Saccharum Resort

When we catch ourselves asking why the Portuguese hotel world seems to be so generously endowed with first-rate contemporary design, we forget there’s actually a totally straightforward answer: much of it is the work of designer Nini Andrade Silva, whose elegant, modernist-inspired style sets the tone for many a luxury boutique hotel on the mainland — and on the island of Madeira as well, home not only to Silva herself but to the Saccharum Resort.

The name is a reference to the site’s former use as a sugar mill, now converted into a seaside resort, many of whose 243 rooms and suites look straight out at the endless expanse of the Atlantic. And though they’re not quite extravagant, they’re luxurious, with a balcony and some interior lounge space to stretch out as well.

Downstairs, the Saccharum Spa features everything from traditional massage and spa treatments to a lovely mosaic-tile indoor pool. And you’ll find no fewer than two restaurants and five bars — an encouraging ratio, we’d say — everywhere from poolside to the beach to the eighth floor with a view out to sea. All of this less than an hour’s drive from the airport, and less than half an hour from Funchal, the island’s capital.