Hotel Ocean Gardens

The best part of our stay was that the hotel was clean and comfortable. The views were amazing, and the staff were very nice, though I wouldn't rate it as a four-star hotel. The breakfast was okay but bland, and dinner service was painfully slow. On a couple of evenings we waited well over 30 minutes for two salads and two glasses of wine. Our room's air conditioning didn't work when we arrived, so they moved us farther along the corridor to a suite. The rooms were comfortable and very clean, but had no tea or coffee facilities, and we had to ask reception for a safe key. There was no TUI Rep, which would have been useful. The hotel is a 15-minute drive from the airport and about 10 minutes from central Funchal. We usually took Uber. There's a regular bus stop right outside, and the hotel also runs a courtesy bus, though not on weekends. We were disappointed that the hotel wasn't quite what we'd expected.

I still can't see how this is considered a 4-star hotel, and I wouldn't recommend it. We were lucky that it was nearly empty during our stay, so having the pool and sauna to ourselves was nice. But the pool bottom and the side filters badly needed cleaning and looked pretty disgusting. The terrace bar by the pool was closed the whole time, which was a huge letdown since we'd hoped to have a few drinks there.

I booked a last-minute holiday and was glad I chose this hotel. We were put in an older room, but it was fine, and the balcony views were amazing. Breakfast was excellent, with cheerful, obliging staff. We ate dinner in the restaurant in the evenings, and the meals were well cooked and fairly priced. Madeiran beef cubes might sound odd, but they're the tastiest meal! Just be aware there are no tea or coffee facilities or kettle.

The hotel and restaurant were lovely, with great food, and the staff were great too. Our newly renovated room was stunning, with amazing views, and the hotel was super clean. The pool area was lovely as well. It's outside the centre, so we took taxis for €10-15. We tried the bus, but it didn't show up, and taxis worked better. We didn't mind being away from the centre because the hotel was worth it. The only fault was that they didn't replenish the water in our room. Otherwise, it was perfect, and I'd absolutely stay again!