4 Star Madeira Holidays

Mark Nicholson

Fantastic Hotel, highly recommended. Rooms are spacious, modern and spotlessly clean. We upgraded to a sea view room which was worth it as some of the rooms on the side of the hotel didn't look to have a great view. Only minus on the room is that the mini bar and safe are chargeable which for a couple of cans of coke and bottles of water seems a touch excessive for a more expensive hotel. Breakfast is fantastic. Large choice akin to some of the huge all inclusive hotels we've previously stayed in, all fresh, well cooked and obviously decent ingredients. We didn't use the restaurant for lunch or evening meal but we did have a snack from the bar on arrival which was also very well cooked using decent ingredients. The food and drink at the hotel is also well priced (it's cheap!) which is very welcome. All the staff we encountered were great. Helpful, friendly, and efficient. The hotel is probably 1.5 / 2 miles out of central Funchal. The hotel provide a shuttle service and there's a bus stop right outside the hotel so this was never a problem. All-in-all this hotel is superb and we would happily book again.

Fleur Backers

Amazing hotel! The view, the room and staff are just splendid. Beds are comfy, breakfast just wonderful and no worries about getting a sunbed at the pool any time. Rooms cleaned every day till perfection. Special thanks to Paulo the (pool)bartender for making us feel so welcome. Would highly recommend. Certainly coming back again!

Conor Kelly

Recently stayed here with my 11-yr old daughter and we loved it! The room was very nice (and comfortable). The staff was super friendly and helpful. And the views were incredible! The restaurant where you eat breakfast overlooks the water and is just a beautiful way to start your day. In the evenings, you can enjoy the same sights on their beautiful lounge patio, with drinks, food, and live entertainment including music and dancers. We also loved the area, with plenty of restaurants, cafes, shops, and walks nearby. The only reason I can't give it five stars is that parking is a bit hit or miss. We were told their parking lot was full, and it can be hard to find street parking. On some occasions we were forced to park pretty far away because of this. Small issue, but otherwise 100% recommend for a fun getaway!

Andrea Lofthouse

Lovely hotel, clean comfy rooms. Welcome drink of Madeira wine on our arrival. On a direct bus route to lots of places on the island but the free shuttle bus to and from Funchal centre ( needs booking at reception) is very handy. Buffet breakfast with all the usual things on it. Lots of restaurants on the street outside, within a few mins walk plus a shopping centre with a great supermarket ( great wine at great prices found here!) Staff were all pleasant and friendly. Pool area was always clean and tidy. It was extremely cold though.

R. X.

The isolation of the room is very bad. Heard all the noise from the road. Heard all the movements outside the room. Even worse : Next to the electric room and elevator. Ask for changing a room- the staff pretends the noise doesn’t exist. Apparently if the room is on the road side, all bad.(after checking other guests’ comments). No access to the beach. The swimming pool looks good but only less than 1m deep and 10m long? The pool is important if no access to the beach??? There are many better choices for hotels at similar price.

Giuseppe Licari

Mixed feelings for this hotel. Definitely a good location with a great view on the ocean. Nice pools as well. However, our room and quality of breakfast were not up to a 4-stars hotel. Another point, it is very annoying that people feel empowered to put their towels on the pool chairs to reserve them and then leave to come back just hours later. Since there are not so many chairs, the personnel should not allow that.

Eugénie

The hotel it self is very nice and the service people too. But the rooms could of been cleaner. The bathroom had piss on the walls and the shower head was broken. The worst part was the A/C being extremely loud and not working properly. It was so hot in the room we did not sleep well. It seemed like they shut it down during the night. I asked them many times but still did not work. I was disappointed since it is a quite nice resort. I specifically chose place for them to have A/C so when it doesn’t work its frustrating.

mark kennerley

Overall very good. Lost a star on rooms for the mould in the shower, Service could be better round the pool speaking of which the soft drinks could be bigger and more satisfying for the cost with little or no impact on profit. Food was good but sometimes there was a limited choice.

gregg lindsay

Stunning from the moment you arrive! The service from the main reception desk to every waiter, chef and room service attendant was exceptional and always with a smile. The design and thought put into the complex was really well thought out and executed. You realise this more when you visit other hotels or walk past their bland concrete swimming pools areas. The Pestana Promenade feels more luxury and private with beautiful gardens. The curved design of the building really gives you privacy and there are lots of little relaxing areas hidden away and a spa to go the extra extravagance. Situated in an area surrounded by lovely restaurants along the promenade and shops, with a basic mall 15 mins walk and Funchal 10mins in a taxi away. The complex has a lovely pool side restaurant all cooked fresh to order and cocktails. Food wise we included breakfast, which has a typical buffet style with a chef to make omelettes or American pancakes to order and added a lot of Portuguese locally produced delicacies. Evenings you can attend one of their themed meals, with light entertainment. The only comment or improvement for us was in the evenings. We the wanted to leave the hotel to find something fun / lively to do as we had kids and background singers / music in the bar was not enough. Luckily the area has an abundance. Loved it and will return soon

Delphine Rasti

The hotel does not look like a 4 stars. The room was not clean and the furnitures were not in good conditions. However the view from the room was very nice. The breakfast was of poor quality.

Natalie 33

We loved this place so much! I’d spent time reading reviews before and it didn’t disappoint. Great selection of breakfast, fresh juices, omelettes are made to order, sparkling wine, fruits, everything you can imagine basically! Staff are so accommodating. We were upgraded to an apartment on arrival which was a great surprise. The live music on the street can go on until 1am so maybe ask for a pool view if that bothers you. But I really can’t fault this place!

Leonie Le Faucheur-Woodward

This place is incredible. They are extremely accommodating. We were upgraded to a lovely big apartment immediately as we wanted somewhere with a better view. I can’t imagine such a quick response in the UK! We highly recommend staying to anyone. The beautifully kept grounds, Swimming pools, gym facilities and spa are all of high quality. A very well run hotel complex. The staff are amazing and super friendly. 10/10 Thank you for our first week we look forward to our second week which starts tomorrow. And just to point out it’s wonderfully quiet and peaceful. The beds are fantastic and the showers are great. With Ritual products in the bathrooms

Dani Bryton

We stayed at The Residence for 7 nights as a self catering couple in a studio apartment. In hindsight, for self catering, a one bedroom may have been better to improve the catering facilities, but we knew we'd eat out lots anyway. The room was large, but also cosy, with a sofa to sit on and in good distance from the TV (which was important to us for the evenings). The location of the hotel is spot on, outside of the main city so quiet and calmer, but close enough to get a bus or taxi in quickly. There are many local restaurants too, of which we sampled quite a few. We would highly recommend Casa Italia around the corner from the supermarket, and down the road from the Eden Mar reception. We were lucky enough to get fantastic weather during our stay, but the hotel was still quiet at this time of year, despite being UK school holidays. We ate in Atlantida for breakfast one day and enjoyed a buffet of hot and cold food, although we weren't very early and the hot food went cold very quickly. We had lunch at the Varanda twice and thoroughly enjoyed both meals, and also indulged in coffee from here several times - locally, it was the best we had! We didn't see anywhere near as much of the island as we wanted to, because we had a few lazy days, so we know that we will return, and will definitely book here again.

Richard

Nice hotel in good location with lovely big rooms and beautiful spotless pools, including a really warm indoor one that has a nice little outdoor section too. Did feel a bit like an old people's home though and the entertainment was definitely geared to pensioner aged guests. Only real complaint would be an unpleasant experience with very rude buffet manager who tried to charge us a different price to what we'd been told and paid the day before. After that we stopped eating in the hotel restaurants so him fussing over 15 Euros lost the hotel about €400 more!

Lucia Camara

Brilliant service Guests are well taken care of Pool Bar delicious cocktails made by Patricia Francoand very well served with photography on my phone served by Vania Nascemente Views are amazing Close to all amenities Wonderful clean hotel

ATT Slatina

Rooms were great, very clean. Good breakfast. Staff was amazing, always willing to help. Easy to get to city center (10-15 minutes walk). View from the swimming pool was breath taking.

Rojan Ameen

The location of the hotel is great, it is a walking distance from many restaurants and shops. The staff were nice and helpful they even gave us tickets to Ronaldo museum ☺️, the room itself was average but the view from the balcony was amazing. There was a drainage problem in the shower which was not good😑 and the walls were thin we could hear the guests next door talking 😑 overall it is good for short periods stays 😊

Andrzej Nowaczyk

While the hotel boasts a central location, I found another option at half the price that, although not as central, offers higher standards. Additionally, the "ocean view" is more accurately a harbor view, and it seems that the famous football player associated with the hotel has not visited in quite some time.

Christian Brauchli

Food is average and they charge you a tip by default, which is very unusual for Europe. If you don't need to go there because of your kids and the name, there are better restaurants.

nicolau roque

Awesome crew ☀️for a journey full of excitement. The breakfast very good and the menu for lunch and dinner real good too, the menu prices very affordable and very tasty, please try the foccaccia 😋

Chris Grant

Best bits first: Staff are excellent. Public areas, pools, leisure facilities, all modern and well maintained (excellent roof terrace). Rooms spacious & comfortable, fridge, safe, big mirrors, great views (from the front, balcony a bit small), good shower/bath. 30% off bar 'happy hour'. Useful Tui activity list. Food: recommend the tasting menu on Saturday nights, good value as wine included. The quality of the buffet is variable (never great) with a good range of choices and never too busy. Location: there are a few good bars/restaurants/cafes within a 10 min walk. The town is an easy 30min walk or €6-10 taxi. I enjoyed my stay here and would recommend it.

T A

I was incredibly disappointed with my stay. Despite its four-star rating, the hotel was far below expectations. The rooms were outdated and poorly maintained, with worn-out furniture and outdated decor. The cleanliness was also a major issue. To make matters worse, the hotel had a terrible smell that lingered throughout the common areas and even in our room. The amenities were also lacking, with a small, outdated pool and limited dining options. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Madeira.

Aw He

The hotel itself looks good at first glance; a swimming pool, a sauna and a lot of other possibilities to spent time there, are available. But as soon as we saw our room, the first positive impression disappeared. The room smells moody, the fridge was not working, the water in the bathtub was also not working quite right. We found a lot of rusty places in the bathtub as well. And the location is also not the best, it is not central, it is surrounded by a lot of other hotels. At least the City Center of Funchal is near, but you cannot reach it by foot so fast.

Paulo1351 1

Staff were brilliant, rooms were nice on the ocean view side. Hotel was lovely, also clean, not in a bad spot as your always either going up or down on Madeira. All down hill to Funchal or the Lido. Get a bolt back. Would definitely stay again.

Charlotte Eddy

A lovely hotel with amazing facilities. The spa is lovely when the weather is not so good and the pool area is a quiet, relaxing area with lots of beds and umbrellas available. We booked bed and breakfast but ate at the hotel buffet for our evening meal several times - you can get a discount the more days you pay to eat here. The food was amazing - so much choice. Location is great and you can walk into the centre in about 25 minutes. Hotel staff were all very friendly. Rooms are spacious and clean but do need updating. On arrival our fridge didn’t work and the bed sheets were marked however staff rectified these problems very quickly. Good range of daytime and evening entertainment activities available if you want to take part. Would definitely recommended this hotel as a great stay for a city break or relaxing summer holiday. 🌴

Amy Chantler

Fantastic hotel with great amenities and very clean. We were fortunate enough to have a room upgrade when we arrived at the hotel, which was a brilliant start to our holiday and a really set the mood for the rest of our stay. The staff are very friendly and keen to make your holiday as enjoyable as it can be. It is a little further from the Old Town than other hotels, about a 20 minute walk to the centre, but this didn’t bother us. We hope to return one day!

john callaghan

Lovely hotel with modern facilities. We had a balcony view over the pool and sea view. Plenty of sunbeds and loungers not so many sun shades. Outdoor pool nice and cool the spa pool was 34oC with jets to ease the legs as walking is a necessity in Funchal. Loads of restaurants near by and hundreds to chose from in the town.. a jeep safari was an adventure today.

Peter Crossman

Great rooms, comfortable but firm beds. Well run hotel. We booked bed and breakfast, but an option with evening meal is available. Quite a high location in the western edge of town. You can walk the 1.5km into the old town, but you may want to get a taxi back (about €6). Plenty of restaurants in the area

Emma

A nice, modern hotel with friendly staff. It is about a 20 minute walk into town. The beds are a bit firm and bathroom could be cleaner but it has everything we need. They also partner with a local tour agency for all your day trip needs. Many of the rooms have a lovely sea view. The pool area is pleasant. One annoying thing is that the bar is cash only.

margaret trevor

Location is very central, views are spectacular across the sea. Rooms are big, light, and airy. Staff are helpful and friendly. Breakfast is very varied. Pools are great. We would definitely stay here again.

mark bartlett

A great location right on the seafront. The food was excellent and the staff were friendly and helpful. Good entertainment every evening and the rooms were spacious and very clean. Totally recommended, we will be returning.

Alexandru Ion

The hotel location and food were amazing 👏. There is plenty of food choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The views from the balcony are amazing. The staff was very friendly and helpful . Loved the pool area and Turkish baths. Really enjoyed our stay.

Radek Rzepecki

The hotel is nice but quite old. The staff is really friendly. The location is ok, a little bit far from town, but there is a free bus to Funchal. You can have a nice walk in the promenade with gourgues views. The food is bad. It's a shame to have an ocean in the front but no fresh fish. It was quite and relaxing, apart from the food it was nice to stay there.

stonne king

Moderately Good Experience. We (a family of four) were very excited getting into the hotel and meeting very friendly receptionists. Most of all, the suit, where we stayed, comprises of two very huge separate rooms connected by a door. In fact, we have never been to any other hotel that has such a very spacious suit yet, and we’ve been to quite a few. It’s simply the biggest room we’ve ever stayed in in a hotel. What’s more, there are two different bathrooms which is very practical for us. One doesn’t have to wait while any of the two toilets is occupied. These rooms are so solidly built that one hardly hears what’s going on in other rooms, offering another contrast to all the hotels we’ve been to. Another surprisingly superb experience is the free drinks at the bar. All the cocktails and hot drinks were totally free of charge for all inclusive guests; and the cocktails are excellent! There are non-Alcoholic for cocktails for children as well, which our children found lovingly tasty. The hotel’s location is right on the beach and all the rooms have ocean view, which we liked very much. We dinned every day while enjoying the marvelous scenery of the ocean, unique volcanic landscape and red sunset. As it is down on a slope, you’ll have to go uphill to get to the supermarkets; the biggest being Forum Madeira, which is in about 12 minutes walking distance. There’s a courtesy bus which can take you to and from town. Nevertheless, the rooms and furniture need refurbishing. Although the cleaning staff do their job thoroughly, one can’t help but notice that the two bad tubs in our suit are very old. The beds and Mattresses have sunk in the middle. Moreover, we were not quite thrilled with the buffet and the food offered. It was just not what we are used to getting from all other hotels where we’ve been to. The buffet was pretty small without much variety. Having gotten used to getting a whole lot of variety of foods in other hotels’ buffets, we literally had to ask the receptionists whether there’s another restaurant in a different part of the building. Unfortunately, there’s no other one, they told us. One thing I enjoy very much on Vacations is eating varieties of fish. But this time, we were only served almost the same every other day. The renowned black fish for instance, which Madeira is known for, was not even served for once. My children love eating pizzas; but none was served throughout our stay. We were told to go to other restaurants to get these types of food like Pizzas and black fish. They have lunch boxes though, for people who are going on sightseeing and as a result are not present for lunch. All in all, I would describe our stay in this hotel as satisfactory.

Martyn P

Rooms; really need Air Conditioning and could do with more plug sockets. Food; could be more varied and better cooked because almost every peice of fish or meat we had was overcooked, dry and chewy. I would also suggest you do the really nice salads that were available at dinner, at lunchtime instead if dinner. I would like to finish on a positive note and tell you the things we really did like about Pestana Ocean Bay.. Staff were all amazing, smiley, efficient and accommodating. Pool area was quiet every day, no staff doing quizzes and games which we liked as we could relax. No 'towel wars' for sunbeds either, another pleasant experience. Drinks with no queuing was brilliant with help yourself draught beers and help yourself wines and soft drinks and water. Your coffee machines served the best coffees ever too! The location is great too, right on the beach, out of the way from the busy city of Funchal but only €10 in a taxi plus, had a plethora or restaurants a short walk away and was close to the wonderful fishing village!

Kat Aubier

Absolutely stunning hotel, that checks all the boxes. Unique location - it's overlooking the ocean from most of the rooms. Very peaceful & discreet place, but at the same time very close to Funchal. A huge plus is an extremely helpful & friendly staff. Highly recommended for anyone who's looking for a seaside gateway. I will definitely come back, but next time for longer!:)

Claire Vanwieren

My husband and I stayed here for a week on our honeymoon. We LOVED this hotel! Our bed was very comfortable and our room had a balcony with a sea view. The pool is very nice and you can access the ocean from the pool area. There are lots of fish around the rocks at the hotel - we spent lots of time swimming! Breakfast was great every day and the view from the restaurant was even better. Most importantly, the staff were very kind and helpful. We would stay again!

Kevin Taylor

Had a fantastic 3 weeks here. The manager Fernando and every member of staff were so friendly and helpful. The location of the hotel was amazing. We will definitely be back next year. Thank you for an amazing holiday!

Grace Ellson

I just wanted to leave a Special review for an excellent member of the team, Leash, who help us have a delightful and very special stay. She is absolutely outstanding at her job and I hope the management fast-track her to a Senior role.

Catalina Gheorghe Mares

It was the best hotel I have stayed! The staff is super nice, starting with the ones from to reception, the bar and ending with the pool bar lady. The room was very spacious, clean, the beds very comfortable. They also have a pillow menu, so if you don’t like the default one go for it and ask for another one at the reception! The location and view from the rooms were also magnificent. The bar also is in a very interesting looking building, separated but near to the hotel. All and all, if you have any doubt about the hotel, go for it! Tip. There is a large supermarket across the street from the hotel where you can park your car for only 4€/day, so you don’t have to use their car park which is more expensive.

Gianluca Bregoli

Amazing location and atmosphere ideal for those looking for a quiet and relaxing resort. Rooms are spacious and beautiful, overlooking the garden and the ocean. I didn't go for the Ayurveda food as it was not for me but I used to had dinner at sister hotel Galosol. Overall it was a very positive experience. The only downside is that service is not that of a 4-star hotel but I would say a 3-star hotel.

A.D

Hello good mornig: This morning I tried to reserve a cure for me and my husband but before doing I had some doubts and I called to the Atlantic Cure center. I talked with Melani to Know something about the programs. The attention was horrible. No help, no empathy and no desire to work and help. Her Customer support is non-existent. Thank you,

Kristin Steiner

Fantastic hotel with fantastic staff and great treatments and yoga lessons. Vegetarian food was excellent! Highly recommended!

Sonia Hendricks

I had a very interesting & lovely experience with - ayurveda - yoga - wellness - massage... Spend time with yourself, it's like medicine 💛

Chris SL

The rooms are clean and the entertainment is okay. But the breakfast, especially the coffee isn't good. Also it is a boutique hotel.

Frederick Beaven

One of the few sandy beaches on Madeira. However, once into the water it does get stony again. I advise wearing some beach shoes for a bit of comfort if you’re delicate. Has a convenient cafe. Also very reasonable priced loungers for hire.

Patrizia Olearczyk

Pretty sand beach, a rarity in madeira, with free beach or a part with sunbeds and umbrellas possible to rent for a small fee (2€ sunbed ans 1,50€ umbrella if not mistaken). Pretty fancy bar to grab a drink close there and also a supermarket at walking distance to grab something cheap.

Jan Olson

Excellent beach. Clean, nice sand and free. We paid 5.50 € for two lounge beds and an umbrella...cash only. A great way to spend time in Calheta.

Ana

Lovely beach with fine sand, very nice restaurants and a great view. There are park places and a supermarket in the neighbourhood. You can rent for 2 eur sunbeds and 1.5 euro umbrella Lovely and clean.

M “ML” L

Pretty nice beach (for Madeira probably one of the best). Only few stones, mostly white sand and even at rough see the waves won't reach the beach.