Vila Gale Santa Cruz

The room was spacious and clean, the hotel exceeded my expectations. In May I did not see any children in the hotel, it was very quite. Breakfast was ok, but without fireworks. I had expected more fresh vegetables to do vegge salat, some feta or other white cheese, there was nothing except tomatoes. Here a huge disappointment. Spa centre small but nice. Hotel very close to the airport, 5min by taxi - cost 10EUR with tip, few lovely local restaurants (with fish with banana!) close to the hotel, the village small, very quite and relatively flat, comparing to Funchal. On weekend few performances in the village by the local singers and dancers. I loved this quite place.

Breakfast did not impress me at all. No choice of vegetables and white cheese.

The lobby was nice and the staff welcoming. I liked the pool, sauna, and gym. I liked the ping pong table, chess board, and trampoline. I like how close the ocean is to the hotel. It's nice to have hotel shuttle service to downtown Funchal. Lots of fruits at breakfast.

The hot tub wasn't really hot (32-35C). The air conditioner in the room was weak. The maintenance guy came to check on it the day I left. No coffee or hot water maker in the room. No washcloths in the bathroom. Breakfast was good, but basic, no vegan-friendly options.

Location-its very close to the airport (5min by Taxi). However it is a bit further away from Funchal where its more active as there are the most restaurants/Bars and shops but if you like it quiet then it's a good area. The Hotel offers a shuttle to get to Funchal and also public transportation is close. The breakfast had a good variety- especially the egg station was great. The Bar provides different entertainment/shows for the hotel guests in the evenings. The room is big enough and the bed is large and very comfortable.

We had dinner one day in the hotel and for the price and what was offered it didn't match. The dinner buffet was 25€ per person and started at 7pm, we arrived at around 8pm and Buffet was already half empty. The soup didn't taste fresh, it tasted like it was thinned with water. Overall the food choice and taste was a bit disappointing.

Location in proximity to the airport for us was very convenient as a transfer hotel, with an added bonus of great facilities (i.e. pool, exercise room). Staff were very helpful, breakfast buffet was really good. A small town of Santa Cruz around the hotel is quaint to visit. Liked the hotel's animation: enthusiastic trainer invited us to water aerobics in the pool, and that's just what we needed.

No real beach next to the hotel , but a great pool. To be fair, shuttle transportation to the beach is available. Hotel location quite far from Funchal, but close to the airport, so that can be a benefit and a shortcoming.

+ Surprisingly charming local town where we found some sweet little restaurants serving good local food ( in the square ). + Room was nicely lit and had everything we needed really + V close to airport ( 5 mins taxi. ) + Hotel helped us get the taxi v early in the morning and provided a breakfast box + Spa was quality, proper steam and sauna with a view! + Pool looked nice outside but too cold + Good large breakfast featuring everything you could imagine but not all great quality but overall fine

- Indoor pool required a shower cap which you have to buy. Seemed totally un-necessary - No robes slippers supplied for the spa

Our lovely sea facing room with balcony, helpful reception staff and a good location close to the village centre. We honestly had no idea what to expect after booking the room half an hour before checking in due to a cancelled late-evening flight at the end of our holiday. We were just glad to find a decent hotel that could take us, and we were very happy with what we found.

Breakfast is somewhat chaotic. They need more staff to clear tables and replenish the piles of cups, glasses, plates, cutlery etc. That was the only downside for us.

The hotel is located 5 min by car from the airport. Close to the ocean and small beach. My room was spacious, had pool and ocean view. Bathroom with a bath tube was a plus. Hotel has good facilities and I did not have chance to check them all as stayed for one night only. What is really plus is the staff. Super friendly and professional. I received wake up call not to miss my taxi. At 4 am there was taxi waiting for me and breakfast packed carefully in the box. Nice receptionist helped me with to carry my heavy valise to the taxi. i would definitely stay there again.

Thank you. Everything was perfect!

Good position near the centre of Santa Crus and the ocean, nice outside area with beautiful swimming pool, nice selection of services and generally clean and comfortable.

Mattrasses wrapped in plastic (noisy every time you move), the dining area is very large and feels more like a cafeteria than a restaurant, the airport is nearby and at times there is numerous planes departing/landing.

The staff was impeccable, from the reception to the lady frying the eggs at breakfast. The facilities are clean and comfortable. The breakfast was excellent with plenty of variety, fresh fruits and hot choices. The proximity to the airport is not a problem at all - we cannot hear the planes, and Santa Cruz is a cute tiny seaside village, perfect if you are looking for a quiet place to stay. The proximity to the circular motorway that connects the island makes it an excellent base for the holidays.

The only negative comment is the charge for the bathrobes (for the swimming pool) and parking. I expect these to be included in a 4 star hotel service.

The great location, you can just walk from airport to here, and in the same time there is no noise from planes. Great views and also you are 10 minutes ride from sand beach. Also the hotel propose a great tour which shows you almost the whole island and it is pretty cheap. The food in the hotel is super tasty and each evening you have different dishes, including traditional Madeira food. The personal of the hotel is really nice and ready to help.

There’s one huge disadvantage, the wi-fi in the hotel is really awful, so if you stay here it is better to have mobile internet.