Hotel berhampiran Ponta Preta, Santa Maria

Just returned today after a week at the Funana. There appeared to be an increasing number of negative reviews shortly before our arrival. We found the hotel to be clean throughout, the room was large and kept clean each day. The food was of a high quality and experienced only one issue with undercooked beef at the pool side bar. Drinks were fine, not watered down. Yes the wine is not fantastic quality but when it’s available on tap that’s to be expected. I’d agree this is a 4 star and perhaps requires a little upgrading however we would happily return. Pool was busy but was never impossible to get a bed. The beach is quieter and beautiful, especially at sunset. Staff were friendly and work very hard. It’s advisable to do your research and go prepared in terms of mosquitos etc. this is not the fault of the hotel, any experienced traveler should expect this and take precautions, same as the upset stomach. I don’t believe the food to be at fault, more likely an adjustment to the climate as opposed to poor hygiene or contaminated food. My partner suffers IBS and had no issues at all. We’d highly recommend this hotel.

Attractive, clean and relaxing hotel with a large stylish pool area. Couldn't always find sunbeds by the pool but we spent quite a bit of time at the beach where there were more than sufficient, even if they were a little close together. The stretch of beach by the hotel was good. The Bounty Beach restaurant was a lovely setting and we generally preferred to eat here. The quality of the food here was always of a very good standard, however the service could be very slow in particular at lunch times. The pool bar was generally a much quicker lunchtime option, but with more limited choices. Drinks were a little expensive so make the most of the various happy hours at each bar.

We arrived for a 2 week stay over Christmas and new year. We had over an hours wait in the airport due to a technical problem and everyone had to pay their visa £31 each again before we could leave .. We were really happy with our room, clean and spacious. We went down to the restaurant for something to eat, the restaurant was empty and didn’t open for another 10 minutes so we got a drink sat down and asked for a menu, along came this girl and told us we couldn’t sit there, we pointed to our wrist bands but no we had to move out of an empty restaurant. So up to reception. Some 20 minutes later we were seated still in an empty restaurant. The food was poor and they put down bread which we didn’t ask for and then charged us for it! And so it went on! Sun beds are changed for and are not exclusive to the hotel, so In short you can’t get one ever.our room was so damp we both came home with chest infections. No sun on the balcony at any point of the day. No hot water. We complained to reception and 2 days later we had a letter from our rep which we had asked to see as they never were where they were suppose to be at the time stated 11am . Warning us on our behaviour. This is what happens if you ask to see your rep. At reception. So we went to the Tui office!!! Closed. 3 times went for lunch and the restaurant was full of none residents so like many other people we were turned away. On leaving we checked our time for pickup. No where did it state that you’re pick up was from a different hotel!!!!! So we had to get a taxi to the airport. £5000.00 for a holiday from HELL . This is the worst hotel we have ever been to. The gap in the patio doors let in mosquitoes and the room was constantly full of them, not helped by the damp and a pond out side the room. On the up side we did enjoy watching the locals steal the fish out of the pond. Does make you wonder about the security in the rooms.

Super clean hotel with the most amazing staff. Breakfast didnt have a lot of vegetarian options but it was okay. The hotel is situated in a local area which was amazing. Thank you for making our stay amazing! Hope to see you again in the future! 3 girls from Holland :)

The official rating of this hotel is 4 stars, and with a bit of cosmetic upgrading and better staffing in the kitchen, I could see it reaching that level (it seems like it may have once been a real 4 star). As it was, the room quality itself was more 3 star, and the outside area was 4 stars. We had a 'deluxe sea view' with no terrace. There was lots of rough paintwork and lack of maintenance on the small details in the rooms, but overall it was fine, with a huge comfy bed and a nice shower and a lovely view out the window. Unfortunately the entry was at the street side of the hotel which was our smoking area, and that view was just the dirt road and some houses. Overall we would stay here again as the room was fine, the staff were great, the pool area was amazing, nobody had any screaming kids (very quiet and peaceful, great for couples) and while the beach required stepping over rocks, it also had the best snorkeling area with the most fish. Another sandy beach with less fish and two beach bars is a 3 minute walk away, and the main ***** with the main beach is a 10 minute walk (that one is useless for snorkeling but great for swimming). Besides snorkeling, it's also a preferred spot for wind surfing. We happened to try the hotel restaurant on a really bad night apparently, we waited an hour for our seafood paella which was average quality but double the price of the ***** restaurants. However, according to the other patrons who did all inclusive, the service was usually much faster. and the food usually much better. We did also have burgers for lunch one day, and those were expensive but very nice. Breakfast was included in our stay and it had an extensive and delicious continental selection, plus hot eggs and bacon on order, always very fast. The staff were super attentive and completely on their game, absolutely fantastic service. We got a great deal on a package holiday with LoveHolidays, so for the price we were very happy and would definitely stay again.