Hotel Madeira Centro

The location is superb and very central. We had a superior triple room with a lovely view over the sea, bay, and town. The room was great overall, but it lacked basic features for a 4-star hotel: no bathroom hooks for used towels, no shower ledge for shampoo, and the handheld shower was too low at waist height. The bedroom light didn't work, which housekeeping should have caught before signing off the room. There was no mirror in the bedroom, which would be handy when the bathroom is occupied, and too few plug or USB sockets beside the beds. There's also no spy hole in the door to see who's outside. We only had breakfast, and it was poor for a 4-star. The food quality wasn't good, bread and croissants weren't fresh, and they served hotdog sausages instead of proper ones. The show-cooking omelette was watery and too thin. Why not crack and beat fresh eggs and cook them for customers? The yogurt choice was very limited, only 'sabores' and none with fruit pieces. At 10.30am they turned off the buffet lights. Breakfast ends then, but guests can still enter at 10.30, so food should be available until at least 10.45. Terrible time management. The PLANTA 20 bar was a big reason we chose this hotel, but on Sunday at 22.20 we were told the terrace was closed because it had rained that morning. It had been dry for ages, and it wasn't raining or too cold then. We asked for cocktails, but the equipment had already been cleaned and they refused, even after we explained we'd come back to the hotel for one. The bar closed at 23.00, so there was still time. That's terrible service and a real shame. Even a 3-star hotel should serve customers until closing time. We won't recommend the hotel except for its location, and then only with room-only booking.

Our standard double with balcony was spacious and well equipped, with a great shower and English news channels. The hotel was clean, parking underneath was safe and spacious, and the breakfast had loads of hot and cold choices. The rooftop bar was good too, with nice service and cocktails. The views were fabulous, and it's quiet despite being central, near the old town and tapas area. There were long waits for the lifts, and one receptionist was surly. There was no shower gel. We also got locked out on the balcony and had to shout to someone outside the hotel to let us back in. That's a safety issue. Still, we'll stay again. It was a good experience.

The walls might as well be cardboard. Noise from the neighbours kept me awake, and the hotel was fully booked when I asked to move rooms. Hopefully I can get some sleep on my last night.

Nadia did a brilliant job servicing my room, it was absolutely spotless. Breakfast was excellent, and the indoor pool for winter and gym were great additions. I was there for just four nights in November, and honestly, everything from check-in to check-out was fantastic. Can't wait to come back.