Quinta da Bela Vista

Brilliant staff - nothing is too much trouble!

An oasis in a rather crowded city. In the direct surroundings I found litter on the streets and gardens surrounding the flats. That's where the Quinta is not responsible for. The Quinta is beautiful, very friendly and helpful staff. Break two other restaurants are good and the quality is perfect, it has its price of course.

I have just read the last two excellent reviews and confirm their comments. A quaint building amongst pretty and quiet grounds. If one wanted to be picky one would say that the carpets may be a bit thin in places but everything else is just lovely. I have never met staff so attentive and professional. You'd walk in they'd know your room number and what you normally have to drink without asking! As soon as your wine glass is getting low they're subtly there topping it up, empty plates are on the table for less than a minute - but all this is done quietly and so you hardly notice and certainly don't feel rushed. I wish places in England had the same quality of staff! One "quirk" is that they provide a new bottle of water daily in your room for free - but charge for water when having a meal so be careful it can add up! luckily we found oud and refused water when offered. Even more strange is that there's free Prosecco at breakfast (as much as you want) but not free water, and you're not allowed to bring your free water down from your room. You just chill here - it's so quiet and peaceful and all you here are the birds, occasionally we heard children in a nearby kindergarten but only for a short time. The shuttle bus was brilliant too - always on time and easier than the bus (which was fine anyway with a stop just up the road). I'm sure I've forgotten some other praise - just go there and you'll see what I mean!

If starting from scratch you wouldn’t build a hotel like this one nowadays but that is part of its appeal . It’s different . Whether its intention and deliberate marketing strategy, Quinta da Bela Vista seems more suitable for older guests. It has the feel and quirky charm of an old stately home in places. Art works , carpets with character and pieces of crockery line the stairs and walkways. The library in the separate Manor House is a fabulous place to settle down and either read your own book or browse. Those with mobility issues might not welcome the uneven paths leading to the garden rooms though and there seemed little to hold the attention of children. The gym ( adjacent to the pool) is small and both the sauna and the jacuzzi become crowded if more than three wish to use them at any one time. The hotel location ( in the hills above Funchal) means that it is a longish 2-3 mile walk downtown in to the heart of the city ( it would be a monstrously difficult uphill walk back for anyone but the fittest of guests) but it provides a gorgeous view of the hills , the harbour and down in to town. Book the hotel courtesy bus ( but bear in mind it doesn’t always run at weekends or on holidays) , catch the number 8 or 13 bus into town ( it’s a 5 minute walk to the bus stop) or ask the helpful reception staff to call a cab for you. We can’t comment on the food for evening meals as we only booked breakfast . Everything that you’d expect for first meal of the day was available though. Snacks from the pool bar were perhaps a little on the expensive side but the club sandwich we were served was both sizeable AND extremely tasty though. More a main meal than a snack . What particularly made our stay enjoyable was the exceptional quality of the staff. All of those that we encountered ( whether maids, waiters, waitresses, bar tenders, pool attendants or those at reception ) seemed pleased that we had chosen their hotel to stay at . Each and every one did their bit to make us feel welcome. They really DO work hard to ensure that guests enjoy their stay. It would be hard to recommend Quinta da Bela Vista for its rocking night life , cutting edge facilities or fabulous provision for children but if you are a slightly older, but still mobile, traveller looking for a place to chill out, unwind and relax this is probably EXACTLY what you are looking for . We hope you enjoy your stay as much as we did

A truly wonderful hotel, wonderful setting, wonderful staff, wonderful food- what more can I say? This was our 5th time at this hotel and we hope to return again next year. We have visited in both April and October and both months have been very comfortable weather- wise . The hotel has a shuttle bus that runs Mon- Fri but local buses are very easy and fun to use! Taxis are also fairly cheap to use too. There are so many interfaces to visit in or near Funchal.

We had a great week here. Although built (I think) only 25 years ago, the hotel has a lovely old world charm about it, maybe slightly dated but it was all the better for it in comparison to the thousands of other more modern style hotels and apartments elsewhere on the island. The rooms were nicely furnished and spacious and the pool, gardens, tennis court and restaurant were all excellent (we didn't get round to using the gym!) Without exception the staff were great, at all times smiling, helpful and attentive with lots of advice and inside knowledge about restaurants and things to do. Special thanks especially to Ricardo, Magda, Marta and Francisco who, along with all the others whose names I cannot now recall, made our stay so enjoyable. If we come back to Madeira this is where we will stay.