- Madeira Holidays
- Calheta
- Savoy Saccharum Resort and Spa
This up-scale and refined hotel enjoys a privileged positioned in the west coast of the island of Madeira, in Calheta. The classy property is set a few steps from the marina and the impressive sandy beach. As the hotel is built where there used to be an old sugar cane mill, the current decoration is based on this concept. Guests will be able to be pampered at the guest rooms and suites that are tastefully appointed in an elegant and modern look. They are generously proportioned and some of them even include a private balcony with panoramic views to the sea. The hotel offers an incredible array of useful and superior services and facilities that feature a complete spa and wellness centre with a fantastic indoor swimming pool to relax while children have fun at the children's Playroom or at the outdoor splash pool.
Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages. You're sure to appreciate the recreational amenities, which include 2 outdoor swimming pools, a health club and bicycles to rent. This Art Deco hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, babysitting (surcharge) and an arcade/games room.
My husband and I booked our honeymoon here in 2025, the resort is so incredible, we are back exactly 1 year later celebrating our anniversary. The service is exquisite, the resort is stunning, the food is amazing! 10/10
Saccharum Resort could be the perfect place for a dream holiday, if only it hadn’t sold its soul to Anglo-Saxon-style profit maximisation, opaque pricing and two-tier service.
If you arrive without having booked the Savoy Premium Experience formula (€110 per person per night!), you are instantly made to feel like a second-class guest. Whereas the couple checking in shortly after us were invited to sit down and enjoy a welcome drink while the staff took care of the check-in formalities and parked their car — exactly what you would expect upon arrival at a 5-star hotel — we had to queue at reception for ages. We were offered no welcome drink and, when we finally got our rooms (which weren’t ready upon arrival, which is perfectly understandable), the staff had managed to lose one of our suitcases (and found it back hours later).
The only reason the second suitcase wasn’t lost as well was that, after waiting for it in my room for a long while, I went to look for it myself. I was not allowed to take my friend’s suitcase, however — which they subsequently lost. No compensation was offered at all.
Admittedly, the hotel premises are stunning and the architecture is amazing. The pool deck, the rooms and even the fitness room offer beautiful sea views. The hotel is also immaculately clean and extremely well maintained. It could be just perfect!
But as a non-premium guest, you will quickly discover that you are not welcome in all parts of the hotel, and you will end up feeling uncomfortable while exploring the premises, for fear of accidentally intruding into a space exclusively reserved for premium guests. Likewise, as a non-premium guest, certain loungers on the pool deck will cost you an additional €35 for the day! The same applies to the spa, which is not included in the standard room rate.
You should also be careful when ordering food or drinks at the hotel. We had a club sandwich upon arrival while waiting for our rooms. The price listed on the menu was €18 for two slices of low-quality industrial white bread. If you wanted fries with it, you had to order them separately (at an additional charge, of course). Worst of all, they automatically added a 10% service charge to the final bill without even informing us.
We easily solved the problem by avoiding all the hotel’s bars and restaurants for the rest of our stay and enjoying much better-quality food at far lower prices in the nearby marina.
In short, we thought we had booked a five-star hotel experience, but we only got the low-cost version. This is a typical example of misleading and opaque pricing, combined with a two-tier customer experience — something you should be aware of when booking this hotel.
Calheta is a gorgeous destination, and this resort sits on an incredible spot with beautiful views and high-end rooms. Unfortunately, the overall experience was let down by poor service and misleading management.
A few key takeaways for potential guests:
Restaurant Reliability: I made a reservation at the 2nd-floor restaurant weeks in advance. When I arrived, the restaurant was completely closed with zero advance notice or communication.
Service Standards: The front desk provided no guidance on how to access or use the property's amenities. Worse, the staff at both the pool and sky lounge were surprisingly rude and unhelpful.
Extra Costs: Be aware that amenities are not included in your room rate and cost extra.
While the location is lovely, the lack of hospitality and poor communication ruined the stay. I recommend visiting Calheta, but I’d look elsewhere for a place to stay if you value feeling welcomed and well-treated.
I am a resident of Madeira and was informed that you offer special rates for Madeira residents. I therefore contacted your hotel directly to enquire about making a booking and was asked to provide proof of residency by email, which I did.
Four hours later, I received a response asking me to provide the resident information again. I sent it again, but received no further response. I subsequently called twice more and sent another follow-up email.
The following morning, I called again and was told that the quote had already been sent. When I explained that I had not received anything, I was then asked to be patient, after spending approximately 10 minutes being told how busy the hotel was, I eventually received confirmation that a quote would be prepared.
When the quote finally arrived, I was honestly quite shocked. The supposed resident rate was more expensive than booking the same stay directly with the hotel. Even more surprisingly, the quote provided was more expensive than the price available through a third-party booking platform.
All three were like for like room comparison, with breakfast, final price including all additional fees.
I have just returned from an exceptional stay at Hotel Fariones on nearby island, where the level of service was outstanding and guests were genuinely made to feel valued. The contrast could not be greater.
I fully appreciate that hotels can be busy, but the issue here is the combination of being repeatedly asked for information I had already provided, having to chase the hotel several times, being told that something had been sent when it had not, and wasting my time by ultimately receiving a "resident" offer that was actually more expensive than the same alternatives available to the general public.
I will rather save my money, and spend it off the island
My wife and I spent seven nights at Saccharum Resort & Spa celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary, and it was truly an exceptional experience.
The resort is beautiful, with incredible Atlantic views, wonderful amenities, and a location that was perfect for exploring Madeira and the many wonderful places the island has to offer. Breakfast each morning was exceptional, with an impressive variety of choices and a wonderful staff who provided attentive and friendly service.
What made our stay especially memorable was the staff. From our pre-arrival communication through our final day, we were consistently treated with warmth, professionalism, and genuine hospitality. Special thanks to Cláudia and Patrícia from Guest Relations for helping make our anniversary celebration so special.
The Fire Pit Dinner at Calhau Beach Club was one of the highlights of our entire trip. The oceanfront setting, sunset, Bossa Nova music, and outstanding cuisine created a truly memorable evening. A special shout-out to the chef. Every course was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious! Our waiter, I believe his name was Jeronimo, provided exceptional and personable service that made the evening even more special.
The thoughtful attention given to our anniversary throughout our stay meant a great deal to us. After 30+ years of marriage, we wanted to celebrate somewhere we would always remember, and Saccharum gave us exactly that.
We left Madeira with wonderful memories and tremendous appreciation for the entire Saccharum team. We will definitely be back!
Five stars without hesitation!
