Calheta Madeira, Portugal
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Wellness ResortOutside the door
The house
Savoy SignatureCliffside sugarcane showcase
Terraced into dramatic volcanic cliffs, the resort centers around an eighth-floor infinity pool gazing across the open Atlantic Ocean.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Interiors by Nini Andrade Silva feature warm copper accents, basalt stone walls, and sugarcane mill motifs.
Remarkable
The subterranean spa pairs Ayurvedic therapies with a halotherapy salt room, Turkish hammam, and heated hydrotherapy pool.
Notable
A cliffside coastal escape featuring multiple swimming pools, a squash court, beach club, and terraced hillside gardens.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
UK Readers' Choice Awards – Europe
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
many of whose 243 rooms and suites look straight out at the endless expanse of the Atlantic.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Set in quiet Calheta on Madeira's southwest coast, the hotel sits minutes from the marina and golden sand beach.
The rooms
Rooms feature private oceanfront or cliffside balconies, while sleek Pool Suites add dark stone finishes and private plunge pools.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
The rooftop infinity pool looks out across the Atlantic. Downstairs, a heated indoor pool sits against ribbed timber walls.
The spa
Treatment suites hold twin massage tables and deep soaking tubs, with therapies rooted in Ayurvedic healing traditions.
The gym
The sunlit fitness room has cardio machines and yoga mats, and the resort includes a full squash court.
At the table
Alambique serves regional Madeiran cuisine beside an industrial copper wall. Across the terraces, dining tables look over the Atlantic.
How it began
Designed by RH+ Arquitectos on the site of an old sugarcane mill, the cliffside structure incorporates raw basalt and historic milling machinery.
Good to know
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Madeira
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.