Editor Pick
Porto Santa Maria
- February 11, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Drever from Ayr
Our first surprise on landing at Funchal Airport was to find a minor tropical storm blowing and a singular lack of sunshine. The second was our tour rep directing us to a taxi while the rest of the plane’s passengers headed for coaches to take them to other hotels. Why, we wondered, were we the only ones booked into the Porto Santa Maria hotel? It will remain a mystery because from the moment we entered the roomy hotel lobby this hotel proved a pleasant surprise. It is new, fresh, clean, with a friendly staff, and worth its four-star rating. Appearances were obviously important as the tour operators’ bulletin boards hung discreetly down in the basement.
We had sought a sea view and had secured a full-frontal. Our balcony gave views over the pool, beach, and harbour, where large ocean liners are regular visitors. Better still the balcony proved a suntrap. Unusually, our room—as well as allowing tea or coffee making—also had enough equipment to cook a simple meal. Unlike in many hotels our room was quiet.
This hotel in the Zona Vehla (the old town) takes the name of the nearby street. Placed in a garden setting close to the old fort that once guarded the harbour, guests enjoy the atmosphere of a resort with easy access to the seafront promenade and the city centre. There are many atmospheric restaurants, bars, cafés, shops, and most of the island’s museums close by. The nearby cable car running up to the tropical gardens at Monte is well worth the ride. It gives stunning views both on the way up and from Monte.
Hotel guests enjoy a buffet breakfast, often taken on the terrace overlooking the ocean. It is a typical buffet, full of juices, cold and hot meats, cheese, various breads, decent coffee, sparkling wine, eggs, and more. For dinner we had booked the flexible eating choice. This meant that we could have some meals in the hotel but on other nights explore the restaurants nearby which range from local fare to Chinese. Meals in the hotel were excellent with a wide choice and, being buffet style, we could sample many different types of food without worrying if would like it or not.
Whether you want to relax in the sun or take some exercise, this hotel offers various choices. It has a health club with gymnasium, sauna, massage, and reflexology. Being curious about the latter I booked in for a half-hour session—my feet approved! The indoor heated swimming pool has the novel feature that we could swim through to the outside. Also on offer are a whirlpool, an outdoor pool with sun terrace, and a separate children’s pool. Every night entertainment in the hotel adds to the enjoyment.
We would recommend the hotel to anyone, although most people were in the more mature bracket and there were few children while we were there. My wife loved it and would like to return.
From journal Madeira-warm, luxuriant, educational and entertaining