Hotel Santa Maria

Nice, clean hotel. Close to airport, perfect for a one night stay if get in late and fly to Fogo the next morning.

You get what you pay for.

Property is located in a pedestrian street in the centre of Praia town and is within 5 minutes’ walk of the town’s main park, a supermarket, the presidential palace and multiple small shops / cafes. Football / fishing beaches are 10 minutes’ walk down the hill, tourist beaches are 20 to 30 minutes’ walk in the same direction. Checkin desk didn’t have enough change when I paid my non-prepaid taxes on arrival with cash, but were helpful in terms of arranging taxies and dealing with other issues. Room was pleasant, well presented and had good air-conditioning, but there was an immediate aroma of stale water on first entering and the toiletries / towels provided often weren’t adequate. Found the shower difficult to regulate and it was easy to pump the tap and cause it to suddenly boil or freeze. Had an issue with my room not being cleaned one day and found that the wifi only worked if standing right at the door (wouldn’t work at the desk or in any of the main areas of the room). Breakfast was simple but runs until 10:30 each day, tea making is provided but new tea bags/sugar weren’t, the bed sloped to the left and the in room mini-bar fridge and the TV remote didn’t work. Reasonably pleasant reasonably quiet town based place to stay.

I think the hotel has recently being refurbished and there was no bars/restaurants, balcony/patio & no airport transfer - all of which were mentioned in the hotels.com details. I did find the staff at the hotel very friendly and helpful. There is not much to do in Praia and my stay of 13/14 nights was too long, but overall a very pleasant stay over the Christmas period.