Hotel Riu Funana - All Inclusive

Perfeito

Still here but writing before we leave so I don’t forget :) We stayed at the RIU Funana in November 2024 for 11 nights in total. We have really enjoyed our stay and would absolutely come back! The staff are incredible and nothing was ever too much for them. Having the Tui rep on site has also been handy at times although we didn’t book anything with them. We did 2 excursions including an island tour which was booked through Prince who you will meet on your way to the beach and another which was the buggy tour that we booked through get your guide - people who had booked through TUI were on our excursion so they definitely use the same company and attend the same sessions as those who booked elsewhere. Some of our favourite things about the hotel were the staff at the restaurants and bars, the housekeeping was done to a high standard every day, the pool area, the different restaurants and without a doubt the animation team! The animation team are working all day to keep everyone entertained and bring amazing energy to everything they do. We attended both the neon party and the white party and both were amazing! The effort that goes into these parties and the decoration of the stage area is something to be appreciated. There is a well hidden sports bar that is open 24/7. It is quite cool (temperature) in there and also quieter so easier to get a drink than in some of the other bars. It is at the back of the stage area down the left side of the bar that is visible. Food - we had absolutely no issues with food at all. My partner is 27 with the tastebuds of a 4 year old and was still able to eat well during breakfast, lunch and dinner. The mambana restaurant does appear to attract flies more than the others so this is something to be aware of but sadly not much they can do about this. There was a satisfaction survey conducted by management during our stay and I suggested that they could cover the food with lids to prevent flies, hopefully this is something that will be implemented in the near future. Me and my partner did get upset stomachs for maybe a day and a half but we think this is more to do with food we ate out on a tour and also to do with the heat, eating more and drinking fizzy drinks non stop. I have absolutely no concerns that this was caused by the hotel as we have done 10 nights at the time of writing this and we have been fine the rest of the time. But again, upset stomachs can happen anywhere when you combine buffets, all inclusive bar and heat. If I was being picky, the only thing I would change about the hotel is the location. We went out of the hotel to Algodoeiro Beach (where the Tui and Melia are located) and found this to be a much better area in terms of the beach access so if this is a big thing for you, I would consider one of the Melia or Tui hotels. My main issue was the hassling we got on our way to the beach by locals trying to sell tours. We understand they need to make a living but it was constant which ma

Excellent hotel, food was very good plenty of choice and 3 speciality restaurants to book. The room was a good size with a free safe and a fridge, good air con. Pool area was nice we always got sunbeds and always pool side. Yes we get up relatively early but unless you come down after 11am then you could find a bed. Entertainment staff work tirelessly. We went to the beach once and did not get hassled by the guys selling trips they just stood with their brouchers open. Plenty of sunbeds on the beach both shaded and in the sun. Overall a fantastic holiday in a very nice hotel. I would recommend to friends and family.

Where to start with this review, we arrived on August 29th to the Funana for a two week holiday, this hotel is rated 5 stars at the hotel and I think TUI give it 4 and a half stars , my personal opinion is that it's at best 4 stars . If this hotel was a 5 star hotel the rooms would be better the drinks would all be premium and they weren't I only saw Gordon's gin and Jim beam on the premium list and unless you ask for these drinks you will get the cheaper version. The wine was out of a pump on a self service area or at the bars and I just couldn't get on with the pump wine as none of them tasted very nice . You only get to drink bottled wine in one of the restaurants that you have to book which was nearest to the Funana reception area . There's no sparkling cava or prosecco available either ,only on a Sunday morning at breakfast in the buffet could you get a glass of fizz . The hotel room felt tired and in need of refurbishment and no way near as nice as other Riu s that I have stayed at before like the Riu baobab Senegal and Riu palace Costa rica and even the vista mar in gran canaria was a nicer room than here but the bed was comfy the showers was good and the cleaners at our section block 7 were amazing at making your room up every day perfectly and I thank the cleaners for their hard work. It just seems to me like the hotel is making cutbacks and not spending money on the pool area where there's missing and broken tiles in various places and the sun beds are not the most comfortable and there not cushioned either . This is why I can't rate this hotel higher than 4 stars because it's being neglected in certain places with the decor and cheap non premium drinks but in saying all this it was cheaper to book this hotel than the Riu cabo Verde which is attached to this hotel but seperated by security because you aren't allowed to go into the cabo Verde but I think that they can come into the Funana . I did have a look around the Riu cabo Verde and it's basically the same design as the Funana but it's had some money spent on it and it's definitely more modern and luxurious than the Funana but it was about £400 pounds more to stay at this hotel when we booked the Funana and the drinks are premium and you get bottled wine too and cushioned sun loungers so you get what you pay for don't you ;) . The food overall was well presented in the main buffet area at the Funana and even though I had stomach cramps for a large part of the holiday that I did report to TUI reps , I just couldn't nail what I was eating that was causing the problems for me but like I said the food looked good and plentiful and it was a shame that I had issues but overall the food seems to please the guests . This hotel is 24 hours all inclusive so you won't go thirsty or hungry here and the staff at the hotel are great and very hard working that's why I was tipping them daily but I didn't see much tipping by the hotel guests and they do appreciate a tip if you can find a bit of loo

I read a lot of reviews before booking this trip and the only thing that made me a bit nervous was the reports of folks getting sick, I shouldn't have worried, no one that I know of got sick while we were there. Overall it was a very pleasant experience for me and my wife, neither of us having travelled to Africa before. The resort was as you would expect a little dated (I believe it was built around 1985) but it was clean and tidy and the grounds were kept immaculate. Staff were extremely pleasant and especially in the dining room they couldn't do enough to help. Room was a little dated but again very clean and everything functioned as it should, AC was a little noisy if you had the fan on full but it didn't bother us. Food in the buffet was very good but the only complaint I would have is that it was very samey, there was an immense amount of choice but the same choice every day, I would prefer to have less of a choice and have the menu rotated a little just to provide a bit of variety. Pool areas are nice with an ample amount of sunbeds for everyone and the best part that I absolutely loved there is an active deterrent from reserving sunbeds (A staff member removes towels from sunbeds before 9am) There are 3 other restaurants but I would advise booking as soon as booking opens for them as they can get quite busy and are only open for 2 sittings in the evenings. The town of Santa Maria is a short walk away (roughly 20 mins) or 5 mins in a taxi for 5 euro's and worth the trip, don't worry about getting hassled in the street you will get called into shops and such but if you politely refuse you will be left alone. One thing I would strongly recommend though, if you are traveling with a tour operator (we travelled with TUI) ask about the VIP island tour, it was brilliant, so much history and knowledge and you'll get to see parts of the island that you wouldn't normally think to go to. And don't worry it's perfectly safe. Well that's about it, strongest recommendation I can give is that if you asked if I would go back, the answer is definitely yes.

Amazing hotel, amazing animation and staff, cleaners went above and beyond with the rooms, food was amazing and had plenty of choice! We had no complaints about anything