MELIÁ Hotels in Santa Maria

My friend and I stayed from 1 - 8 Decembre and I want to give a BIG THANK YOU (OBRIGADA) to the whole staff of Hotel Riu Funana. The waitresses, waiters, bartenders, cleaners, receptionist, spa staff, gardeners, animation crew, cooks, security guards and every single other staff member! Everyone we met was kind and hard-working. Thank you for introducing us to your culture and making this a memorable stay ＜3

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.

Can’t complain! Was a good beautiful hotel with plenty of food and drinks for all guests! Very easy to get there from the airport and everyone speaks English if you don’t speak the native language or similar. Most requests are done via their handy app which is easy to navigate and all inclusive is true to the name! You only pay for anything extra such as treatments in the Spa or items from the shop located on site otherwise everything else is included in the cost of your stay! I would have preferred more options for the 24hr “snack/food option” but this was only used out of hours so not many times for me.

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.

Nearly didn't go on holiday because of the adverse reviews for the region regarding stomach bug problems, went well prepared for all eventualities. What a waste of time and money the hotel was great ,food was varied and tasty with everyone in our mixed party of 8 adults with different tastes enjoyed. The service from the staff was very good in all areas. If you don't want the pool area plenty of places on the beach .Don't let any negative comments put you off, as I said all 8 of us had a great time and would go back again. Met plenty of guests who have been going twice a year for several years. What can I say but highly recommended and we plan to go back soon.

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.

With a stay at Morabeza Hotel in Sal, you'll be on the beach, just a 5-minute walk from Santa Maria Pier and 5 minutes by foot from Santa Maria Beach. This beach hotel is 0.5 mi (0.7 km) from Nazarene Church and 0.8 mi (1.2 km) from Santa Maria Municipal Market.Dip into one of the 3 outdoor swimming pools or enjoy other recreational amenities including outdoor tennis courts and a fitness center. Additional amenities at this hotel include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and an arcade/game room.Satisfy your appetite with French cuisine at Les Palmiers, one of the hotel's 3 restaurants. Relax with a refreshing drink at the beach bar, the poolside bar, or one of 3 bars/lounges. Full breakfasts are available daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee.Featured amenities include a computer station, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a 24-hour front desk. This hotel has 3 meeting rooms available for events. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 121 guestrooms featuring refrigerators. Rooms have private furnished balconies or patios. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with separate bathtubs and showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.