Saccharum Resort and Spa

"Advertised as a wellness design resort I realize they want to set themselves apart from other hotels, but the entire hotel is too dark. In an effort to promote peace and tranquility, it feels more like a cave. Suites, foyer and even lifts could use some better light whilst still keeping with the wellness/peaceful theme. Food was good, no complaints though for those who have all inclusive as we did, lunch options were very limited. The grounds of the hotel are absolutely lovely, but at least one of the outdoor pools could have been heated as they were a bit too chilly. All in all a good resort but I wouldn’t necessarily say it was 5*."

"wonderful hotel, great staff, definitely a place to return to. Food a bit pricy but good alternatives in local marina. I loved the private shingle beach- great for swimming, but shoes needed to get in and out."

"The Saccharum Resort is undeniably beautiful. The lobby and rooms look luxurious, and the overall design gives a great first impression. However, once we started experiencing the resort itself, the feeling changed. For a place marketed as a SPA & Resort, it’s disappointing that access to the spa isn’t included in the room price. On top of that, guests are charged extra for reserving sunbeds and other small things — it starts to feel less like a relaxing stay and more like they’re trying to squeeze as much money out of guests as possible. The confusing €25 daily credit system doesn’t help either; it just complicates things rather than feeling like a benefit. The worst part of our stay was at the top-floor restaurant. There was a cat walking freely inside, and since my girlfriend is highly allergic, we politely asked the staff to handle it. Their reaction was surprisingly passive — they seemed to treat it as someone else’s problem. The cat kept coming back to our table despite my attempts to move it away, and eventually it came so close that my girlfriend panicked. We had to leave the restaurant and asked to have our food sent to our room. We paid for it (forgetting to use the €25 voucher) and received it about 15–20 minutes later — the same dishes, but cold. For a hotel with a no-pets-allowed policy, this situation and the lack of response from staff are simply not acceptable. Overall, while the resort itself is visually stunning, the constant extra fees and poor handling of our restaurant incident left a bad impression. It feels more like a “cash cow” operation than a genuine luxury experience. I doubt I would stay there again — there are better options in this price range on Madeira."