PortoBay Santa Maria - Adults Only

Staff were great. Breakfast was good. Loved the rooftop terrace. Get a sea view room as it’s so good to enjoy sunshine all day and watch the cruise ships sailing in and out. The location of the hotel is the best. Right on the waterfront and the restaurants in the old town are on your doorstep so why the 4* review? The outdoor swimming pool isn’t the best. Small, quite shallow and cold and only 1 small beach towel a day. Once you’ve had a swim you’re left with a very wet towel. Having said that I’d happily go back again.

Schönes und nicht zu großes Hotel direkt in der Zona Velha und am Meer gelegen. Man sitzt auf dem Balkon quasi direkt am Meer und man geht nur 100 m zu Dutzenden von Resturants und Bars. Es gibt eine Tiefgarage, Pool und Dachterasse mit Jacuzzi. Das Frühstück ist gut und vielfältig. Das Personal flott und freundlich. Unser Zimmer hatte auch eine kleine Küchenzeile, von der wir vor allem den Kühlschrank genutzt haben. Spa, Indoor Pool und Sporteinrichtungen haben wir nicht benutzt, da wir jeden Tag gewandert sind. Das Publikum besteht vor allem aus (britischen) Rentnern. Da kamen wir uns auf einmal jung vor ;-) Wir hatten nur einmal Abendessen im Hotel, das zwar vielfältig, aber nicht überwältigend war. Kleine Kritikpunkte: wenn man wieder ins Zimmer kommt und die Karte einsteckt, plärrt der Fernseher los und die Klimaanlage geht an => nervig // ein "Brummkaffee" zum Frühstück wäre schön

Recommendation do not stay on the side with room numbers 151,152,153,154 etc all floors it’s noisy and the view is well - trees super close. In face 150,151,152,153 should be heavily discounted - as there are noice from a bar across the street. Hotel start to show signs of wear and tear. Breakfast great, waiters great and good service. Gym outright poor bo near the class it should be - 1 treadmill limited weights - up to 10 kg. Indoor pool great out door ok - outdoor area a bit so so / out door bar/dinning ok. Bar inside ok lots at different drinks - the bar personal with a good sense of humor. Checkin super slow - check out super fast. Location great if you want to be close and are not walking well - if you - take Eden Mar instead mich better in most categories

This was our ninth visit to Hotel Porto Santa Maria and as usual it did not disappoint. The staff are so welcoming and friendly. As usual, nothing's ever to much for them and it's refreshing to see the same faces all around the hotel. We find it a peaceful haven. The cleanliness is excellent. We usually only have breakfast which is substantial and varied. Happy hour is a bonus and we enjoy working our way through the fab cocktail menu. Situated, towards the end of the promenade and in the old town, it's surrounded by many good restaurants, for those who don't want to take advantage of the dinner package provided by the hotel. It's also very convenient for the cable car, fruit and flower market and the cathedral. The pool area leads directly onto the prom and there is a raised area, for a leisurely lunch whilst watching the cruise ships berthing. The Porto Santa Maria also has an indoor pool, spa, where you can have a beauty treatment and a gym. WE cant wait to return, at the end of November, for the Christmas lights turn on!

nous avons passés un très bon séjour dans ce très bel hotel idéalement placé à Funchal accès direct privé à la promenade décorations de noel magnifiques : la chambre était spacieuse et calme , le personnel efficace et professionnel le petit déjeuner copieux et excellent le plus, la piscine intérieure chauffée

Very friendly welcome and was also upgraded to a superior sea view room, which was clean and well-equipped, with a kitchen. Location was perfect at the quiet end of the front and close to the cable car station to Monte. Car parking in the basement was very handy and leaving it there after checkout was no problem. Breakfast was very pleasant and we also had a drink in the Captain’s bar outside later, again excellent service and a nice ambience. Would definitely book here again if we were staying over in Funchal.

Would recommend this hotel with helpful friendly staff. Only reason for 4 stars was a little slow in buffet restaurant. Food very good for buffet, clean hotel and great location. Entertainment every evening in a relaxed atmosphere. Spa and pool are good as well.

Nice upscale hotel directly between the promenade and old town. Two big pools, one inside and one outside. The location is great. A very short walk to downtown Funchal or old town. The hotel has a parking garage located in the basement of the hotel. Overall a very nice hotel.

Everything was perfect; our room was spacious, sea facing with balcony and kitchenette. The staff, particularly André, were friendly, helpful and nothing was too much trouble. We felt very spoilt. The hotel and gardens are beautifully maintained with an indoor spa, an outdoor pool and 3 hot tubs including one on the roof. Although full the hotel never felt overcrowded and we always got a sun bed. The food was very good esp the breakfasts. Happy hour on the bar’s balcony was lovely for sundowners. Great live music in the bar in the evenings. We’ll definitely return.

Fantastic location. Beautiful hotel with wonderful amenities and great sea views. Enjoyed both indoor and outdoor pools. Great service and lovely restaurant as well.

This is a lovely hotel in a great location. The cliental of this hotel is adults only and in the main they were of the older generation; with a very calm atmosphere. Hotel is very clean and the rooms have plenty of essential facilities (small kitchenette was a bonus). Found it somewhat disappointing that the hotel would not replenish the coffee sachets saying this was only done for Platinum clients! Local transportation facilities are positioned within a close walk so you can jump on a bus, get a taxi or use the cable car and explore all the exciting attractions that Madeira has to offer. Breakfast at the hotel was excellent, buffet style; serve yourself with a vast selection to choose from. It was nice to see (during the breakfast hours) the outdoor space was patrolled by a man with a bird of prey keeping any annoying pigeons at bay. Although we never ate in the restaurant because we didn’t pay for this in our package we did sample food on one occasion and were very impressed. Cocktails from the bar are also excellent and if you get there in time for happy hour, you can get them for half price! The outdoor areas have lots offer, sun lounges galore, 2 swimming pools, both indoor and outdoor (indoor one is largest), jacuzzi’s and a more private rooftop area. The spa which is under the hotel is also excellent. We both sampled a full back massage we are pleased to report was top class. All in all a very good quality hotel and one we would be please to come back to.

Schone en mooie kamer met prachtig uitzicht

This was our ninth visit to Hotel Porto Santa Maria and as usual it did not disappoint. The staff are so welcoming and friendly. As usual, nothing's ever to much for them and it's refreshing to see the same faces all around the hotel. We find it a peaceful haven. The cleanliness is excellent. We usually only have breakfast which is substantial and varied. Happy hour is a bonus and we enjoy working our way through the fab cocktail menu. Situated, towards the end of the promenade and in the old town, it's surrounded by many good restaurants, for those who don't want to take advantage of the dinner package provided by the hotel. It's also very convenient for the cable car, fruit and flower market and the cathedral. The pool area leads directly onto the prom and there is a raised area, for a leisurely lunch whilst watching the cruise ships berthing. The Porto Santa Maria also has an indoor pool, spa, where you can have a beauty treatment and a gym. WE cant wait to return, at the end of November, for the Christmas lights turn on!

Superb hotel in a great location. Very clean bedrooms and all areas of the hotel. The breakfast was brilliant, with lots of choice. But the best thing to me are the staff, who are all VERY helpful and cheerful. You can have a lovely building, rooms, food etc, but if the staff aren't pleasant then it's not good. I have to say ALL the staff members i met were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. VERY LOVELY HOTEL.

Lovely hotel, clean. Good location within walking distance of town. Close to the old town where there are lots of good restaurants less than 5minutes away Staff friendly but service at Happy Hour was a little slow - due to not quite enough staff Our room on the ground floor was close to the pool pump room and quite noisy from 7am

Absolut top. Zentraler in Funchal geht es nicht. Sehr ruhig. Eigenes kostenfreies Parkhaus. Geschäfte, Restaurants direkt nebenan, ebenso Meerpromenade. Sauberes funktionales Zimmer. Sehr gutes Frühstück. Empfehlenswert!

We wouldn't hesitate to come back to the hotel, it is super-clean and tidy and the staff are all so polite and helpful, it's a wonderful place to stay! The location is excellent, 2 mins walk from the cable car, right next to the old town and lots of restaurants. Also only 20 mins or so from the airport, it's perfect! So why only 4 stars rather than 5? It's the poor quality of the evening meals which were not up to expectation for the high prices being charged. It felt like the hotel is up to date on everything else (and again I will say that everything else was stunning!), but the evening meals are like going back to the 1970's. For example, the Italian-themed dinner cost €34 per head (before drinks). We expected a high quality meal, but the only manned food station was a guy who roughly warmed the pasta for you for just 20-30 seconds before dumping it on your plate. Everything else was buffet style and this made it such a disappointment. It could have been presented so much better. The pasta sauces were in hot trays to spoon out yourself and the quality of these was not great, quite bland. The BBQ night was €38 per head. Again, high expectations (given the price!) were let down with just 1 chef cooking on 1 solitary BBQ, no nice presentation at all when you consider the price at just under €40 per head. So the evening food is, in our opinion, very expensive vs local restaurants and not as good quality either. Fix that and you have a totally perfect hotel!

Very friendly welcome and was also upgraded to a superior sea view room, which was clean and well-equipped, with a kitchen. Location was perfect at the quiet end of the front and close to the cable car station to Monte. Car parking in the basement was very handy and leaving it there after checkout was no problem. Breakfast was very pleasant and we also had a drink in the Captain’s bar outside later, again excellent service and a nice ambience. Would definitely book here again if we were staying over in Funchal.

Fantastic hotel with friendly staff, spotlessly clean and right on the sea front

The hotel is right on the water. Its beautiful and clean. The pool and lounge area is clean and set up very well. Breakfast was wonderful. Everyone on staff was helpful and friendly. Excellent hotel!!

Great position near the Old Town, very easy walk to lots of good restaurants. Spacious room with sea view

Leider wurden wir in einem Zimmer EG untergebracht in dem die ganze Nacht eine Lüftung zu hören war. Wir sprachen dies nach dem einchecken an- uns wurde mitgeteilt das die Geräusche nachts aufhören- dies war nicht der Fall!

Had a lovely week stay here. The hotel is lovely, we had a mini suite which had a lounge, bedroom and very large balcony with partial sea view. Breakfast is great lots of choice and all fresh. The best thing is the location, on the flat right in the old town, walking distance to nearly everything.

Very friendly welcome and was also upgraded to a superior sea view room, which was clean and well-equipped, with a kitchen. Location was perfect at the quiet end of the front and close to the cable car station to Monte. Car parking in the basement was very handy and leaving it there after checkout was no problem. Breakfast was very pleasant and we also had a drink in the Captain’s bar outside later, again excellent service and a nice ambience. Would definitely book here again if we were staying over in Funchal.

This is a comfortable hotel, close to the sea (20 meters), with a good, traditional atmosphere. Adults only. Good restaurant and bar. Two pools, indoor and garden. Garden bar with meal service too. Entertainment every night. Right next to Old Town restaurants and bars. Walking distance to everything. Well equipped rooms, with fridge and dishes. We visited in the middle of Winter, with 12-14 degrees outside, and since AC did not have heater, we were cold at night. As the days became warmer, so did we...

Overall, it was a good stay. The air conditioning wasn’t the best. It was loud, wasn’t cooling the room enough and it took a long time to get the room to a cool enough temperature to make it easy to sleep. The staff also turned off the AC after they cleaned our room, so it was a daily challenge to get the room cool enough. The shower in our room wasn’t mixing cold and hot water well. While showering you would get alternating cycles of hot and cold water. The front desk staff were welcoming. Breakfast was very good

A great location. Spacious rooms. Disappointed that our seaview room had a wall instead of an iron balcony so could only see the sea if standing up. Should be sold as a partial seaview room and not charged at the full seaview rate. Lovely clean property.

Das Hotel ist sehr guenstig gelegen mit direktem Zugang zum Kiesstrand vor dem Hotel. Alles ist von dort aus fusslaeufig bequem zu erreichen. Wenn man in der Stadt bleiben will, braucht man keinen Mietwagen. Aber folgende Zimmer sind zu vermeiden: Nr. 18, 19, 20. Die haben zwar einen schoenen Blick direkt aufs Wasser, aber sind nachts wegen der davorliegenden Generatoren fuer die Anlage sehr laut. Wir bekamen am naechsten Tag ein anderes Zimmer Nr. 156, das direkt zu einem Park hinaussieht. Dort treibt sich komisches Volk herum. Die Gaeste in den danebenliegenden Restaurants sind nachts sehr laut. Aber normalerweise ab Mitternacht herrscht Ruhe. Man sollte besser ein Zimmer buchen das aufs Wasser ausgerichtet ist, aber nicht die Nr. 18 - 20. Das Fruehstueck war excellent.

Most outstading property right on the ocean. Impeccably managed and maintained. Meals at hotel were fabulous and good value. This was a gem in the paradise of Madeira. Our room came with a lovely small kitchen, a balcony and every comfort. Clean, beautiful, peaceful and supremely comfortable. I regret having to leave. Best hotel value I have experienced.

Very mature clientele in this adult only property. Beautiful ocean front view from our room. Responsive front desk. Rooms were carpeted in main area. Breakfast buffet good selection with slight changes in offerings daily. Steps from the old town - more touristy area so depends what you like.

The staff from reception to dining and bar service to room cleaning were exceptional. World class well done!

Recommendation do not stay on the side with room numbers 151,152,153,154 etc all floors it’s noisy and the view is well - trees super close. In face 150,151,152,153 should be heavily discounted - as there are noice from a bar across the street. Hotel start to show signs of wear and tear. Breakfast great, waiters great and good service. Gym outright poor bo near the class it should be - 1 treadmill limited weights - up to 10 kg. Indoor pool great out door ok - outdoor area a bit so so / out door bar/dinning ok. Bar inside ok lots at different drinks - the bar personal with a good sense of humor. Checkin super slow - check out super fast. Location great if you want to be close and are not walking well - if you - take Eden Mar instead mich better in most categories

Superb hotel in a great location. Very clean bedrooms and all areas of the hotel. The breakfast was brilliant, with lots of choice. But the best thing to me are the staff, who are all VERY helpful and cheerful. You can have a lovely building, rooms, food etc, but if the staff aren't pleasant then it's not good. I have to say ALL the staff members i met were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. VERY LOVELY HOTEL.

Lovely hotel, clean. Good location within walking distance of town. Close to the old town where there are lots of good restaurants less than 5minutes away Staff friendly but service at Happy Hour was a little slow - due to not quite enough staff Our room on the ground floor was close to the pool pump room and quite noisy from 7am

Very friendly welcome and was also upgraded to a superior sea view room, which was clean and well-equipped, with a kitchen. Location was perfect at the quiet end of the front and close to the cable car station to Monte. Car parking in the basement was very handy and leaving it there after checkout was no problem. Breakfast was very pleasant and we also had a drink in the Captain’s bar outside later, again excellent service and a nice ambience. Would definitely book here again if we were staying over in Funchal.

Hotel was great and the staff was amazing! The front desk helped me rebook a tour when mine was cancelled at the last minute, and a woman working in the dining area overhead that it was my birthday and had champagne to the room! Really enjoyed our stay

Would recommend this hotel with helpful friendly staff. Only reason for 4 stars was a little slow in buffet restaurant. Food very good for buffet, clean hotel and great location. Entertainment every evening in a relaxed atmosphere. Spa and pool are good as well.

Great location in the heart of Old Town. Super convenient. Very mixed experience with staff - some we just simply rude. Majority were unfriendly. It is also worth noting, we're in our mid 50's and we seemed to easily be the youngest guests there by a couple of decades! No disrespect intended but we literally felt we were staying in a senior care home. Adults only is great but this was on another level! The hotel is also very dated internally and they need to invest in bringing it in to C21st! We wouldnt stay again.

We stay at the Porto Bay twice a year and the breakfasts have never let the hotel down. Plenty of hot and cold choices including pastries and various fresh fruits. The stafff are wonderful. They're so attentive a you can linger as long as you want, over ample cups of coffee

Staff were so wonderfully helpful.

I loved the location, close to the Botanical Garden cable car and numerous restaurants, the pool area is lovely too

Great location with view of cruise ship harbour, friendly and very helpful staff. Best of Funchal within walking distance. kitchenette facilities in studio room. Loved everything about it.

Sehr zentral gelegen. Innenstadt, Seilbahn usw. innerhalb weniger Minuten fußläufig zu erreichen. Gute Aussicht an der Seeseite zum Hafen. Außenbereich sehr großzügig mit Bewirtung, Sitz- und Liegemöglichkeit am Außenpool.

Great location and and in spite of being centrally located, very quiet and nice.

We wouldn't hesitate to come back to the hotel, it is super-clean and tidy and the staff are all so polite and helpful, it's a wonderful place to stay! The location is excellent, 2 mins walk from the cable car, right next to the old town and lots of restaurants. Also only 20 mins or so from the airport, it's perfect! So why only 4 stars rather than 5? It's the poor quality of the evening meals which were not up to expectation for the high prices being charged. It felt like the hotel is up to date on everything else (and again I will say that everything else was stunning!), but the evening meals are like going back to the 1970's. For example, the Italian-themed dinner cost €34 per head (before drinks). We expected a high quality meal, but the only manned food station was a guy who roughly warmed the pasta for you for just 20-30 seconds before dumping it on your plate. Everything else was buffet style and this made it such a disappointment. It could have been presented so much better. The pasta sauces were in hot trays to spoon out yourself and the quality of these was not great, quite bland. The BBQ night was €38 per head. Again, high expectations (given the price!) were let down with just 1 chef cooking on 1 solitary BBQ, no nice presentation at all when you consider the price at just under €40 per head. So the evening food is, in our opinion, very expensive vs local restaurants and not as good quality either. Fix that and you have a totally perfect hotel!

Very friendly welcome and was also upgraded to a superior sea view room, which was clean and well-equipped, with a kitchen. Location was perfect at the quiet end of the front and close to the cable car station to Monte. Car parking in the basement was very handy and leaving it there after checkout was no problem. Breakfast was very pleasant and we also had a drink in the Captain’s bar outside later, again excellent service and a nice ambience. Would definitely book here again if we were staying over in Funchal.

L’hôtel est situé dans la vieille ville, sur la mer, à proximité d’innombrables restaurants et à distance de marche des sites intéressants de la ville. Ce n’est pas l’hôtel le plus moderne mais c’est le mieux situé. Les installations sont très propres et confortables, le personnel est aimable et serviable, que ce soit le gérant M.de Sousa, les femmes de ménage, les préposés à la réception, les serveurs, les barmen, tous ont été d’une grande gentillesse. Le petit déjeuner buffet est copieux et les produits sont bons. C’est un hôtel parfait pour des vacances et nous y retournerons avec plaisir.

The breakfast was a great start to the day,a great variety of fruits & cooked food for everyone.The location was perfect,very close to shops transport & restaurants.I would recommend it, a great place to stay at.

Nice upscale hotel directly between the promenade and old town. Two big pools, one inside and one outside. The location is great. A very short walk to downtown Funchal or old town. The hotel has a parking garage located in the basement of the hotel. Overall a very nice hotel.

Great, great location no one can beat…next to the park, so close to the Market, restaurants, the ropeway to the Monte and right in the center.

This is a lovely hotel in a great location. The cliental of this hotel is adults only and in the main they were of the older generation; with a very calm atmosphere. Hotel is very clean and the rooms have plenty of essential facilities (small kitchenette was a bonus). Found it somewhat disappointing that the hotel would not replenish the coffee sachets saying this was only done for Platinum clients! Local transportation facilities are positioned within a close walk so you can jump on a bus, get a taxi or use the cable car and explore all the exciting attractions that Madeira has to offer. Breakfast at the hotel was excellent, buffet style; serve yourself with a vast selection to choose from. It was nice to see (during the breakfast hours) the outdoor space was patrolled by a man with a bird of prey keeping any annoying pigeons at bay. Although we never ate in the restaurant because we didn’t pay for this in our package we did sample food on one occasion and were very impressed. Cocktails from the bar are also excellent and if you get there in time for happy hour, you can get them for half price! The outdoor areas have lots offer, sun lounges galore, 2 swimming pools, both indoor and outdoor (indoor one is largest), jacuzzi’s and a more private rooftop area. The spa which is under the hotel is also excellent. We both sampled a full back massage we are pleased to report was top class. All in all a very good quality hotel and one we would be please to come back to.

Manglende variation i morgenmaden, meget kedelig, dårlig kaffe.

We wouldn't hesitate to come back to the hotel, it is super-clean and tidy and the staff are all so polite and helpful, it's a wonderful place to stay! The location is excellent, 2 mins walk from the cable car, right next to the old town and lots of restaurants. Also only 20 mins or so from the airport, it's perfect! So why only 4 stars rather than 5? It's the poor quality of the evening meals which were not up to expectation for the high prices being charged. It felt like the hotel is up to date on everything else (and again I will say that everything else was stunning!), but the evening meals are like going back to the 1970's. For example, the Italian-themed dinner cost €34 per head (before drinks). We expected a high quality meal, but the only manned food station was a guy who roughly warmed the pasta for you for just 20-30 seconds before dumping it on your plate. Everything else was buffet style and this made it such a disappointment. It could have been presented so much better. The pasta sauces were in hot trays to spoon out yourself and the quality of these was not great, quite bland. The BBQ night was €38 per head. Again, high expectations (given the price!) were let down with just 1 chef cooking on 1 solitary BBQ, no nice presentation at all when you consider the price at just under €40 per head. So the evening food is, in our opinion, very expensive vs local restaurants and not as good quality either. Fix that and you have a totally perfect hotel!

Very friendly welcome and was also upgraded to a superior sea view room, which was clean and well-equipped, with a kitchen. Location was perfect at the quiet end of the front and close to the cable car station to Monte. Car parking in the basement was very handy and leaving it there after checkout was no problem. Breakfast was very pleasant and we also had a drink in the Captain’s bar outside later, again excellent service and a nice ambience. Would definitely book here again if we were staying over in Funchal.

Fantastic location, close to old town restaurants and easy access to boardwalk, which gets you to the marina and beyond. Excellent service. Large breakfast offering. And in the summer months, enjoyable evening entertainment.

Great location and facilities. We were there for New year, the gala dinner was excellent , the staff went above and beyond to entertain the guests. I would definitely recommend hotel for older or infirm as they seemed very well catered for. The only thing I could fault was the breakfast juice from a machine was awful, more like squash.

The breakfast was excellent so many options to choose from. We ate in the restaurant a few nights for dinner once again amazing choice and quality of food served. All of the staff were attentive and very pleasant. Would most definitely recommend this as a destination.

We stay at the Porto Bay twice a year and the breakfasts have never let the hotel down. Plenty of hot and cold choices including pastries and various fresh fruits. The stafff are wonderful. They're so attentive a you can linger as long as you want, over ample cups of coffee

Most outstading property right on the ocean. Impeccably managed and maintained. Meals at hotel were fabulous and good value. This was a gem in the paradise of Madeira. Our room came with a lovely small kitchen, a balcony and every comfort. Clean, beautiful, peaceful and supremely comfortable. I regret having to leave. Best hotel value I have experienced.

Great old town location, really handy for all bus services, and some really good restaurants and bars within walking distance. Buildings and gardens were well maintained. Lovely swimming pools inside and out. Our side seaview room (246) was well located - quiet, high floor and with views over the pool and gardens. Avoid the side seaview rooms facing west over the park - shifty characters up to no good. It’s a high-risk strategy to go for a side view in case you get allocated one of these. What really let it down was the quality of the food at breakfast. My rule of thumb for assessing the quality of a hotel is the quality of the orange juice and it failed miserably -never seen a real orange. It was horrible. We were asked for our feedback after a few days and reported this plus other food issues. The response of the duty manager was "you are not the first to complain about it. If you want proper orange juice then you'll have to pay extra for it". Fresh fruit was plentiful, also good selection of breads and pastries. However, cheeses and meats were almost 100% all ultra processed types - a very disappointing poor-quality range. We got the impression that costs were being too tightly controlled resulting in a breakfast that failed to match our expectations for a 4* hotel. Strangely, there was sparkling wine provided at breakfast – spend that money on providing some proper fruit juice. It put us off dining in the restaurant in the evening.