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#19 of 86 hotels in Ilha do Sal
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49Car recommended
Grade: 49 out of 100
14Restaurantswithin 0.75 miles
6Attractionswithin 0.75 miles
Cabocan Lote A2, A3, Santa Maria, Ilha do Sal 4111 Cape Verde
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When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
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Lovely staff, food quality good ,overall excellent holiday don’t read the reviews about flies in the restaurant as we saw non and didn’t witness anyone being unwell brill get away for winter sun, although unable to swim in the sea as was often unsafe but pool was warmish
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Hotel's Favourite
Myself and my fiancé have recently come home from our 2 week, all inclusive holiday at RIU Funana! We have never stayed in a 5* resort before or a RIU and so we can only compare from previous 4* resorts we have stayed in. From our opinions Funana is a brilliant 5* hotel and has so many amazing qualities! Room: We arrived late at night due to a flight delay, the staff were so welcoming and offered us food in the restaurant, however we were tired and needed our beds! Our bags were taken up to our room and we were given lots of great information about the hotel and where everything was etc. As soon as we arrived at the hotel we couldn’t believe how big and grand the hotel was, the word ‘out dated’ definitely did NOT come to mind. Once in our room, again we were so pleased! The room was a double room, it was very spacious and had a separate toilet and shower. I had seen previous reviews about the shower door being see through which is definitely not true. The rooms have lots of character and I feel because they aren’t black and white, they aren’t ‘modern’ to some people. I personally loved the room and there was everything you could have needed in there. We had a room in block 6 facing the pool which was lovely, and much quieter than we anticipated! Our room was cleaned everyday and large bottles of water were provided. I have seen previous reviews about mosquitoes getting into the room as the cleaners were leaving the balcony doors open, however this was not the case for us. Food and drink: The main buffet restaurant (Espargos) was brilliant! It was huge with tables inside and out, meaning plenty of room for everyone. Most of the reviews I have read say that people saw flies on the food?? We were there for 2 whole week and I never saw this, there were flies in the restaurant but this cannot be helped by staff? The restaurant is inside and so it’s just unfortunate that flies get in. As for the food, there was so much choice at every meal! Breakfast they had everything! Cereal, lots of different types of bread, fruit, yogurts, cured meats, cooked breakfast items, omelettes, donuts, pancakes, jams, chocolate spreads, honey… the list goes on! At lunch there was again plenty of choice such as freshly made pizzas and pastas, meat, rice, veg, cold pasta salads, more fresh bread, burgers, hot dogs, literally everything you could think of. It is difficult to choose different things to eat everyday and so I understand why people may get bored, however there is plenty of choice and I made a conscience effort to try and have different things everyday. Tea food was brilliant, there were no themed nights which we have had in previous hotels and so we did miss this change. However there were 3 other restaurants in the hotel which you cold book really easily on the RIU app. We never had any trouble booking and were sometimes able to book 1 day in advance. We didn’t eat at the Kulinarium however we heard good reviews from other people staying at Funana. We ate in both the Mambana grill restaurant and the Mandalay Chinese restaurant. The Mambana is also used as a snack bar during the day which had lots of snack foods. You are not to take the food around the pool however we saw lots of people still doing this. The Mambana was used as a grill restaurant at night, we ate here twice during our stay. The restaurant had some similar foods to the main buffet restaurant however this was things like rice, chips and potatoes and so there isn’t really other choices you would expect. There were so many different types of meat such as pork, steak, grilled chicken, chorizo sausages, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, chicken skewers, calamari and also different types of pasta and salad. The Mandalay was our personal favourite restaurant and we ate here 3 times! Their was so much choice of sushi and fresh salads, spring rolls, prawn crackers, onion rings, battered shrimp, and that’s just the starters! For mains there was chicken curry (this was our personal favourite as it had so much flavour!), sweet and sour pork, beef teppanyaki, chicken skewers, bbq ribs, different styles of soups, vegetarian options, plain rice and noodles, and Chinese rice and vegetable noodles, and all of it was delicious! In all the restaurants we ate in, there was plenty of pudding choices such as small cakes, fruit, jelly, ice cream, mouses and more! There really was too much to choose from and definitely more than enough variety! The drinks on offer were lots of different cocktails, soft drinks, beer and wine on tap, water and more. The bar staff even made you cocktails that were not on the list such as our personal favourite (Jack Sparrow!) The soft drinks were sometimes flat however we just let the bar staff know and they changed the drinks for us with no problem! The cocktails were lovely and definitely had plenty of taste to them. I have read lots of reviews about the cocktails being watered down however this is due to the ice, and it’s very easy to ask the staff for no ice. We did this after a day or so and although the drinks weren’t kept as cool we could taste the cocktails a lot better. During our stay we heard of lots of people with upset stomachs, we did experience this slightly however this could have been due to the ice in the drinks, sun stroke, or just not being used to the foods. Again this did not ruin our holiday and we just adapted by asking for no ice and being careful with what we ate. The staff recommended you do not drink their water as it can make you poorly and so for me having ice in your drinks is probably the main reason for illnesses. Pool: What can I say about the pool other than AMAZING! There were 2 main pools, one with the swim up bar and benches and the other where most water activities were done. The pools were cleaned which we saw one evening and there was plenty of sun beds for everyone. Lots of people went down early to put towels on sun beds which I personally don’t see anything wrong with. There was lots of sun around the pool throughout the day, we found it was a little cloudy in the mornings and again around 5/6pm however the sun was so strong during the day that this was often a nice break! The bar staff brought cocktails around the pool to everyone which was such a nice touch from the hotel. Staff/entertainment team: The staff in the hotel were all lovely, we never had a bad experience with any of them. From checking in, to any queries we had, to checking out again, the staff were so helpful and wanted to give you the best advice possible. I have read reviews about people requesting things on the app and not receiving them however we did not experience this. We requested 2 extra pillows and these were brought to our room on the same day. The bar staff were all lovely and even even when they were rushed off their feet, they still served you with a smile and chatted about your day. The entertainment team were brilliant!!! They would come around the pool every single day and do activities such as darts, schulbach, archery, water volley ball, water polo, water aerobics, bingo and more. We often joined in lots of the activities and always had so much fun. There were prices on offer too such as T-shirts, backpacks, luggage tags and waterproof bags which was a great addition to the games. The entertainment team took their time to learn our names and would always greet us throughout the day, they were all brilliant! I wanted to specially mention D’Jemelia who was so lovely! Always smiling and chatting with us, and even asked us to say goodbye to her before we left. These are the little things that really made our holiday. Some of the shows on an evening were not to our taste, however we just left and used the sports bar or had a drink in reception instead. I think some people forget how much time and effort goes into rehearsing these shows and these staff work so hard all day and night and for me, they therefore deserve so much credit! All I would suggest is finding something else to do if you do not like the show. There is another smaller theatre next to the reception which often had live singers and appeared quieter so this may be a good option. Beach: The beach is absolutely gorgeous, it is only around a 5 minute walk from the hotel and majority of this is on hard paths. The sand did get very hot and so I would recommend wearing water shoes as even my flip flops were burning me! We passed a few ‘lucky lucky men’ on the way to the beach offering excursions however they were all friendly and respected us when we said no. We had already booked through TUI and told them this and they were fine. Some wanted to give you their business cards just in case and so we just took these to be polite. The beach bar was all inclusive, we have never had this before and so this was a brilliant addition for us. The sea was slightly rough however just follow the flags and there are plenty of life guards around. TUI excursions: We booked 3 excursions through TUI, the Secrets of Sal tour, the adults only catamaran, and the lemon sharks. I would recommend every single one and would always recommend booking through TUI as personally I feel it is safer and you get more for your money. I will be doing separate reviews for all of these excursions however I would really recommend them all and we had a great time seeing lovely Sal. The island: Sal is definitely a very unique and beautiful place. The island is only 25 miles long and 8 miles wide and so it is definitely one of the smallest islands we have been on. The main income for the island is tourism and I feel that is why selling products and excursions is so important for the residents. We did go into Santa Maria for a few hours and I have to admit we did feel pestered the whole time, however we were polite and just said no. Some of the men did become a little intimidating and a lot of people tried to lead us to ‘their markets’ however we just stayed away and said no. We heard lots of horror stories about people getting locked in rooms or people who said they were security at our hotel and lead them into their own shops, however luckily this did not happen to us. We spoke to the TUI rep Jack, before going into Santa Maria, and he gave us lots of good tips on how to stay safe. Because of our experiences on our excursions and our trip to Santa Maria, we did not leave the hotel much as we did not feel comfortable enough. A lot of people we spoke to said they were bored and missed being able to walk into town for bars and restaurants, we too missed being able to do this however there was lots of entertainment within the hotel and plenty to do. I definitely agree that the island is deserted and there is nothing close to the hotel, and we personally didn’t want to venture out at the worry of being pestered by locals selling things. However this is just one of those things that nobody has control of, and it is just something we will keep in mind next time we book a holiday. Overall: Overall our trip to Sal was one I will never forget. I genuinely have nothing negative to say about the hotel or our day trips. The only small criticism I would have is about the wifi, obviously wifi is not the main reason to go on holiday, however due to the charges from Vodafone it was the only way to communicate with my family. The wifi would often drop out and meant it was hard to even send 1 WhatsApp message to my family to let them know I was ok. I know a lot of other people had trouble with the wifi too! I occasionally had to walk around until I was back on the wifi as it was the best in our room. However that is only a small criticism and we just became patient with it. I will definitely be recommending Sal and the Funana hotel to my friends and family as we had the most amazing time. If you are reading the bad reviews as I did, I would just advice to take them lightly as we were really worried before we came and I still laugh now as I’m reading recent ones. I understand people pay lots of money to go on holiday and for a 5* hotel I know we should get what we pay for, however I think it is also important to think positively and open minded about some things and to realise not all things are in the control of the hotel. The staff should be so happy with their services and I would definitely return here to this beautiful island and hotel!!!…
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
70 Helpful votes
Helpful
+1
A fantastic relaxing week. Nice comfortable rooms, no luxuries but only in the room to sleep. The rest of the hotel was superb. Well kept gardens, nice out door spaces. The pool area was great, plenty of Sunbeds even though they were a bit packed it. The pool bar was great, plenty of choices of drinks. The food and restaurants were fab. We ate mostly in the buffet restaurant in the hotel and the restaurant by the pool at lunch times. Plenty of choice, tasty food. I loved the different fish available day and night. Fantastic choice of salads etc. The usual, pasta, pizza, meats, stews, but also some different things for an AI like smoked salmon, sushi, steak. We visited 2 of the restaurants, part of the AI. The Asian and gourmet, a nice change, no complaints but not amazing. We loved the outside bar in the evening for drinks and card games. The neon party was great, such a lot effort put into it. We also saw the rock band, ABBA tribute group etc. All in all a lovely hotel, great holiday. We were 5 in our group, 1 had a dodgy belly. We ate and drank everything. We had ice in all drinks. We were careful about washing hands and used hand sanitiser religiously. Don’t hesitate to book, it’s a lovely place.…
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Excellent hotel pour: son emplacement, les chambres-silentieuses et propres, les restaurants-deliceux, les divertissements-pour tous les ages, le personnel-aimable. C'est tout ce qui est necessaire pour les vacances.Merci Riu
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Geweldig in alle opzichten. Prima service, uitstekend eten, keurige kamers, hulpvaardig en vriendelijk personeel. Leuk animatieteam, ‘s avonds leuke voorstellingen. Keurig verzorgd zwembad met voldoende ligbedden . Onderhoud van het park was zeer verzorgd.
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Absolutely loved our visit to riu funana. The food was amazing. We didn't go to the speciality restaurants as the food was so good at the buffet restaurant we didn't feel the need. Can't understand how they do so many different choices with such quality. Loved the freshly cooked pizza especially the blue cheese. The entertainment team worked so hard and were so professional . A special mention for Kevin who arrived on our 2nd week. His aquarobics were such fun. He had 60 people all laughing and engaging in his class. Also loved the twice daily dancing by the pool. Thanks for such an amazing fortnight. Can't wait to return.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: One suggestion is for a communal tip facility. All the staff were so amazing.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Really nice hotel very clean and spacious, the staff are very friendly and helpful. I recommend the Friday party nights they are great fun. There’s a lot of choices for something to eat especially as I’m a fussy eater. Always room by the pool and even though the beach is a short walk away I would recommend that also. The entertainment staff did work hard and always had a smile on their faces 😊
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Online Reputation Manager, Owner at Hotel Riu Funana
Responded 6 days ago
Dear jonm768, We are happy to know that you left our facilities with such good feelings and we are glad, from the bottom of our hearts, that you valued our work so positively. For our part, we hope that you visit us again soon, in order to offer you the 100% wonderful experience that characterizes us so much. Yours faithfully, Hotel Riu Funana Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Wszystkim szczerze polecam. Wysoki standard bardzo dobre jedzenie. Idealna obsługa. Pokoje czyste. Bardzo pomocna obsługa / I sincerely recommend it to everyone. High standard, very good food. Perfect service. Rooms clean. Very helpful staff
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: January 2023
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
I really love this hotel. Everytime I have the chance, I book some days there. Once again, Riu impresses and provides great services. From the food, to the bedrooms, to the animation team, everything is just great. Can't wait for next time!
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Online Reputation Manager, Owner at Hotel Riu Funana
Responded 6 days ago
Dear Jet18799039180, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at our Hotel Riu Funana. We are very pleased to see the five-star review and that we were able to make your stay enjoyable. Please come by and see us again and do not forget to tell your friends. Our very best, Hotel Riu Funana Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Arrived at the hotel with complimentary juice which was really nice, check in was easy and we was offered to have our bags taken to our room. I needed a shower after the flight etc, the drain in the shower drained incredibly slow so when my partner showered we hadn’t realised it had overflowed and flooded our bathroom, we found ourself on on our first day cleaning up the bathroom floor with towels due to a faulty drain. Called reception, no one came for an hour, called again, no one came, then after 15 mins I left it upon myself to go to reception to speak with them to fix it. A engineer came up, safe to say it wasn’t fixed and just an issue we had to put up with for our stay. The staff at the hotel were fantastic, the maids cleaned the room very well, all hotel staff were attentive and lovely and set up a fantastic room layout for my partners 21st, honestly can not complain. Unless you lay in till 10am you’ll always find a sunbed by the pool, the pool bar was full of wasps, unsure what the hotel can do to stop that but didn’t slow service and the bar staff worked hard all the time. The food was OK, nothing special on the buffet; the Asian place was lovely we went more than twice, didn’t go to the sit down meal. Santa Maria has a lot of scams, man claiming to be your hotel security (he saw our wristbands) had a story about his mothers shops and how he helps her with it, says it’s his day off from the hotel, we got some items stupidly and returned to pay the next day, realised it was a scam and returned the items; all turned very hostile with shouting and confrontation, there’s no “market” it’s back alley shops leading you feel pressured into buying stuff. Turtle nesting is very very busy, and on our last day the lunch buffet by the pool served numerous bits of raw chicken so do be cautious with the meats. The splash park is a good laugh and the sunset at the beach is incredible, would go again but not to this hotel sadly, not a 5 star but a 4 star they may get away with.…
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Do not fall victim to local scams and cons
Bring pool snacks
Check the meat you’re eating
The...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Online Reputation Manager, Owner at Hotel Riu Funana
Responded 6 days ago
Dear TYarwood96, Thank you for sharing your review about your recent stay. It is disappointing to read we could not reach your expectations in some areas, nonetheless, your impression will be passed on to the departments in charge. Looking forward to hosting you in the future. Best Regards, Hotel Riu Funana Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$211 - US$268 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
riu garopa santa maria
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
ClubHotel Riu Garopa
LOCATION
Cape VerdeIlha do SalSanta Maria
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Claim Your ListingHOTEL RIU FUNANA - Updated 2023 (Santa Maria, Cape Verde)
Frequently Asked Questions about Hotel Riu Funana
Which popular attractions are close to Hotel Riu Funana?
Nearby attractions include Projeto Biodiversidade (0.3 miles), Casino Royal (0.4 miles), and Murdeira (0.4 miles).
What are some restaurants close to Hotel Riu Funana?
Conveniently located restaurants include By Valeria, The Bounty Beach Restaurant, and Restaurant Ponta Preta.
Are there any historical sites close to Hotel Riu Funana?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Paroquia de Nossa Senhora das Dores (1.1 miles) and Nazarene Church (1.2 miles).
Does Hotel Riu Funana have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.