Located directly on the beach, the 323-room Crowne Plaza is one of the most luxurious hotels in the area. Contemporary rooms have peek-a-boo bathrooms and large windows opening onto furnished balconies with garden or ocean views. The spa is a highlight here, with an indoor pool and a hammam. There's also a huge lagoon-style outdoor pool with tons of loungers and umbrellas and several restaurants and bars with outdoor seating. 

This bright, contemporary hotel has a relatively secluded location and relaxing green grounds that spread across five acres. Most of the 176 rooms feature details like artsy hand-painted traditional tile art, and all come with private balconies and marble bathrooms. Features are numerous -- six pools, three restaurants and bars, free shuttles, and dedicated off-site beach space -- but most of them are seasonal. 

Set amid the fairways of Vila Sol golf course, this Pestana property has a quiet atmosphere and big manicured lawns with streams, shrubs, and trees. Its 189 rooms are sunny and spacious, and have small flat-screen TVs, lightly stocked minibars, and free safes. Suites are housed in villa-style buildings, and feature furnished patios and stylish details such as exposed stone walls and wooden beams. The large outdoor pool features a seasonal swim-up bar, and the buffet restaurant has a spacious outdoor area overlooking the gardens. 

The 375-room Vila Gale Ampalius is an upper-middle-range hotel with one of the best locations in Vilamoura: right across the street from Vilamoura Beach and adjacent to the bustling marina. The Vila Gale's sunny, clean rooms have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and mini-fridges, and many feature panoramic ocean views, but decor is a little plain and dated, and bathrooms could use an update. There's an international restaurant, two bars with outdoor seating, and a spa with a hydrotherapy area and a sauna.