Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria

Can’t complain! Was a good beautiful hotel with plenty of food and drinks for all guests! Very easy to get there from the airport and everyone speaks English if you don’t speak the native language or similar. Most requests are done via their handy app which is easy to navigate and all inclusive is true to the name! You only pay for anything extra such as treatments in the Spa or items from the shop located on site otherwise everything else is included in the cost of your stay! I would have preferred more options for the 24hr “snack/food option” but this was only used out of hours so not many times for me.

Amazing resort. Will differently be going back soon.

Een aanrader!

My husband and I came spent 11 nights here from April in to start of May for our honeymoon. The weather was lovely everyday and the hotel was fantastic. This is by far the best holiday we have ever had and we have already booked to come back in May 2025. My parents have also booked as they loved the look of the photos etc. The cleaners and staff at this hotel do an amazing job. Cleaners are constantly cleaning including the swimming pool toilets which is great to see. The food was amazing, and there was always something nice available which is a first for us as on previously holidays not in Cape Verde we'd get bored of the food after a week and start eating out but we didn't do that here. The room was lovely and we had a side sea view which was a bonus. Prosecco on arrival. The drinks were nice as well at this hotel. Just a shame I never got to try the cocoa liqueur as it sold out after a couple days and was not back in stock but there were plenty of other drinks to choose from, even cocktails and sangria! Lovely mojito's too. The beach outside the hotel is beautiful with white sands and palm trees. The pools are great and the waterpark. Yes I did get bitten a few times by mosquitos in the evening but nowhere near as much as I thought I would. This was expected any way! The Riu app is good, staff restock the mini fridge in the room every other day but you can request more drinks sooner if you wish on the app. We did this a few times and staff would restock it for us. Optic drinks in room were nice, but we're not really a whisky fan, so we used the others (barcadi, gin and vodka, all local brands). We had a double bed each right next to each other. The shower was also a lovely waterfall shower. Entertainment was quite good, live band on most nights and a cape verde themed show with dancers was on one night, neon party was really good as well. Daiquiri cocktail bar and patisserie in the lobby were good and the cafe latte with baileys were lovely and the iced coffee. We have only been home a couple days and we're missing it already. We could not fault the hotel and it was only built in 2021 and has a nice modern African look. The themed restaurants were all nice but the steak was our least favourite just because we didn't enjoy our meals in there. I ordered my steak medium rare but it came out blue, I could not eat it. My husband had a beef burger in there but it was minced beef mushed together with no egg or anything to hold it properly together and had a weird taste. We did say we would go back but try something different next time. Other than that, we loved everything about this holiday and you can tell it's a 5 star hotel.

This hotel was really nice, we stay in a swim up room, which was worth it. The rooms were very spacious, plenty of storage, beds were really comfortable but pillows were a bit too soft for me. Air conditioning was good. Mini fridge re-stocked every other day, but if you need more stuff you just use the app to order it. You do get 4 optics in the room Vodka, Gin, Bacardi and Whiskey inj your room. The specialist restaurants weren’t that good to be honest, the Steakhouse was alright but the main buffet restaurant was brilliant. All the staff were very polite and friendly, the food in the main buffet restaurant was excellent so much to choose from but can be very busy at certain times, breakfast was really good, good variety of food was available. Bar staff were friendly and made what ever drink you wanted. Plenty of activities going on throughout the day like beach volleyball, fun games by the pool, water aerobics, loads and loads of sun loungers so no need to get up 5am to reserve a lounger, beach was lovely, couldn’t really swim in the ocean due to strong currents but you still can go in as long the flags are yellow. They play music around the pools but it isn’t too loud, definitely going back.

This was our second visit to the Palace, having previously booked for 2021, which was cancelled due the hotel not being completed on time, due to covid. We have previously stayed, at least 14 / 15 times at the other RIU hotels on Sal and couldn’t wait to visit the Palace when it opened. The hotel is excellent, and we will return again, and again! The staff are amazing, and feel like family now, as we have got to know so many of them. They cannot do enough for you and will go out of their way to help, if needed. There is plenty of variety regarding food, and I am a picky eater! There is hand sanitiser everywhere, unfortunately not everyone uses it, or washes their hands  We use it after using the tongs etc and have never been ill at this, or the other RIU hotels on the island. Our room was fabulous, and it was so good to be able to sit on the balcony watching the waves crashing on the beach. We can’t wait to get back there 

Just retirement an amazing 2 weeks at the Palace Santa Maria. Hotel very clean, all staff were amazing and had smiles on their faces. Food was good, in fact I would say best all inclusive I have had. Animation team good fun, always up for a laugh. Pool areas were nice. The hotel is set in huge grounds so never felt closed in with the amount of guests. Location good, 15 minutes to the town or €5 in taxi.

This place is clean and feels new and is huge. The room is comfortable and so is the bed and pillows. Nice big bathroom but very thin towels. The pools are also huge and never a problem to find a place to lounge. Beach is lovely but the shoreline is a fair walk away from the hotel. Also if you’re on a beach lounger you have to walk back to the pool bar to get a drink. They should have a bar or two on the beach would be much nicer and what I’ve seen on other resorts. I didn’t like having to queue up for a drink at the bar. It went quick but it’s the first time I’ve had to do that at an all inclusive. Usually the waiters come to take orders. The food is a mixed bag. Some good some bad. The buffet was pretty much what I expected. I did expect more from the other restaurants though but was disappointed. The Italian was particularly bad. Basically the buffet food served on a plate to your table. You still have to get up for your own starter and dessert from a buffet though! Not ideal when you’re all buffeted out! Staff were mostly friendly but not all of them spoke English very well. The entertainment was pretty good and the white party was especially good. Both kids and adults enjoyed the white party at the sister hotel. All in all we enjoyed our stay - it was relaxing and was worth what we paid for it.

Palace Santa Maria is huge, so I can't understand how the team manage to do what they do. I have been to many Riu Palace hotels and this one is as good as most others despite its size. It is clean, well manicured and well run. The rooms are typically Riu Palace. Clean and well maintained (balcony was a bit tiny) but not overly indulgent. The reception area, lounge and coffee bar area is very clean and bright (but some of the chairs are rather uncomfortable). The outdoor bar area is good and well ventilated and smoking is not aloud The main buffet area is very big, all seating is outside so again, great ventilation. Service was OK but to be honest, there simply isn't enough staff to accommodate the number of customers. The food, however was fabulous, no complaints there. Good choice and nothing was left standing for long. There are 4 speciality restaurants but didn't use them as they are the same throughout the chain. Pepe's snack bar provides grilled chicken and pork from noon to 6pm and was very good. Poolside bars were fab. So, so busy but the staff there are amazing. Rosa, thank you to you and your team. There are 3 good pools on the hotel front which were always busy but we don't use them as we prefer the beach. The beach is fantastic. It's huge, soft and roomy. Felt like it belonged just to ourselves. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes a beach holiday. Yes it is windy but the constant breeze was a huge plus as it meditates the heat. We did not sweat once the entire holiday even though temperatures were well into the 30's Only downside for us was the plane, 737 max is not suitable for a 6 hour flight and the Sal Airport is a joke. Far too small. Took 2 hours to get through check-in and customs and there were only two flights leaving, both TUI. So we had to run through the tiny departure lounge and board pronto. That said, we are probably going to return next April as we enjoyed what we called the African Caribbean