Albatroz Beach & Yacht Club

Fantastic location. The friendliest of staff all of whom, without exception ensured that our stay was as always, perfect. I cannot thank them enough. The hotel is located Nr the airport which is very convenient after a long flight.having stated that, we were not aware of any noise of aircraft. I cannot wait to re-visit this very special Hotel. The owner should rightly be very proud of the hotel and it’s fantastic staff. Thank you

I am writing this review - a praise, actually - on my homebound journey, already missing our wonderful stay. My son and I both felt very lucky to have found and booked this hotel in spite of some of the mixed reviews. For us the Albatroz was the perfect place to spend our brief autumn vacation. Our plan was to swim in the ocean and enjoy some scenic hikes on Madeira with a room with ocean views as our base. The hotel is very comfortable, meticulously clean and generously spacious: only 20 rooms but with amenities that could serve many more people. In hindsight we understood what some of the reviewers may have complained about: if you look for animated bars and public areas, this is not the place: here it is laid back, peaceful and quiet, you never have to look for a spot at the pool, or in the jacuzzi, booking ahead at the restaurant or even on the tennis court is a mere formality. If you love glitzy modern hotel rooms or even old-world grand style, again, this is not the place: everything at the Albatroz Hotel seems to have been designed and created some 20 years ago with comfort and function in mind and maintained to a very high standard ever since. For us the highlight was the ocean pool - a 73-step hike below the hotel, half hidden from sight by the spectacular cliffs. Breakfasts were another wonderful treat: a wide variety of delicacies to be enjoyed on the terrace with glorious views of the ocean. The staff were courteous and attentive and the location of the hotel unbeatable: along the ocean, with unobstructed views, amidst a beautiful garden and within walking distance of - albeit along a busy, noisy road- Santa Cruz, with its restaurants and a brief and painless shuttle-ride away from the airport - the proximity of which caused no nuisance whatsoever. In summary, one of our best, most relaxing holidays ever. Thank you so much, dear Albatroz-staff. We will be back.

This excellent hotel lived up to the brilliant reviews we had read, prior to booking. We had a spacious room (superior sea view) and it was clean and very comfortable. The view was great and a complimentary bowl of fruit was a nice welcoming touch on arrival. Beach towels are supplied and changed daily. We also received a complimentary pick up from the nearby airport and lift back on departure day. Speaking of the airport it is nearby but the hotel is very peaceful. I liked watching the planes coming in as we walked to Santa Cruz (15 min walk from the hotel but does include a few minute walk by the motorway and steep slope into the town) Reception will arrange a taxi, if preferred. The staff were amazing from Sandra and the team on Reception to the wonderful Restaurant team led by the excellent Claudia. This included Fabricio, Francisco and Anna. They were so friendly, professional and at the top of their game. I was particularly impressed by how many languages they spoke to cater for the wide range of guests. The food was of great quality from breakfast to lunch and dinner, we sampled all and good choices were available. Housekeeping were very good too and our room was serviced by mid morning everyday. For a peaceful holiday this is the place to go (some days we had the pool to ourselves as many guests come for the hiking experience and are out during the day. We would definitely stay here again if the towns nearby had more to offer. Santa Cruz is a quiet town, quaint, but has only a few restaurants and no other real night life and very few shops (most are closed during the evening so this is a shame if you want a browse around after dinner) This is the same in Machico. We rate the hotel 10/10 but sadly the towns 6/10 due to the limited facilities. Suzanne & Danny Cowell