The Grand Hotel Açores Atlantico is as the name suggests, grand! From the elegant spiral staircase, the stately grand piano, and intimate collections of comfy chairs, the lobby screams out “enjoy me”. We rarely walked by without stopping for a quick intermission from our busy schedule, and occasionally imbibed from the well-stocked bar and a casual meal from the menu with popular fare.
Excellent central location. All tours offered convenient pick-up and drop-off at the hotel, and an easy wa[... read more]lk into town. There’s a grocery store within a five-minute walk (watch you don’t miss it as it is tucked in between a string of little restaurants).
The included breakfast buffet was sensational, offering an impressive selection of hot and cold items, gluten free choices and even mimosas, all with a spectacular harbour/ocean view.
Our east-facing room (with balcony) had a lovely city view, overlooking the lush hills and historical Azorean homes. The room was adequate in size and very clean, with everything we needed, although surprisingly lacking a bidet. Storage space was somewhat limited, with lots of place to hang our clothes but only three smaller drawers, a minor issue. Convenient location for our suitcase handled the overflow. Housekeeping was excellent and very accommodating.
We especially enjoyed the quiet, private indoor pool and sauna — a wonderful place to relax after a day of sightseeing. An outdoor pool would have been nice but for those that need a cool dip, the harbour directly across the street has a sectioned off area for swimming and beside it, a city-run public pool.
We felt very secure during our stay and particularly appreciated the in-room safe and security feature requiring a room key to operate the elevator.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and found the hotel comfortable, clean, secure, and exceptionally well located for exploring Ponta Delgada. We will definitely return to this vibrant, welcoming city and will absolutely stay at The Grand Hotel Açores Atlantico!