Cape Verde

Zbyněk

The hotel is quite good, not far away from Santa Maria centre, from the pier or from the beach. My room is every day perfectly cleaned. The food in the lunch room is prepared in very good quality. There is also a nice swimming pool with clean water.

Rhonda Coghlan

This hotel looks good. It isn’t put simply. No one has good English at reception and I asked and asked for a complimentary late check out past noon which is check out time . Told I had to speak to the manager who isn’t here. Hasn’t been here at all in the last three days . It is 1245 and the manager is a no show. Good management? I don’t think so. Also very very noisy as hotel is surrounding the pool. I’ve found my stay frustrating and total dissatisfying. Not good at all

J K

We enjoyed our stay though it was definitely a mixed bag. Pros: - The breakfast was lovely with the right balance of some things being the same and some stuff changing. Everything tasted lovely and the staff were very attentive in keeping things stocked. - The pool was lovely and clean, very well maintained with nice lounge spaces around the sides. - We had dinner some nights in the hotel and it was very good. The prices were extremely reasonable for food and drinks, great value for money. We enjoyed the selection of different meals each day and it was cooked very well. - Beds were comfy and very big. It is two singles pushed together but ours was done well and it was very comfortable. Rooms in general are quite big with lots of space and decent storage - Location is perfect to the rest of Santa Maria, the beach and an excellent pick up point for any trips. Cons: - We had no working WiFi in our room and as we had no mobile data during our trip it was important for us to be somewhat connected. We asked to move rooms if possible for one that had WiFi and this was met with eye rolls and tuts from the staff but they did move us. - Our first room had no working plug sockets except for the one the fridge was plugged into. Our aircon didn’t work and the shower cubicle was missing the door so the water went straight out all over the bathroom floor - Our second room had a fridge that didn’t work and a balcony into a hallway inside. - We didn’t feel particularly welcome by the staff entirely and felt more like an inconvenience but some were very lovely. Overall, not an unpleasant stay but certainly not without its issues.

Tim Ryan

Nice hotel with good size rooms and bathrooms. Good pool area although it can be a bit congested. Quieter rooftop lounge area. Breakfast is excellent. Evening food ok but slow service, better options in town. Wifi generally good. Would stay here again.

John Hart

Everything is good and fine, BUT the evening meal times 1 waiter 1chef, minimum there should be 2 chefs, 3 waiters and 1 barman, Don't tell me that you cannot afford to pay for more personnel, 🤬

Leila Monteiro

This hotel is simply amazing! I had the most wonderful experience from start to finish. Everything was perfect – the beautiful design, the relaxing atmosphere, the stunning views, and the incredibly kind and attentive staff. The food was delicious, the pool was a dream, and every corner of the hotel felt like a little piece of paradise. I felt truly cared for and didn’t want to leave. Thank you for making my stay so special – I’ll definitely be back!

C. Laura

The biggest mistake we made booking this hotel! To be avoided at all cost! Totally not worth your money and your peace of mind! FACILITIES: the pool is absolutely freezing, felt like I'm in Alaska and I attempt to swim with an iceberg. I can't believe that for the money that everybody is paying they didn't manage to put a heating system in the pool. In our first day when we arrived when we switched on the AC it started leaking so bad in 5 min, that half the room was full of water. We went to the staff in the reception and told them about the issue, but surprise, when we came back yo the hotel after a whole day the issue still wasn't fixed. We went again to the reception and they told us they did called maintenance that morning, but clearly nobody followed up on the issue. After one hour I went again in the room and checked the AC again and the same problem, obviously everybody at this hotel works in NO STRESS! After going to the reception again, they told us the maintenance checked the room and there was no issue. When I asked which room they checked they answered 18, when we told them like 5 times our room no. is 16, it was like a bad joke the whole situation. Finally after all this ,they changed our room. The rooms are not cleaned well, the first days it seemed like nobody was ever moping the floor, the toilets don't have any windows and seems like it's always a bad smell coming from there. The staff at breakfast seemed totally lost and whenever we asked for something they were bringing us completely different things. First night we had dinner there, the food was good, but the portions extremely small. We were a group of 6 people, and 2 of them got a room exactly above the kitchen which was noisy all day and all night long , they didn't sleep all vacation properly! The pictures that they advertise on their website doesn't do justice at all to the reality, I guess this is also one of the reasons so many people fall in the trap of this hotel.

Jamie Raskin

First, the good... The staff here are very kind. Helpful, generous, caring. Especially Stephanie at reception. Very appreciated. The rooms were cleaned daily, to a reasonable level. The location. This is the last hotel on the beach. This suited us fine, but is important to know. We walked a lot of km to and from the town and its restaurants, as well as some of the best swimming parts of the beach. Separating the hotel from the main stretch of the town is a massive construction site. The hotel also has no swimmable beach in front, it's all broken shells, which is kind of interesting, but not for swimming. The pool is nice, however, so that's fine. The architecture of this place is crazy. Whoever designed it decided that, of the 40 or so rooms, only six or so would have balconies facing the sea, another six would have ground-level access facing the sea. Of the remaining rooms, ten or so are at ground level facing the pool, with people passing constantly in front, many others face the dirt road behind, and the "sea view" rooms on the second floor, all have a slanted roof, and a window design that allows for windows to be only about 50 cm tall, facing the sea. Not a place to sit in the room and see the sea. In all, of all the rooms, there are maybe 10 that would be pleasant to stay in. The insides of the rooms are decent, though considering that we got a "good deal" and paid just under 200 Euro/night, for a room not facing the sea, the value is very poor. Our room had a nice bathroom set up, and was spacious, but was over the kitchen, and we could hear some sort of washing or ventilating running consistently below. The toilet door had no handle and rested open, so to close the door you had to hold it shut with your foot. The bedside lamps had no switches. To turn them on you had to plug and unplug them, and they were both on the same cable, so it was both or nothing. The mattresses were sagging into the centre, meaning that when pushed together, the crack in the middle was annoying. The breakfast was okay. Decent enough. Sugary juice and low quality coffee. Nice people though. We skipped other meals as there were so many options in town. Overall, if you must have a place on the water, with a pool, this may be the cheapest you get in Santa Maria. However, I think you're better off sacrificing one or both or these features and getting a nicer waterfront place, or a place with a pool that's back a street or two. Also, it's clearly neither here nor there, but I think they misspelled Buddha. Budha is something quite different, and the place is rammed with Buddhas. We would look elsewhere.

Teodora Banu

The good, which is very little: Room was large. Pool area is nice, with sun chairs and umbrellas. The bad: Water inside the pool was extremely cold, you cannot really take advantage of it. They say the hotel has a beachfront. I imagined this means I get out of my 4* hotel and right on the beach, on a sunbed. But no, it's literally just next to the ocean and that's that. Next to the hotel, there are only shells and rocks, one cannot really enter the water safely and for sure cannot sunbathe and relax there. You have to walk for like a kilometer to reach the Santa Maria beach. They advise you to only eat at their hotel, as if the food on the island can cause you any damage. Food here is good, but portions are small and prices are high. We ate at many other restaurants on the island and food was greater, cheaper, larger portions. Room was the worst in my life. Storage space was very small. There was no door separating the bath from the room. The door separating the toilets from the room had no handler, so basically you could not close it. At most, could keep it close with your foot. At a 4* hotel. Pathetic. Room had no balcony, there was no place outside to hang your wet swimming suit, you could only hang it inside where it obviously didn't get dry as fast. View from the room is towards an unpaved road, opening the window was synonym to getting a lot of dust inside. But the cherry on top was that this great room we got, room number 1, was right on top of the kitchen. Thus it was a continuous loud noise from chairs, vents, cutlery, voices throughout the whole day and most of the night. Basically it was quiet between 12am and 6am, if one can call quiet that continuous vent noise which was less loud than the rest of the noises throughout the day. The receptionist does not speak or understand well english, or just didn't want to help. We asked to change rooms and the answer was there are no more rooms to switch. Even though it was clear people were coming in and out everyday.

Henk van den Oetelaar

This afternoon I went for lunch not being a guest of the hotel. First of all, excellent professional service....sushi very fresh and tasteful. The place is clean and close to the beach with comfy sofas and sunbeams. A place where they don't play very load music as every where on the island. It is place to relax where I for sure will come back.

t h

We had a wonderful time at this hotel at the end of Feb 25. It's difficult to find any faults with the hotel. The staff are so helpful and everyone smiles. Lovely gardens and pool. The beach bar is amazing and large. The location of the hotel is perfect just far enough away from Sants Maria to be quiet but 10min walk if you want to go into town.

N T

I had high expectations for Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort, but unfortunately, my experience was far from a 5-star stay. Despite reaching out multiple times via email for over four weeks, I have yet to receive a response, which only adds to my frustration. Health Concerns After dining at the hotel’s restaurant throughout our stay, I became seriously ill with vomiting and diarrhea on the evening of February 3rd. The illness lasted several days, leading to dehydration that required hospital treatment. Other members of my group experienced similar symptoms, making food poisoning a likely cause. This completely ruined the remainder of our holiday and even caused me to miss work after returning home. Poor Service & Unprofessional Staff Beyond the health issues, the service was disappointing: Check-in was slow, taking over 30 minutes. Payment confusion: A waiter wrongly accused us of not paying our bill, creating an unnecessary and embarrassing situation, despite the fact that we had already paid. Unfriendly staff: Both front desk and restaurant staff lacked hospitality and professionalism, which made our stay feel unwelcoming. We spent over 150,000 escudos in less than 48 hours, expecting a luxury experience, but the service and overall treatment didn’t reflect that at all. I was really hoping for a special stay, but instead, it was stressful and disappointing. Given my experience and the lack of response from management, I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to others.

Emma Solum Holst

Fresh rooms, very good breakfast and good food in the beach restaurant. Overall a very nice hotel but the best of everything was Darling, the nicest, most welcoming and best hotel employee I have ever met. She sees and recognises the hotel guests and makes everyone feel special and welcome. It's like meeting a sun every morning and you can't help but smile when you meet her!

Teemu Virtanen

Hilton is very nice resort to stay and enjoy the relaxed time. Beach is close with own restaurant where you can enjoy the food next to sea. Some small hickups but nothing major. Note that if you book a room for 2 adults and 2 kids, there is two beds both about 135cm wide. A little bit cozy feeling…

Ken K.

We are diamond members. Very nicely appointed and well built hotel. Beautiful grounds and pool area. Staff is friendly and caring. Food and Bev is pretty good. However housekeeping organization is pretty poor and some areas of the property is not well maintained. And hotel is further on strip from the town center.

Prem Gajree

Six hour flight to Sal and 20 minute bus ride to the hotel then 'no stress' for two weeks. Fabulous! Adult only hotel with lots of activities available if you want them and lovely pools to lie around if you don't. Brilliant.

Philip Gee

The hotel is great, food rooms and location are all perfect. Beach is fantastic. Just one downside for us as a couple, the pool areas are far too small for the size of the hotel and number of guests….hence they are too busy for our liking, so we spent most days on the beach….which is fine if you want beach everyday…..but a nice spacious and tranquil pool area would suit us better….but that’s not happening here!

Susan Loft

This hotel is ok in parts, adults only. Reception was ok although nobody told us where our room was had to find it ourselves. Our room was a deluxe seaview and it was nice, big and great view. Service was a little lacking leaving new towels. Fridge stocked every other day. Bar near reception was the best and staff here were friendly although ran out of mint for mojitos. Buffet room for all meals, well staff here need more training in service took ages to get a drink, had to chase them, food hit and miss and repetitive. Pizza wasn't even pizza it was bread with topping on. Breakfast was quite good better than the evening. There are restaurants you can book Italian which was ok but nothing flash, and Asian which turned out to be barbecue not Asian and the staff bad here especially the manager who was rude when asked for menu, nobody told us you had scan code or explain menu, the red wine was atrocious, my husband can drink most reds but said it was rank and smelt, not much entertainment but not too bothered. Pools really clean although cold and lunch bar really nice. Beach is lovely. This hotel is tired looking and needs some attention and the staff need serious training and food needs to improve

Harry Nolan

I will caveat this review firstly by mentioning we were struck with a sandstorm from the Sahara during most of our stay, which meant we weren’t able to take full advantage of the guaranteed sun of Cape Verde and relax. The sun was shining brightly as it always does, though there was such a thick cloud of sand that it felt much colder than it was and you couldn’t really feel the sun on you. We are a pretty chilled young couple, but that meant everything we would usually let go, became just a bit more annoying; and then everything piled on top of each other became really, really annoying. The service in the hotel is pretty appalling - 0 interaction, actively avoiding you until you have to politely wave a 3rd time and very forgetful staff. I completely appreciate this is a tiny island and I’m sure in general they haven’t received the ongoing training that you might expect from a Melia elsewhere, though general courtesy should be a minimum expectation. I also found it uncomfortable that the female entertainment staff seem made to dance in the late bar for hours on end every night to I assume to create an atmosphere. We like a drink and a dance, but the music in there does not need to be turned to full volume immediately as you open for the evening, makes for difficulty hearing one another even when sitting outside. This has to be the worst all inclusive selection I’ve personally encountered too, very strict restrictions on menu choices, bottom shelf alcohol (Brand is called 7&7, who barely come up on Google until you research further that they are a white labelled catering alcohol). They display all the premium spirits, though these require an upgrade that costs €100 extra per day. When dining in the a la carte restaurants, I was told I could have only 1 side with my steak, meaning I had to choose between mash or vegetables… The room itself is not bad aesthetically, but it is not 5*. The water completely turned off one morning and when it resumed hours later it came out brown for a long while. The shower constantly flooded the whole bathroom and the WiFi in the room is super slow. Having stayed at other places in Cape Verde this is not an island problem, it’s been perfectly fast enough everywhere else. There are also roaches everywhere; they’re not cockroaches, but it’s still gives you a bit of a fright when they run out from the bush towards your door as you’re opening it. Food selection is quite good in the main buffet room, the omelette station is a nice touch for the hotel’s size and generally everything we ate was perfectly fine; though we had previously had food poisoning in Cape Verde (it is totally rife on the island if you haven’t been before) so we were checking everything multiple times, this did mean we found uncooked pork and chicken on a couple of occasions so be very wary. A few people around us we heard had come down with food poisoning. Overall really disappointed and has put us off coming back to Cape Verde again.

Michał Biedzki

Generally speaking it is a nice hotel. Spacious modern rooms. Nice swimming pools and the beach. On big plus: people who work there. They are very friendly yet very polite. The main problem is quality of food. I understand that it is located on a desert island, but with products that they have they could do much better job. Two soups for lunch and dinner. Both are based on the same broth and suspiciously some items from previous day buffet land in them. Weak salads, pasta, meat. Even fish, assuming that it was taken locally is not very good. To setup jacuzzi which we had on our terrace it took 3 visits of technicians to finally made it all right. The most surprising are the shortages of towels. In room sometimes they would deliver them only in the late afternoon. On swimming pools you could only replace them till noon and then they were gone. Interestingly in the main restaurant they did not have enough little spoons or cups. Summarizing: do not expect 5 star service. By the way: all-inclusive drinks are very basic. They try you to buy extra service for that for 50EUR per day :-)

Timo Oikarinen

Nice atmosphere, relaxed and happy for customers and workers it seemed. Italian owned and italian spoken performances slightly reduced tve experiences from shows they had. Quiet location for good night sleep8 but not too far away from city centre. Excellent food! Never seen that much of offering when coming to welcoming party. Unforgettable. Bungalows were ols and soon to be demolished. Thanks again, like to see your new hotel someday in the future.

T. S

I spend one week in this beautiful resort near to Santa Maria. The bungalow are a bit old but working. The nature is majestic, and the sea near to the resort with a little walking. The entertainers (international) are just adorable. The swimming pool is pretty big and with many spots. One more point go to the food service: many choises and all good. Santa Maria is near to the place with a 15 minutes walking (by the beach or outside the resort, or 5 minutes with the taxi). Here what I suggest: maybe add a rope bridge to go in the sea; more kindess by the receptionist; the Wifi is slow and is working just in some areas, for example in my room doesn't work. After the renovation keep the nature and the plants! The palms, the gardens and the flowers are simply beautiful. Anyway, I really enjoyed staying here!

marco giorgini

Structure very old but still with a charme. Will be rebuilt shortly. Staff is amazing and the real asset of the resort. Food is hors class.

Meric Apak

Visited Villa do Farol Resort in January 24 for 7 nights. Excellent service, polite staff, gorgeous food. We liked it so much that we want to revisit again in February 25 for 10 nights but cannot find availability. Hope not shutting down! 😔

Craig Stuart

Hard to pin this place down I booked a bungalow, but all the rooms look the same, and look like chalets from a 90s caravan park. But that shouldn't put you off, rooms are just somewhere to dump you stuff and sleep. Which I never had any problems with. Power did cut out in the rooms for a couple days, but has been OK the last few days. Food - the food here was great, although was sometimes cold. Pizza, pasta crepes beef pork and lots of fruit and veg Entertainment- daytime was good, although had to walk over to find out about when things were starting rather than anyone coming around saying would you like to play x y or z Evening entertainment, started about 2230, which seemed late and the one time I did go I walked out after 15mins as it was poor, but maybe I just picked an odd night Location is not very good, can walk 30mins either way and you're still nowhere near anything special. It is close to the beach which was nice Reception was always helpful I'd recommend this place if you like laying by the pool or on the beach, not really a good base of operation if you want to go off exploring. They do have a kids club, but if your kids wouldn't want to spend all day in the pool, there's not much else here for them. Language- this hotel is visited by mostly Italians and French, the staff do speak English unlike what other reviews have said. However, there will only be a few brits here and if you're sociable then that might make things hard Nice hotel, if you've booked it don't worry it's a good place to visit and you won't be disappointed.

Linn Gabrielsen

YES, absolutely yes. Best hotel we stayed in Santa Maria. Good service, they make every guest feel special and important. The hotel are clean and comfortable. Looks luxurious with beautiful details and charm. Good bar, restaurant and brilliant breakfast. Definitely coming back here! Also the Morabeza beach club- BEST in Santa Maria by far!

corinna dickerhof

We're currently at the Morabeza, a simple little hotel with a lovely beach club. I'm extremely annoyed, however, that the beach loungers are free only for guests who have booked half or full board. We, with overnight accommodation and breakfast, have to pay. This is a disgrace and unfair, because I also paid for the vacation.

Oona Haapakorpi

This is the oldest hotel in Santa Maria and has an old classic feel to it, a wonderful setting right near the harbor. The service is excellent 👍. We didn't stay there ourselves, but we went to eat at their finedine restaurant. It was located on the second floor overlooking the swimming pool and the Santa Maria harbor/sea.

Victoria Hutcheson

Stayed here for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year. Fantastic location and setting right beside the ocean and minutes away from the town of Santa Maria. Staff, friendly and helpful. Big shout out to Denilston and his team in La Tortue bar/restaurant who were very welcoming, attentive and professional. Our room did need a refresh but it was cleaned daily and the ocean view made up for the basic decor. We enjoyed the beach bar daily and the food was great there too. The treatments in the spa were also excellent. We chose the Morabeza because it was a family owned boutique hotel and we are so glad. The staff made the festive period so magical and a great effort was made with the gala dinners and fireworks. We had the best time. Thank you so much for a fabulous ,memorable time. Highly recommend this hotel and will certainly return again.

Marie

First time I stayed at this hotel on Sal. It was a quiet period but that was quite nice actually... There was NO scramble for sunbeds 🙌🏼 not a single bed reserved 🙌🏼. There was a slight issue with my room when I first arrived, but that was sorted out straight away and I was happy with that. My room was spacious with a massive shower. Comfortable pillows. There are activities to get involved in along with an on site massage service, which was great. The staff in the hotel, at the bars and the cleaners, gardeners and security were all fantastic, so hardworking and really friendly. The hotel is right next to the beach and the hotel has it's own area on the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here and I'm sure I'll return. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend. Thank you Hotel Morabeza P.S. There are obviously locals trying to sell items to make money, if you don't want to purchase anything, just an understanding of their situation, a polite no and a smile is all that's needed. ☺️

Andrew Samson

If we were to pay, say £500 less, and they called it a 3-Star Hotel it would have met my partner's and my expectations. It is definitely not a 4-Star, and it is overpriced: Customer Service - best we had was a pleasant welcome and helpful lady on reception. The staff around the pool bar, breakfast/dinner areas do not seem bothered at all with being there or creating positive guest experience. We had better customer service across different bars, restaurants and locations on our trip, so we don't believe it was a cultural difference, just poor customer service. Food - If you're happy with "school dinner" quality and a lack of choice, you'll be ok. We're glad we weren't all-inclusive. Eating out was definitely the right choice here. Hotel / Room - incredibly basic. Uncomfortable beds, door handles missing, sink plug not connected and getting stuck. Feels like a poor construction job. Oh and we were lucky enough to have a chronic smoker next door stinking out the whole floor. 🙄 We had a fantastic time in Cape Verde, unfortunately this hotel did not add to the experience at all. An honest review we hope gets listened too and to advise others.

Barry Gamson

The hotel is a good value basic hotel not 4 star. Customer service and welcome is minimum. The beaches are great. It is not a place to come if you want to see and do a lot. The food is OK but not something to look forward too

Jeroen Nollet

I had a terrible experience with this hotel. I had to make a change to my reservation and contacted the booking department. They were unresponsive for several days and only responded to me when my reservation had begun already, telling me they had charged the full amount due to a no-show. Clearly there was no interest to help me as a customer; they just wanted to take my money. Be careful!

hing wong

Not a 4 star hotel by any measure except price. First they didn't have the right number of beds even though they were expecting three guests Then there was no Wi-Fi, you had to ask for a router Then we couldn't get any towels. We went back multiple times after they kept on saying they were waiting for the laundry to be delivered. Other guests that we spoke to said that they couldn't get any towels for 3 days and waiting. Had to ask for the controller to the aircon to be given to us and it took them almost 2 hours to deliver it to our room. The cafe and restaurants were very rudimentary. If I had paid for a two-star hotel I would be getting better than this. Awful.

Jeannine Olivier

Pool area clean. Service is very slow. 1 hr wait for 1 chips and a sandwich. So order early. 8 euros for a baileys. 220 for a can of ice tea. Rooms large. Clean. Not on ground floor better. Cactus block F Few large 🪳 🪳! Lower level at night. Supe market convenient. Icecream and coffee shop on site. Site huge. Free shuttle every now and again to Santa Maria and Prai Preta with beach bar and free sun beds.

Julia Lofts

Melia Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa – 1 Star Avoid if you value your health. My husband and I both fell violently ill with food poisoning just three days into our stay at Melia Tortuga. We had dinner at the La Cabana restaurant (part of the resort) and within hours were suffering from severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. We had to seek emergency medical treatment, including IV fluids from the resort medical centre. The hygiene standards at the resort were noticeably poor — food sitting out for long periods, staff touching ice and utensils with bare hands, and questionable cleanliness overall. After speaking with others, it became clear this isn’t an isolated issue — multiple guests reported similar symptoms, and there are entire Facebook groups discussing this ongoing problem at this resort. We lost several days of our holiday recovering and had to pay hundreds in medical costs despite being on an all-inclusive package. TUI refuses to accept any responsibility or offer any compensation, hiding behind a technicality that we didn’t get stool samples taken immediately (something that the resort’s own medical staff never advised us to do). This place looks lovely in photos, but behind the scenes, it’s a public health issue waiting to happen. Avoid.

Daniel Wahlqvist

Unhygienic nasty place. Definitely not 5 star, more like 2. The sheets hadn't been changed in five days (the bed was just made with the dirty linen) and the pillows were smelly. I had to ask three (3!) times today, twice to the manager, eventually I got upset and then finally at 8.30PM I got clean sheets. Additionally, the room was not ready on my day of arrival at 5PM, I was told to wait 30 minutes and when I came back it was still not ready. They charged 6000 (~60$/€) for a 25 min spa treatment that was supposed to last 40 minutes, which feels like a scam. The staff smiles and looks friendly but they either don't care or don't know what acceptable service is. Avoid this place. Last year I went to Boa Vista and stayed at Riu which is much better in all ways.

gibs be

Spent 2 weeks here and had a really relaxing and enjoyable time. Rooms are spacious and clean. Food is good and varied with a choice between restaurant and buffet dining. The beach is clean, close to the bar and restaurant and good choice of beds. Footy fanatics are covered with all major Europe leagues plus champions league covered by the channels available in room. High recommended.

Natalie Lawson

I agree, this hotel is not a 5* experience. Staff are hit and miss with their approach. A few are friendly but most are just transactional and grumpy. I had to say something when one bar lady greeted me with ‘yes?’, no smile or hello. I think some personalities should stay away from customer-facing environments! Food was ok with a good selection. I did see a cockroach in the food hall and stamped on it! I know with hot countries, it’s normal for them to be around and could have been an isolated incident but crawling towards the open buffet was a bit yuk. Rooms are ok. Both our shower heads were broken and flopped towards the wall. Sheets are made, not changed, even when they are noticeably dirty/have marks. Be careful with your belongings, either the staff or the guests are light-fingered. A German chap had his mobile phone stolen by the pool, only to track it going to the neighbouring hotels and ended up in the North of the island. I don’t want to speculate but it did seem like local intel. We had a bag stolen, luckily, nothing of value in it. Also, be careful of scams when you visit Santa Maria. The locals know the bands you have to wear from the hotel and approach you shortly after disembarking from the coach. They will engage in a convo with you saying they served you at the hotel, gain confidence, then take you to ‘my mother’s shop’ … there you will be given a small gift to then be coerced into buying something bigger from the shop.

Anne Jones

Entertainment is self servicing, it should trying to get everyone up dancing and enjoying their holiday instead they are jamming their own music, the best night there was a power cut and they put a cd on! Everyone was walking out! They entertainment is for them and not the holiday makers! We want to dance please! No rhythm no beat no music! Boring! Let's dance please!