Hotel Porto Santo & Spa

This hotel has the nicest and most helpful staff ever, above all the lady who helped me via phone call in perfect English and with a huge understanding for the trouble we had with our reservation (completely our fault) and solved our big problem quickly and in the best possible way for us. Unfortunately, I haven't asked for her name. But I am sending her all the best wishes from me (Sylke) and my husband (Simon). She will know.

Your flight to Madeira was not able to land. So we landed at Porto Santo. At short notice we booked at the Hotel Porto Santo and Spa. The receptionist did everything for us, so that we have a nice time. The hotel restaurant is very delicious. Especially the chicken risotto. The view to the beach is marvelous. We really hat to wonderful days at Porto Santo. Can only recommend this hotel, they are very very friendly.

We‘ve landed in Porto Santo because we were not able to Land on Madeira. These people welcomed us so friendly and did the little extra we needed these days. We even could shower after a run when we still were waiting for our ferry. THANK YOU!

Hotel Porto Santo (and SPA) was built in 1962. An example of modernist (mid-century modern) architecture coming from the sharp pencils and minds of Eduardo Anahory and Pedro Braamcamp Cid. Today, far from its original beauty and class, it gives its visitors a mix of awe and disappointment. Original elements like the beautiful staircase with its steel and wooden components and what seems like the original chandelier remain. The foyer and restaurant still have original sliding doors and windows in wood, and beautiful clay tiles on the floor. Seems that the hardwood floor is also original. But this is pretty much where the wonders end. I'm even worried that they survived not because they were recognised as precious, original icons of the style, but simply due to limited budget. The rest of the hotel wasn't that lucky. Wooden balcony doors have been replaced by aluminium. It seems that the only original elements in the rooms are the chairs. As for the common areas - the wall paint colour seems as random as the furniture. Original sofas and armchairs are gone. Instead of using beautiful modernist furniture, the management decided to furnish the hotel with nineteenth-century pieces that fit these interiors not better than a fist fits the nose. If I compare Hotel Porto Santo with Hotel Terra Nostra in Furnas, Azores, which also has 4 stars, the difference in quality and attention to detail is even more striking! Terra Nostra Hotel, luckily, has been recognised and preserved as a gem of early modernist architecture created by Manuel António Vasconcelos. Regarding the food - the hotel serves breakfasts and dinners. They are definitely on the good side, but we have noticed that the quality can vary from day to day, so I guess it's all up to which chef is in the kitchen. The service is very polite and on a good level. The only complaint I have here is that the offer is a bit boring and is a variation of the same thing every day. The breakfast is identical every day. Also, it seems that the eggs are fried using unhealthy seed oils instead of butter. That's a shame. The spa seems to be mostly original and actually has a very nice interior in wood and pink marble. Speaking of the spa - guests need to pay extra for everything, which should never happen in a place with 4-star aspirations and prices. The connection with the beach and the sea is nicely done. In summary - the place still preserved some modernist charm against the attempts to destroy it in the name of "improvement". Does it deserve the 4 stars? Definitely not!

The staff was very friendly and helpful. All the exterior was fine: cute garden (large pool, grass, big Palm trees, nice Wood bar touching the large public beach…). BUT: the interior of the room is very dated: creaky bed, worn wooden furniture... so a lot of renovation work for the interior! And frankly the evening buffet was very average: more than 30€, at a level of quality of food that is half the price in large capitals!