We stayed at the Pestana for a week and I would definitely recommend staying at this hotel. It's a great hotel in a superb location. Breakfast was great, as was the view. The spa and pool areas were spotless and the gardens were immaculate. The room was very comfortable and quiet.

Missed not having an ironing board and iron in the room, along with tea/coffee facilities. Service in the bar and outside restaurant were very slow, there just didn't seem to be enough staff. Check-in was not great as we received confusing information about how the car parking worked. We arrived at the hotel at 14:45 check-in is at 15:00 we were told by the first receptionist that the room was ready but when we went back after parking the car a different receptionist told us that the room was not ready so we we had to go away and wait.

On arrival at 14.30, we were greeted by a very friendly receptionist who allocated our rooms immediately. The public areas and pool & gardens were kept immaculately and were very inviting. Contrary to other reviews we found the breakfast to be absolutely fine with plenty of fresh fruit, lovely rolls and good strong coffee etc. The reception staff were all friendly and helpful. We had a leak in our bathroom which we reported to the house-keeping staff. This was dealt with very promptly. We enjoyed our stay at this hotel.

The rooms do need refurbishing - scratches on furniture, stains on carpet and a big tear in the curtains. Also, it would have been nice to have had the bottle of water replenished rather than supplied just on arrival. This is nothing to do with the hotel, but the manners of some of the guests left a lot to be desired. For example, many on loud video calls and lying fully out on the outdoor bar furniture where people sit, some even with their feet on tables and we also noticed a guest on video call laying fully out on an indoor sofa, not what you expect in a five star hotel.

The building is for sure the best. It's amazing how good architecture perdures. Fortunately the building was kept more or less the same (even though the rooms could be refreshed). I’ve stayed here several times over the last 40 years and I keep admiring how the building takes advantage of the light and of the landscape.

Unfortunately, service is far from what it used to be; The reception staff was very unpleasant; The parking barrier was out of order and nobody could (or wanted to) help.

Staff were very efficient and helpful - thank you. The room was very good and had an excellent view. The breakfast and bar service were excellent. Choice at breakfast was particularly good and the bread and the cheeses outstanding. The hotel was a quiet and relaxing place to be and to stay in. Access by airport bus was fantastic and gave us really good service both arriving and departing. The sauna was greatly appreciated - a very valued service.

The indoor pool was crowded at different times with noisy and unhelpful children/family groups. Information on getting pool robes and slippers was gained only on request, and they took a day to be delivered to the room. The wardrobe door was sticking and not smooth to use. The bathroom sink had to be unblocked (this was done quickly).

Good location, close to Funchal centre, lots of restaurants around to eat

The rooms didn’t look like a 5star hotel, needed refreshing, ine of the beds for my daughter was disgraceful for this type of hotel, rusty frame not up to the standard

Nice setting. Staff were friendly. We liked the pool restaurant.

The coffee at breakfast was not nice. It was from a machine and tasted terrible.

The location is great, there’s a bus stop right in front of the hotel, you can get there by bus from the airport (which we failed to do bc the bus only takes cash which we didn’t have at that point) so, had to take a taxi from the airport which is exactly twice expensive than Bolt, for instance. Secondly, there’s a hop on hop off bus stop right next to the hotel and the walk to the city center is smooth and short (around 2 bus stops overall) but mind it’s a hilly area, so you need to go uphill back from the city center. There’s a beautiful city park right next to the hotel and a nice looking harbour with ships come and go almost every day, so the views from our balcony were amazing and always changing (due to different ships anchored in the harbour) The scenic view at night to the casino and the mountain is something else! Overall, the hotel is beautiful in a great area, surrounded by breathtaking nature, with birds singing in the morning

Good amenities (pools, restaurants, games area) The location was perfect for us to either explore the city centre or drive off to see other cities. Reception staff was helpful. Early breakfast provided which was very helpful when we wanted to head off on an early hike

We were awaken most days by the sound of doors or people talking in the corridor, our room’s door didn’t insulate the sound at all. The room was really nice but it was not cleaned well every day, we could tell that some days it was not hoovered, tissues weren’t refilled, room service dishes weren’t taken away. The towels were only changed on the first day. The jacuzzi was very cold. The hotel parking was super expensive (15€ for 24h) vs the nearby casino at 9€ per day.

Amazing buffet breakfast. Definitely worth adding to your package while staying there, it had absolutely everything and it was made fresh. This was something we valued as finding a good breakfast can be difficult on holidays! The pool facilities were excellent and the whole pool and restaurant area had a beautiful view. The hotel was in a great location, a short walk from the main strip and good shopping and dining options nearby.

Rooms definitely need updating and a refresh as they are quite outdated. Lots of scrapes, chips and dents here and there for a 5 star hotel. Didn’t quite live up to our expectations, but we still enjoyed our stay.

Staff friendly Comfy beds Clean rooms

No kettle in room