Residencial Monte Verde

For what we paid, it worked as a cheap place to sleep, with a lovely ocean view from the balcony morning and night. The bed was small, under 2 metres long and not particularly wide, which was my main complaint. The building is beautiful and green, and restaurants are very close, less than a five-minute walk. They may not be the most authentic Madeira food spots, but it's handy to have somewhere to eat nearby. The furniture was old and scratched, but everything was very clean. The toilet flush sometimes wouldn't stop properly, and the shower clogged easily, though neither issue felt alarming. We didn't use the pool; it looked a bit old, but not dirty. Free garage parking was a big plus. We only had breakfast on our last morning, and it was alright. We tried calling on check-in day to ask about getting in early, but nobody answered. We arrived early anyway, and the guy let us into the room without a problem. On the last day we left our suitcases behind reception for the whole day. They were just left there, but we weren't worried.

This was one of the best hotels I've stayed in, and I'd definitely come back. It's a lovely privately owned place, with friendly, helpful owners. The beds are comfortable, the hotel is quiet, and the bedroom furniture has its own style. I don't agree with someone who said it looked like it came from a roadside. The shower was great, and we had a balcony. Breakfast was enough for us without overeating. If you expect a huge buffet, you'd need to pay for a 5-star hotel. The hotel is also close to bus stops and all the amenities. Don't listen to people who pay for a 3-star stay but expect 5-star standards and then complain.

The room was huge, as was the bathroom, and the bed was very big. The furniture was old but worked fine, and we had a balcony with a table and two chairs. The pool was pleasant and not busy, and the staff were lovely and accommodating. We booked a massage, and the therapist was amazing. Definitely worth booking. The location was good enough, within walking distance of the center, and it was great value for money. Breakfast was basic, though they kindly bought gluten-free bread for us. If you eat gluten and drink cow's milk, it would be perfectly okay. They didn't have natural juices, scrambled eggs, or plant-based milk, which are what we usually have. Still, for the price it was good. On our last day, the pool water was very dirty and murky, so we didn't go in.

We liked the calm setting, and the hotel is a pretty, low-rise building in gardens, with a balcony in every room. There's a bus stop outside for route 24 into central Funchal. Several restaurants nearby made dinner easy. For the price, I'd recommend the hotel, as long as you aren't expecting a newly refurbished boutique feel. Our large bedroom had traditional painted antique-style furniture. Despite other reviews, it was well kept and in good decorative shape. The blackout curtains worked well, and the shower was amazingly hot and powerful. The mattresses were firm, but there was only one extra pillow. There was also a small TV with lots of English and American channels, including National Geographic, TLC, and BBC. Breakfast was a cold buffet from 8am to 10am, adequate but with limited options, mostly bread and cake. Don't arrive much after 8:30am, as they had run out of some things, like sliced bread and soft cheese.