Hotel Pontao

3.0 star property
Beach location and outdoor pool
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Hotel Pontao

Outdoor pool, pool umbrellas, pool loungers
Front of property
Superior Double or Twin Room
Lobby
Bar (on property)

Reviews

7.4 out of 10

Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Pool
  • Housekeeping
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Air conditioning
  • Parking included

Explore the area

Map
Edificio Pontao, Santa Maria, Sal, 4111
  • Nazarene Church
    5 min walk
  • Santa Maria Pier
    5 min walk
  • Santa Maria Beach
    6 min walk
  • Sal Island (SID-Amilcar Cabral Intl.)
    16 min drive

Room options

Superior Double or Twin Room, Pool View

Highlights

Furnished balcony
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Minibar
In-room safe
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Single Beds

Standard Double or Twin Room, Pool View

Highlights

Furnished balcony
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Minibar
In-room safe
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Single Beds

Standard Double or Twin Room

Highlights

Furnished balcony
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Minibar
In-room safe
Daily housekeeping
  • 22 sq m
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Single Beds

Superior Double or Twin Room

Highlights

Furnished balcony
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Minibar
In-room safe
Daily housekeeping
  • 25 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Single Beds

Similar properties

About the area

Sal

Hotel Pontao puts you in the heart of Sal, within just a 10-minute stroll of Nazarene Church and Santa Maria Pier. Highlights at this beach hotel include a restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool and free self-parking. .At the hotel's own lounge bar, you can stop for a drink. Additionally, you'll find free Wi-Fi in public areas, a 24-hour front desk and a terrace. There's also the convenience of an airport shuttle. .Sights within a 10-minute walk of this 3-property class Sal hotel include Santa Maria Beach and Santa Maria Town Square.

What's nearby

  • Santa Maria Pier - 5 min walk
  • Santa Maria Beach - 6 min walk
  • Santa Maria Town Square - 6 min walk
  • Kite Beach - 6 min drive
  • Shark Bay Beach - 25 min drive

Getting around

  • Sal Island (SID-Amilcar Cabral Intl.) - 16 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Bar de Praia - Oasis Atlantico - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪Criol - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪Calema - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪The Dubliners - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Bounty Restaurant - ‬12 min walk

About this property

Hotel Pontao

Beach location and outdoor pool
There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Public spaces have free WiFi. An airport shuttle (available 24 hours) is available for a fee. An outdoor pool, a terrace, and multilingual staff are also featured at Hotel Pontao. Self parking is free.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this 3-star Sal hotel.

  • 1 building
  • 79 guestrooms or units
  • 2 levels
  • Poolside lounge chairs
  • Umbrellas for the pool
  • Front desk (24 hours)
  • Staff members are multilingual
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Front desk safe
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Television in lobby
  • Smoking in designated areas
  • Bar or lounge
  • Dining venue
Hotel Pontao offers 79 air-conditioned accommodations with minibars and a safe. Rooms open to furnished balconies. Flat-screen televisions come with satellite channels.

Bathrooms include a shower, complimentary toiletries and hairdryers. Business-friendly amenities include desks and telephones. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered on a daily basis.

Languages

English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Internet access
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • 24-hour return airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Outdoor pool
  • TV in common areas

Family friendly

  • Outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Turndown service

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Pool loungers
  • Pool umbrellas
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • No lift
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Minibar

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 2:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • Pets and service animals are not allowed at Hotel Pontao

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Kids stay free! One child 2 years old or younger stays free when using existing bedding.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.

Payment types

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 2.49 per person, per night. This tax does not apply to children under 17 years of age.

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Airport shuttle fee: EUR 14 per vehicle (one way)

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, a first aid kit and window guards
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession. This property accepts Visa and Mastercard. Cash is not accepted. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit and window guards in all accommodation.

We should mention

  • One child aged 2 years old or younger stays free in the same room as the parent or guardian when using existing bedding.
  • Pets and service animals are not allowed on site.

Property is also known as

Hotel Pontao
Hotel Pontao Sal
Pontao
Pontao Hotel
Pontao Sal
Hotel Pontao Santa Maria
Pontao Santa Maria
Pontao Hotel Santa Maria
Hotel Pontao Cape Verde/Ilha Do Sal - Santa Maria
Hotel Pontao Sal
Hotel Pontao Hotel
Hotel Pontao Hotel Sal

Frequently asked questions

What is the cancellation policy at Hotel Pontao?

Hotel Pontao offers free cancellation on select room rates. Check out the cancellation policy for more info.

Is parking available at Hotel Pontao?

Yep, Hotel Pontao has a free self car park.

Are there any beaches close to Hotel Pontao?

Yep, Hotel Pontao is a short 6-minute walk from Santa Maria Beach. Fun beach activities include snorkelling and windsurfing.

Does Hotel Pontao have a pool?

Hotel Pontao has an outdoor pool. Grab your bathers and lounge poolside while enjoying under the shade of an umbrella.

What makes Hotel Pontao a romantic place to stay?

A lounge bar, plus private balconies in the guestrooms, help set the scene for a romantic weekend at Hotel Pontao.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at Hotel Pontao?

No, but there's an airport shuttle that runs 24 hours a day for a fee.

Is there a bar or restaurant at Hotel Pontao?

Yep, they've got a lounge bar and an onsite restaurant that serves local and international cuisine. Pre dinner cocktails anyone?

What time are check-in & check-out at Hotel Pontao?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM. Check-out time is noon.

Are pets allowed at Hotel Pontao?

No, pets and service animals are not allowed.

Hotel Pontao Reviews

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 18 out of 99 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 45 out of 99 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 24 out of 99 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 9 out of 99 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 99 reviews" "

8.2/10

Cleanliness

7.6/10

Staff & service

7.6/10

Amenities

7.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Jay

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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.
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Marc

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Keith

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Loved our stay and would like to visit again
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Janice

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
All the staff here are very pleasant and smiling. Hotel is very clean. Good breakfast.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Howard

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2022

2/10 Terrible

Robert, nice access to beach

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
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.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2018

10/10 Excellent

Ian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent hotel, excellent breakfast choice.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
There is no staff to help with baggages to go upstair.

10/10 Excellent

Pauline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel
Small and basic but spotless, comfortable and convenient

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
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 Okay

alex, bournemouth, uk

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 Good

Martina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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.

6/10 Okay

John and Gill, UK

Liked: Cleanliness
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 Excellent

Zsófi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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 Excellent

Bumblebee, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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.

6/10 Okay

Jonny, Leeds

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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

Tim, UK

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
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 Terrible

Jacqui, Essex

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
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 Good

Ted, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
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.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
basic
Rooms and amenities are very basic, staff were scarce but polite

10/10 Excellent

cheezy, hull england

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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

8/10 Good

Married couple, Yorkshire England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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

Santos

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
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.