Madeira Panoramico Hotel

The hotel sits against a hill, so getting from our room to the à la carte restaurant meant using three elevators. The lobby exit has a lovely downhill view of the water, harbor, and big cruise ships. It’s a good base for hiking, about five minutes from Funchal by taxi. An Uber to the center cost €5, and the hotel also runs a free shuttle there and back. We drove a rental car for nine days and found parking each evening. There are two small free hotel lots, one by the entrance and one near the tennis court, plus free public parking along the street. Spaces are small all over the island. There’s a public-road bus stop right outside the hotel too. The room had a large sliding balcony door but no other opening windows. We left it slightly ajar for fresh air at night. The air conditioning was loud and gave me a dry throat. There’s a safe, but using it costs extra and you set a PIN with your room card. The bed was okay, though that’s personal preference. The hotel has indoor and outdoor pools, an indoor jacuzzi, and a gym. In good weather, the pool and terrace have great views. The hotel was pleasant and staff friendly, though the property isn’t new and has a few minor things needing attention. We booked breakfast only, then paid to use the buffet on our first day. It’s a small hotel, so the buffet wasn’t huge, but had something for everyone. The buffet and two Cokes came to €77, which felt overpriced. We’d been told about the €30-per-person fee, but after nine nights of dinners, seeing what we got for the price was still a shock. We went to the hotel’s à la carte restaurant, Palador, twice and found it nicer, quieter, and cheaper. I think we’d come back.