A quiet seaside hotel in Santa Maria with spacious rooms and good views. Ideal for rest, but inconsistent in maintenance, hot water and restaurant quality. Works best if you choose your room carefully and value calm over constant services.
When you’re looking for silence and silence shows up
Some hotels in Sal don’t compete to be central or lively. The Budha Beach Hotel plays a different game: distance, ocean views and the promise of slowing everything down. Sometimes it delivers beautifully. Other times, it trips over details that are hard to ignore.
WHAT THIS HOTEL REALLY IS
The Budha Beach Hotel is a quiet, relaxation-oriented property with a carefully designed look and a clear “switch-off” intention. A sea-view pool, pleasant common areas and an overall sense of calm are exactly what many travellers come here for.
Rooms are usually large, with air conditioning, terraces or balconies, and often sea views. When everything lines up, the experience is very positive. The issue is that not all rooms play in the same league.
Away from it all, but not isolated
The hotel is not right in central Santa Maria. It sits slightly outside town, in a quieter area, with some unpaved road sections that remind you the island is still very much a work in progress.
On foot, the town is around 10–15 minutes away at a relaxed pace. By taxi, the ride is short and inexpensive. For those seeking peace, the location works well. For anyone planning constant trips in and out of town, it can feel inconvenient, especially at night.
From “wow” to “is this the same category?”
This is where one of the strongest review patterns appears.
Many rooms receive clear praise: spacious, comfortable, clean, with good views and renovated bathrooms. Others disappoint: small spaces, smells of damp or sewage, maintenance issues, leaks during rain and, in some cases, prolonged lack of hot water or frequent power cuts.
This is a hotel where the room category really matters, particularly the cheaper options, which several guests recommend avoiding altogether.
The most debated point
Breakfast splits opinions. Some guests highlight decent variety, regular replenishment and the option of freshly prepared hot dishes. Others describe it as limited and repetitive, not quite matching the hotel’s category.
The restaurant is even more polarising. Some travellers are very happy with the food quality and presentation, while others find it overpriced, repetitive and disappointing, especially on half-board plans where the menu barely changes throughout the week.
This criticism appears often, along with complaints about small details like birds accessing the buffet and a value-for-money ratio that feels off for the island.
Almost universally friendly, not always effective
If there’s one consistently positive note, it’s the human side. Staff are frequently described as friendly, warm and welcoming, from reception to housekeeping and night security.
That goodwill, however, isn’t always matched by efficiency: occasional forgetfulness, slow problem-solving or unclear responses to more serious issues. In a few cases, management decisions during difficult situations drew particularly harsh criticism.
Strength and risk at the same time
The Budha Beach Hotel is, above all, quiet. Very quiet. For many guests, that’s exactly what makes it special. For others, that isolation magnifies any issue: when something doesn’t work, there aren’t many nearby alternatives.
You don’t come here for things to happen. You come so they don’t.
WHO THIS HOTEL WORKS BEST FOR
It suits couples, travellers looking to slow down, restful stays and anyone who values views and silence over nightlife.
It’s less ideal for those expecting constant services, daily menu variety or a completely smooth, predictable hotel experience.
PRACTICAL TIPS BEFORE BOOKING
Ask exactly which room category you’re booking. Avoid the cheapest options if possible. Confirm hot water availability and power stability. Consider eating out some days. And accept that getting around means walking or taking a taxi.
A good hotel… when everything aligns
The Budha Beach Hotel can be a lovely seaside retreat or a frustrating stay if the details don’t cooperate. It has charm, potential and a pleasant setting — but also an inconsistency worth knowing about before deciding.
Calm is wonderful, as long as it doesn’t leave you alone with the problems.
