Friendly staff, especially after a few days in the hotel. Great advice for restaurants. Very clean and excellent location. Incredible views and hikes just outside of the hotel. Dining options around holidays were limited and service was lacking. Perhaps it was due to holidays, but the special dinner was expensive and really did not match our expectations, or depart far from breakfast (which is quite nice). Excellent spa and a good value massages.

Excellent service.

plusses everything except: mirror light defect

Looking forward to next time:)

Beautiful time here. Staff were great. Breakfast had plenty of options.

Front desk was wonderful helpful.the view from our room was breathtaking . Bar food was not good. I would stay again.

Beautiful and spacious rooms, right on the coast near some natural pools. The breakfast was delicious! Overall a very enjoyable stay and would gladly come back!

Quiet and clean

Nice and modern hotel

We had a lovely ocean view. The dining room was exceptional 5 star food. There’s a small menu at the bar available during the day which was convenient. The hallways were a bit dark and a long walk to the elevator. The open bathroom with motorized roller may not be ideal for everyone wanting more bathroom privacy but otherwise the room was clean and ample storage & luggage space. They charge for the Nespresso pods in the room which is a bit cheap but there was a bottle of mineral water which we appreciated. We had our engagement photos taken at the waterfront. They are stunning! Thank you to Ayla Harbich Photography. She knows the best spots & sunset.

Quiet location with great sea views but hotel maintenance fell short. Dirty windows in breakfast room, stale croissants at breakfast buffet. Lots of little subpar things. Nice stay but not typical of what I would expect from a 5* hotel unfortunately.

We reserved 2 beds and were given 1 double bed and a cot. Both were extremely unconformable. I told the front desk clerk I did not want a cot. The shower was broken, only hot water. We reported it twice and nothing was done. We had to take a quick shower because the water was so hot. The swimming pool was freezing. I would not stay there again. Unless they give me a great deal. We had a reservation for top floor and paid top rate. We shouldn't have had to put up with this.

Nice place to stay in Ribiera Grande

Some people may think that the location overlooking the ocean on the north shore is too secluded from the main towns, Ponta Delgada and Ribieros Grande, but we liked the fact that we could easily get there by cab or rental car if needed. This full service resort was an ideal spot to recharge and get away from crowds and noise of the more popular touristy spots.

Excellent stay, grounds are impressive, great views, staff was very helpful. Breakfast was a total hit. People in the local village were so friendly, we even attended mass at Senhora de boa Viagem. Beautiful country we will visit again soon.

Pros: minimal design and aesthetic of the property was wonderful. Robes and slippers for both adults and children were appreciated. Options of indoor and outdoor pool were great. The view is stunning. Cons: There are certain expectations that come with a 5 star hotel such as superb facility maintenance and attentive customer service. The pools were not well maintained: many tiles missing and algae build up from the outdoor pool along with flaking paint; indoor pool had the same hair in the overflow drains day afyer day and the spa jets never worked. The bathroom in the spa/indoor pool area consistently lacked toilet paper and hand soap. The lunch and dinner options within the hotel were limited with little feature of regional cuisine. Given that any restaurant outside of the hotel requires a car, this was very disappointing. The service was sluggish at best. We watched four waitstaff discuss a schedule while a number of tables sat impatiently waiting for water, to order, their food...anything.

View of the ocean from our room.

Staff were helpful and accommodating. We were very pleased.

Very nice experience. Center of the island.

Staff were very accommodating and helpful.

The surroundings are beautiful, the ocean views and serene environment. The access to walking path and natural pools (which we did not discover until our last morning) is an added bonus. Although some of the hotel amenities are a bit off from the overall star rating. For example the bathroom facilities of the pool area are a bit lacking. The bathroom as well in room has an odd sliding door that doesn't completely shut close. The hotel has a strict no check in before 4pm policy I would say this is the worst feature of the hotel, it was really hard for us arriving on a red eye, I saw at least 4-5 groups from our overnight flight sleeping around the property waiting for check-in time and the hotel was unflexible to allow even a 1hr early check-in. If this was known I would actually consider booking a earlier night just to get some good rest upon arrival because it really threw off our first day there. I will however say the breathtaking surroundings make the hotel very special. The breakfast buffet is a welcome addition with nice options. The location is next to some of the best areas of the island with access to many scenic points and good restaurants all within 10-15 minutes away. Parking on site was easy and complimentary. The sunsets on this side of the island are amazing. Overall I would come back and refer this hotel but hoping they would reconsider their check in policy to really make it a more accomodating experience.

This property is beautiful in every way. The rooms are perfect, the ocean view is pretty, the breakfast is lovely with many options for everyone, and the outdoor pool is very nice especially for kids! The staff is helpful. The price is a bit on the high side though so I am not sure I would stay again unless the price was better. However, we stayed in August when it was too hot to use the indoor pool, and prices were probably at their highest.

Beautiful property, many great facilities that open early and close late. The rooms could use a little updating and the breakfast could be better. Quiet location and easy parking, would stay here again.

Paradise in Paradise

This place is so beautiful we didn’t want to leave! Our room was perfect with a balcony and kitchenette and it was so big! The pools were relaxing and just what we needed after a day of exploring. The dining was delicious.

We originally booked another hotel in Ribeira Grande, but they notified us last moment that there will be loud music festival right outside our window for all of our stay. We had to rebook. Pedras do Mar had just one last room. In the end it was a much better choice than the original. Hotel is very private, quiet, right on the shore, even though there is no proper beach. The views are wonderful, the staff are very friendly and helpful, good breakfast, nice restaurant (although they won’t seat you without reservation), but bar food is equally nice plus you can seat outside. Overall great hotel and great service

Paradise in Paradise

This place is so beautiful we didn’t want to leave! Our room was perfect with a balcony and kitchenette and it was so big! The pools were relaxing and just what we needed after a day of exploring. The dining was delicious.

We spend four days in the hotel I will tell the personnel was very friendly and attentive, the food was great, the only complaint I had is according with the picture of the Hotel I thought they had a pool with a nice deep but is not the case the pool is maybe four feet deep great for children but not adults, they said is a natural pool in the ocean in the back not even dare is not place there for you to enjoy the ocean is kind of dangerous situation not delightful at all, I like ocean and pool but not the case here, other thing you need to take in consideration before you book this hotel, the location is far far away from everything a taxi will charge you €25 to go anywhere in the city., is not a public transportation closer and they don’t offer shuttle service either so you are in your own other than that it was a good place. Thanks

Everything

Peaceful. Nice pools and tennis court. Limited dining and menu. No beach

Overall this was a great place and we have very few complaints. I’ve read the reviews complaining about this not being a 5-star property but it’s all relative. Is it a ritz-Carlton? No. By US standards maybe 4-star. But it’s one of the nicest hotels on Sao Miguel, and has a pretty luxurious feeling overall. The staff was incredibly nice and responsive and helpful. The ocean view was gorgeous. The rooms are nice and modern and comfortable. Water pressure excellent, AC very effective, entire dining and lounge area beautiful, and bar drinks and bar food wonderful. We did not have dinner here since the reviews seemed to indicate it wasn’t worth the money but I would not have been surprised if it turned out to be perfectly nice. Definitely recommend if you want a quiet, very comfortable hotel with some luxury features and delightful staff.

Service at the bar was very very slow! Lots of people in restaurant working, but we constantly had to look for someone to help us? We also had same problem when we came in to eat lunch. Why we never ate dinner at restaurant. We also notice while not being served others had some issues. Other than that desk clerks staff was great!

the property was beautiful and understated, like the island itself. Loved the view of the ocean and the hike along the cliffs. would have expected a better quality massage given the name. the concierge was primarily for renting cars and not much help otherwise.

Make sure you have a car . Not within walking of anything. Also no phone service but staff was great. Very friendly.

We enjoy our stay at this hotel. everything was great starting from front desk and service true entire staff. Hotel has a restaurant so if you choose you can spend entire vacation without leaving area.

Service is subpar

Serene location to stay, with a nice infinity pool overlooking the ocean. While comfortable and clean - service was subpar. We were only there one night at the end of our trip but had a few situations where service could be meaningfully improved - namely at the bar and restaurant.

Food selection never changed for breakfast or dinner. Air condition was not working properly in room.

Overall very good choice for the Azores. Having the breakfast and dinner restaurant in the hotel was so nice when traveling with kids to make things easy. Outdoor and indoor pools were great, very relaxing vibe. Only thing I would change is the bathroom did not have a fully closing door and had opaque walls so it was hard to navigate at night when kids were asleep in the hotel room. But otherwise would recommend for traveling with kids.

Beautiful pool and ocean views

Its just far away from all the restaurants and hotel restaurants is very expensive

Location

Great space, little far out there but overall beautiful stay

Everything was excellent

Very nice location. 20 minutes away from airport. Quite, overlooking the ocean.

I would love to stay here again, the staff are phenomenal. I had some concerns when I arrived and they accommodated me immediately to ensure I had a pleasant stay. I was unable to enjoy the pool because I was very busy but I did go to the restaurant in the hotel and it was incredible! You will not be disappointed if you stay here, I rented a car and it was easy to get to Sete Cidades, and many other attractions. Thank you for a wonderful visit.

Most of the staff are extremely good and friendly; however, there were lots of time when some staff members were too rigid about unimportant things (like sitting in the fine dining area 7 minutes before it officially opened for the evening). 5-star service is based on always finding a way to accommodate what the guest would like. This is often very affordable for the company but does a lot towards making the customer feeling welcome! Waiting service is often slow especially when initially offering guests drinks after being seated. The fine dining area often seemed to have empty tables but they wouldn't seat guests without a reservation. We love the birds and plants on the property and we would love more trees, flowers and wildlife in the property. Massage service was also great!

Beautiful view, great walking trails with enough stuff to keep you occupied if it rains all day.

The property was great however it is not close to anything unless you have a car. We asked for a map from reception of the area which states in the hotel directory so we could find ATM or local sites, restaurants and bars but they said they do not provide this service and the reception could not point us in the direction of an ATM close by and said there wasn’t any. Luckily for us we found one locally within 6 mins walking. Otherwise all else was great.

Very nice property on the north shore of the island. Great food, great staff

Lovely hotel, great staff, amazing location. The breakfast, bar and restaurant are very good!

Great property! Friendly staff! Nice quiet location, but not far from town

A beautiful place with a gorgeous view!

Amazing property. Great buffet breakfast. Lots of choices. Staff all incredible. Great spa experience and services. Overall a 5 star experience. Highly recommend.

The hotel was lovely, perfect views, the design was great. However, overall the hotel did not meet 5 star standards, and we honestly had much better food and service at most of the 4 star hotels we stayed at. The coffee was not good, the breakfast food was meh, the bar food was mediocre. The rooms were good but the shower was definitely not 5star. The staff also had a lot of rules - you could only eat certain foods in certain areas, the concierge couldn't book the spa, the towels for the pool are only at the front desk. Just made the stay feel a bit more clunky than it needed too. Also, a note that we were here in off-season, and the hotel had this eerie truman-show vibe. The hiking trails around the hotel are amazing.

Nice hotel/resort

This hotel is perfectly lovely and we enjoyed staying there. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars was because of the fact that it is not quite up to the standards of other places where we have stayed on Sao Miguel, Azores. For example, they charged us for using the coffee in our room and they require you to exchange towel cards at the front desk to get sauna towels. They also charge for many small things that are a little tiny bit inconvenient and unusual on the island. However, they have the very best breakfast of every place we stayed. They refer to it as continental but it is so much more than that - very impressive.

We were very satisfied with our stay here! The room was very inviting and relaxing. We LOVED being on the ocean view side. The breakfast was very good and our last night we enjoyed some awesome music and played pool. We came for our honeymoon and we had the best stay. The staff were very welcoming and so friendly. We asked if we could check out at 12 instead because of our late flight and they allowed it. We would definitely recommend and 1000 percent return :) Thank you!!!

Very nice hotel!

Excellent

I highly recommend this hotel. The property was picturesque, the ocean view room was great. I was happy to have a coffee and tea maker in the room with a mini fridge with complimentary water. Their are trails on the property along the coastline to explore. The kitchen staff was very accommodating with dietary restrictions. The only thing worth mentioning is that I’m not a fan of the European bathrooms with the glass window, although their is a privacy window that can be closed. I recommend this hotel.

Very comfortable place to stay for a visit to Sao Miguel island. I liked that it was in the middle of the island so that we could do day trips to the East or West and not have a very long drive. Comfortable room with nice bed/linens, clean and modern bathroom with bidet. Everything smelled nice. Good breakfast, and beautiful views from the bar/main restaurant. Plenty of parking. There's nothing walking distance so make sure you rent a car.

Great, but it's not a 5 star hotel

We liked this hotel, and overall I would give it 8/10. -1 for charging 75 cents for coffee in the room. -1 for the bed needing a replacement. Please add some outdoor landscape lighting around the palm trees and pool, it would make the view from the bar beautiful.

The hotel, facilities and services are all great. Plenty of courteous staff working all hours to keep the hotel clean and fresh all the time. The only minor critique we would have would be the breakfast offerings. It is by no means poor quality or lacking in any way. We also understand that resources might be a bit more limited on the island, but if the food choices could be varied a bit over the course of the week, or provide some more fruits and vegetable selections, it would make it an excellent breakfast experience. But other than this minor observation, no complaints at all.

Amazing resort with excellent service

The staff was wonderful. They were extremely helpful in making reservations for us. The view was gorgeous from our balcony. Breakfast was incredible. It had fresh items every morning and was included in the stay. We will definitely go back.

Amazing time would return in a heart beat

For the price , Poor quality breakfast buffet . Hotel wasn’t chic at all , for the island that beautiful and green ,property didn’t have a nice landscaping design ,looked very empty.

spa not really a spa. the indoor pool was stuffy and crowded. the gym was tiny, had to check towels for pool at front desk. and return (wet). confused about this policy with no explanation. we left and stayed elsewhere with no refund. clean room with great sea views and good bed. far from anything, but we had a car. NO BEACH. this is true for the whole island and i believe the entire azores. hotel felt like a MILL. good walking path but lots and lots of flies.

The property is clean and has beautiful views but it is not convenient for anything you either need a car or taxi. The dining menu never changes nor does the breakfast choices. Cleaning staff is great but the administrative staff only does the bare minimum.. it is very peaceful and quiet and has a great path along the cliff for a walk.

The hotel provides a unique feel on the island. Easy access by car to Ponta Delgado and the entire island of San Miguel. It offered a great respite after long days of hiking and sight seeing. A great place to stay and recharge in great comfort.

Not 5 star

This hotel is represents a style of hotel that needs to fade away. Big box hotel with poorly trained staff, terrible breakfast and a feelung you are in a bad airport waiting for your flight.

Pretty good hotel in the middle of nowhere

Firstly, the reason I'm being so picky is because this resort calls itself a 5 star. Facilities are pretty good and it's clean with a great outdoor pool. But there are little things, like some wallpaper peeling and a cloudy swimming pool, that you wouldn't expect in a 5 star. The restaurant was quite overpriced for the Azores and the food & service there was very average. Usually that wouldn't be a problem, but the resort is literally in the middle of nowhere so you have to drive 20 minutes to either of the bigger towns to get a decent restaurant - the small towns nearby are mainly snack bars. However if you are just looking for a beautiful, relaxing setting and don't mind the restaurant it is the perfect location to chill out and relax.

Excellent customer service

Beautiful property and place to stay. Wish the staff were friendlier and more attentive sometimes in the bar and restaurant. We went for dinner one night at the restaurant and were shamed for not having a reservation even though the restaurant was more than half empty. Also the change rooms for the pool could be better. Was out of toilet paper and no soap in the shower down there. Not an issue if you have your room but we got there early from and overnight flight and were encouraged to use the facilities until our room was ready. The breakfast included is fantastic and impressive. Also the rooms were beautiful and very clean. The live music some nights in the bar is a great plus too. Towels for use outside of the hotel was great too. Overall would highly recommend this place!

An extremely recommended experience

Everything was great- the only small complaint was the lounge chairs by the outside pool were soo very hard and uncomfortable.

Gorgeous spot with a beautiful Infiniti pool, very nice rooms and balconies. somewhat isolated from everything: beach & any restaurants are at least a 10 drive away - trade off is the peacefulness of this spot v. Walkable accessibility to beach and restaurants in Ribeira Grande. Recommend: Association Agricola & O Pescador - both 10 min drive.

nice hotel but add some money for sea view

Nicely located hotel and luckily we had superb weather for the whole stay. Some staff at the reception still on learning I think. When we arrived late at night had to struggle to get the keys and it was not earlier than after 15mins. The next morning we received a note to come back to the reception with IDs - it seems at night the incompetent guy kept us waiting without successful administration procedures.

It was a beautiful property with lots of amenities. The pool area and restaurants were well equipped and well appointed. The only remark i would have is that i feel the parking lot should be more hidden from the pool facilities

Great hotel in poor neighborhood

I really enjoyed my stay here. It is located on the north side of the island. Surrounded by beautiful farm land. Super peaceful.

The ladies at the spa were amazing. The breakfast was awesome. The front desk staff were not very nice, one woman in particular was rude. The amenities were great! And bartenders were amazing!

Beautiful ocean front property. Remote and have to have a car or use taxi but a very relaxing atmosphere all around. Very quiet and calm.

Ok just área not as convenient. You need a car and take 15-20min driving to Ponta Delgada. But is clean, staff is nice and helpful. No complains but not amazing

Amazing place for vacation

Absolutely beautiful. An exceptional retreat!

Was nice

Remote but quiet, beautiful surroundings

Overall a great experience!! Beautiful location!

Peaceful and beautiful resort

Peaceful location with amazing ocean and island views. Resort room was modern, clean and comfortable. Customer service and staff were very polite and attentive. The indoor pool and saunas are amazing. As well as the negative edge pool outdoor. I had a couples massage at the spa that was very relaxing and the therapists were very nice. The morning breakfast buffet is a wonderful variety of local foods that’s very delicious.

This establishment was mediocre at the very best. The rooms were clean and mostly comfortable and that was about the extent of the pro's. The con's were: the value for the price was very disproportionate; the staff was incredibly rude, cold and inattentive; the fact that this place was advertised as a 5-star hotel is a joke; the outside of the building looks like it needs a pressure wash and/or a major renovation. It was not what was advertised, and I would not recommend to anyone.

We loved our stay at the resort. Elegant rooms. Serviced well. Nice property. Nice view of the ocean. Very relaxing. Breakfast left much to be desired. The restaurant was okay.

Very pleasant experience but you need a car

It was really pleasant, it’s the best way I can describe it. My husband and I would go explore the island all day and then we would come back and just relax at the hotel. My favorite part was not having anything else around the hotel, we felt secluded and we really enjoyed that. You definitely need a car if you are staying here, if you rent a car and don’t mind being a secluded then this place is perfect for you.

amazing views. Must have transportation as there is not much within walking distance.

Book cautiously

If I were to go with my first response ... AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. $200 a night and you have to PAY for the Nespresso pods in your room ??? From the moment we arrived until the second we left, we had issues. It's far from most things so if you planned on just staying in the resort, I guess this is the place for you. Far from town, we rented a car from them. Mistake 1. The car they rented us was $100/day and a piece of garbage. The gear would get stuck and not start. The a/c would SCREAM as soon as you turned on the car so it had to be left off for a long time. We were told to not go off-road, but half the roads to hiking destinations (that the staff knew we planned on visiting) were considered "off road." Honestly, rent from the airport. The fitness center was TINY, not ventilated at all, and insufferable. The outdoor pool had maybe 20 lounge chairs for the hundreds of rooms. Make it make sense. Their restaurant, dreadful. I ordered a steak medium well, it came out medium well. My boyfriend sent it back and the next one served to me was blue. When every other meal we had in Sao Miguel was less than 25 euro for two people including drinks, and this restaurant charges well over 30 euro for a single steak -- do better. Only great thing about this place was the breakfast buffet. Which, btw, you can have as many Nespresso drinks as you wanted. So why do they cost 75 cents in the rooms?! Their only saving grace was how polite and kind most staff members were.

Loved our experience here! Such a relaxed atmosphere about 25 min drive from the main city. Need to get a hire car to drive around as no footpaths and no restaurants close by except for hotel restaurant and bar. The hotel has great connections to local tour companies and we loved the island and everything it had to offer

This is a beautiful property. The location is central to all the main sites if you have a car. The rooms are very nice and spacious and clean also has a safe for your valuables. I would definitely recommend You get the best of both worlds hotel on the ocean with pool spa etc and close to all the sites.

The property was good overall. This is definitely a resort that is away from things on the island, but it is very peaceful and relaxed. I would recommend.

Very clean. Staff very helpful and friendly. Loved the robes in the room and the beach towels. Heated pool and sauna was very nice after a day of sightseeing and hiking.

Was such a wonderful stay with amazing views everywhere. Friendly staff, fabulous breakfast (included), our suite was huge with views all around. The food and drinks were delicious the couple times we had dinner.I would definitely recommend this place again.

Beautiful hotel, hope to return soon!

This hotel has a great location and view - ocean facing windows really gave us a sense of vacation; however, everything else is less than a five star hotel. 1. Poor maintenance of facilities - the property really shows it has been years since they renovate. Our bath tub was cracked at the edges, the hanging hooks were loose (go up side down), and the sink was clogged (we had to call hotel to fix it). We noticed the dirt under the coffee table, which were never got wipe/cleaned during the four days’ stay we had. 2. Lack of service: unlike any other five star hotels, you would expect someone greet you at the door and ask for luggage helps, we walked in and no help was provided until we checked in. Things got a bit better a few days later when we saw there were finally someone there. 3. Inconsistent service and food quality at the hotel restaurant: we went back twice for the restaurant to have our dinner. First night was excellent and the food was cooked well, and the second night was a disaster - we waited two solid hours to have our food. When the food was served, my risotto tasted like something you get from a fast food restaurant (they did not clean the shrimp poop line - yak), shrimps were so small (compared to everywhere else we went). During the waiting period, no one cared to ask if we need anything - we were completely forgotten. At the most, I will rate this hotel low four star - it has its location and view for that, but the service was disappointing.

Highly recommend this hotel if staying on the island! It was clean with beautiful amenities. The breakfast included had plenty of different foods to chose from. The location is very central to all parts of the island. The restaurant on site is also amazing with a fun social bar to enjoy a drink Oceanside. Thank you!!