Golden Tulip Sao Joao da Madeira Hotel

The biggest disappointment was finding the pool closed, since we'd booked this hotel especially to swim. We also chose half board, but the experience was poor, with a very limited breakfast and only two basic dinner choices. The room had a strange smell, maybe from old furniture, so we had to sleep with the window open. The hotel was very clean in general, though it seemed to have financial problems and hardly any clients. Hope it can recover. Good luck!

Such a great place to stay, thank you Mr Kevin. Special thanks to the Housekeeping department too.

The staff were lovely, attentive, and quick to respond. The rooms were clean and maintained despite some wear, with comfortable beds and pillows. There was reliable, fast wifi, lots of TV channels, and the room was well stocked with toiletries, bottled water, towels, bath robes, a luggage stand, mini fridge with drinks, and charging points. The lobby and lifts were always nicely air conditioned, too. I was here on a business trip with colleagues and saw several other business guests. Still, I wouldn't stay more than a night or two. The air conditioning in our room never worked, although we were told it would be fixed, so we kept the window ajar every day. Nights were cool, fortunately, but with the window open I heard the occasional rooster and dogs barking at night and early morning. I live in the tropics, and the afternoon sun made the room unbearably hot. Dinner was a set menu with no alternatives, and the food was mediocre. I'd eat elsewhere. River Restaurant is a short 10-minute walk and serves great Portuguese roast chicken. I've written a Google review about it. For all the nice staff and amenities, this hotel lacked comfort and convenience.

This property is in poor shape and seems to cut costs in its operations. When I entered the lobby, all the decorative lamps were off, and the only staff member on duty was a guard without a hotel uniform. Check-in went smoothly, and the staff apologized when I found the air conditioning wasn't working in the room. Restaurant service was very slow, and although the shower itself was okay, the hot and cold water weren't great. The price is cheap, so don't expect too much for what you pay. As a Golden Tulip, I believe the brand would be disappointed to see its property like this.