Search Best Hotels in Santa Maria

All in all a nice week in the sun at a resort where you need to manage your expectations. Who this is good for: those looking for some sunshine, good beach, nice pool, and a no hassle/frills all inclusive break. Who this is not so good for: those who want a quieter resort, more relaxed, and finer dining experiences. (Generally we prefer this option) Some of the good points: the staff are friendly, kind and helpful; it’s a nice place to get some sun - the pool is nice (but busy) as is the beach (quieter in places but loungers tired and some broken); the food has a good variety (including for veggies) though mixed quality, drinks variety good; the entertainment is a little hit and miss - the white night was good fun - but note children from the adjoining hotel are welcome; there are places to enjoy a quieter drink but these spots can also be quite popular. The rooms are not grand but they are clean and the shower is good - we can’t complain about the service here with room service several times a day; the spa treatment was nice and we made the most of the weekly offer they had available; there are also some good activities offsite at a reasonable charge if you want to mix things up. A few things to improve: flies and wasps at steakhouse; better segregation between smoking and non-smoking would be welcome; some of the facilities are tired but they function; the tv in the room didn’t have the best sound / reception; the beach loungers need an upgrade as many are tired / broken; a few quieter areas and activities through the day (away from the pool) would be nice as the grounds are large and well kept. A few hints and tips if you visit: The pool gets busy so you need your get a bed early; remember to book the restaurants early in your stay; dining at the main restaurant during the day is nicer than the steakhouse; if you want to use the spa remember to book; eat later to avoid the mad rush; remember your white outfit if you want to join in white night; pop to the beach (though not adults only) as the bar there is nice and a welcome mix up from the more popular pool area.

The official rating of this hotel is 4 stars, and with a bit of cosmetic upgrading and better staffing in the kitchen, I could see it reaching that level (it seems like it may have once been a real 4 star). As it was, the room quality itself was more 3 star, and the outside area was 4 stars. We had a 'deluxe sea view' with no terrace. There was lots of rough paintwork and lack of maintenance on the small details in the rooms, but overall it was fine, with a huge comfy bed and a nice shower and a lovely view out the window. Unfortunately the entry was at the street side of the hotel which was our smoking area, and that view was just the dirt road and some houses. Overall we would stay here again as the room was fine, the staff were great, the pool area was amazing, nobody had any screaming kids (very quiet and peaceful, great for couples) and while the beach required stepping over rocks, it also had the best snorkeling area with the most fish. Another sandy beach with less fish and two beach bars is a 3 minute walk away, and the main ***** with the main beach is a 10 minute walk (that one is useless for snorkeling but great for swimming). Besides snorkeling, it's also a preferred spot for wind surfing. We happened to try the hotel restaurant on a really bad night apparently, we waited an hour for our seafood paella which was average quality but double the price of the ***** restaurants. However, according to the other patrons who did all inclusive, the service was usually much faster. and the food usually much better. We did also have burgers for lunch one day, and those were expensive but very nice. Breakfast was included in our stay and it had an extensive and delicious continental selection, plus hot eggs and bacon on order, always very fast. The staff were super attentive and completely on their game, absolutely fantastic service. We got a great deal on a package holiday with LoveHolidays, so for the price we were very happy and would definitely stay again.

It was perfect holiday. Ocean suites is good mix of interesting design and local culture. Perfect location. We are 3 friends used room 7 Sal suite. It was big enough, clean and comfy. Perfect service. Friendly and attentive stuff, especially for breakfast. I love these lazy mornings, you will feel like you are only one and the main guest in the hotel. The restaurant works all day, we had dinner a few times there. All food was very tasty (tried mix of seafood, royal seafood pizza, risotto with seafood, pasta with seafood). Music every night till 24:00, everybody dancing even all stuff dancing. It's special sharm. Love it. Highly recommend Ocean suites for adult and active tourists.

The complex are blocks of apartments that are mainly for self catering. It was quite a distance from airport costing 20 euros by taxi. Check in was a lengthy process with little info on the resort surrounding area, apart from shuttle bus time table. There was no local public bus information regarding destination and timetable, which would have helped us a lot. We were very impressed with the spacious suite of 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen and through lounge with large balcony to the rear, overlooking the pool and another large balcony to the front. Ironing board and iron, hairdryer, showers were effective with good temperature control, air conditioning units. Everything spotless, clean towels when needed, towels for pool supplied. Free shuttlebus service to town, capital city or the beach. There is a bank on site as well as a supermarket, coffee shop, restaurant and small bar. We were half board basis and were very disappointed with the choices of the buffet dinner each night plus the food was cold. We did report this after our first meal but nothing was done - still cold each night!. Breakfast had the same choices each morning but was ok. Staff were friendly and helpful throughout. Overall, our stay was enjoyable with impressive suite of rooms but was marred by the dining experience.

The best hotel in the whole island of Sal, except for Riu, is Hilton. Unfortunately, there is no Riu at the time of booking, but Hilton is very new, the decoration is very beautiful, and the facilities in the room are very modern. The hotel swimming pool is very large, the beach is outside, the greening is very good, the photo is beautiful, but the room is a little far from the beach, only half of the sea view room.

Still here but writing before we leave so I don’t forget :) We stayed at the RIU Funana in November 2024 for 11 nights in total. We have really enjoyed our stay and would absolutely come back! The staff are incredible and nothing was ever too much for them. Having the Tui rep on site has also been handy at times although we didn’t book anything with them. We did 2 excursions including an island tour which was booked through Prince who you will meet on your way to the beach and another which was the buggy tour that we booked through get your guide - people who had booked through TUI were on our excursion so they definitely use the same company and attend the same sessions as those who booked elsewhere. Some of our favourite things about the hotel were the staff at the restaurants and bars, the housekeeping was done to a high standard every day, the pool area, the different restaurants and without a doubt the animation team! The animation team are working all day to keep everyone entertained and bring amazing energy to everything they do. We attended both the neon party and the white party and both were amazing! The effort that goes into these parties and the decoration of the stage area is something to be appreciated. There is a well hidden sports bar that is open 24/7. It is quite cool (temperature) in there and also quieter so easier to get a drink than in some of the other bars. It is at the back of the stage area down the left side of the bar that is visible. Food - we had absolutely no issues with food at all. My partner is 27 with the tastebuds of a 4 year old and was still able to eat well during breakfast, lunch and dinner. The mambana restaurant does appear to attract flies more than the others so this is something to be aware of but sadly not much they can do about this. There was a satisfaction survey conducted by management during our stay and I suggested that they could cover the food with lids to prevent flies, hopefully this is something that will be implemented in the near future. Me and my partner did get upset stomachs for maybe a day and a half but we think this is more to do with food we ate out on a tour and also to do with the heat, eating more and drinking fizzy drinks non stop. I have absolutely no concerns that this was caused by the hotel as we have done 10 nights at the time of writing this and we have been fine the rest of the time. But again, upset stomachs can happen anywhere when you combine buffets, all inclusive bar and heat. If I was being picky, the only thing I would change about the hotel is the location. We went out of the hotel to Algodoeiro Beach (where the Tui and Melia are located) and found this to be a much better area in terms of the beach access so if this is a big thing for you, I would consider one of the Melia or Tui hotels. My main issue was the hassling we got on our way to the beach by locals trying to sell tours. We understand they need to make a living but it was constant which ma

I had a few initial issues with the electricals in the room which the manager Miguel sorted quickly, lovely guy. The staff were very friendly and the free shuttle bus into Santa Maria meant could enjoy a nice sandy beach. Quiet location with restaurant and bar and nearby mini market.