Residencial Chafariz

It's a simple, clean place at a reasonable price for the location, right in the center of Funchal. The only small drawback was the lack of sound insulation from the corridor, so you hear neighbors coming and going :)

If you're on a limited budget and want to stay in the city center, this hotel is a good option. It's especially handy for bikers, since there's free municipal parking nearby. The hotel itself has no car parking, though, and there's no air conditioning, which matters in hot summers. In the room I found just two power outlets, a bit inconvenient with several gadgets to charge. There are some useful comforts: the reception is open 24 hours, there's an elevator, and the staff are friendly and ready to help. They clean the room daily, and you can leave your belongings there if you want to explore before check-in or after check-out. The location is excellent too, with lots of attractions and places to visit close by. My impressions were mixed, but those are the main perks and drawbacks.

The location, right in the heart of the city, is the main thing this hotel has going for it. My room was relatively clean, and the room service was good. The rest wasn't great. A lot of the old infrastructure was broken, damaged, or simply not working. The reception staff didn't seem very kind or particularly concerned. Sockets were coming out of the wall, the fridge smelled and didn't work, and the walls were thin enough that you could hear everything outside. The beds deserve a mention of their own. I've never had beds like these: you could feel every spring, each movement made noise, and the mattress and frame wobbled from side to side. They felt completely unstable. Horrible.

The ladies at reception were wonderful, and that really made the place for me. I nearly complained about there being no kettle, but when I mentioned it as I was leaving, the lovely lady said I could have asked because they keep kettles for guests at reception. I'll remember that when I come back in February and March. I wanted to stay in January too, but they were full, so I'll have to stay somewhere else then. For the price, I didn't expect much in the city centre, but I loved it. The location is excellent, even closer to everything than I'd expected. Fabulous, and highly recommended for budget travelers and tight people like me.