Portoes de Sao Pedro 1, Ilha Terceira, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Beautiful setting a three-minute walk to Silveira Beach
Within a 20-minute walk of Angra do Heroismo
All rooms have balconies with views over the gardens and ocean
Good-sized rooms have safes, flat-screen TVs, and bidets
Spa offering massages, sauna, and a well-equipped gym
Large outdoor pool and adjacent kiddy pool with lovely views
Restaurant serves well-reviewed food
Bright indoor pool and hot tub
Free, secure underground parking
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Rooms have dated '70-style decor
Outdoor pool is seasonal
Wellness facilities are open to the public
Some guests find the hotel’s location too remote
Hotel’s shared areas are in need of a revamp
Sitting among tidily manicured lawns, the three-pearl Terceira Mar Hotel is a stone’s throw from the ocean, which all of its 139 dated but clean rooms overlook. The hotel is a three-minute walk to Silveira Beach, and a 20-minute walk or a short bus ride to the center of Angra do Heroismo. On-site features include a simple spa offering massages, a sauna, and well-equipped gym, a bright indoor pool, and a large outdoor saltwater pool with adjacent kiddy pool and gorgeous vistas. The restaurant serves a buffet breakfast and a la carte dinner to positive reviews. Though in need of a contemporary update, rooms have minibars, flat-screen TVs, free safes, and free Wi-Fi. Guests looking for a more stylish place to stay might want to check out the Aparthotel Atlântida Mar, on the Praia da Vitoria.
Scene
Dated interiors but lush, neatly manicured grounds and sea views
The Terceira Mar attracts families with young kids looking for a poolside vacation, and older couples looking to make the most of the abundant greenery and rambling tracks on the island -- both with the proviso that they’re willing to look past the hotel’s aging decor. The hotel sits in a great block of pastel pink and stone in the middle of tidily manicured grounds, with a lawn offering a large pool deck and gorgeous vistas of the adjacent ocean. Inside, the lobby is a low-ceilinged space with limestone floors and a few mismatched patterned sofas, while the restaurant has row upon row of tables with white cloths, and a small terrace with views over the grounds and the sea beyond. The atmosphere is generally relaxed, however, since wellness facilities like the pools and spa can be used by the public, it can get busy.
Location
Three minutes’ walk from Silveira Beach and 20 minutes from Angro do Heroísmo
The hotel is close to Silveira Beach, a pretty sheltered bay a three-minute walk away, and a 20-minute walk from the UNESCO-listed historic center of Angra do Heroismo, where there are a number of shops, bars, and restaurants. Other than that, there is not much close by -- the hotel is in a somewhat rural, residential area. The city of Praia da Vitoria is a 25-minute drive away. Expect a 20-minute transfer to Lajes Airport by car.
Rooms
Dated rooms with sea views and flat-screen TVs
Although they are dated with '70s-style decor, all of the 139 rooms benefit from views of the manicured grounds and ocean beyond from their balconies. Standard Rooms are decorated with a dusty pink patterned carpet, magnolia walls, dark-wood furniture, and mustard-yellow and oranges in the drapes, bed runners, and two armchairs. Other furnishings include a small table, a double bed, and a desk that houses the flat-screen TV, dresser drawers, and minibar. Bathrooms are tiled with ivory limestone, and equipped with a shower/tub combo, bidet, hose-style hairdryer, and free toiletries. Junior Suites, meanwhile, have a bay window looking out to the sea and a couch and coffee table positioned to make the most of the view. Larger Suites have a separate bedroom and homey living area, plus a separate bathtub and shower stall. All rooms have a flat-screen TV, minibar, safe, air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi.
Features
A buffet breakfast, indoor and outdoor pools, and a spa and gym
The Terceira Mar has a range of amenities firmly aimed at keeping vacationing guests satisfied. The hotel serves a buffet breakfast and a la carte dinner in its restaurant, as well as light meals and snacks all day at the bar. Food receives positive reviews. Outdoors, in the hotel’s lush grounds, is a large saltwater pool and adjacent kiddy pool set in a sunny terrace, but they're only open during the summer season. An indoor swimming pool and hot tub are also available in a bright space, which is part of the small spa. The spa offers treatment rooms for massages and wellness therapies, a sauna, and Turkish bath, in addition to a well-equipped gym, with a good selection of cardio and weight-training machines. However, the pools and wellness facilities can be used by the public, and some past guests have complained of them being busy at times. A TV room has plush couches and a game room holds a pool table. The hotel has free and secure underground parking, and free Wi-Fi throughout.