Savoy Saccharum Resort & Spa

Savoy Saccharum is situated on a hilltop overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and is housed in an eight-floor modern building next to a small mountain. The building once served as a sugar mill, so the resort features a lobby-level sugarcane farming museum, and pays discreet homage to its past in its interior design. It's an upscale aesthetic here, with high-quality furniture, big photo murals, and thoughtful design in the rooms and public spaces, but the lighting is quite low so the effect may be a little dark and ominous for some. The hotel draws mostly European couples, who come here for the secluded ocean-facing setting, superb facilities and multiple pools, and location not far from Calheta Beach.  

Savoy Saccharum is in a quiet ocean-facing location 30 minutes west of Funchal. There's a supermarket, some shops, and a few restaurants within a short walk of the hotel. This area is not served by public transportation, so it's helpful to have a car while staying here. The Lobosanda Whale Watching expeditions and Calheta Beach are a two-minute drive or a little less than 10 minutes on foot. Calheta Beach is a man-made sand beach with sunbathing, canoeing, and windsurfing. The Casa das Mudas art center displays Portuguese modern art in a striking hilltop building overlooking the ocean -- it’s a little more than five minutes by car. Funchal is about 30 minutes away by car or once-daily resort shuttle. The Savoy Saccharum is about a 45-minute drive from Madeira Airport.  

The 243 guest rooms, suites, and apartments at Savoy Saccharum have an upscale boutique aesthetic, with high-end furniture and bedding and high-grade materials throughout. The chief virtue of the rooms is space: rooms range from 377 square feet (35 square feet) to 861 square feet (80 square meters) in size. In keeping with the resort's sugar mill design theme, a photomural of sugarcane is on the wall behind the bed. The look of the rooms is sleek and atmospheric, but some may find the overall effect a bit austere and foreboding: the color palette is a muted beige, brown, light green, and pale blue, and despite the large windows, the rooms are low lit and dark. 

All rooms feature flat-screen TVs, minibars, electric kettles, and free Wi-FI. Some rooms lack nightstands next to the beds. Suites have living rooms with sofa beds, and some suites feature kitchens or kitchenettes. Some rooms come with included access to the resort's full-service spa and/or special guest lounge. All of the spacious bathrooms have a stylish look, with distinctive flat wash basins and curved stainless steel faucets, and cool blue lighting in some bathrooms. All come with hairdryers, bidets, and walk-in showers, and some have bathrobes and slippers. The one drawback to the bathrooms is the smoky glass paneling around the toilets and showers, which lack privacy. All rooms have private balconies, most with ocean views.

Leisure facilities at Savoy Saccharum are excellent. The infinity pool provides a sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean, and does an excellent job at merging visually with the sky and water. The resort also offers two more outdoor pools, one about 25 meters in length. All outdoor pools are unheated, so they can get a little chilly in colder weather. The spa includes an ocean-view indoor pool, several treatment rooms, sauna, steam room, hot tub, relaxation room, and sensory shower. The hotel charges a fee for use of all spa facilities, except for guests who schedule a massage or treatment or book certain upgraded rooms. The resort also offers a squash court, fitness center, and kids' club. Dining at the resort is quite good. The main restaurant serves inventive a la carte local and international cuisine, and the buffet restaurant provides an ample breakfast spread (for a fee) with a wide range of cold and hot items, including freshly cooked eggs and pancakes. The lunch and dinner buffets include many themed spreads, including Mediterranean, Italian, and traditional Madeiran. Room service is available. The resort has five bars, including a stylish cocktail lounge with sunset views and weekend live music, and poolside bars near the infinity pool and second outdoor pool. The Savoy Saccharum also has meeting rooms, on-site parking (for a fee), and a once-daily round-trip shuttle to Funchal (for a fee). Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.