Pontao

Cape Verde , Cape Verde
SANTA MARIA, Entrada de Sta Maria, Rua de Salinas
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50 reviews shown

8/10

Excellent

23 Dec 2025

Fadila

L hotel est propre et le personnel très agréable....point négatif, les panneaux solaires peu efficaces car peu de soleil, résultat ? Eau à peine tiede.

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

19 Oct 2025

Aliyah

We stayed here recently - when we first arrived there was a problem with the lights and we did notice they are quite dim - the hotel staff did replace a light since one wasn’t working however the lights still look very dim and not bright

We notice the pillows really smelled bad as well like it wasn’t cleaned we did speak up about this also but I think these pillows were just placed there for aesthetic rather than comfort

The shower is also open space so it caused really bad leakage everyday the floor will get too wet and we’d have to always ask for more towels to place on the floor and to also have to clean our body etc

Breakfast was great

It’s convenient location to the strip

The staff is somewhat friendly although we do feel like the bar staff was always making inside jokes I understand there’s a language barrier but it does come indecent when you just want to get a drink and they start laughing with their co workers because they're mocking you/don’t understand what you’re saying

I do also feel personally I wouldn’t come back to this hotel - there’s no mosquito nets or anything to deter them away - there is a lot of ants also on the table like the bar etc - so I don’t feel it was cleaned to standard

Overall I have travelled a lot of places and out of all my travels I think this was not the best hotel I’ve stayed at

The jacuzzi was also out of order the whole time and I stayed there for a week

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2025

LUIZ CARLOS

Hotel espetacular , próximo à tudo que precisa em sua estadia , e claro o Mar do Sal . Funcionárias maravilhosos . Uma estadia e tanto do melhor . Obrigado à todos .

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

12 Aug 2025

Akissi

We were on the 3rd floor and they don’t have lift so was not easy with luggage.
No hot water in the bathroom and only one towel for two person.
No water bottle in the room
Good breakfast , nice swimming pool.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2025

Arlindo

Friendly people

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Dec 2024

Sarrah

Affordable, roomy hotel in a convenient area. Close to the beach and airport.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

01 Dec 2024

Michael

We had a good time at Pontao.

Partner

4/10

Poor

25 May 2024

Jay

Not very good

When we arrived we were asked to pay again even though we had paid in advance. I had to prove that I had paid in advance. When the man gave us our key to the room he just told us what room number with no directions. We walked around the hotel looking for our room for 15 mins before going to ask where it was and even then he just pointed in a direction and left us to find it ourselves. The bathroom door handle was falling off, the bed was not made so we had to locate the sheets and pillows and make it ourselves. When we checked out there weee different people behind the counter who then tried to charge us again for the room. I again had to prove I had paid in full. We would not stay here again and wouldn’t recommend this hotel at all. We were glad it was just one night.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2023

Keith

Loved our stay and would like to visit again

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Mar 2023

Janice

All the staff here are very pleasant and smiling. Hotel is very clean. Good breakfast.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Nov 2022

Howard

Breakfast very good, choice of fruit, cooked eggs,always scrambled available and omelette or fried cooked to order. Choice of bread. Pancakes available. Room on ground floor had wifi with pool view. Limited sockets.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

16 Jan 2019

Robert

Noisy room, without any hot water for a week

Firstly let me say that the cleaning and catering staff were great. Breakfast good and bed comfortable, unfortunately that's where it all ends. We paid extra for a superior room, although I'm not sure what that was for as the room didn't look the same or have any advantages. After repeatedly asking to change our room due to the noise (single glazed windows opposite a busy road and a nightclub) we were told there were no free rooms even though I saw several people vacate on many occasions. Apart from a TV with no signal, no In Room WiFi, terrible WiFi in lobby, a door opening straight out of the side of the building with a 6 foot drop (dangerous for children), the worst part was having no hot water for the entire stay. I can personally handle most problems but having no hot water on a winter holiday is a deal breaker I'm afraid, the excuse for this was that the hotel was full and people were showering at the same time (well its the hotels duty to ensure a full hotel is capable of dealing with the load) . So in conclusion I'd avoid as im sure there are better places for the price.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Round the corner from Santa Maria

Hotel staff are superb, paid for a deluxe room but I'm not sure what was deluxe about it as we had 2 joined single beds plus plenty of mould near bedside cabinet. Breakfast was more than enough for those not fussy like us.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2017

Ian

Excellent hotel, excellent breakfast choice.

Partner

4/10

Poor

25 May 2017

Verified traveler

There is no staff to help with baggages to go upstair.

10/10

Exceptional

02 May 2017

Pauline

Great hotel

Small and basic but spotless, comfortable and convenient

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Apr 2017

Verified traveler

OK for the price

Just 10 min stroll to the beach, breakfast is okay with usually eggs, bread, cereal etc. Reception lady helpful once she understands what you want. There was no working air con in 1st room we were put in so moved to another and the safe did not work, reception said they would get maintanence to look but was never fixed. Pool area nice and quiet and clean but needs attention to pool, lots of missing tiles.

6/10

Pleasant

30 Mar 2017

alex

Nice hotel and close to town

Nice hotel close to the Main Street in the town and short walking distance to the beach. Stayed here for 2 weeks bed and breakfast. Nice to have the use of the pool and free wifi in the reception area.

8/10

Excellent

29 Mar 2017

Martina

A week stay

Convenient hotel to stay in. Good location - beach nearby as well as bars, restaurants, taxis, car rental company, shops, supermarket. Breakfast lovely but if you come after 9 am, the choice seems to be limited. If busy during breakfast, no cups, plates, cutlery available for a while. No WiFi in the room. The downside of this place are hotel guests leaving their beach towels on sun beds around the swimming pool when not occupying them. It is almost impossible to use a sun bed if you do not 'reserve' it during breakfast time.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

08 Feb 2017

John and Gill

Well Located

The initial reception was welcoming and as we arrived early we were happy to wait for our booked \"superior room with garden view\" to be serviced while we walked to the town for lunch. On our return we were allocated what must have been the worst room in the hotel. It had no balcony, was small and dark and looked out on what must be the busiest, noisiest road junction in the town. The reception MUST have know that this was not the room we booked. We complained and were eventually offered and accepted \"the last available room\". This was a quiet and large family room. It was, I guess, \"superior\" but was not garden-facing and had no outside space, terrace or balcony, for relaxation.
The worst experience was breakfast. This must be the worst organised breakfast buffet experience we have ever experienced. All the food and drink was in one corner and as there was only one hot drinks machine there was always a queue making the area too crowded to access food. The food was generally of poor quality and not systematically replenished. The hot food was mostly gone. The staff work hard but are not properly trained and managed so work very inefficiently. This whole breakfast experience made for a very stressful start to every day and is the main reason we would not recommend the hotel to a friend.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2017

Zsófi

Our stay in the hotel was lovely! The hotel staff was very helpful and kind, a the entire hotel was really neat and tidy. There was a decent breakfast buffet every morning with fresh bakery product, some cooked stuff, fresh fruits, youghurts... The dinner menu is very short, actually a choise of tuna or chicken, but you have plenty possibilities around in the area. On Fridays they organise barbecue parties with really nice food though. The ocean is just a few minutes walk. Enjoyed our holiday a lot. Glad about choosing Pontao to stay, fair trade for friendly price. Thank you guys!

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2016

Bumblebee

Would recommend

If you want all inclusive 500 bed luxury this is not the place, there are however a lot of positives about this 2-3 star hotel. It is very clean and the staff helpful. The buffet breakfast is certainly adequate with fruit, fruit juice, yoghurt, lots of fresh breads to toast with jam and honey or with cheese and cold meat. Fresh omelettes or presumably fried eggs, if you wish. Good coffee from a machine, just help yourself. They do serve a set evening meal at 12 euro and the Friday night 'barbecue' (although no actual bbq in sight) was dearer at 22 euro, but included a strong alcoholic fruit punch and ½ l carafe of wine between 2. The food, especially the fish and salads is very good. The staff made it attractive with tables round the pool area. The pool in the centre of the building is attractive with several large trees and greenery and sunbeds. You do have to chase the sun around, but sometimes shade is good. The superior rooms are of a reasonable size, good bathroom and modern. It had a fridge, but unfortunately not a kettle. Our room was on the ground floor, which was handy for the pool, however you are at the mercy of other guests who stay up late talking loudly on their outside area. Our only disappointment was the bed, which was very hard so not very comfortable. Otherwise a good value hotel situated at the edge of the main streets and 5-10 minutes walk to the beach.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

08 Dec 2016

Jonny

Decent hotel for the price...

Upon arrival the staff were very welcoming and enthusiastic except for the manager. The pool/breakfast area were kept in a pristine condition throughout my stay. I payed for the superior room which was definitely not superior by any means... their was stains on the wallpaper, curtains and the mattress. This greatly stressed myself and my partner. The shower was extremely unreliable it only had cold water until we mentioned to the staff and they fixed it. The manager was very reluctant to answer our queries. I would recommended staying at another hotel personally unless you want to be close to the centre of the town.

4/10

Poor

10 Nov 2014

Tim

2 star not 3

When I was booking the hotel no mention was made to the ongoing building work within the unit. I was also without hot water for the first 2 days of my stay.

2/10

Poor

12 Sep 2014

Jacqui

Awful - the hotel is a building site

We stayed for 4 days - the hotel is a building site. Constant noise from 7.30am until 6.00pm. The pool area cannot be used due to building works going on. We had to step over rubble to get to our room. After 4 days we checked out and checked into a decent hotel.

8/10

Excellent

24 Apr 2014

Ted

comfortable and friendly

stayed 10 days,not worth hiring a car ,only a few roads fit for normal cars.
an island tour at 15 euros was very worth while.
For 7 euros there was 2 loungers and an umbrella for hire on the fantastic beach
We took a flight to Santiago, for the day, very expensive, and poor value.
Excellent fish restaurant opposite the hotel called the \"fisherman\"
It's better value to use the local currency, but be sure to use it all , as it's worthless anywhere else
there are no newspapers on the island, and our TV had no english channels
Take some warmish clothes for evening, as it gets quite cool.
Try to avoid hotel rooms overlooking the adjacent roads, as on Friday and Sat all night parties are held on the waste land in front of the hotel, very noisy.
It was sad to see so much rubbish left in the town.
Many of the local shops owners were irritating, as they tried to get you to visit there shop, and didn't seem to understand \" NO THANK YOU\" although the local people were very nice in general.

Partner

4/10

Poor

19 Feb 2014

Verified traveler

basic

Rooms and amenities are very basic, staff were scarce but polite

10/10

Exceptional

18 May 2013

cheezy

Great hotel for the price

Second time we have stayed at this hotel in the last 6 months. Breakfasts are good, friendly staff and very clean. With Santa Maria you are alway out in the sun. and this hotel is in a good location for the beach, restaurants and the town. Would not recommend the all inclusive hotels as you miss out so much in this beautful town

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Jan 2013

Married couple

Pontao hotel in Sal. Cape verde.

The hotel was comfortable and clean and the air conditioning was controlable and worked well. The pool area was clean smart although small. But the resorts main beach was only a five minute walk away. There were plenty of cafes and restaurants close by. All of the booking arrangements and taxi transfers ran on time and according to plan. Considering the cost l am a satisfied customer.

4/10

Poor

28 Oct 2012

Santos

Bad! Really bad!

Stayed there for 1 week. Frigde was broken; phone was not working; each time needed something had to go to the ground floor by stairs- there was no lifth and i was on second floor.there was a flood in my bathroon; hotel very noisy;;i complained several times nothing was done.they totally ignored me- they have no notion of customer service.

8/10

Excellent

10 May 2012

Tim

Good value hotel

A really good value hotel close to the centre of Santa Maria. The rooms are a good size with a clean and functionable en suite. The pool area is relaxing and quiet and breakfast is good. I would reccommend asking for a room with a balcony overlooking the pool as there is a lot of building work near the hotel, so not much to look at and a bit of noise. If you plan to dive or windsurf/ kitesurf and just need somewhere to sleep then this is a great budget hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2011

Tanya

Pantao Hotel - very clean, goog service, value

Excellent value for money. The hotel is in the center of Santa Maria. It's clean, the staff is friendly, but they don't speak English very well and won't help you much in calling a cab.

Breakfasts are fine, not a great choice, but enough to get you started.
Toiletries are very basic, it's better to bring your own. But the rooms are very clean and have A/C. The swimming pool area is nice, with palm and babana trees planted around. They've even broight some sand there.
Overall I'd recommend staying in this hotel.

8/10

Excellent

14 Nov 2011

Verified traveler

Hotel Pontao, Ilha de Sal, Santa Maria, Cabo Verde

Nice confortable hotel in the Center of Santa Maria

6/10

Pleasant

18 Dec 2025

Eric

Well, it happened twice. I orderded a small lunch. And they forgot it. No rush-hour, I was the only one in line. Plus: I would not define their warm water in the shower as warm.

Self

8/10

Excellent

07 Sep 2025

Annick

Close to the city center and beaches.
Good breakfast.
Good value without being luxury

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2025

Patrick

Super

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2025

Le Blanc Delgado

Personnelle agréable

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

03 Jan 2025

Marianne

No big surprises - I felt I got what I paid for, neither more nor less.

Positives:
-Good breakfast with its own omelette bar
-Excellent location close to everything, especially where the buses and taxis are, the beach and the harbor
-Good pool (not heated, but clean and good size)
-No hazzle in finding an available sunbed

Negatives:
-Internet did not work in my hotel room except for when I sat on the floor close to the door.
-The water pressure in the shower was poor, but this might be a problem for the whole of the island.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2024

Yannick

Notre hôtel de référence ! On y a séjourné 2 fois et il nous tarde d'y retourner 👍

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

19 Nov 2024

Anne-sophie

Excellent rapport qualité prix

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2024

albert

Olvidadizos

Todo muy bien instalaciones, desayuno, servicio excelente, pero contrato un transfer y se les olvidó, mi aviòn llegó a las 2am, suerte que pillé un taxista honrado. Contraté la caja fuerte y se olvidaron de anotarlo, fui yo quien tuvo que decirlo, la pagué porque soy honrado

Self

6/10

Pleasant

28 Feb 2024

Emanuela

Struttura vicina al centro di Santa Maria. Buon rapporto qualità/prezzo

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2024

Yannick

Hôtel avec tout ce dont on à besoin pour passer de bonnes vacances. Nous avons apprécié également la proximité de la zone touristique et les petits restaurants locaux . Possibilité de tout faire à pied depuis l'hôtel.
Bon accueil, propre , bon petit déjeuner, piscine très bien , solarium, jaccuzi... Parfait .
La belle plage est à 2mn à pied

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 May 2023

Lars

Convenient location

Only a couple of minutes from the main pedestrian street and the beach it is very conveniently located.
Internetstrength was not sufficient in the room hence online activites had to happen in the communal areas

Self

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2022

Verified traveler

Ok hotel with good location

Nice, simple hotel with amazing staff in the reception and restaurant. Cleaning was very bad and they didn't change towels or sheets unless we asked the reception for it.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Dec 2022

Tara

A fine hotel with a reseanble

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Apr 2022

Joni

7.5/10

Sängyt epämukavat ja hieman muurahaisia huoneessa. Muuten erittäin jees hoteli.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2022

Maria

agréable et bon rapport qualité prix

Très situation géographique,personnel au petit soin,cadre très chaleureux et propre,seul bémol,manque de clarté naturel et artificielle dans ma chambre,mais le reste de ma famille avaient des chambres très lumineuses,manque d’ea Chaude 😕

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Aug 2019

Andrea

Ottima scelta

Secondo noi il Pontao è un'ottima scelta. Camera grande spaziosa e quotidianamente pulita. Personale sia in sala che alla reception molto gentile. Posizione ottima. Rimane a 3/4 minuti a piedi dal centro e spiaggia. Quindi vicino al centro però con la tranquillità di dormire in silenzio. Consigliatissimo!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Apr 2019

Hans-Jürgen

Das angebotene BBQ am jedem Freitag Abend ist zu teuer mit 20 Euro pro Person . Für 15 Euro kann ich eine Empfehlung geben