outdoor pool is sleek and surrounded by loungers, though guests report these can get grabbed quickly at times.

Two restaurants include the main buffet-style eatery, which is open all day and provides the free breakfast with ample choice of continental options and freshly made hot food. An a la carte eatery serves lunch and dinner. The hotel also has a bar with a menu of drinks and light snacks. A conference suite with 11 rooms, the largest of which can accommodate 680 people, is available. There is secure underground parking for a fee, while Wi-Fi is free throughout.