14 Reviews
Traveller Rating
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Excellent4
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Very Good6
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Good1
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Average3
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Poor0
Review Overview
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Cleanliness
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Entertainment
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Food
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Service
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Location
17 years 1 month ago
Not sure where previous reveiwer spent his holiday but this hotel is right on the beach, yes it may be a few miles from the town centre but it costs 3 euro's by taxi or a 40 minutes walk so it can be that far, can it. The hotel is up to the standard you come to expect from the RIU group, the food was tasty, the cleanliness was spotless, the staff were wonderful and always helpful and as for the wine, well it tasted ok to us. This and the mirrored sister hotel next door are all you could want from a beach/pool holiday.
Travel operator: Thomson
Recommended
17 years 4 months ago
We stayed in the Funana in June 2007 and the Garupa in December 2007. Only 5 hours from the UK and Carribean style holiday. The staff at the hotel treat you very well and the main restaurants are fantastic, the red wine and beer are very drinkable (unable to coment on white or rose). If anything the speciality restaurants are restrictive because the main ones are so good. The rooms are cleaned to a high standard and the domestic supervisors check the rooms every day. There is a cooling breeze so be careful to use high factor sun protection. Animation team make a good go of it, plenty to do if you want or you can easily ignore them. If you are in the Garupa remember that the Funana main restaurant is open at lunch time if you want a proper meal, nothing wrong with the pool restaurants if you want fast food and don't want to stray far from the beach/pool. There are always plenty of sun beds around the pools or on the beach but if you want your pick get there before 10am, one day the staff removed all towels from unoccupied sunbeds at 10am (result!). To be honest there is nothing to do outside the hotel of note, Santa Maria is tiny and there are a lot of people trying to get you to their stalls to buy local products.Internet conections are slow and mobile phone calls cost a bomb, perfect if you need to disconnect from work.......
Travel operator: Portland
Recommended
17 years 10 months ago
We stayed at the Garopa. When we arrived and went to our room we felt it was a bit musty and we didn't like just staring across at other building/rooms that had little decor/plants/no views. So we went back to Reception and eventually we were moved. This is the only negative we could say about the Garopa...they do perhaps need to look at 'growing' the place up. But let's face it, the trees and bushes will grow eventually!
In fairness, giving entertainment only 3 is not right, as we hardly ever went down to see the shows but people who did, always came back happy, it seemed.
I had seen a similar review as the first on your page and was extrememely concerned about cheap 'plonk' etc. being used. I even remember the phrase'awful headache'.
Well, we certainly never felt that, it's very unfair, we believe, to say such things about a hotel, that to us, and we're very well travelled, were totally untrue.
Without being patronising, the people and staff are new to the tourist business and may need to smile a bit more, but we would have absolutely no hesitation of going back to the Garopa for a well-earned holiday of sunshine, lots of food, great drinks and pleasant atmosphere in this Riu hotel.
In other words, don't know where your first reviewer is coming from....perhaps another hotel provider, perhaps? OK, shouldn't perhaps say that but fair's fair!
In fairness, giving entertainment only 3 is not right, as we hardly ever went down to see the shows but people who did, always came back happy, it seemed.
I had seen a similar review as the first on your page and was extrememely concerned about cheap 'plonk' etc. being used. I even remember the phrase'awful headache'.
Well, we certainly never felt that, it's very unfair, we believe, to say such things about a hotel, that to us, and we're very well travelled, were totally untrue.
Without being patronising, the people and staff are new to the tourist business and may need to smile a bit more, but we would have absolutely no hesitation of going back to the Garopa for a well-earned holiday of sunshine, lots of food, great drinks and pleasant atmosphere in this Riu hotel.
In other words, don't know where your first reviewer is coming from....perhaps another hotel provider, perhaps? OK, shouldn't perhaps say that but fair's fair!
Travel operator: thomson
Recommended
19 years 5 months ago
The location is two miles from town and half a mile from thje beach. Internet paintings are deliberately misleading. The wine cheap plink from Spain contains antifreeze and gives a bad heaache.
Food is very dull and repetitive mostly dried pasta and pizza.
Better value at the B&B hotels in the town.
Food is very dull and repetitive mostly dried pasta and pizza.
Better value at the B&B hotels in the town.
Travel operator: Cape Verde Jetaway
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