Club Santana Beach & Resort

Our adventure to Sao Tome began late on a Saturday night here at Club Santana - a paradise overlooking the ocean. We arrived during a barbeque night and were luckily able to try the lovely food served up. The bungalows are dotted around well attended gardens with paths leading to the beach, a massage parlour/spa and the restaurant. The rooms had AC, large beds, plenty of space and a balcony. The restaurant served up an lovely breakfast buffet with a wide range of fresh fruit, cheese, bread, baked goods and amazing omelettes. Evening buffets were delicious using local sourced ingredients and a well stocked bar provided a wide range of drinks and wines. One day, we went on an organised guided walk into virgin rainforest to hear and learn about birds and plants. Afterwards, we visited the botanical gardens which was definitely worthwhile, seeing beautiful flowers and huge butterflies. Back at the hotel, it was delightful to swim in the clear, warm waters.

Beautiful location, with stunning views and a lovely garden with interesting trees, flowers and birds. Lovely safe beach with reasonable snorkeling. It is a great base for doing trips around the island. We stayed in 2 different rooms- both very spacious. Our first room was really clean and well serviced. The more expensive room- while larger, was not as clean and no water, fruit etc. It was a bit strange. Food was very nice- I am not a fan of buffets, but even on the buffet nights the selection was nice. Lovely fish carpaccio and sushi. Great lamb chops another night. Other nights we had 2 choices from a menu- 3 courses. Desserts were excellent. Breakfast was good- lovely fruit, bread and eggs to order. The coffee and hot water dispensers are really annoying though! Service is good by Sao Tome standards, but still a bit slow at times- especially at the beach bar. Chefs all have very good English. The Sat night BBQ was really good. Staff could smile more to create a bit of a holiday vibe!

We stayed at Club Santana for 10 nights half board. The bungalows overlook a very pretty bay on which the hotel has a private beach. The pool area has plenty of sunbeds and shade. Buffet breakfast and dinner ( 3 course 2 choices) were served in the restaurant and had good variety. The staff are friendly and helpful though quite shy and reserved initially. The rooms are comfortable and clean with fantastic sea views. The hotel was quiet when we visited and is definitely somewhere to relax and chill. We have already booked to return in December.

Clean and spacious bungalows spread across beautiful gardens with a variety of interesting plants. We had a view of the sea and could listen to the birds from our terrace, the mixture of birds, butterflies, plants and views out to sea were beautiful. A good swimming pool, nice beach all very easily accessible only a few minutes away from our bungalow. Meals were varied some were great others we didn’t enjoy at all but overall they were good.

When we stayed here the place was under construction (expanding the beach restaurant and bar) and that part was off limits. In addition, food choice was limited to a pre-set menu, and some aspects of the property were clearly being used for storage (e.g., piles of chairs and cushions in the restaurant). That said, you could make special requests for food and they would happen (slowly) and we had the run of the place with a handful of guests. No waiting for loungers at the pool, beach to yourself. (Well, the beach is shared with many fisherman, which was fun.) In all it was a good experience, and the difficulties were easy to manage. It's a large property right on the water. Nice rooms with fresh, modern bathrooms. Good WiFi. Strong security. Except for a handful of people, you'll need Google Translate unless you speak Portuguese. If you're seeking a beach resort on Sao Tome, this is the place.

We have been at the Club for lunch. We made a reservation for a special Christmas lunch a week before. When we arrived the staff told us that there was a ceremony of some embassy and we could not have lunch at the restaurant and the option was a buffet. We have organized our day thinking in to have a good lunch at the resort, so we accepted the alternative, but we are some disappointed with the situation. Knowing about our reservation, you had to sent an e-mail telling us the change giving the option to change or accept.