Saccharum Resort and Spa

Our stay was, as always (just like the last three times), perfect. From the warm welcome to the excellent service – everything was wonderful once again. The spa area is beautiful and offers a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. The massages were outstanding – deeply relaxing and performed by very skilled therapists. We also loved the excellent food and drinks; every meal was a highlight, both in flavor and presentation. A big thank-you to the entire team for making our stay so special. We truly enjoyed every moment and it’s always a pleasure to see familiar, friendly faces when we return. We’re already looking forward to our next visit!

Beautiful place however these are the points I would like to raise. * confusion of do’s and dont’s in premium areas. I didn’t realise that you couldn’t use the spa pool, jacuzzi, steam room or sauna without paying the extra €90 per person per day premium rate. I think you can book and have treatments without being premium. You can’t wear spa robes in certain areas but it’s not clear. * One of the big pulls for me with this hotel was the chefs garden. A beautiful place to see lots of fruit and vegetables growing and steps to a beautiful view point. Also the premium area next to the gardens with a massage bed and jacuzzi with snacks and drinks included. Sadly this premium area was closed to us due to building works. We were not told about these building works and was very disappointed. They did set up another premium area on a lower level but not just premium guests used it. * The buffet restaurant food was lovely but repetitive. There were times there was no cutlery or dishes replenished. Breakfast was lovely but only some days we were asked if we wanted tea or coffee at our table. Room service food quality was hit and miss. On the first occasion it was lovely but there after bread was stale and items missed. A room service charge of €9 per visit was made. * On the last two days of our holiday we ended up with food poisoning. My daughter and I were very ill. We had to stay in bed and had severe vomiting and stomach upsets. Room service did bring us bottles of water and later toast and crisps. For which we did have to pay. One occasion the room service man deducted the room service charge and bread as he could see we were so unwell. We found out also that other people in the hotel also were unwell in the same way. Suspected food poisoning. I had an online consultation with a GP who told me he thought it was food poisoning. We booked an earlier flight to get home.

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.