VILA GALE SALVADOR

Salvador is a small City and pleasant enough with a lot of typical Spanish architecture. We were on a cruise and we're told there was a lot of crime here so be very careful with your things. Especially iPads which can get snatched if you hold them up to take photos. But it all seemed safe enough to us. There were plenty of police around. There were a couple of lovely churches. Various squares and plenty restaurants and cafes. And an interesting Art Deco elevator that takes you from the lower level at the quayside up to the old city which is up the hill. Many of The people who live here are the descendants of the slaves who were brought here to work in the sugar plantations which gives the place an interesting African vibe.

Poor service. Ice for the room is not free, must pay R$15.00 ($4.70 USD) to have ice delivered to your room....slow to arrive also. During 3 day stay, room was not cleaned/serviced at all day 2. Had to complain to ensure room was cleaned day 3.

We stayed here for five nights with a group of family and friends. Salvador is very busy over New Year so my advice is to book well in advance otherwise your options are very limited like ours were. As other reviewers have stated this is a hotel with outdated decor, poor customer service( check in took over an hour) and the rooms are not particularly clean. It is a pity that management doesn't seem inclined to do anything about these problems but at least with TripAdvisor we can say we have been warned.

The hotel is in a great location and the infrastructure and facilities are ok. Some rooms are been upgraded but still lagging behind. Rooms furniture is 10+ years old, some rooms with balcony at the first floor are under utilized, drinks and food at the pool are almost impossible during the holidays. Mini bar is water only. Breakfast area and variety improved from last year and the staff is very friendly (Salvador style).

I have been recently at Vila Galé Salvador during a medical congress. The hotel is reasonably well located, near Salvador Convention Centre: this is the best we can say. The room shows its years... the bathroom hasn´t the best conditions. Breakfast is very poor for what would be expected in a 4-star hotel. The swimming pool is very small and the beach nearby is ugly and, allegedly, dangerous. All the facility needs urgent renovation.