Review of Hotel Porto Santa Maria in Funchal, Madeira

Oct 02, 2020 at 16:48 2058

Hotel Porto Santa Maria in Funchal — the city name is the adjective of the Portuguese word for “fennel” — is part of Portobay Hotels & Resorts. The four-star property on the Atlantic island of Madeira opened its doors in November 2000. The rooms have been beautifully renovated and redorated in 2018; they look fresh and neat.

Porto Santa Maria is an “adults only” only hotel, situated in the old town (Zona Velha), in the port area. The hotel entrance is situated on the mountain side, built next to the historic city wall. Have a look at the old canon! To one side of the hotel, you can find the historic Fort of São Tiago (Fortaleza de São Tiago), originally built to protect the coast from piracy during the 16th and 17th century during the reign of Philip I of Portugal. Two minutes to the other side of the hotel, you can find the lower station of the Funchal Cable Car. The Teleférico do Funchal brings you up to Monte, from where you can take a wicker toboggan (carros de cestos) ride downhill.

View from the hotel towards the port with cruise ships; obviously a photo dating back to pre-pandemic times. During my stay at the end of September 2020, I spotted sailing yachts as well as an impressive catamaran.

The hotel features a gym, massage and treaments rooms, an indoor pool (average temperature 28ºC) as well as an outdoor pool (24ºC). Porto Santa Maria also offers free yoga and pilates lessons.

Of you would like to swim in the Atlantic Ocean, public beaches such as Praia Santiago are just a few minutes away on foot, situated close to the Fort of São Tiago.

In the Captain’s Bar, I enjoyed a glass of a 5-year-old Blandy’s Malmsey (Doce), an excellent, sweet Madeira wine. Have a look at the model ships and the historic photographs. You can for instance spot Sir Winston Churchill and Lady Hozier at Reid’s Hotel (1950) as well as Sir Winston Churchill painting in the nearby village Câmara de Lobos, the Polish Marshal Joseph Pisudski (1931), the writer George Bernard Shaw (1925), Prince George Edward Edmund, Duke of Kent, accompanied by the British Consul of Funchal, Julius Browne (1934), the King and Queen of Portugal, Don Carlos and Maria Amélia de Olreães (1901). Furthermore, the Captain’s Bar offers daily live music (jazz, fado, blues, pop). If the wheather allow’s it, the musicians play outside.

The pool terrace at Porto Santa Maria. In addition, there are great rooftop terraces overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Fort, the Cable Car as well as the Old Town. It is a great spot to watch the Funchal New Year’s Eve Fireworks.

The rooms at the four-star hotel Porto Santa Maria have been refurbished in 2018. Everything looks fresh, neat and elegant. The photo above shows exactly the same materials (bed, TV furniture, desk, chairs, bed linen) as in my Studio Sea View Room 302 which, in addition, features a large outside terrace facing the Atlantic Ocean. Other rooms offer balonies with enough space for a table and two chairs.

View of the indoor and outdoor breakfast, lunch and dining areas of the hotel’s Arsenal Restaurant. As a speciality, all rooms at hotel Porto Santa Maria feature a fully equipped kitchenette. There is not just a kettle to make some tea. You really have everything you need to cook yourself. In fact, I made some pasta there — and was happy with the chef. If you’re too lazy to cook during your holiday, in addition to Arsenal Restaurant pictured above and room service (for light snacks and dinner), you can just stroll around the old town. As soon as you leave the hotel grounds, you have the choice of dozens of cozy restaurants in the picturesque Zona Velha.

View of the Porto Santa Maria hotel garden. Books about Madeira from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de.

Don’t miss the Captain’s Bar with plenty of historic photos as well model ships.

View of a Junior Suite at the four-star hotel Porto Santa Maria.

View of the hotel and its pool. In the background, you can spot the (yellow) Fort of São Tiago (Fortaleza de São Tiago), dating back to the 16th-17th century.

View of the Porto Santa Maria hotel gym, where I had to work on my lockdown kilos.

All photos copyright Hotel Porto Santa Maria, Portobay Hotels & Resorts. Hotel review added on October 2, 2020 at 16:48 Madeira time. Last update added at 17:00. Books about Madeira from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de.

Porto Santa Maria, Avenida do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses, 50. 9060-190 Funchal. Ilha da Madeira – Portugal.