Vila Gale Santa Cruz

Not a bad place.

very good hotel, near the ocean. Nice for families and solo travallers.

Nice hotel spoilt by the current stomach bug going around. Local pharmacist advised tourists had started coming to them for help on 21st April '24. I was very unwell overnight on 21st/22nd (no I hadnt been drinking), my husband is now ill (25th) Suprised the hotel haven't made any attempt to limit spread at buffet stations.

Travelled with my husband and adult son, 2 rooms, one week all inclusive and had a fabulous time. We chose this hotel as we wanted a short transfer from the airport, and it didn't disappoint! Even the shuttle transfer only took 10 minutes, 5 minutes by car. We had an early flight, rooms are available from 3pm , but after a quick check in at reception we were invited to have lunch and then call back to see if our rooms were ready... we waited a short time, but by 2pm we had both rooms available... the staff throughout the whole week were friendly and efficient. Rooms: We had a sea view, beds were comfortable (although a bit squeaky due to mattress protectors) , air conditioning worked great, TV channels fine with some films available, wifii good, mini bar (chargeable) we didn't use. A free safe, no kettle in the room (we took our own) but apparently available if you ask. Pool: indoor pool and spa (we didn't use) Outdoor pool cold, but fabulous! Towels available on all inclusive, just ask at the Spa or reception. Transport: We booked the hotel's free shuttle into Funchal which leaves at 10 and comes back at 5.30pm... book early so you don't miss out , it's a mini bus so spaces are limited. Having said that - the buses are frequent and reception were really helpful and provided us with a bus timetable... In the opposite direction Machico is lovely with a manmade sandy beach and some nice bars and bakeries, 12 euros by taxi and about 3 euros on the bus. All Inclusive option/ food: I would say that AI guests were in the minority.. lots of different nationalities (which we loved) Lots of cabin crew staying too, a real variety of guests..... in some ways it felt like a conference hotel, but worth it's 4 stars... we enjoyed the food. One A la Carte meal per 7 days on all inclusive and it was really good! Be sure to book early, although off season, we didn't have a problem. You get a menu and select your choice the day before... excellent! Drinks were of high quality.. one cocktail 'special' per day , plus beer ,wine, local spirits etc... Lunch time we preferred the snack bar... hot dogs, salads ,toasties , fries etc.. all inclusive cake or ice cream including magnums, Cornettos etc! A shout out to all of the bar and restaurant staff, and the reception too! Sandra in the restaurant... always a smile and a chat, made our day! Entertainment: Not a lot going on during the day, which suited us just fine, live entertainment most night's which we enjoyed. Other: We hired a car from reception.. there is a car rental close to the hotel, which might be cheaper, but for ease and peace of mind booked from the hotel... delivered to the underground carpark (7 euros per night to park) and left there afterwards. Area: We really loved Santa Cruz, as we like traditional and quiet.. there isn't a lot there, just a few restaurant's and bars, but it has a lovely atmosphere in spite of the air traffic. We had a visit to the local dentist

We had a good flight from the UK but the last time we saw a Jet2 rep was directing us to our transfer bus. On arriving at the hotel we were a bit horrified to find scaffolding up and lots of drilling noises going on, our hearts sunk. Luckily our rooms were on the other side of the hotel and we couldn't hear any noise. The staff at the hotel were brilliant and the hotel itself was definitely 4+ star. Food was buffet style and generally good, although not always very hot and we sometimes struggled to find an appealing main dish at the evening meal. We were travelling out of season and were happy with how quiet it was. The only complaint really was that there was not an information board or folder from Jet2 at the hotel reception. There is no tourist information centre in the resort either so we just had our phones to explore the area. On previous holidays it has been nice to learn a few local phrases and see a map of the area. None of this was available. We even asked at reception but were told, as the resort is so small, there are no maps available. We had a great day out in Funchal using the free hotel courtesy bus. Some Brits we talked to were a bit bored in the resort but we found it relaxing and were happy to chill by the pool with our books. We used the heated indoor pool a couple of times which was also nice. Overall it was the relaxing holiday we hoped for, with great service from the staff.

We visited The Vila Gale in Santa Cruz earlier this month and had one of the most wonderful and relaxing holidays ever.... We were a little nervous before we went as there were a couple of negative reviews which were quite concerning, all we can say is please please just ignore them...in fact we were laughing with fellow guests just how ridiculous they were. The hotel itself is spotless, the staff are all without exception friendly, competent and extremely hard working... special mention to Christina and Katrina on reception, Sandra, Louisa and the lady with the big smile in the Restaurant and pool bar and Catrina in the Spa who helped make our holiday special as did all the staff.. The food in the restaurant was excellent, I am vegetarian and was never stuck for something to eat...yes, not everything is labelled but all you do is ask and the staff will advise...If you are staying for 7 days or over you can visit the Al a Carte restaurant....we definitely recommend! The spa and it's facilities again are spotless, you have to wear a swimming cap in the indoor pool but you can buy one from the hotel if you don't have one. Sandra Cruz is a beautiful quiet location with little shops and restaurants...all on the doorstep... We never go back to the same place twice but there is always a first..,we have booked a cheeky little week back there next month and are so looking forward to our visit

I had one of the best holidays I have ever had here in Vila Gale Santa Cruz, Madeira. First time to Maderia and I loved it, very beautiful. Santa Cruz is a lovely little town, very quiet and peaceful. Hotel was wonderful. I requested a quiet room and got what I requested. The rooms and corridors are all carpeted which I think cuts down on noise ignorant people trotting about with high heels on in corridors and rooms on tiled floors! Age group and nationalities at the hotel were very varied. I was on my own and did not feel out of place at all, there seemed to be quite a few other solos. Room had everything you would need, good shower and bathroom also. I was all inclusive, food was good, drinks also. Only thing I could perhaps say is there wasn't an awful lot of choice of food at the buffet, but what I had was always good. I ate in the a la carte restaurant once during the week and the food was amazing. Snacks also during the day were huge and good. Evening entertainment was laid on some nights, which was also good. Particularly liked the folklore evening with the music and dancing typical to Madeira. Pool area and pool were wonderful, very big and spacious and always could get a sun bed. The spa facilities were fantastic, nice big pool and also the other things such as jacuzzi, steam room, sauna. Staff were always smiling and happy. Location for me was fab, 5 minutes from airport, planes were flying overhead of the hotel but were not a problem at all. Only thing I would say is PLEASE PLEASE make this hotel ADULTS ONLY, that would be the icing on the cake for me!