Saccharum Resort & Spa

Beautiful hotel, well taken care of and great design. It felt very relaxing to be there, especially in the adults only pool area. Rooms were clean and the bed was massive and comfortable. Breakfast was great, however I'd skip all other restaurants if possible. The adults only pool area was great, but it closed at 18:00 every night for dinner service. The infinity pool that is in the pictures is only open until 20:00, which would've been great to have later hours. Besides the front desk, the service we experienced was pretty poor. Getting a simple bottled soda took 20 minutes, and our orders were messed up both at the pool area and at the beach club restaurant. There seems to be no sense of urgency and we were always left waiting to be noticed or served. For a 5 star hotel, we would've expected there to be more staff, especially in high season. The service at all restaurants and bars was disappointing and you're better off going to a nearby restaurant. The food was nothing special. Overall, if you plan to spend your days outside of the hotel or at the nearby beach, then this place is perfect. We had no complaints about the room itself and really loved being there. Big balcony with comfortable chairs, all toiletries provided, moody lighting, a big shower, and comfy bedding were some of our highlights.

The hotel is beautifully situated in a calm area, which we appreciated. We were pleasantly surprised by the room quality and overall architecture, though some layout choices were questionable. A nice marina with good restaurants, cruises, and a supermarket is conveniently close to the hotel. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast with its broad selection of meals, despite minor issues with the coffee machine and some staff members struggling with English. However, the hotel's restaurants were overpriced, almost double what we paid at local restaurants we enjoyed. The buffet offerings were repetitive, even between breakfast and dinner. The cocktail bar was understaffed, resulting in long wait times, and a 10% service charge was expected with an opt-out instead of an opt-in. The reception staff was fluent in English and helpful, including during a late check-in. The facilities were not overly crowded, and we liked the gym and games room. Unfortunately, the external pool was too cold for comfort. The biggest drawback was the hotel's business model, which pushes customers to pay a premium for most things. Even included benefits like the 20 EUR/day allowance were poorly explained and had multiple limitations. We had a frustrating experience with a billing mistake, which required back-and-forth between the bar staff and reception and ultimately cost us extra at checkout when we didn’t have time to contest. Overall, our experience was that the quality was too low for the money compared to other 5-star hotels we’ve visited.

Disappointing Honeymoon Experience! Usually, I don't give feedback, even if there are minor issues. We've traveled around the world and stayed in various hotels like O&O, Four Seasons, and Atlantis. This time, we came to Madeira for our honeymoon, choosing one of the best-rated places based on reviews. Unfortunately, our special occasion was ruined by the hotel's experience. Check-in was normal, with the reception briefly explaining the available pools, highlighting the infinity pool. To our surprise, there was an extra charge for seats there. The beach access was free with average sunbeds, but comfortable sofas had an additional cost, which we opted for. Out of the two available lifts in our block, only one worked during our entire stay, taking an average of 7 to 10 minutes to reach our floor. Which was 5th. Our room had many mosquitoes upon arrival and didn't have the ocean view we booked. There were also issues with the shower, and the drainage made weird noises. Despite informing the reception and an engineer's visit, the problem persisted. We requested a room change, which was done the next day. However, the new room with the sea view had small bugs inside the fridge, which we decided to overlook. The breakfast selection was average for a 5-star hotel. It took 10 minutes to get coffee after requesting it, and when we asked for juice, we were told it was an extra charge, even though it was available for free. We assumed this was a language barrier issue. On the third day, we decided to stay in the room. I went for a quick swim at the beach area but had difficulty finding a sunbed. When I requested a towel, the manager rudely advised me to go back to my room to get one, saying he couldn't provide one. I found this very unprofessional and reported it to guest relations. The manager, Judite, acknowledged the issue and promised to address it. However, for the remaining days, he avoided eye contact and greetings, which was quite odd. We requested an upgrade on the last day to enjoy some facilities and have a late check-out. The only option was to pay an additional 120€ and move to another room, which we did. We spent the last three days exploring the island with an outside company, which provided the only great memories of our honeymoon. During our final hour, I completed a survey where a manager tried to address the issues. She wished us a great flight when we got into our taxi, but it felt a bit too late. Based on this experience, we do not recommend spending a special occasion at Savoy, as they might ruin your stay. We suggest the company improve communication between departments and consider implementing an app to better track guest details and create memorable experiences. As for us, we will not stay with this group of hotels again, as this memory will stay with us forever.

I have been to the Saccharum Hotel and the Savoy Palace Hotel just for drinks. In both hotels the bill had a 10% service charge. The waiter did not inform me that this charge was on the bill. The first time I was at the Savoy Palace I did not have my glasses on and only saw it later when my wife looked at the bill. We told the people downstairs in the elevator and they told us that the waiters have to inform us about this charge. Nobody mentioned it. In the Saccharum the same behavior. I told the waiter that this is not the right bill and I want another bill without the service charge and I got it. He still got a tip that was higher than the 10% but I want to decide what I want to give the waiters. Anyway, 10% tips are absolutely not common in Madeira. We have been living here for 5 years and the locals just round up the amount.

The hotel is well-equipped, with many pools, loungers, a beautiful view, and a well-equipped gym. The rooms are clean. The only downside is breakfast; there are too many people regardless of the time, and the staff can't keep up with the plates and glasses. I felt uncomfortable, which is not what I expected from a 5-star hote